The rock pear lived in the shadows for a long time, but is currently enjoying increasing popularity again as a garden plant. This is not only due to the edible fruits, but also to the impressive appearance that results from the typical crown formation of a fully grown rock pear.
How big does a rock pear get?
The size of a rock pear varies depending on the variety: The copper rock pear reaches a height of approx.2-6 meters, the common rock pear grows to 1-4 meters high and the spiked rock pear grows to 2-5 meters high. Give the plant enough space to produce fruit for humans and birds.
Be careful when caring for the rock pear
While many garden plants forgive cutting errors relatively easily and incorrect interventions can be compensated for with newly grown shoots within a short time, it can take years for an incorrectly cut serviceberry until cutting errors have really grown out again. Therefore, all cuts in the rock pear should be questioned as to their necessity and usefulness. Basically, rock pears grow relatively moderately in the first few years in one location, so subtle pruning should only be necessary after a few years. Under no circumstances should you massively shorten a serviceberry in the garden that is too large and cut it back to bush size. The attractive crown shape of the fully grown, multi-stemmed rock pear arises completely naturally when there is as little care as possible.
The difference between pot culture and planted specimens
It is completely normal for a serviceberry in a pot to show slightly weaker growth than a specimen planted in the garden soil. This fact can only be compensated for to a limited extent by the right substrate and fertilization, as rock pears are not very demanding in this respect and should not be over-fertilized. What is more important for the he althy growth of a serviceberry is that it is protected as well as possible from mildew infestation and is cultivated in a suitable location with sufficient lighting conditions.
Give nature a helping hand
Over time, popular rock pear varieties reach a height of several meters and develop a typical funnel or umbrella shape on the crown. So-called branching is when certain side branches of a serviceberry are deliberately removed in order to give the plant an adult-looking growth habit. However, different varieties can show different growth potential when it comes to size:
- Copper rock pear: grows to a height of around two to six meters
- Common rock pear: grows to about one to four meters high
- Sharp serviceberry: grows to a height of around two to five meters
Tip
In order to grow a sufficient number of edible fruits for yourself and for the bird world in the garden, you should also allow the serviceberry in your garden to be a certain size.
