I think that pot is about the same size: an 18" cylinder would be 20 gallons, but a Terra cotta pot will be smaller due to the taper.

Right, it's only slightly larger than the plastic pot it's already in... I guess that's my question: is it big enough? If not, how big does a pear tree container need to be?

You can grow them in the pot you selected. It will work. Fruit might be smaller, and you have a limited number, but it will work. The bigger the better, but soon size become impractical. I usually use about 30 gallon pots, you can go up to 70 gallons of you wanted to. Not sure how you would move them without a High-Lo though?

Maybe I'll look for something a little bigger then. I appreciate the advice.

Now I have a new question though... what is a high-lo?

Chris, I hope you find this post about maintaining trees in containers for the long haul helpful.

Al

BTW - more than anything, soil choice determines what size pot is appropriate for a given plant. How the roots have been maintained also has a significant impact on appropriate container size. It's likely that if you addressed any developing root issues the plant has, it would be able to be planted in a pot much smaller than it is currently in, and begin to exhibit much better vitality very soon after.

Al