Pear Conference produces a good crop of delicious dessert pears in late September. Conference pears are long and narrow in shape with relatively firm, juicy flesh and a sweet rosewater flavour. The white spring flowers are popular with pollinating wildlife and add further appeal.
A great choice for less favourable Northern positions, this award-winning tough pear tree is also self fertile and requires no other pollinator.
AKA Pyrus communis 'Conference'
*Indication of the un-pruned height of this variety of Pear tree on different rootstocks in 10 years. Variations will occur due planting position, pruning, geography etc.
Conference is self-fertile and doesn’t require a pollination partner. If you do want to plant multiple pear trees, they should be spaced according to their rootstock, for example a Quince A (semi-vigorous) rootstock will require approx. 3 metres between trees, whereas a Quince C (dwarf) rootstock will require approx. 2 metres between trees.
Pot grown Conference pear trees can be planted at any time of the year but bare root ones need to be planted between November and March. Remove weeds and grass within a metre of your desired planting hole then dig a hole slightly deeper than your root mass and approximately 3x as wide. To help pear trees establish more effectively, apply root grow. Then gently loosen the roots and place into the planting hole. Using 50% of the original soil and 50% compost, fill in the hole and firm around gently without banking soil up around the collar of the tree.
We recommend planting pear trees using a stake and tie kit plus rabbit guard, unless you are cordon or espalier training them in which case they will need wire support systems. The Pear Tree Planting & Care guide has further information.
If you’re planting in spring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water your tree a little. Keep an eye on young pear trees and adjust watering as required. To check if the soil requires further water, dig a finger down into the soil, a few centimetres, and if the soil feels even slightly moist, it does not need further watering. If it feels dry, water and repeat this test again. Keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons.
It is important to prune your pear tree for the first few years after planting to ensure a healthy, balanced shape. Your tree should have one central leader and several strong side shoots. Straight after planting, remove the lowest laterals and prune the rest back to about 10-15cm in length. Carry out this type of formative pruning in early spring.
In the following years, remove any shoots growing out of the trunk to maintain a clear stem. Also remove crossing, diseased or damaged branches. If your tree is looking overcrowded, remove some of the larger branches to open up the canopy. Carry out this type of pruning between November and March.
Most deliveries are made within a week of placing the order. All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team, with many despatched to our tried and tested couriers within 24 hours (please allow up to 10 days). There's no need to be in to receive your trees and you can request where they are left via the checkout.
There is a slightly longer timescale on pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height) because we group orders together by geographic area for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers to notify them of the delivery date and whether the delivery driver needs assistance.
Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.
Our nursery is a busy despatch centre, so please make an appointment to collect or view trees. For collections, despatch charges will be refunded.
1 small tree (most trees with a height under 1.5 metres) : £7.95 + vat
1 medium tree (most trees 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £9.95 + vat
2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £12.95 + vat
1-4 large trees (trees too large to fit in a box): £19.95 + vat
Mature, pleached or 5+ large trees: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode. You can buy additional trees with no increase in delivery cost.
The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process.
Our courier charges are not viable for just one or two trees, but if you have a larger requirement then please do speak to us to see if we can find a solution.
The rootstock of a tree defines the height that it will eventually reach. All fruit trees can be pruned to control their height but it is advisable to choose a rootstock most suited to your needs in the first instance.
Quince A (semi-vigorous)
3-3.5 metres (10-11.5 feet) in 10 years - ideal for smaller orchards, individual specimens and espalier training.
Quince C (dwarf)
2 metres (6.5 feet) in 10 years - ideal for smaller gardens as specimen trees and suited to cordon training.
Below are definitions of various forms, which refer to the shape of the tree defined by the pruning it has received. For more advice, please contact us.
Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.
Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.
Multi Stem: A multi stem tree is has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system. Take care to buy a true multi-stem like all ours and not those that are 3 saplings in a pot to cheaply imitate them.
Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.
Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.
Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.
Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branch), which supports a branched crown. Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height.
Standard either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard 10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard 12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height
The table below gives sizes and forms available for this variety, along with photos you can enlarge (these are only a guideline as all plants are unique so vary).
| Plant Specification | rootstock | Root type | type | Price | Quantity Qty | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quince C (dwarf) | 12L pot | 2 year old / 120-150cm | £42.99£42.99 (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) | 1
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| Quince A (semi-vigorous) | 12L pot | 2 year old / 150-180cm | £42.99£42.99 (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) | 1
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