Conference Pear trees produce a good crop of delicious dessert pears in late September. Conference pears are long and narrow in shape with green skin. The flesh is relatively firm and juicy with 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.
Covid-19: We're pleased to announce that we are back up and running in line with government advice. We have a bit of a backlog of orders and are catching up as we write. Please expect a slightly longer lead time of around 2 – 3 weeks (excludes pre-order and mature trees). Thank you for your patience and understanding.
1 small tree (most trees under 1.5 metres in height) : £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 trees delivered by pallet (inc. mature Japanese Maples): £19.95 + vat
The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process.
Mature and pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode rather than quantity (starts from £48 + vat).
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.
All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 10 days of placing the order. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is 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 for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers to notify them of the delivery date.
Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is given on the basket page. Orders will be despatched when all trees are ready.
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.
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.
The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. Below are definitions of terms:
Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.
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.
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.
Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.
Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.
Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.
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 branches of the 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
| Plant Specification | rootstock | Root type | type | Price | Quantity Qty | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quince A (semi-vigorous) | 12L pot | 2 year old / 150-180cm | £49.99£49.99 (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) | 1
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| Quince C (dwarf) | 12L pot | 2 year old / 120-150cm | £49.99£49.99 (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) | 1
| |||
| Quince A (semi-vigorous) | 45L pot | Heavy Standard Tree 12-14cm girth, 3.5-4.5m | £219.99£219.99 (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) (VAT Free) | 1
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