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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Conference

Pyrus communis
Conference pears
Conference has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritConference is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

If you only have space for one pear tree then this is the one for you.  

Conference is probably the only pear that is reliably self-fertile so you should get fruit without a pollinator nearby. Hardier than many other pears, Conference will do well in most locations in the UK.  

Commonly available? Perhaps, but if you want a pear to grow in your garden, plant a Conference.

Conference pear trees for sale

  • RF12-year bare-root tree on Quince Eline rootstock£47.95
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Can be grown on as a dwarf bush-trained fruit tree.
    Available next season
  • RF21-year bare-root tree on Quince A rootstock£38.25
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large bush-trained or half-standard tree, or a large fan or espalier.
    Available next season
  • RF32-year bare-root tree on Quince A rootstock£47.50
    Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
    Can be grown on as a large bush-trained fruit tree.
    Available next season
  • RF41-year bare-root tree on Pyrodwarf rootstock£40.50
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large pear tree, or half-standard pear tree.
    Available next season
  • RF52-year bare-root tree on Pyrodwarf rootstock£49.00
    Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a large pear tree, or half-standard pear tree.
    Available next season
  • RF61-year bare-root tree on Pyrus c. Kirchensaller rootstock£38.25
    Mature height: 5m-7m after 10 years
    Can be trained on as a 'standard' pear tree, no staking required, suitable for a traditional pear orchard.
    Available next season

Growing and Training

Conference is one of the easiest pears to grow, and tends to have some tolearance to late frosts. Like most other pears, Conference has an upright columnar growth habit.



Recommended pollinators for Conference pear trees

Conference is self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit. However you are likely to get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Beth
    Beth
    An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
  • Pollinator Beurre Superfin
    Beurre Superfin
    A traditional French 19th century pear, widely considered one of the best for flavour.
  • Pollinator Fondante d'Automne
    Fondante d'Automne
    An old fashioned French pear with a notably sweet flavour.
  • Pollinator Gin
    Gin
    A rare English perry pear variety with good disease resistance and medium acid and tannins.
  • Pollinator Gorham
    Gorham
    A reliable early 20th century American pear, with a sweet creamy flesh.
  • Pollinator Invincible
    Invincible
    Invincible is a high quality pear which can also cope with difficult conditions.
  • Pollinator Josephine de Malines
    Josephine de Malines
    A classic 19th century winter pear with a high quality flavour.
  • Pollinator Obelisk
    Obelisk
    A useful dwarf pear tree for small gardens, it grows with a tidy upright habit and is self-fertile.

Conference characteristics

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersGood
  • Pick seasonMid
  • Picking periodmid-September
  • Keeping2-3 weeks
  • Food usesEating fresh
  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Fruit colourGreen - light

You might also like these varieties

  • See also Beth
    Beth
    An easy and reliable early-season pear, with a very good melting flavour.
  • See also Concorde
    Concorde
    A marriage of Conference and Comice - Concorde is easy to grow, heavy crops, excellent flavour.
  • See also Conference
    Conference
    Conference is a popular and reliable English pear, well-suited to the UK climate.
  • See also Williams
    Williams
    Williams is a classic English pear, also known as Bartlett, with good flavour and quite easy to grow.

More about pear trees

The modern dessert pear with its refined flavours and melting flesh evolved in the 19th century, and with some exceptions almost all the pears we know today were developed at that time.

Unlike apples, which often helpfully come away in the hand when they are ripe, if you let pears ripen on the tree you will find they are overripe inside. Instead pears need to be harvested before they are ripe - then ripened in a fruit bowl. This just takes practice, and after a few seasons you will soon know the tell-tale little signs that your pears are ready for picking.


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