Conference pear

Sun

Full sun, preferably in a sheltered position away from frost pockets.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist while establishing and during fruit swelling; avoid waterlogged ground.

Soil

Deep, fertile, well-drained loam; slightly acidic to neutral soil is ideal. Quince rootstocks can struggle in strongly alkaline soil.

Height

Usually 8-20 ft (2.4-6 m) on dwarfing or semi-vigorous rootstocks; 30-40 ft (9-12 m) on vigorous pear rootstocks.

Spread

Usually 6-15 ft (1.8-4.6 m) on dwarfing or semi-vigorous rootstocks; 20-30 ft (6-9 m) on vigorous pear rootstocks.

Flowers

White flowers in mid-spring, usually April in the Northern Hemisphere and September-October in the Southern Hemisphere.

Foliage

Oval, glossy green leaves, often turning yellow in autumn.

Growth

Moderate; strongly influenced by rootstock, soil and pruning.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.6 m)

About 20 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two or three years and when developing fruit needs moisture.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) organic mulch each spring, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed modestly in spring if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages soft shoots.
• Stake newly planted trees; dwarfing rootstocks may need permanent support.
• Thin crowded fruit clusters in early summer to one or two pears, leaving roughly 4-6 in (10-15 cm) between retained fruits.
• For better cropping, plant a compatible pear with overlapping blossom, such as 'Comice' or 'Williams' Bon Chrétien' ('Bartlett').

Pruning. Prune free-standing trees in late winter while dormant, removing dead, crossing and crowded branches while retaining fruiting spurs; avoid severe cutting. Summer-prune trained espaliers and cordons to control side shoots, and follow local disease advice where fire blight occurs.

Pick the pears in early to mid-autumn, usually September-October in the Northern Hemisphere, while still firm; a ready pear separates easily when lifted and gently twisted. Ripen indoors until the flesh near the stalk yields slightly to pressure, rather than leaving fruit to soften on the tree. Expect the first substantial crop about 3-5 years after planting a grafted tree, sometimes longer on vigorous rootstocks.

Late autumn

Plant bare-root trees once dormant if the ground is workable; stake and water thoroughly.

Late winter

Prune free-standing trees lightly to maintain an open framework and productive fruiting spurs.

Spring

Mulch, feed if needed, and protect blossom from forecast frost with fleece where practical.

Early summer

Thin heavy fruit clusters after the natural fruit drop and check shoots for pests or disease.

Summer

Water during dry spells and summer-prune trained forms.

Early autumn

Test pears regularly for easy release, harvest while firm and ripen small batches indoors.

Late autumn

Collect fallen fruit and diseased leaves, and check ties and trunk guards.

• Train as an espalier along a sunny fence or wall to grow fruit without a broad canopy.
• Plant as a small orchard tree with a compatible pear for better pollination.
• Use a dwarfing-rootstock tree as a focal point in a kitchen garden, surrounded by low herbs and flowers.
• Train cordons along wires to form an orderly, productive boundary.

Garden styles it suits: Backyard orchard, Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Cottage garden, Formal and Homestead.

Plant it with: Comice pear, Williams' Bon Chrétien pear, Chives, Thyme, Sweet alyssum and Calendula.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other insects. Birds and wasps may feed on ripe or damaged pears; collect fallen fruit and use wildlife-safe netting if protection is needed.

• Fire blight: blackened blossom and hooked, dying shoots need prompt attention; remove infected wood well below symptoms in dry weather, disinfect tools and follow local guidance.
• Pear rust: orange leaf spots are associated with nearby susceptible junipers; remove fallen leaves and seek local advice if infection is repeated or severe.
• Pear psylla and aphids: inspect curled or sticky shoots, encourage natural predators and use a locally approved insecticidal soap where appropriate.
• Poor fruit set: blossom frost, insufficient winter chilling or weak pollination can reduce crops; choose a suitable climate and sheltered site, and add a compatible flowering pear.

Pear flesh is not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Seeds contain cyanogenic compounds and should not be deliberately eaten or fed to animals; poisoning from accidentally swallowing a few intact seeds is unlikely, but larger amounts of chewed seeds can be harmful. Whole pears and cores can also be choking hazards for animals.

• Bosc pear (Pyrus communis 'Bosc')

  Also long-necked, but typically has more extensive cinnamon-brown russeting; 'Conference' usually retains more visible green skin. Fruit appearance alone is not always enough to confirm a cultivar.

• Concorde pear (Pyrus communis 'Concorde')

  Produces similarly elongated fruit, often with smoother skin and less russeting. A nursery label or known planting history is more reliable than shape alone.

• Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

  Most garden varieties have rounded, apple-shaped fruit that stays crisp when ripe, unlike the elongated fruit and soft, melting flesh of ripe 'Conference'.

The cultivar was named after the National British Pear Conference of 1885, where it was exhibited.

Propagation. Propagate by budding or grafting onto a compatible pear or quince rootstock. Seedlings do not come true to 'Conference', and ordinary cuttings are not a reliable home method.

Accepted botanical name

Pyrus communis

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is. and East European Russia.

Measured

Soil pH 5.2 to 6.7. Average height 750 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.