Pear (Pyrus) Conference 12L Half Standard Conference

Conference is Britain's most popular pear and one of the most reliable fruit trees you can grow. It was raised by the famous Rivers Nursery in Hertfordshire, named after the National Pear Conference of 1885, and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. White spring blossom, loved by bees, is followed by heavy crops of long, slender, green pears with golden-brown russet. The creamy flesh is sweet, juicy and refreshing. Pick the pears from late September while still firm and ripen them indoors, and they'll keep through October and November, often beyond, if stored somewhere cool. They're delicious eaten fresh and hold their shape well for poaching and baking.

This half standard has a clear trunk of around 1.2m beneath a well-branched crown. It grows into a classic freestanding orchard-style tree with room to mow or plant beneath, which suits lawns, larger gardens and small orchards. Conference can set fruit even without pollination, so a single tree will usually crop well on its own. Another pear nearby will give heavier crops and better-shaped fruit, and Beth, Concorde and Beurré Hardy all make good partners. It's hardy and adaptable, but crops best in full sun in a sheltered spot, in deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil, away from frost pockets. Stake firmly for the first few years, thin heavy clusters after the natural early summer drop, and prune in winter to keep an open shape and encourage fruiting spurs. Fully hardy (RHS H6).

Supplied in a 12-litre pot.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.