Pear (Pyrus) Winter Nelis 12L

'Winter Nelis' is a classic late dessert pear that carries the fruit season well into winter. It was raised in Belgium by Jean Charles Nelis in the early 1800s and arrived in Britain in 1818. It has earned its place in gardens ever since for its flavour and its excellent keeping qualities. White spring blossom is followed by small to medium, rounded-conical pears with yellowish-green skin, heavily covered in russet. The greenish-white flesh is sweet, juicy and full of flavour. Pick the fruit in late autumn, while it is still slightly under-ripe, and store it somewhere cool. Bring a few pears indoors to ripen for a couple of days before eating, and enjoy them through early to mid-winter. It makes a good addition where you grow several pears to extend the season, and its spring blossom is a welcome early food source for pollinators.

Grow in full sun in a sheltered spot, ideally facing south or west. It needs a deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil that is close to neutral, and will not thrive on very acid soil, shallow chalk or in shade for more than half the day. Late pears need plenty of late-summer warmth to ripen well, so a sunny wall or fence is ideal in cooler gardens. It is not self-fertile, so plant another pear in the same or a neighbouring flowering group nearby; 'Conference', 'Doyenné du Comice' and 'Concorde' are all good partners. It is a naturally modest grower but crops heavily, so thin the young fruits in early summer for better-sized pears. Keep pruning light in the first few years to build a strong framework. It is fully hardy (RHS H6). Eventual size depends on the rootstock, with the RHS giving a height of 4–8m and a spread of 2.5–4m within 10–20 years.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.