Pear Conference

The conference pear variety (Konferencja), bred by English breeders, was created specifically for fresh consumption. Trees covered with ripe fruits can become a real decoration of the garden in season. The sweet, pleasant taste of the fruit is remembered, and is liked by both children and adults.

Fruit trees of this variety are medium-sized, with a conical crown. The branches extend from the central conductor at sharp angles. The trees are spreading, reaching a height of 5-6 meters, the crown is densely leafy, lush, with a radius of up to 5 m.The average growth of the trunk during the year reaches 60-70 cm.

The flowers of the Conference variety are simple, with 5 petals, white. Assembled in groups of 6-10 pieces.

Conference pears are distinguished by the presence of a smooth, almost without shine, skin of a yellow-green hue with a golden-brown dense rustiness of the surface. Their size is average, the weight of each fruit reaches 140-180 g. The shape is symmetrical, slightly elongated, characteristic of a pear. The pulp under the skin is slightly oily, pinkish-creamy. The shelf life of ripe pears exceeds 3 months.

Pears of this variety are sweet, with a strong aroma and tender, juicy pulp. The tasting score of the fruit is 4.8-4.9 points. Light astringency in taste is easily removed by removing the skin, which contains tannins.

Fruits ripen in autumn, the beginning of collection falls in mid-September. Fruiting occurs annually, begins at 3-4 years.

The Conference pear has a high yield. From 1 tree per season, you can get 70-100 kg of ripe pears.

In Russia, the Conference is most often grown in the southern regions - it is here that it acclimatizes better than others. In the north, trees of this variety require very careful shelter.

The variety is self-fertile. Flowering occurs starting from the 1st decade of May, differs in duration. To increase yields, improve the taste of fruits, you can plant Williams or Bere pears nearby. Fruit set after flowering reaches 60-70%.

The best time to plant a young conference pear tree is autumn, starting in mid-September. It is customary to prepare planting pits in advance, constructing drainage in them, and then filling them with a nutrient substrate rich in organic matter and minerals. It will be useful to lay 2-3 handfuls of rusty nails in the hole - sources of iron, which will enter the soil for some time.

Before planting a plant, it must also be prepared. The roots are pruned, immersed in water for 1 hour, then briefly dipped in a dung-clay mash. Then the seedlings are transferred to the planting pit. Their roots are straightened, covered with earth so that the ground level is 60-80 mm below the neck of the trunk.

After planting, the soil is compacted, watered abundantly. Up to 2 buckets of water are poured under each tree.It is better to sprinkle the trunk circle with mulch, periodically renewing its layer.

The main care for this pear tree is pruning. Since the crown grows intensively, it has to be cone-shaped every year, removing all unnecessary branches. This promotes better penetration of sunlight to the lower part of the crown. The fruit on the branches will ripen more evenly.

Young plants need protection not only from frost, but also from the sun. In the first years of life, they are shaded to exclude the appearance of burns on the foliage. For the winter, pears are wrapped in burlap, without removing it until spring. After removing the shelter in March-April, the trunk is examined, the wounds are covered up. After that, it is recommended to loosen the soil, ensuring the flow of oxygen to the roots.

Basic rules for growing pears The conference presupposes a careful approach to choosing a place. For seedlings, free areas are chosen, quite spacious, not shaded, well lit. It is important to protect young trees from strong winds. For the placement of plants, areas with deep groundwater and slightly alkaline or neutral acidic soil composition are used. The structure of the substrate should be loose, moisture-permeable, fertile.

Aftercare is pretty straightforward too. Top dressing is carried out starting from 2 years old, introducing up to 2 kg of organic matter for each square meter of soil. Adult trees will benefit from periodic use of urea, potassium sulfate as fertilizer. Before flowering, it will be useful to foliar spray the tree with a superphosphate solution. Regular watering every 3 days also has a beneficial effect on pear growth and fruit formation.

Conference pears are relatively scab resistant. Trees are sensitive to other diseases, because the variety was bred at the end of the 19th century. Among the most frequently manifested infections of a fungal or viral nature, one can single out septoria, rust, against which regular preventive and sanitary treatments are carried out. When traces of fruit rot are detected, the affected fruits are destroyed, the tree and the rest of the ovaries are treated with Biomix.

Powdery mildew can also appear on the pear. The fight against the disease consists in spraying trees with a mixture of liquid laundry soap and soda ash. Among pests, the greatest danger to pears at the Conference is aphids.Plants are sprayed against it with Iskra-Bio or Agroverin preparations.

The trees of this variety have average winter hardiness. The variety is poorly adapted to weather changes. In spring frosts, shedding of flowers may occur. Productivity also largely depends on climatic and weather conditions. Trees are not suitable for planting in regions with winter temperatures below -18 degrees Celsius.

According to summer residents, the Conference pear is included in the list of varieties that are worth having in your garden. It is appreciated for its excellent taste, abundant fruiting, ease of care. Pears are actively tied, some branches may even break under their weight. Many summer residents prefer to ration their number, discarding excess fruits, shaking them off. It is noted that after the first harvest, the volume of fruit collection increases annually.

Among other advantages of the variety, one can single out a quick rise in height by a fruit tree. The general unpretentiousness of the pear is also highly appreciated by the Conference, it does not need complex care. The fruits can be stored in the cold until winter. Gardeners find a wide variety of uses for them - they dry, squeeze juice from the pulp, make marmalade and jams.

Among the disadvantages of this variety, the fragility of wood can be distinguished, it easily cracks, damaged by mechanical contact. The crown is prone to thickening, but with regular pruning it can be kept in order. Return frosts in May can negatively affect yields.