Among the old and proven varieties of pears, the Conference is one of the first places in terms of ease of cultivation in the middle lane and the taste properties of the fruits themselves, so its trees are increasingly found in Russia and neighboring countries. What is remarkable about the variety where it usually grows, and what you should know about the intricacies of planting and further care for trees - read about this in this article.

Description of the pear Conference

The Conference variety is interesting not only by the pears themselves, but also by the history of origin, not to mention the original name, therefore, every gardener who is sincerely interested in this pear will be interested in the following information.

Where and how is the variety bred?

The country of origin, or correctly stated as a breeder, of the Conference variety is Great Britain, where the new plant was bred around 1884–1885, and introduced to the general public ten years later. According to some reports, the parent form for this pear was a variety called Leon Leclerc de Laval, pollination of which was carried out by wild fruit species of trees. The names of the breeders involved in raising the Conference pear are not known today.

Why the pear is called Conference

The unusual and memorable name of the new fruit variety is associated with the London conference of 1895, at which breeders presented the new plant to everyone present. Since at that time the variety did not have an official name, then in the future it was registered precisely as a “Conference”.

Region and climate of growth

An English pear got into the State Register of Russia more than 100 years after the very conference, namely: in 2014. Since then, the tree has been recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus region, but in fact the pear is planted in the Moscow Region, the western and eastern parts of the Russian Federation, as well as in the south and north of the country.

Important! No matter where the Conference pear grows, one should not forget about its low winter hardiness (up to -18 ° C), because of which all trees require good winter shelter in the central and northern regions of the Russian Federation.

In addition, the variety is found in other countries: in the territory of Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, in other countries of Europe, as well as in the USA and China.

Tree description

Conference pear trees are medium-sized plants that reach a height of 4–5 m, with sprawling branches that give the crown a conical shape. Its radius is often 3-5 m, which is definitely worth considering when choosing a place for planting a seedling.

On numerous shoots, a huge number of dark green oval and slightly elongated leaves are formed, and each year young branches add 60–70 cm to their original length. In early May, a large number of white five-petalled flowers appear, and they begin to collect pear fruits in early September.

Productivity

Under good growing conditions, up to 45 kg of fruits are harvested from one pear tree of the Conference, and given that the plant has a lifespan of at least 40 years, during this time you can get hundreds of kilograms of uniformly ripened fruits weighing 135–150 g each. All of them are elongated, bottle-shaped and covered with green-yellow peels, with characteristic slightly rough brown spots. The shortened stalk is not placed strictly in the center, but from the side, which is what many gardeners consider an individual feature of the variety (to process pears, “tails” must be removed).

Important! The Conference variety belongs to self-pollinated varieties, but it is better to plant it next to such varieties as Bere Bosk, Williams or Bere Hardy, which positively affects the taste of pears.

The fruits themselves, or rather, their tasty and fragrant oily flesh, deserve special attention. In structure, it is fine-grained, sweet in taste, with a slight acidity, but only in the first few days after taking the fruits. In the future, pears become softer, but still retain their density and aroma. In a cool room with reduced humidity, you can store the collected pears for up to six months without fear for their taste and marketability.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• The conference has many positive characteristics:
• the abundance and regularity of fruiting after planting a tree at a constant place of growth (subject to a suitable climate);
• self-pollination (pollen viability reaches 80%, which is especially valuable with limited space on the site);
• high flavoring properties of fruits;
• the possibility of bookmarks for long-term storage;
• attractive appearance of relatively small fruits and the pear tree itself.

• As for the minuses of cultivating the variety, the following features of the pear are included in this group:
• low frost resistance, which explains the requirement for the organization of winter shelter, and even in conditions of an average climatic zone;
• a high dependence of fruiting abundance on weather conditions during the growing season: if the summer is rainy, cold and windy, then the pears simply will not ripen and their taste will be far from soft and sweet;
• tendency to damage by fungal ailments.

Adhering to the rules of planting and further care of planted pears, the likelihood of any problems can be minimized, which means that the Conference will have much more positive characteristics of the pear.

Growing Features

Before planting a tree on your site, it is important to choose the most suitable place for it, properly prepare it and organize the planting holes. It is also worth considering the nuances of choosing the seedling itself and the requirements for planting technology.

Learn how to grow late Belarusian pear.

Seat selection

So that further growth and development of the pear only delight the gardener, it is advisable to plant seedlings only in well-lit areas protected from drafts. An ideal place would be southern or eastern territories, with a level of groundwater at a depth of about 3–3.5 m from the surface of the earth.

On waterlogged and heavy soils, pears grow slowly and do not bring the expected yield, therefore, in order to achieve maximum fruiting, it is advisable to plant seedlings only in fertile and loose substrates that can easily pass air and moisture. The best option in this case would be loamy soils, forest gray soils or chernozems, and sandy and loamy soils, as well as heavy clay or peat substrates, will always remain undesirable varieties.

Selection of planting material

The quality of the selected seedling directly affects the characteristics of the future adult tree, therefore, in order to increase the chances of getting a plentiful harvest, you will have to pay special attention to the choice of material for planting. Conference cultivar seedlings should be planted on a permanent place of growth at the age of 1-2 years, since it is these plants that take root much better and grow faster.

Did you know? In Ancient Russia of the XVII century, instead of the term "pear", the concept of "dulia" was more often used, which came from the Polish word "dula". Nowadays, there is nothing in common between these concepts.

Having chosen a suitable copy for yourself, be sure to carefully examine it for signs of diseases or pests, and if there are any, then you should look for another option. In addition, it is important to consider the type of root system: if it is open, then it is better to start pear planting in the very near future. Of course, all the roots of a young pear should be resilient, without any growths or signs of rot.

Direct landing technology

After waiting for a suitable landing time (they are different for each region), they begin to prepare landing pits with a depth of at least 80 cm and a diameter of about 1 m in 2–4 weeks. This time will be enough to settle the soil, so after 14 days you can lay it on the bottom 15 a centimeter drainage layer (for example, from broken bricks or expanded clay) and perform the following actions for planting pear seedlings Conference:

1. The surface soil layer removed from the hole is mixed with a bucket of peat, compost or rotted manure and, adding 0.5 kg of superphosphate to the mixture, they are backfilled, organizing a small mound (the height of the hill should reach about half of the pit).
2. A support wooden stake is driven in 15 cm from the center, to which a young seedling will later be tied.
3. A seedling is also placed in the hole, carefully spreading all the roots of a young pear and sprinkling them lightly with soil (there should not be free, airy space between the individual roots).
4. It is better to immediately tie the seedling trunk to a driven support and to mulch the soil surface with peat crumb or sawdust.
5. The remaining substrate is added to the pit, but only so that it completely hides the pear rhizome, and the root neck remains above the surface (about 3-6 cm above the soil line).
6. At the end of the process, it remains to compact the soil, form a near-stem circle and water the plant abundantly.

The scheme of planting pears. In the following days the pear Conference will not need your attention, on the contrary, it needs to provide maximum peace for quick and successful adaptation in the new conditions.

Tree care

Proper planting of pear seedlings The Conference is only the beginning of the path to obtaining a tasty and plentiful harvest, because the effectiveness of growing a crop largely depends on further care for the trees. Watering, top dressing, pruning and pest control are the main measures for growing trees of this variety.

Watering rules and regulations

Pear Conference is a representative of drought tolerant varieties, therefore abundant and regular watering is required only for young plants (up to four years of age), and in the future, 3-4 procedures for the whole season will be enough for them. Seedlings are watered about 1 time in 14 days, spending about 1-2 buckets of water per plant.

Important! To ensure good air exchange between the root system of the pear and the external environment, after complete absorption of water, the soil must be loosened, carefully deepening the tool throughout the trunk circle.

In hot summers with stably high air temperatures, the frequency of irrigation can be increased up to 1 time in 7 days, and in the rainy season, on the contrary, reduce the amount of irrigation, focusing on the drying rate of the upper soil layer.

Dates and norms of fertilizer application

Any plant needs nutrients, because with their shortage, successful growth and fruiting of the culture cannot be guaranteed. When growing pears of the described variety up to the age of three, seedlings are fed no more than twice a season: in the spring, using urea or other nitrogen-containing substances, and in the fall, introducing rotten manure into the ground (pour 0.5 l of 10 l of water and leave for insisting in within 5-7 days).

Before using the slurry directly, it is better to dilute it once again with water (1:10), and then pour the fertilizer into the trunk circle. A good option for feeding pears will be complex mineral compositions for fruit trees, which are best applied to the soil before flowering trees, but be sure to use the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

We recommend that you find out what the benefits and harms of the Pear Conference are.

Crown trimming and shaping

Features of the Conference pear forming pruning depend on the purpose of growing the tree. So, with private cultivation of the culture, gardeners prefer sparse-tiered formation, while when planting trees in industrial volumes it is recommended to palmette formation. The first option involves the removal of all excess growth, except for 4–5 powerful skeletal shoots. Subsequently, the trunk and selected branches are cut to ¼ their lengths.

In the second case, a support trellis is immediately installed next to the tree, to which the skeletal branches are gradually tied up, one at a time bending them perpendicular to the tree trunk. In this case, only sanitary pruning is provided to remove weak, sick and broken shoots. In addition, when forming fruits on trees, it is worth leaving only large and healthy specimens, removing the excess twisted green fruits.

1. The first pruning is done in relation to young seedlings as soon as they have reached the age of 1 year. Cut off the top, this will ensure the growth of the lower branches, so the crown will form, starting from the lower shoots. 2. The next season involves exactly the same pruning, only from the upper tier of the branches.

Winter preparations

In almost all regions (except for the southern territories of the Russian Federation), the Conference pear needs good winter shelter, since even lowering the temperature to -18 ° C it is possible for the adult and mature shoots to freeze out, not to mention the young branches. If in the south of the country it is enough to sprinkle the lower part of the tree with a 30-cm layer of humus, then for the northern winter such actions will not be enough and you will have to additionally wrap the trunk of the pear with agrofibre, placing a layer of spruce on top.

Also read about how to plant and care for a Williams pear and a Kyrgyz winter.

In the Moscow region, young plants are bent to the ground and covered with a thick layer of mulch, also covering with spruce branches or spanbond. With the arrival of steady spring heat, as soon as the threat of freezing frost is over, it is necessary to remove the mulch, giving the roots access to air.

Diseases and pests of the variety

Unfortunately, the Conference pear variety is not very resistant to the main fungal diseases and popular garden pests, so it is not surprising that gardeners may encounter one of the following problems:

1. Brown spotting - characterized by the appearance on the leaves of increasing gray-brown, slightly concave spots with a black dot in the middle. As a result, the growth of shoots is limited, the leaves are deformed, curled and fall, and the formed fruits rot. For preventive purposes, timely collection and burning of fallen leaves, the use of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers for top dressing, and deep digging of the soil are recommended. To eliminate an existing problem, you can use a Bordeaux mixture and one of the popular fungicidal preparations, for example, Kuproksat or Skor.
   

2. White spotting (septoria) - manifests itself in the form of bright spots with gray-brown bordering, which are noticeable in May, and by July the pear can lose all the leaves. To prevent the disease, you can water the soil in the near-stem circle with Nitrofen every year (100 g per 10 liters of water), but if the spots are already visible on the surface, then fungicidal preparations cannot be dispensed with: for example, you can spray the plant with a solution of Bordeaux mixture (3 %), repeating treatments 5-6 times per season.
3. Moniliosis (fruit rot). The main symptom is small dark tubercles on the surface of the fruit, which over time increase in size and turn into a single spot. The flesh acquires a friable consistency and a dark brown color (they can no longer be eaten). At the first signs of an ailment, the affected fruits must be destroyed immediately, and the tree should be treated with Biomix (4-5 liters per tree).
   

4. Powdery mildew is another fungal disease that manifests itself in a whitish coating on the underside of pear leaf blades. Over time, they curl, dry and fall. Prevention of powdery mildew provides for monitoring the regularity and amount of watering, and for the treatment of already infected trees, you can use colloidal sulfur, copper chloride or soda ash in a proportion of 50 g of substance per bucket of liquid.
5. Black cancer - the signs of the disease are spots and rot scattered around the trunk, branches and even the fruits of the pear. Over time, the surface of such spots shrinks, dries and dies, along with healthy wood tissues. The basis of prevention is the treatment of all damage and cracks in the tree with garden var, seasonal whitewashing of the trunk with a solution of lime and clean water (1: 5) with the addition of copper sulfate (100 g per 10 l of the finished mixture). To cure fruit trees from black cancer, biological (Pentafag) and chemical (Strobi) remedies are often used.
   

Of the pests, the Conference is bothered by green aphids, pear moths, pear brassica, mites, leaf moths. Almost all of them quickly suck out nutritious juices from the tissues of the tree and damage the fruits, because of which the tree slows down its growth and the yield of pears is significantly reduced. In the fight against insect pests, the Iskra-Bio, Maxim, Topaz, Fitoverm, Aktara, and Decis insecticides will be effective, used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Did you know? The rich chemical composition of pears led to their beneficial effects on the human body, but not all fruits have the same properties. To pick out the most healthy pear, sniff at it: a steady, natural flavor is the best indicator of the quality of the selected fruit.

Harvesting and storage of crops

The first crop of Conference pears can be obtained no earlier than 5–6 years after planting a seedling in an open area, and with each subsequent year the number of pears brought in will only increase, gradually reaching maximum values ​​of 40–45 kg per tree. К массовому сбору плодов приступают ближе к концу сентября, но если вы хотите отправить груши на хранение, тогда лучше снять их за несколько недель до плановой уборки, слегка недоспелыми.

Продолжительное нахождение плодов на дереве чревато появлением мучнистой мякоти и размягчением груш. Идеальное время для уборки — солнечный и сухой день, позволяющий сразу уложить сорванные груши в мягкие ящики или сумки, не прибегая к дополнительному обсушиванию плодов после дождя или утренней росы.

You will be interested to learn how to store pears for the winter at home.

Перед закладкой в погреб собранные плоды желательно аккуратно разложить под навесом в один слой и оставить там на сутки, добиваясь максимального испарения лишней влаги. По истечении этого времени плоды переносят в тёплое помещение, чтобы они стали более маслянистыми (характерная особенность сорта) и приобрели свойственный им аромат. Как только это случится — смело складывайте груши в ящики и закладывайте в погреб.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Некоторые садоводы рекомендуют опускать груши в погреб сразу после сбора, чтобы холод помог улучшить качественные характеристики мякоти. Однако если плоды снимались в недозрелом состоянии, тогда им в любом случае нужно время, чтобы «дойти» в тёплом помещении, а реакция на холод будет совершенно иной. Несмотря на возможность универсального использования груш сорта Конференция, они лучше всего подходят для употребления в свежем виде и переработки на пюре.

Законсервировать их целыми или небольшими кусочками не получится, поскольку они полностью развалятся в банках (особенно это касается плодов, сорванных «в срок»).

Узнайте, можно ли есть грушу при панкреатите.

При правильной подготовке собранный урожай сорта Конференция будет успешно храниться в течение 4–6 месяцев, обеспечивая всю семью хорошим запасом полезных витаминов и минералов, и это не говоря об отличных вкусовых свойствах таких плодов. Груши сорта Конференция — отличный вариант для выращивания в южных регионах, однако при должном уходе их можно высаживать и на северных территориях РФ, откуда плоды нередко привозят для реализации в других областях.