Late Pear recommendations

[ameno]

I have an unproductive plum on my allotment which I am thinking of ditching this winter and replacing with a pear tree.
I already have a Williams up there, which crops pretty well, so would like a late variety (one not ready until October) to extend the season.
Not being self-fertile is not an issue, as long as flowering time overlaps with Williams (there's also a Conference on a neighbouring plot, but it may be a bit far to be a reliable pollination partner, especially as it is not very big).
Looking for varieties which taste good and soften nicely when ripe, and crop reliably. Ideally ones which keep well, too, but that is less important.

[Nicos]

Cant help with suggestions but have you thought of grafting several varieties onto the plum tree? Might cover different flowering times/ late frosts etc?
(Can you actually graft those onto plum or is it only stoned fruit grafts?)

[burnie]

These have 10 oercent off just now and sound the right solution
Pear Tree 'Concorde' (pomonafruits.co.uk)

[ameno]

I was hoping for something a bit different from Conference (which Concorde tastes the same as).
I do like Conference, but you can also get them in the shops for a reasonable price for most of the year.

[smallblueplanet]

I love a good Google! These sound interesting?

https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/...rs/santa-claus

https://www.pomonafruits.co.uk/fruit...onne-of-jersey

https://www.bowhayestrees.co.uk/prod...-humbug-stripy - odd!

Plus lots to pique your interest here?

[Jungle Jane]

Theres a handy web page that lists all the pollination partners for fruit trees,I’ve put in Williams pear,lists early & late varieties,I would probably also see if any have the rhs agm,yes a few have,beurre superfin,concorde,conference & Josephine de malines this one’s very late,I think I’d find photos of them next

https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/...onchecker.aspx

[Vince G]

I was hoping for something a bit different from Conference (which Concorde tastes the same as).
I do like Conference, but you can also get them in the shops for a reasonable price for most of the year.

I planted a dwarf Beurre Hardy at the allotment, it may to get to 2 metres eventually. I planted it autumn 2021 so it was still establishing last summer, although would probably have been too hot to produce anything. Lasy weekend I picked 3 quite large fruit, ate one and it was very sweet, but the flesh was a lot smoother and a less gritty texture than a Conference, buttery I suppose, hence its name. The skin is quite thick like a Russett apple and flushed red. I've left the other 2 fruit to soften on the windowsill so hopefully they will be a bit juicier than the first one. PM me in a week or so if you're interested to see how they develop. sorry but I'm bound to forget to tell you without a reminder!

Bought from Pomona, see Burnie's link

[It never rains..it pours]

I was hoping for something a bit different from Conference (which Concorde tastes the same as).
I do like Conference, but you can also get them in the shops for a reasonable price for most of the year.

For what it's worth my concorde are in a different league to shop brought conference

Have a ducomice and the concorde disease resistance is a different league

So overall seems here that concorde is a good compromise of ducomice/conference

[Vince G]

I planted a dwarf Beurre Hardy at the allotment, it may to get to 2 metres eventually. I planted it autumn 2021 so it was still establishing last summer, although would probably have been too hot to produce anything. Lasy weekend I picked 3 quite large fruit, ate one and it was very sweet, but the flesh was a lot smoother and a less gritty texture than a Conference, buttery I suppose, hence its name. The skin is quite thick like a Russett apple and flushed red. I've left the other 2 fruit to soften on the windowsill so hopefully they will be a bit juicier than the first one. PM me in a week or so if you're interested to see how they develop. sorry but I'm bound to forget to tell you without a reminder!

Bought from Pomona, see Burnie's link

Just to add to this, I have sampled another one and basically had a bath in pear juice! Absolutely outstanding

[ameno]

Most sources I can find suggest Beurre Hardy is a mid-season variety, cropping mid-September to early October (it's also worth noting that everything seems to crop earlier where I am than most of the literature suggests), which would probably overlap too much with my Williams (I've only just used the last one today).
I'm leaning towards Doyenne du Comice at the moment. It seems to be well regarded for flavour and texture, is ready to pick early to mid October, and seems fairly widely available (whatever variety I pick needs to be available on a Quince C rootstock, as there are height restrictions at my allotment, and more obscure varieties are often only available on Quince A).

[It never rains..it pours]

Doyenne du Comice is quite bad for disease, I have not had a good or off mine yet

[ameno]

Which diseases?

[It never rains..it pours]

Pear scab, where as my concorde & invincible are clean

Think all depends on weather. Too damp here for ducomice

[ameno]

Williams are meant to be fairly prone to scab, too, but it's never really been an issue for me. I occasionally get a tiny bit, but that's it.
That being the case, I think I'll probably take my chances, especially as where I plan to plant the new pear tree is slightly more open than where the Williams is, so should have better air flow.