Autumn 2024Order now for delivery from week commencing 25th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.
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Beth pear trees

Pyrus communis
Beth pears
Check pollinators >
Beth has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritBeth is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Early late August / early September
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993

Beth is an excellent early-season pear, very well suited to the UK climate. It grows in a neat and compact fashion (although quite upright like most pears), and cropping is very good in most situations.

It has a particularly good flavour, with the characteristic melting texture usually associated with the French pear varieties.

In short Beth is the ideal pear for the allotment or back garden.

 

Beth pear trees for sale

Pot-grown

All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.

  • PG12-year bush-trained 11.5L pot-grown tree Quince Eline rootstock £62.00< 5 in stock
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • PG22-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree Quince A rootstock £57.75
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • PG3Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree Quince A rootstock £63.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree Quince Eline rootstock £39.75
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR22-year bush-trained bare-root tree Quince Eline rootstock £47.95
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR31-year bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £38.25
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
    Please try next season
  • BR42-year bush-trained bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £47.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR52-year bare-root tree Quince A rootstock £47.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts

Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.

Next deliveries

Order now for delivery from week commencing 25th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.

Growing and Training

Beth is one of the easiest pears to grow, and along with Invincible and Conference is a good choice if you have less than perfect conditions.

Beth is a low-vigour variety, yet with a heavy cropping potential. This combination can lead to small fruit size, but this is readily addressed by thinning the fruitlets in late May - thinning is a particularly effective technique with Beth.

Beth comes into bearing quite young by the standards of most pears, you are likely to get some fruit within 2-3 years. However, be wary of letting it fruit too heavily too early, as this can slow further growth of the tree.

The picking season is starts at the end of August in the southern UK, a bit later further north. Beth is one of the few pear varieties that you can eat straight off the tree - most should be picked when still hard and ripened indoors.

Beth is self-sterile so needs a pollination partner, but will be pollinated by a large number of other pear varieties.

Pears are generally more tolerant than apples to wet soils, but much less tolerant of drought conditions. Like all pears, Beth benefits from watering during the spring, as soon as the blossom starts to appear - if there is insufficient rain then apply 4-5 litres of water per day.

History

Beth was developed at the East Malling Research Station in the UK in the 1930s by Henry Tydeman (who also developed many apple varieties including Tydeman's Late Orange). Beth is a cross between Beurre Superfin and Williams' Bon Chretien.


Beth characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group3
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climates

Using

  • Picking seasonEarly
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping (of fruit)1 week
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

  • Scab (Apple and Pear)Some resistance

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1900 - 1949
  • Fruit colourGreen - light
  • AwardsRHS AGM (current)

British-grown trees Trees grown in the UK.

Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK. Find out more.

In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance. Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK. Find out more
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Guaranteed fruit trees

When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions. Find out more.

This variety description was researched and written by Orange Pippin staff. Last checked: 2024.