Winter pears: the best varieties and features of care

If you want to have fresh pears not only in summer and autumn, but also in winter, plant their winter species on your site. Many gardeners are wary of the latest varieties, but contrary to popular belief, the fruits will not forever remain hard and tasteless, like during harvesting. After proper storage, they will become softer, more aromatic and sweeter.

Description, distinctive features of winter pears

Pear trees have always been less demanded by gardeners than apple trees, this is due to their poor resistance to frost. But thanks to the persistence of breeders today there are varieties that can winter in central Russia. Now pears are grown everywhere.

Unconditional advantages of winter pear varieties are:

• shelf life up to six months;
• frost resistance of pear trees;
• pleasant taste and pronounced aroma of fruits after ripening;
• excellent preservation of fruits, making it possible to transport them over long distances;
• the possibility of processing and preserving canned food.

Old varieties are gradually losing their production value. As an example, the winter Bere variety Michurina, bred by the famous breeder, has been preserved only in old gardens, it no longer breeds by nurseries.

New varieties of late pears have the highest qualities. Pears have anti-sclerosis and diuretic effect, strengthen capillary walls. The fruits contain a lot of valuable nutrients, tannins, trace elements and vitamins.

Late ripening pears contain 30.7% dry matter, 7.05% sugars, 0.12% acids, 3.3 mg / 100 g ascorbic acid.

According to the data of 3. A. Sedova and 3. F. Osinova

//bibliotekar.ru/grusha/4.htm

Moreover, each winter pear variety has its own characteristics.

The main representatives of winter varieties

Pears of late ripening on the basis of properties such as shelf life are divided into three groups:

• early winter - stored in the cellar or in the refrigerator until the Christmas holidays;
• winter - lie in storage until early spring;
• Late winter (Tikhonovka, Emerald, Zest of Crimea, Maria, Dekanka winter, etc.) - under suitable conditions, they can survive until the May Day holidays.

Early winter varieties have been producing crops since early September. Harvested fruits are stored until around New Year. It is recommended to use them in food no earlier than November, only then the fruits will be able to gain sweets and aroma.

Cure

On the spreading branches of a tree of this variety grow fruits located in whole bunches, their weight, on average, is 180 - 200 grams. Ripen by the end of September. Despite the fact that they will look green, they must be collected.

It is better to collect pears from a tree of a sort of Cure when they just begin to give a faint blush

In the process of ripening, the fruits will turn yellow and softer, but this will happen no earlier than in three weeks. The shelf life is only two 2 months. Cure pears have excellent yields - at the very peak of their development, the pear tree brings about three hundred kg per season. However, this plant will require a lot of heat in the summer.

Chizhovskaya

The variety was bred at the K.A. Timiryazev Moscow Agricultural Academy, included in the State Register in 1993. The crown of a tree of medium density, the fruits are not very large - an average of 110 grams. Ripen in early September. The color is green, into a small subcutaneous speck, after ripening, a yellowish tinge appears, with small reddish strips of blush.

Chizhovskaya variety has strong fruits, is resistant to scab and adverse conditions

A variety of universal purpose. The pulp of ripe pears of the Chizhovskaya variety is juicy, slightly oily, with acidity. At approximately zero temperature, the yield of such pears will last from one and a half to four months. The variety is characterized by resistance to disease and annual yield, unlike other varieties. Also, trees of this pear variety have good frost resistance.

November

The variety was included in the State Register in 1974. The fruits of the Noyabrskaya variety are medium-sized, weighing about 70 grams, slightly ribbed. Their color is greenish, with a slight pinkish blush. Fruits are harvested from a tree at the very beginning of October; ripening occurs by early December. The ripe pulp is very juicy, sweet, with unexpressed acidity.

A few years ago we collected three large buckets of pears of the Noyabrskaya variety. We decided not to recycle them in any way, but try to save them for the winter. In a cool basement (somewhere around +3 ° C), they lay for several weeks. Knowing that the consumer maturity of this variety begins from the beginning of December, in the first days they got a few pieces. Having tried, they realized that their time had not come. Disappointed, they forgot about them until the very last days of December. And just reaching them to the New Year's table, they realized what a real taste of winter pears is. I assure you, best of all, their taste and smell is revealed only by the last days of the year!

The fruits of Noyabrskaya are juicy, tasty and good in stewed fruit, jam, jam and dried

The variety is well suited for long transportation and trade. Resistant to infectious diseases and scab. Productivity is high, but not uniform - the next year, after a good harvest, the tree can rest.

The average subgroup of winter pear varieties, which is called: "winter", differs in that its varieties are stored until March.

Kyrgyz winter

Bred in Kyrgyzstan, but well suited for regions with adverse conditions. Trees of this variety of medium height, form a crown of a pyramidal shape, are characterized by very tight attachment of fruits to the branch. Therefore, ripening, pears from the branches do not fall. Fruits reach 200-250 grams. Collected in October, when their color turns pink.

The fruits of the Kyrgyz winter variety are perfectly preserved in the conditions of an ordinary home refrigerator even until the beginning of April

After several weeks of ripening, they become orange with a reddish blush. Slightly tart, sweetish. The pulp is light, dense, coarse-grained.

The variety is stored in cellars until spring. Its peculiarity lies in its beautiful appearance. Therefore, Kyrgyz winter pears are traditionally used for commercial breeding.

Rossoshanskaya Late

Bred at the Rossoshanskaya experimental gardening station. The fruits of the variety are not too elongated, large, weighing about 300 grams or more. The color during harvesting is green, at the final ripening yellow with a dark red blush.

The fruits of the late Rossoshanskaya variety are sometimes able to reach 400 and even 500 grams of weight

The pulp of ripe fruits is tasty, juicy, white-yellow, with a strong aroma. Collect pears by the end of September. Store until the end of January.

It is known that a slight freezing in the late Rossoshanskaya variety is noted only at -32 ° C.

Productivity is average. A tree older than 5 years usually gives up to 30 kg of fruit per season. Variety feature: the productivity in different years is uneven.

Kuban late

This is a medium-sized tree with a sparse crown. The variety is considered promising for cultivation in industrial and amateur gardens. Its fruits are average - about 150 grams, regular pear-shaped, rough. The color at the time of harvesting - at the end of September - is green, with a barely visible emerging blush. After several weeks of ripening, the fruits turn yellow. Their flesh is creamy, slightly oily and tender. The aroma is well defined, the taste is sweet and sour. The late Kuban variety is stored until mid-January.

Late winter varieties are distinguished by particularly long storage periods. These varieties can survive until May, without losing their taste. It is important to consider that pears of such varieties can be kept for two weeks at room temperature before eating.

Emerald

Trees of this variety are small, have a compact crown. They need a lot of summer heat, but they also experience winter well. The fruits are harvested in October. Pears are quite large, reach 300 grams. After full ripening, they acquire a yellow color with a crimson blush. The pulp is white and, despite long-term storage, very juicy.

Emerald pear fruit is round, with dense pulp, is particularly juicy

A distinctive feature is annually stable productivity. Another advantage is that the ripened fruits do not fall from the tree even under the influence of the wind.

Tikhonovka

This medium-sized tree gives many medium-sized fruits weighing about 50-80 g., Solid, greenish-yellow. Harvested until spring.

Tikhonovka pears are small, but many grow on the branch

During the winter, they turn yellow, the flesh remains crispy, but acquires a juiciness. This variety is valuable in that it is consumed fresh until mid-May.

The main representatives of winter varieties for different regions

When choosing a pear variety for your garden, you need to consider that not all of them will suit your climatic conditions. Breeders recommend for each region only those varieties that will optimally match the climatic characteristics of the area.

Winter pears for the south of Russia

Late Kuban - winter-hardy, begins to bear fruit in the sixth year after planting. The annual yield is uniform. The variety is resistant to scab. Fruits weighing up to 170 grams, yellowish, with a blush. Pears for universal use. The peculiarity of the variety is a strong spicy aroma.

Late Leninakan is winter-hardy, it begins to freeze only at -30 ° C. Fruits in 5 years after planting. The average fruit size is 200 grams, the largest ones reach 400 grams. The color at the time of collection is green, after reaching consumer maturity, orange. The pulp is white, slightly oily, very juicy. It is stored until February. The advantages of the variety are early maturity and good commercial quality of fruits.

We grew late Leninakanskaya pears in the climate of southern Russia. In especially warm years, with good watering and feeding with compost, the weight of the fruits reached 380-410 g. But in the neighboring garden, by sight, they were even larger. The neighbors said that they were weighed, and one pear grew to 550 grams. True, I did not see this with my own eyes.

Cheremshina is a winter-hardy variety, its fruits are yellow-green, medium-sized - an average of 200 grams. The fruit is harvested in October, at room temperature, the pears are stored until the end of December, in the basement until spring. The peculiarity of the variety is a gentle, melting taste and strong aroma of the fruit.

Winter pears for Ukraine

Parisian - strong-growing, with a pyramidal crown. Fruits with an olive hue, mature with a blush. The shape of the pears is elongated, weight - about 180 grams. Harvest for 8-10 years after planting can reach 100 kg per tree. Fruits are stored depending on the temperature until January or early March. It is important to consider that the variety is self-infertile, for pollination it will require varieties Pestra July, Josephine, Lectier.

Winter Mliyevskaya is a highly winter-resistant variety, resistant to scab disease. Fruits of medium size, from 100 to 200 grams, slightly elongated, wide pear-shaped. The pulp is creamy, with small grains, juicy and sweet. Perfectly stored in the basement until April. The peculiarity of the variety is a tall-growing tree with a broad-pyramidal crown; there should not be other plantings close to it.

Artyomovskaya winter - a tree with a rare pyramidal crown and tuberous fruits weighing from 170 to 350 g. During the period of removable maturity, the skin is green with rusty spots, then it acquires a smooth yellow color. The flesh is creamy, dense, sweet, but the aroma is weak.
Winter hardiness is high. Damage to the scab if it happens, then to a very insignificant degree. Features of the variety: for greater stability, the crown needs to be formed, while strong pruning at a young age, the trees are poorly tolerated.

During the harvest period, pears of the Artyomovskaya variety have a green color with rusty spots, however, ripening fruits will acquire a more beautiful appearance

Winter pears for the Volgograd region

Melting is a variety that ripens too late, therefore it is included in the winter group. The first crop gives in the sixth year, bears fruit annually. The fruits when harvested reach 400 grams of weight. They retain their good presentation until spring. The Thawing variety is resistant to diseases such as black cancer and scab. Features of the variety: excellent taste, because of which it is widely distributed in the Volgograd region, despite the low winter hardiness.

Malyaevskaya late - a low, frost-resistant tree begins to bear fruit in the sixth year. Productivity in the Lower Volga region is annual and quite high. One tree usually gives up to 50 kg of fruit weighing up to 150 grams. The variety is resistant to scab. Table fruits, have a juicy flesh of whitish color, sweet and sour, slightly spicy taste and aroma. Fresh fruits of the late Malyaevskaya variety are stored for only 2 months.

Variety Malyaevskaya late - of national selection, used in production in the Lower Volga region, very winter-hardy

Promising for this region can be called, as varieties of winter Malvina, late Samara, etc.

Winter pears for the central region of Russia

Late Belarusian - the variety bears fruit for 3-4 years, yields about 100 grams of fruit. Their shape is elongated, the color varies depending on the degree of maturation - from green with brownish spots, to yellow with a blush. Unfortunately, pear trees of the Belorussian Late variety are not very resistant to diseases and pests. The advantages of the variety include early fruiting, frost resistance and drought tolerance.

Kokinskaya pear - the shape of the crown of a tree of this variety is pyramidal. Harvest begins to give already in the fourth year after planting. Mature trees produce up to 100 kg of fruit per season. The variety is winter-hardy, with severe cold, the buds can freeze, but the tree itself does not die. A distinctive feature of the variety: resistance to such a disease, since the scab applies only to the fruit.

Gardeners in Central Russia, and even the Urals, can be recommended varieties Moscow late, Chelyabinsk winter, Golden winter, Winter Glazkova. These are the most winter-hardy varieties. For example, the Chelyabinsk winter variety survives at - 37 degrees. And Winter Glazkova can withstand forty degrees of frost, while, like all late pears, it is well stored and has a taste reminiscent of the famous Duchess.

Variety Chelyabinsk winter - one of the most frost-resistant

Features of planting pears

You can plant a pear both in spring and in autumn. But most gardeners prefer to do this precisely in the fall, around the beginning of October, during the period of slowing down the movement of juice in plants.

In fact, there is a reasonable explanation for this: the fact is that in the fall there is still a plus temperature, which allows the young seedling to grow stronger. We repeatedly planted pear trees in mid-October, and each time our expectations were met. Almost until November, it was warm, and during this time the plants gave a lot of new roots. This helped the young pears to prepare more confidently for the winter. And with the beginning of spring growth, a ready-made root system quickly gained strength in young trees.

Site preparation

For planting a pear tree, a tall, sunny place on the southwest side of your site is suitable. The ideal soil for this crop is black earth, or gray, slightly loamy.

When planning a place for a pear, keep in mind that the roots of an adult tree can go down to 7-8 meters.

Selection of seedlings

Experts recommend buying planting material in special nurseries. But, if you still dare to buy a young tree in the market, or from neighbors in gardening, carefully examine it. In a healthy seedling are unacceptable:

• rotting roots;
• parts of roots drying in places;
• dry, unbending tree trunk.

It’s important to carefully examine the tree purchased at the market before planting, try to bend the roots and trunk

When for some reason you got suspiciously dry roots, try to save them by dropping them into the water overnight. It is likely that the next morning they will come to life and become resilient.

Landing step by step

If the ground in the garden is close to ideal for a pear, the planting hole may be quite small - it is enough to fit the roots of a seedling. But if you only have to make the substrate fertile, sprinkling the soil mixture, then the pit should be deep - from 80 cm to a meter. Width will need about 75 by 75 cm.

Further it is necessary to carry out well-established techniques.

Step 1

To prepare the earthen mixture to fill the pit, you will need:

• compost, rotted manure or peat - 35 kg .;
• superphosphate - 1.3 kg;
• lime - 1.3 kg;
• potassium chloride - 150 gr.

Pour the prepared fertile mixture onto the drainage layer and form a hill in the center of the pit

Pour exactly half of the finished mixture into the pit, having previously put a layer of drainage there. Then stick a peg into the earthen mound. It should be half a meter above the ground.

Step 2

Dip the pear roots in the clay mash, then place the roots on the mound and apply the soil.

It’s important to grab the ground around the stem above the roots before watering.

Step 3

After compaction of the soil, draw a near-stem circle so that the water cannot spread, then carefully pour two buckets of water. After waiting when the water is absorbed, cover the near-trunk area with peat. Tie a young tree to a support.

Pear Tree Care

Young plants will need annual crown formation. For the first time, pruning is done in the second year of growth, in early spring. The most important thing is to accurately determine the appropriate time for the work. Cutting is best tolerated by seedlings at a temperature not lower than -8 ºC.

To do this, you need to choose the time when the kidneys are just starting to swell. I begin to observe the condition of the kidneys since the end of March. Once they increase in size, you can begin to prepare for pruning. The deadline for pruning can be determined that day when brown swollen buds crack and greenish buds of leaves appear in the lumen. After that, touching the branches is already dangerous - the juice has moved, which means that it will ooze from the places of slices for a long time.

All branches directed upward must be cut with a secateurs to a third of the length. This improves the development and future productivity of the tree.

Scheme of annual trimming of last year's growth by 1/3 of the length for different ages of the tree

Watering

In the first year after planting, the seedling is watered at least once a week. On average, one to two buckets of water are used per irrigation. Over the next years, the amount of water increases, but the timing of irrigation varies up to once every two to three weeks.

Fertilizers for pears

A feature of this culture is the low nitrogen demand. For this reason, nitrogen is used only in the first four years of plant life in minimal doses. Nitrogen fertilizers should be applied during the blooming of leaves. Pear trees older than four years will not need nitrogen fertilizing.

Top dressing with nitrogen is permissible only with severe nitrogen starvation, in the event that the pear tree grows very slowly and has light, weakly developed leaves.

Organics for feeding is used no more than once every 3-5 years. How often to contribute it will depend on the fertility of the land in your garden.

But mineral fertilizers to a pear tree are needed annually. Otherwise, the plant will quickly deplete, spending its nutrients to give us a crop.

When the year comes for the introduction of organic fertilizing, first of all, the phosphorus-potassium mixture is added to the prepared grooves of about 50 and 25 grams per square meter, carefully mixing it with the ground.

After feeding, it is important to constantly take care of the trunks, not allowing them to grow grass

Shelter for the winter

Even if the pear variety is considered frost-resistant, young trees planted in regions with long frosts will require shelters. Around the trunk of the tree is wrapped a sturdy cloth like burlap.

As insulation, dry grass, leaves, straw are used, with the addition of fragrant grass - wormwood, mint, various types of elderberries. This technique will also help make the tree unpleasant for mice.

Several ways to shelter trees from frost and cold winds

Such a heater can be put under the fabric that wraps the trunk, as well as bury a few centimeters in the ground around the trunk. This place is important to trample tightly.

Diseases and Pests

Despite its peculiarities - the harder tissue of the fetus, which impedes the development of larvae, winter pear varieties also suffer from pests and diseases.

Scab

Called by a dangerous pathogen - fungus. This disease can easily cover the entire tree completely - from the trunk to the fruits and leaves.

Scab on pears is provoked by pathogenic fungi and requires immediate control

Soot fungus

All parts of the plant twitch black velvet. It quickly infects not only the entire surface of the tree, but also its neighbors located at the distance of an elongated branch.

You can determine the soot fungus on the surface of the fruit by the small black dots that make up the plaque

Rust

This disease causes a pathogenic microscopic fungus. The carrier of adversity is considered such a useful plant as juniper.

Rust appears as bright orange spots on pear leaves

Less commonly, pear trees of winter varieties are affected by diseases such as Powdery mildew, which looks like white bloom, and Fruit rot, which completely destroys the fruits. Rot is caused by an infection carried on pears from the legs of birds or the hands of gardeners.

Table: methods and terms of the fight against diseases

Sheet gall midge

The most dangerous insect upon closer inspection is a medium-sized mosquito of a brownish color.

Leaf gall midge looks like a small mosquito 2-2.5 mm long, with transparent wings and long antennae

If you notice such peaceful insects on your pear tree, know that soon its larvae will begin to gnaw massively on the flesh of the leaves, causing growths on them.

Leaflet

This dirty green caterpillar is a small butterfly, which, pupating, wraps around a leaf and braids it with a sticky web.

Leafloader can be covered with dark spots and wrapped in cobwebs

Less commonly, winter pears are attacked by such insects as fruit mites, aphids that feed on the juice of foliage, or pear moths - eating fruit. However, most often they prefer soft summer varieties.

Table: methods and terms of pest control:

Harvesting

As mentioned earlier, each winter pear variety has its own ripening period. However, do not forget about the climatic features of your region. To more accurately determine the collection dates for your garden, you must follow the rules developed by experience:

1. Wait until the fruit is easily detached from the branch.
2. Choose dry weather to harvest.
3. Do not worry, if at the time of collection the pears are hard, they will necessarily ripen when stored properly.
4. Take off and lay the fruits in gloves - even if you easily pierce the skin with a fingernail, pears will not be stored.
5. Do not be afraid to be late with the harvest, there is no great danger.

Autumn heat leaves gradually, so the fruits have the opportunity to harden, and this will increase their endurance during future storage.

In our gardening, winter pears are harvested at the very least when there are no other fruits. Because if you collect them earlier, the fruits will be stony and completely tasteless, even after storage. Somehow, the neighbors gathered late pears of an unspecified variety in early September. Saved until February, tried, and gave to the cow. Therefore, we are not in a hurry with the collection, waiting for the appearance of at least a weak, but blush. Emerald variety, for example, is collected in green, but there is still a faint hint of blush. Watch your later pears, and in a few years, you will know exactly when their ripe maturity comes.

Productivity

Winter pear varieties, as a rule, give the richest harvests. The most low-yielding can be called, for example, the varieties Nika and Lear. Adult trees of these varieties, being at the peak of fruiting, give up to 75 kg from each plant. This is also a good result, but among the later varieties there are real champions. For example, the total weight of fruits from one tree of the Bere winter varieties Michurina and Saratovka often exceeds 200 kg, and a tree of the Curie variety can produce 350 or more kilograms!

Varieties of winter groups are famous for the most abundant autumn harvests.

How to keep a crop

For proper storage of pears, you must be very careful about the selection of containers. It is important to fulfill several key conditions that it will meet:

• the best packaging - wooden, laid with paper, fumigated with sulfur - this will protect the pears from the appearance of fungus and rot;
• the storage area should be well ventilated and not leakproof;
• in a box, two rows of pears stacked upward by the stalks of the pads that are not touching each other, laid by dry grass or moss, are best preserved;
• the box should not contain more than 14-16 kg of fruit;
• fruits of different varieties and sizes are better not adjacent to one box;
• in case of storage of fruits in plastic bags, pears are pre-cooled, and air is pumped out of the bags.

For the preservation of the crop, you must carefully consider the selection of conditions for keeping fruits

Temperature and duration of storage

It is most reliable to keep pears in a very cold room - from minus 1 to 0 ° C, with a maximum humidity of 95%. However, there are many late varieties that need at least 1-2 ° C of heat. And in these features, you need to understand more precisely.

Table: ideal storage conditions for some varieties

Using

Pears of later varieties have a firmer pulp and contain more tannins. Therefore, they are more suitable for workpieces than other types. Therefore, in addition to winter fresh consumption, they are used in the form of:

• preserves and compotes;
• jam and honey;
• wine
• marmalade and candied fruit.

Pear marmalade is a delicious treat with added sugar and gelatin

In addition, a pear with anti-inflammatory properties is actively used both in traditional medicine and in the manufacture of certain drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.

Video: what the crop of late pear varieties looks like

Gardeners reviews

We always only dreamed about pears and thought that it was not with our happiness ... 3 years ago, only in the spring, they planted Just Maria, the Sorceress, Belarussian late butter and Veles. This year was the first crop. Best of all was Just Maria. There were about 30 pears, 10 of which we ripped ahead of time because we did not have the patience to wait. A couple of days ago they removed the rest. Now here they are in the basement for a couple of pieces a day ripen. It tastes like delicious pears!

Matilda

//www.tomat-pomidor.com/newforum/index.php?topic=2061.0

I can only refer to personal experience. 10 years are growing and already bearing Autumn Yakovleva and Veles, both autumn and tasty. The rest in vaccinations have not yet borne fruit, but Pamyat Zhegalov and Pamyat Yakovlev and Belorussian later feel fine, though these varieties have not yet seen severe frosts. I also try to grow Nick. The most favorite, delicious and fruitful variety is Autumn Yakovleva, but they write it is not winter-hardy, I did not notice.

Lanets

//forum.prihoz.ru/viewtopic.php?t=6273&start=645

I have a pear of the winter variety Pamyat Zhegalov. The fruits are iron, even in September, they are also not bad, but the taste is disgusting (at first you won’t bite, they lie soft, but tasteless like grass). Very amazed at the scab. The same story with the neighbors of the Lada variety.

gloriya4915

//www.nn.ru/community/dom/dacha/soznavaytes_pro_zimnie_sorta_grushi.html

In my old place, both Chizhovskaya and Lada are growing. The trees are already mature, bear fruit well, but ... It's not quite as they say. They quickly become soft, especially Lada. The middle is simply none. No storage can be discussed. Maybe of course I was not lucky? I bought for a long time in Sadko. So under no circumstances would they be planted again. Only children eat, or immature on jam. Well, maybe I don’t like that, soft.

arinka

//dachniiotvet.galaktikalife.ru/viewtopic.php?t=590&start=30

It will be useful for gardeners who ignore the latest varieties of pears to know that these fruits need to comply with special rules for harvesting and storage. If observed, the fruits will surely achieve true consumer maturity. This is precisely the main difference between winter pears and other types of pear.