Contents
The right variety of fruit tree is half the success in getting a rich harvest. This article has a full description, photos and reviews of the Zabava pear, left by experienced amateur gardeners.
Description of pear variety Zabava
The Zabava variety pear was bred in Belarus, its parents were the Aleksandrovka and Lyubimitsa Klappa varieties, the originator G. M. Myalik with a team of like-minded people. This is a pear of autumn ripening, the technical ripeness of the fruit occurs around mid-September (at the latitudes of Belarus).
The tree of this variety has a wide pyramidal crown and moderate growth force. The term for fruiting is usual for pears – for 5-6 years. The fruits are tied on spears, as well as on kolchatka – simple and complex.
Fruit Characteristics
The fruits of the Zabava variety are distinguished by uniformity, medium size (up to 160 g) and a classic pear-shaped shape. At the harvesting stage, the skin color is greenish-yellow, after 2-3 weeks it changes to yellow-golden with a pronounced red-brown blush on most of the fruit. Over the entire surface there are prominent subcutaneous dots of gray-green color.
The taste of ripe pears of the Zabava variety is sweet and sour, pleasant, estimated at 4,6 points on a 5-point scale. The pulp is tender, fragrant, very juicy. The fruits of the Zabava variety are stored for a short time – up to 1 month.
Pros and cons of the Zabava pear variety
Variety Zabava is relatively young and has been tested so far only in certain regions, mainly in Belarus. Therefore, the main drawback of the Zabava pear can be attributed to the little-studied winter hardiness in the conditions of central Our Country.
But at the same time, the Zabava variety also has certain advantages that allow it to be noticed by amateur gardeners for growing in personal plots:
- moderate growth facilitates tree processing and harvesting;
- excellent taste of fruits;
- impressive yield of the Zabava variety in a private garden.
Optimal growing conditions
The main condition for the success of pear cultivation is the optimal level of groundwater – no closer than 2,5 m. In areas with a close occurrence of water, bulk ridges are arranged or a flat sheet of slate or tin is placed in the planting hole so that the main root, having met an obstacle in the path of growth, turned sideways and did not reach the danger zone.
A well-lit place is chosen for the Zabava pear, on the north side it is desirable to have protection in the form of a wall of a house or a high hedge. It is impossible to plant fruit trees in natural lowlands, where accumulations of water occur due to melting snow or heavy rainfall.
Planting and caring for pear Fun
When buying a seedling of the Zabava variety, it is better to opt for annual trees, the survival rate of which is much better than that of two-year-olds and older. You should also pay attention to the fact that the plant does not have external signs of diseases, which may indicate:
- spots and sagging on the trunk and skeletal branches;
- swelling and traces of rot on the main roots.
Pears are planted both in spring and autumn. The main condition for this is that the tree must be at rest, that is, the vegetation has either not yet begun (in spring) or has already ended (in autumn). In regions with a harsh climate (Siberia, the Urals, Primorye), spring planting is preferable, but during this period it is necessary to carefully monitor the constant level of moisture in the soil until the pear finally takes root.
Rules of landing
A landing pit for a Zabava pear variety is prepared based on the size of its root system, adding another 20-30% to the depth. A bucket of nutrient-drainage mixture is poured to the bottom, consisting of humus, expanded clay, fertile soil and river sand, taken in equal proportions. In the composition, you can add a half-liter jar of wood ash and 1 tbsp. l. nitroammophoski.
A bucket (or more) of water is poured into the pit to make a mud slurry, and a young tree must be planted in it, straightening the roots and placing its trunk strictly vertically. The root neck cannot be buried, it is better to raise it 2-3 cm above the soil level. Otherwise, the first fruiting will be greatly delayed, and the pear itself will be oppressed. Before filling the pit with soil, a support peg is installed. After planting, the soil in the trunk circle is compacted, the seedling is watered again from a watering can and mulched with dry humus or compost with a layer of 2-3 cm.
2-3 buckets of expanded clay or broken bricks are poured onto the bottom, and then filled with black soil mixed with sand (4: 1). The pit is well shed and left for 1-2 weeks so that the soil settles, after which it is planted.
Watering and top dressing
Timely watering is necessary for the Zabava variety pear during the period of active growth, flowering and ovary formation. Especially carefully it is necessary to monitor the irrigation of the soil in the near-trunk circle in a dry hot summer. To reduce the frequency of watering and maintain the desired level of humidity, you need to mulch with grass clippings, straw or other organic materials. Make a layer of mulch at least 10 cm, because it decreases very quickly due to the vital activity of soil inhabitants.
In the year of planting, provided that the pit is properly filled, the young Zabava pear does not need additional nutrition. Only at the end of summer can foliar top dressing with potassium monophosphate be carried out, which will help the tree to successfully winter. In subsequent years, the fertilizer application scheme for Zabava pears may be as follows:
- In early spring, when the soil thaws, nitroammophoska or other complex fertilizer is applied under the digging of the trunk circle. For trees under 5 years old, 1 tbsp. l. granules, for older ones – 2 tbsp. l.
- In summer, during flowering, phosphorus and potassium (superphosphate and potassium salt) are added in 1 tsp. each substance under young trees and 2 tsp. under adults.
- At the end of summer or the beginning of autumn, foliar top dressing of Zabava pear is carried out with potassium monophosphate and 500 g of wood ash is scattered into the loosened soil under each tree.
- In winter, organic fertilizers are applied – rotted manure or litter at the rate of 3-4 kg for each pear older than 4 years. It is important at the same time that top dressing for a pear be applied after the end of the growing season, with the onset of stable frosts.
Trimming
The crown of the Zabava pear variety is formed as a sparse-pyramidal crown. The height of the trunk of a tree older than 5 years should be about 60-80 cm, then the first tier of 2-4 skeletal branches begins. Above it, 50-60 cm, the second tier and all the rest, depending on the age of the Zabava pear variety and its height.
To achieve this result, 3 types of shaping are used:
- Summer pruning or tweezing. It is carried out during the period of active growth of green shoots by pinching their tops or completely removing (breaking out) unnecessary branches. This operation gives a delay in growth for 2-3 weeks, at the same time there is a better maturation of the shoots, the appearance of side branches and the laying of fruit buds.
- Classic short cut. It is carried out in early spring or autumn after leaf fall. With its help, excess shoots growing deep into the crown are removed, too long growths of the current year are shortened. When making such a tree formation, it must be taken into account that radical pruning causes an increased awakening of dormant buds and, as a result, a powerful increase that must be kept under control. Indeed, the main problem in the formation of the crown of pear trees of any variety is their vigorous growth and, at the same time, their low shoot-forming ability. Zabava pear has an advantage in this regard – it has a moderate growth force genetically.
- Deviation of shoots in the horizontal plane. With this method, the branches, often extending from pears at an acute angle, are carefully bent to the most horizontal position. For fixing, spacers are used or twine is stretched from shoots to staples stuck into the ground. With such a deviation, the growth force of shoots slows down, the formation of fruit branches accelerates, the first fruiting of a pear tree occurs 2-3 years earlier than usual.
Whitewash
In order to save the stem of a fruit tree from frost cracks, to protect it from pests wintering in the bark, to reflect the bright rays of the early spring sun, it is traditionally customary to whiten the trunks in the last fine November days. The composition of whitewash may vary in detail, but the main components are lime, clay or mullein, and water in such an amount that a mass is obtained that is similar in consistency to thick sour cream. Whitewash is applied to the stem of the tree and the forks of skeletal branches.
Preparation for winter
Young trees and southern varieties need special measures to prepare for the winter period. The Zabava pear variety has not yet been sufficiently tested in the conditions of the middle zone, therefore it is necessary to create comfortable wintering conditions for it. To do this, the trunks are wrapped with non-woven material or burlap and, additionally, on top of it – with a special protective net from rodents. On the north side of the Zabava pear variety, temporary barriers can be placed, for example, empty barrels, which will serve not only as wind protection, but also provide snow retention.
How to properly prepare a young pear for winter:
Pollination
To ensure a good harvest, Zabava pear needs the neighborhood of a pollinator variety. The best are Elegant Efimova and Bere Loshitskaya. If desired, you can pick up other pollinators, the main thing at the same time is that the flowering time of the selected varieties and Zabava pear coincide as much as possible.
Productivity
It is difficult to talk about the yield of Zabava pear in a private garden, but in industrial gardens this variety showed its best side. A balanced diet and proper agricultural practices allow you to collect up to 15-20 tons per 1 ha.
Diseases and pests
Fruit trees, including pears, are often susceptible to various diseases, the main of which is scab caused by pathogenic fungi. The main control measure is timely treatment with copper-containing preparations. It is carried out as a prophylaxis in the early spring and after leaf fall, as well as at the first signs of appearance – characteristic spots on the leaves. Pear variety Zabava has an average resistance to scab.
A common occurrence is bacterial cancer, which is manifested by a sudden blackening of the leaves and subsequent wilting of the shoots. Treatment of trees in the spring along the green cone and during flowering with special antibiotic preparations brings good results. Variety Zabava has an average resistance to bacterial diseases.
Common pests of fruit trees are leafworms, aphids, codling moths, moths and gall mites. One of the most effective preventive measures to combat most of them is the use of pheromone traps in trapping belts, homemade or industrial production. In advanced cases, systemic insecticides are used – Aktar, Fufanon, Inta-Vir, etc.
Reviews of the pear Fun
Conclusion
A detailed description, photos and reviews of the Zabava pear will help you make the right choice of a fruit tree for your garden plot. This is a promising variety – productive, medium-sized and resistant to major diseases of fruit crops.