Contents
Brief description of the Gera pear variety: a high-yielding, unpretentious plant with high taste qualities. Received as a result of the activities of breeders S. P. Yakovlev, M. Yu. Akimov and N. I. Savelyev. Daughter of the Dawn and Reale Turinskaya were used to breed it. The variety has been on trial since 2003.
Description of pear variety Gera
The tree has a narrow pyramidal crown and grows up to 4 m in height. Fruits are formed both on annual shoots and perennial branches. They are straight, medium in thickness, brown in color, without hairiness.
The buds are medium in size and rounded, tightly pressed to the branches. Leaf plates are dark green in color, with a shiny and smooth surface, medium in size and oval in shape.
The flowers of the Hera pear are white with white petals. The process of budding and opening occurs in late spring. The flowers are up to 3 cm in diameter, almost completely cover the trunk.
Fruit Characteristics
According to the description and photo, the Hera pear bears large fruits for 4-5 years from the moment of planting, their weight ranges from 180 to 250 g. The skin is green, of medium density, changes color to yellow as it ripens. A slight pinkish blush may be present. The core is rounded, it contains oblong brown seeds.
Pear pulp is fine-grained, creamy, very juicy. Granulations (petrified inclusions) may occur in fruits. According to the taste characteristics, Hera pears are sweet and sour, rated at 4,3 points. The fruits have an unobtrusive delicate aroma.
Violation of the rules of planting and care are factors contributing to the premature death of the plant.
Advantages and disadvantages of pear Hera
According to the description and reviews, the Hera pear variety is preferred to be cultivated in central Our Country. The variety is known among gardeners due to the following qualities:
- high yield for a long time;
- frost resistance (up to – 38 ° С);
- high keeping quality and the possibility of transportation over long distances;
- resistance to scab, septoria.
No obvious shortcomings of the variety have been identified, but the fruits of the Hera pear lose their presentation (darken) if the rules for transportation and storage in the premises are violated.
Optimal growing conditions
The pear grows wild in the countries of Europe and Central Asia, where it is a deciduous thicket. The fruits of such a plant are small, with low taste.
In a cultural form, the Hera pear is grown in household plots located in the Urals, Western Siberia, Ukraine and Belarus, Japan and China. Contributes to such a wide distribution not only high productivity, but also unpretentiousness in care, high frost resistance.
The optimal conditions for pear cultivation are fertile and loose soil with neutral or reduced acidity. On acidic or waterlogged soils, the seedling is hard to take root, gives a poor harvest or does not bear fruit.
Planting and caring for pear Hera
In the autumn, it is preferable to transfer seedlings to the ground if the region has moderate climatic conditions without a sharp change in weather. With a successful planting, the first crop is harvested after 4-5 years, and the maximum fruiting is noted for the 10th year of growing the variety.
Rules of landing
On the site it is necessary to allocate a place with sufficient lighting and the absence of drafts. Before planting, they dig a hole with a diameter of 80 cm and a depth of 1 m. With the predominance of sandy soil, peat is added to the humus in a ratio of 1: 2.
The seat is prepared a week before the transfer of the seedling to the site. Fertilizers with humus are added to the pit and poured with a bucket of water, add 3 tbsp. spoons of potassium sulfate. The next day, the humus is mixed and 3 more buckets of water are added. It is recommended to transplant the variety a week after digging the hole.
The day before the transfer of the plant to the ground, it is left in a bucket of water to start the biological processes in the seedling.
Hera pear is placed in a hole, covered with soil. At the end of the procedure, the earth around is rammed and a hole is formed. The seedling is watered abundantly.
To prevent damage to the pear, it is recommended to build a support from a wooden stake, to which the stem of the plant is tied.
Seedling care consists in abundant watering for the first 30 days: 2 times a week. After pear rooting, soil moistening is carried out less often: before and after flowering and in autumn. The plant does not require warming, so annual plantings are wrapped in snow. In subsequent years, this procedure is not required.
Watering and top dressing
The Hera pear is drought-resistant, but to obtain the maximum yield, it is necessary to ensure soil moisture during and after flowering. The irrigation rate is calculated for the seed: per 1 m2 soil pour 3 buckets of water. The procedure is carried out both by sprinkling and irrigation furrows.
The procedure is carried out in the evening to avoid getting liquid on the leaf plates. For sprinkling, it is recommended to use special sprayers.
For surface irrigation in a circle around the trunk, the soil is loosened and grooves are formed with a depth of 10 to 15 cm.
To prevent the soil from drying out, it is mulched with improvised materials (chopped straw, sawdust, foliage).
To maintain soil fertility, it is necessary to regularly fertilize it: in spring, summer and autumn. During the flowering period, the pear actively absorbs nitrogen, therefore, fertilizers containing it are applied by scattering along the edge of the near-stem circle.
In summer, it is recommended to use complex additives. In autumn, at the end of fruiting, preparations containing phosphorus and potassium are introduced into the soil.
Trimming
The procedure can be carried out regardless of the season. For the formation of the crown, it is recommended to give preference to the autumn period. In the spring, it is recommended to remove shoots that have frozen over during the winter.
General guidelines for pruning Hera pear:
- heavily thickened branches are thinned out to ensure full access to sunlight;
- trimming the trunk by ¼ helps prevent excessive growth of the variety;
- the saw cut is treated with special preparations or garden pitch;
- without fail, branches with signs of disease, dried up or growing at a right angle are removed.
If pruning needs to be done in the fall, then the optimal time is the beginning of October, when the foliage completely falls off the pear. When carrying out the procedure in the spring, they wait until the end of February or the beginning of March.
Whitewash
To protect the bark of trees from sunlight, pests and temperature changes, whitewashing is carried out. The procedure is recommended to be performed twice: in spring and autumn. The preferred time for whitewashing is the end of fruiting (October-November).
If it is impossible to carry it out in the fall, it must be done in February to prevent the appearance of cracks in the bark as a result of night frosts.
To prepare whitewash, 10 kg of slaked lime, chalk or copper sulfate are diluted in 3 liters of water, then 2-3 tablespoons of flour paste are added (100 g of casein glue can be replaced). The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed and left to infuse.
Before carrying out the procedure, it is required to prepare the bark of the Hera pear: clean the trunks and branches from lichens and old bark. It is forbidden to use metal knives and brushes, as there is a high risk of damage to the plant.
Everything that was removed from the trunks and branches must be burned, and the peeled bark must be disinfected. To do this, in dry calm weather, it is treated with a 5% solution of copper sulfate. If necessary, it is replaced with Abiga-Peak or Oksihom preparations. Spraying is recommended to be carried out from a sprayer.
Preparation for winter
At the end of fruiting, fallen pears and foliage are collected and burned, the soil is dug up and fertilizers are applied.
The Hera pear is frost-resistant, but for the purpose of prevention, the soil around the trunk is mulched using sawdust and humus.
For prevention from rodents, the trunk is wrapped with a net or any covering material. In preparation for the winter of the seedling, its branches are tied.
Hera pear pollinators
This variety has low self-fertility, so the presence of pollinators is necessary to increase the yield.
For pear Hera, the best options are Lada, Memory of Yakovlev, or the Chizhovskaya variety.
The distance at which the pollinator is placed depends on the chosen representative. Regardless of the variety, it is recommended to place pears at least 5 m apart. The maximum distance between the pears should not exceed 10-15 m.
Productivity
The Hera pear is characterized by high yields: up to 40 kg from one tree. For harvesting, cloth gloves are used, separating the fruit from the tree along with the stalk.
For maximum safety of the pear, you must adhere to the following rules:
- the fruit is placed in a ventilated dark place, where the humidity is 85%, and the temperature is up to + 1 ° C;
- put Hera pears in a wooden box with sawdust, where each fruit is wrapped in paper;
- overripe or spoiled fruits are not subject to storage;
- pears need to be sorted out periodically, fruits with defects are disposed of.
Freezing of fruits is possible, in the refrigerator in cut form they are preserved for 24 hours.
Diseases and pests
The Hera pear is resistant to attack by diseases such as scab and septoria, but there are pests and diseases that can lead to the death of the plant.
Black cancer affects leaf plates, shoots and fruits. To get rid of it, the affected bark must be removed, the trunk treated with garden pitch. Whole shoots are sprayed with copper sulfate.
For moniliosis, rotting of the fruits on the branch is characteristic. Affected and fallen fruits are collected and disposed of, the tree is treated prophylactically with a phytosporin solution.
Powdery mildew is characterized by the appearance of a white coating on leaf plates. As the disease progresses, they curl up and fall off. For treatment and prevention, the pear is treated with a solution of Fundazol.
Parasites dangerous for pears that can harm the variety:
- moth;
- aphid greens;
- pear mite;
- Leaflet.
To control pests, it is necessary to remove and burn all foliage in a timely manner. It is imperative to dig the soil, whitewash and regularly inspect the pear.
Reviews of gardeners about pear Hera
Conclusion
The description of the Hera pear variety and numerous reviews confirm the high yield and unpretentiousness of the culture. The plant bears fruit well on neutral soil, it is not demanding in care. The resulting crop has good lightness and transportability, so it can be used for various purposes.
