Pear Nika

Before Nika appeared in Our Country, only a few varieties of pears with complex resistance and ability to withstand low temperatures were patented. It is not surprising that the Nika pear quickly became popular, because this variety has several important advantages. From its “parents” (Talgar Beauty and Daughters of the Dawn), the variety adopted large-fruitedness and productivity, frost resistance and excellent taste of ripe pears. Nika is a winter variety, its fruits are perfectly stored, have a high nutritional value, and tolerate transportation well.

Description of the Nika pear variety, photos and reviews about it can be found in this article. Here we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of Nike, about the rules for growing a tree and the qualities of its fruits.

Characterization

Soviet scientists bred the Nika variety, this pear is included in the State Register and zoned for the Central Region with chernozem soils. Nika’s dwarf pear is primarily distinguished by its compact size – the tree grows only up to three to four meters in height. The appearance of the plant is also unusual – a spherical crown formed by skeletal branches extending from the trunk at almost a right angle.

Full description of the Nika pear:

• shoots of medium thickness, the trunk is covered with brown bark, the leaves are in the form of a slightly pointed oval, slightly curved;
• the surface of the sheet is smooth, without glossy sheen;
• Nika blooms with white large inflorescences;
• with age, the crown of a pear tree is rarefied – this is a characteristic feature of the variety;
• the shape of the fruit is correct, pear-shaped;
• the mass of fruits of the Nika variety is large – on average, 180 grams;
• in an unripe form, pears are colored green, reddish spots clearly appear on the peel, ripe fruits are colored yellow;
• the peel on the fruit is thin, smooth, there is a small layer of wax;
• the pulp of the fruit is creamy, with a delicate texture, very juicy;
• the taste qualities of the Nika pear are high: inside it is sweet and sour, without granularity, with light notes of nutmeg;
• Nicky needs to be harvested in mid-late September;
• consumer maturity of fruits occurs only by October – pears need to lie down to ripen;
• even when ripe, fruits poured with juice do not fall off the branches, therefore, if the weather allows, you can postpone the harvest to October;
• You can store the crop for three to four months;
• storage conditions – dry and dark room or storage with a constant temperature of 0 degrees;
• the yield of the Nika variety is high;
• the fruiting phase of the variety begins early – 4-5 years after planting the tree;
• the frost resistance of the tree is high – Nika is able to withstand a cold snap of up to -38 degrees;
• Nika is resistant to fungal infections such as scab and entomosporiosis;
• pear of this variety is not demanding on the composition of the soil, but does not like strong waterlogging;
• the variety is partially self-infertile, that is, for good and stable yields, Nika needs pollinating pears that will bloom at the same time;
• the purpose of the fruits is universal: fragrant jams, confitures are obtained from fruits, they can be used as a filling, make wine or juice from pears, cook marmalade.

Advantages and disadvantages

Reviews of gardeners about Nika pear, for the most part, are positive. The owners of orchards note the problem-free and unpretentiousness of this variety: it is very easy to grow Nika, she practically does not need care, the tree rarely gets sick.

Nick’s pear has several advantages:

• good frost resistance, which allows you not to cover trees in the central part of the country (including in the Moscow region);
• ability to regenerate – frostbitten branches quickly recover and begin to bear fruit;
• fruits are stored for a long time and retain a beautiful presentation until spring;
• the tree has a strong immunity to fungal diseases;
• fruits receive high tasting scores (not lower than 4,5 points out of five possible).

Like all garden crops, Nika also has its own small disadvantages. Gardeners include:

• the need for regular pruning;
• Nike’s need for pollinators.

Of course, against the background of extreme unpretentiousness and the listed advantages of Nick’s pear, all its disadvantages seem insignificant. Due to this, the variety is often grown both in private farms and in large gardens.

Growing rules

The Nika pear variety is one of those that summer residents and novice gardeners often prefer. And planting and caring for this pear does not require special knowledge and special skills.

Planting a tree

First you need to choose good seedlings: trees, no more than one or two years old, with several strong and elastic roots directed in different directions, without signs of disease.

In order for pear seedlings to take root in a new place, pits are prepared for them in advance. If the tree is planned to be planted in the spring, then the planting site should be prepared in the fall. First of all, they dig a hole, the depth and diameter of which is about a meter. Then the top layer from this pit is mixed with organic matter (humus, rotted manure or bird droppings, compost), wood ash and superphosphate are added. This mixture must be left in the pit until the pear is planted, so that all the nutrients have time to dissolve.

If there are no other pears in the garden, together with Nika, you will have to plant another pear that has the same flowering time. If this is not done, Nika’s flowers will be poorly pollinated, which will affect the fruit set and the overall yield of the tree.

In the spring, seedlings are soaked for a couple of hours in water and start planting. They put the tree in the center of the hole and carefully straighten its roots. Then gradually sprinkle the roots with dry earth, periodically shaking the pear to compact the soil.

After planting, Nick’s pear must be watered using several buckets of water. After that, it is recommended to mulch the ground with sawdust or other material to prevent the soil and roots from drying out, to protect the seedling from heat and frost.

Care

Nika’s pear is unpretentious, but the tree still needs minimal care:

1. Organic mulch made from sawdust or humus protects the roots and lower part of the trunk from freezing in winter and from overheating in summer. The optimal thickness of the mulching layer is 5 cm.

   

2. It is not necessary to fertilize the pear in the first few years after planting, it still has enough nutrition from the planting pit. Subsequently, in addition to humus mulch, it is recommended to scatter mineral complex fertilizers near the tree. Do not be zealous with nitrogen.
3. Pear trees are watered as needed, but watering three times must be mandatory. The first time Nika is watered before blooming flower buds, the procedure is repeated after 10-14 days. The last time the tree is watered after harvesting is an important stage in the pre-winter preparation of the plant.

   

4. Pruning for the Nika variety is extremely important – it is performed annually, in the spring. In the process of pruning, it is necessary to cut out old and dry shoots and shorten all other branches by 10-15 cm. If the crown is not rejuvenated in this way, Nika will begin to thin and “bald”, and her fruits will become smaller.

   

5. Before flowering, the tree must be treated for preventive purposes, for this you can use any complex preparation.
6. In especially cold regions, winter-hardy Nika needs to be slightly warmed. To do this, the lower branches and trunk are wrapped with non-woven material or protected in another way.

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Conclusion

Nika pear is perfect for growing in private gardens and large farms. A dwarf tree does not need a lot of space; it is easy to harvest from a low pear, prune and process a compact crown. Nika has a lot of advantages, but, above all, this variety is valued for its unpretentiousness and tasty fruits with a long shelf life.

Those who have chosen the Nika variety for their own garden should be prepared for annual pruning. In addition, the tree will need pollinators – without them, the harvest can not wait.