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The view of low-growing fruit trees, hung with appetizing fruits from top to bottom, never ceases to excite the imagination of even experienced summer residents. And the columnar Sapphire pear is a great specimen for every garden catalogue.
Description of the columnar pear Sapphire
The Sapphire variety is the oldest among the columnar pears. This is a neat tree, no more than 2-3 m high in the form of a column – a central conductor, overgrown with short fruit branches. The leaves are large, rounded. It blooms in the first decade of May, and by mid-September it already pleases with pears ready for harvest. Like all columnar varieties, Saphira begins to bear fruit early – in the 3rd year.
All variants of seed rootstocks from shadberry, quince and, in fact, pear, will not give the expected result, and as a result, a poorly formed, low-yielding pear tree will turn out.
Characteristics of pear fruit
The columnar variety Sapphire has a feature – a noticeable, heterogeneous mass. Fruits range from very small (50-70 g) to quite decent sizes (up to 350 g). The integumentary color is green with a slight yellowness and a pink-burgundy blush from the southern side. The shape of the fruit is classic, pear-shaped. The pulp is white with a cream shade, juicy and sweet and sour at the stage of biological maturity, which occurs by early October.
Pros and cons of the Sapphire pear variety
The advantages and disadvantages of any variety of fruit tree can only be identified in practice by growing it in your own area. And, nevertheless, the obvious advantages of the Sapphire columnar pear are as follows:
- The tree does not grow above 2,5 m, which greatly facilitates seasonal care for it and harvesting.
- Sapphire pear is resistant to the scourge of all pome crops – scab, as well as to bacterial burn.
- The first fruits can really be tasted already in the 3rd year of the plant’s life.
- With proper care, by the 6th year of life, the maximum yields of this crop are achieved – from 10 to 15 kg.
- Sapphire columnar pear occupies a minimum of usable area, therefore it is ideal for small intensive gardens.
But at the same time:
- Columnar trees are short-lived, their optimal life span is 10 years, maximum 15. Already from the 8th year, the yield begins to decline.
- Pear Sapphire is ready for use 2 weeks after removal, but it is not stored for a long time. At the same time, if the harvest is delayed, then the taste of the fruit begins to deteriorate, although the pears themselves can hang on the branches for quite a long time.
- The weak point of all columnar trees is the lower part of the trunk where the graft is made. It is necessary to work very carefully with the seedling when planting, providing it with good support.
- The winter hardiness of the Sapphira variety is declared at -25 ° C, which is clearly not enough for most areas of the middle lane, so the columnar pear needs winter shelter.
- The Sapphire pear needs a pollinator variety because it is self-fertile.
Optimal growing conditions
For a columnar pear, it is necessary to choose a quiet place, protected on the north side by a wall of a house or outbuilding from piercing winter winds. A common practice is to plant several trees in a row along a fence or as a hedge separating a garden from a vegetable garden.
Planting and caring for a Sapphire pear
The cultivation of any plant begins from the moment it is purchased, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to buy the right seedling from a reliable seller, whether it is a nursery, an online store or a private entrepreneur. And the choice of columnar varieties is approached with double care, having carefully checked all the available information.
Rules of landing
Columnar pears are usually planted in trenches 50 cm deep, keeping a distance between adjacent specimens of at least 0,6 m. Drainage from expanded clay or broken brick is laid on the bottom, and covered with a fertile mixture consisting of humus, peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. .
The planting soil is well moistened to a state of slurry and, having straightened the roots, the seedlings are placed in a trench. Fertile soil is poured from above to the level of the root neck, compacted around the stems and watered again from a watering can. It is advisable to immediately mulch the top layer in order to maintain a constant level of humidity.
Watering and top dressing
The root system of the columnar pear is more superficial than that of traditional varieties, so it needs regular abundant watering. Mature trees are watered at least 2 times a month, spending 4-6 buckets of water per 1 m² of the near-trunk area. Young columnar pears need to be irrigated much more often, since a lack of moisture will lead to a delay in the growth and development of the plant.
It is possible to get a decent harvest from a columnar pear only if the crop is intensively nourished throughout the growing season. Each gardener has his own dressing options, developed over many years of experience, but for beginners it is easier to stick to the following scheme:
- Nitrogen top dressing in the near-stem circle with one of the preparations (urea or ammonium nitrate) at the rate of 50 g per 1 tree. It is done in early spring when the buds swell.
- After 3 weeks, nitroammofoska is applied, slightly loosening the surface layer of the soil. Consumption rate – up to 60 g per 1 pear.
- After 3-4 weeks, the second top dressing with nitroammophos in the same amount.
- In the middle of summer, a columnar pear needs phosphorus; for this, superphosphate is added as a solution to the near-stem circle (1/2 tablespoon for each plant).
- At the beginning of autumn, feeding on the leaf with potassium monophosphate or adding potassium salt to the near-stem circle according to the norm.
Mulching in winter with humus or compost will not only protect the root system from freezing, but also serve as food in the early spring.
Trimming
The columnar pear, under ideal conditions, does not need pruning at all. It is only necessary to pinch off the extra side shoots in time, while they have not yet had time to lignify. Fruit formations are usually shortened literally by 2-3 cm.
The main task during planting and during the wintering of a columnar pear is the preservation of the apical bud. In case of breakage or freezing, it is necessary to choose a suitable side shoot, which will replace the central conductor after cutting it. In early spring, mandatory sanitary pruning is usually carried out, during which thin, broken or frozen branches are removed.
Whitewash
The annual autumn whitewashing of pear trunks and other fruit trees is not just a tribute to traditions, but a very effective agricultural technique that allows the plant to successfully winter. Adding additional components to the whitewash will help protect the plant from rodents and other pests.
Dilute a package of lime (2 kg) with water to a creamy state, add to it 50 g of copper sulfate, half a pack of wood glue, 1-2 packs of red hot pepper and a little birch tar, which repels various rodents with its smell. Break an ampoule of any broad-spectrum insecticide into the mixture. Paint the trunks with the resulting whitewash, choosing one of the clear November days for work. Due to wood glue, such a mixture will be more durable than in conventional versions.
Preparation for winter
An important step in preparing a columnar pear for winter is the timely introduction of potassium into the composition of the last autumn top dressing. It is this element that accelerates the ripening of young shoots, including the apical bud, which is responsible for the correct formation of the crown. The best preparation for this is rightly recognized as potassium monophosphate, applied as a foliar top dressing.
The Sapphire columnar pear needs a winter shelter for the center conductor, which can be done in a variety of ways. One of the interesting options: wrapping the trunk with synthetic tights filled with sawdust, while its lower part is covered with spruce branches. The surface of the trunk circle is covered with geotextile or mulched with dry humus.
Pollination
For a decent harvest, at least 2 varieties of pears should grow in the garden, approximately one flowering period, since these trees are self-fertile. Varieties Lyubimitsa Yakovleva, Lada, Chizhovskaya are considered universal pollinators. For the Sapphire pear, the columnar Honey will be an ideal partner – they can be planted alternating, in one row. To increase the chances of a crop, it is recommended to additionally spray flowering trees with honey or sweetened water to attract pollinating insects.
Productivity
You can count on a rich harvest of Sapphire pear only if the following conditions are met:
- at least 2 different varieties of pears grow in the garden;
- the columnar tree is correctly formed;
- watering and fertilizing are carried out regularly, according to the scheme;
- the columnar pear completely preserves fruit buds in winter, which is practically impossible without providing shelter;
- and, finally, the acquired Sapphire pear is really such, that is, a real columnar variety.
If all requirements are met, then the maximum yield from an adult plant will be 12-15 kg. In the first years after planting, while the columnar pear is very young, it is necessary to normalize the number of future fruits, leaving no more than 3-4 ovaries in the first year of flowering. The next year, leave 2 ovaries in each bouquet branch, and then look at the state of the culture.
About the first harvest from columnar pears:
Diseases and pests
As noted above, the Sapphire columnar pear is resistant to scab disease, bacterial burn and powdery mildew. But early spring preventive treatment of trees with copper-containing preparations before bud break is highly desirable for disease-resistant varieties.
A number of insects, such as codling moths, leafworms, aphids, gall mites, and many others, can cause considerable harm to a pear. At the first sign of pests, action should be taken by spraying the trees with suitable insecticides and acaricides. Caution in choosing the drug is especially important during the period of flowering and fruit formation, it is necessary to strictly control the waiting time, without using dangerous components shortly before harvesting.
Reviews of pear columnar Sapphire
Conclusion
The columnar pear Sapphire, when created for it with optimal growing conditions and proper care, can surprise with a combination of excellent health, excellent yield and harmonious taste of ripe fruits.