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The main task of any gardener is to choose the right kind of fruit tree. Today we will talk about pear. Nurseries offer a wide variety of varieties. Making the right choice is difficult even for an experienced person. If you live in the middle lane, then you should pay attention to the winter hardiness of the tree. Such qualities are possessed by the Veles pear, which will delight you with a large harvest under any weather conditions.
Characteristics of a winter-hardy variety
Let’s start the description of the Veles pear with the fact that it is a hybrid of late ripening. It was bred by domestic breeders. In other sources, this variety may be found under the name Daughter Excellent. This is the second name of the pear. Velesa is recommended for cultivation in the Moscow region, as well as regions where a moderately warm climate prevails.
The tree is considered medium tall, since the height of the Veles pear at the age of ten reaches 4 m. The young tree is characterized by a spreading crown. Over time, a lot of branches grow, they thicken, and a spherical shape of an adult pear is formed. The tree puts out many young shoots. The old branches that form the skeleton of a pear are thick, but they are strong and elastic.
The shape of the leaves is usually oblong, like all pears. The color is deep dark green. The front side is glossy. The sheet is slightly curved, and there is a small serration along the edge.
In the photo, the Veles pear is shown with fruits. Their shape is even, more rounded and not very elongated. The fruits grow in medium and large sizes, weighing 160–200 g. The smooth skin is slightly covered with white bloom, but there is no roughness on it. During the harvest, which happens at the end of August and lasts until mid-September, the color of the fruit is yellow-green. The pear gets its best taste when a pink blush appears on its skin.
The pulp of the fruit is highly saturated with juice. The color is white with a cream tint. Maturity can be determined by the brown color of the seeds that are in standard pear seed chambers. When eating the fruit, the oiliness of the pulp is felt. The juice is sweet with a slight taste of acid.
A big plus of the Veles pear variety is the versatility of the fruit. They are suitable for all types of processing. Pear makes delicious juice, jam, compote. Fruits can be eaten fresh, used for making desserts. Since the hybrid is late ripening, the harvested crop can be stored in the basement until December. It is important that during storage, the marketable and gustatory qualities of the fruit do not change.
The hybrid is self-fertile. For the Veles pear, pollinators are not needed for the ovary to form. If other varieties grow nearby, they will not become a hindrance, but only the yield will increase. Suitable pollinators are: Rogneda, Severyanka and Chizhovskaya.
Considering the description of the Veles pear variety photo reviews, it should be noted that the tree consistently produces a crop every year. Resistance to disease and bacterial burn is high. Veles winters well, enduring severe frosts.
The video provides an overview of the variety:
Rules for planting seedlings
It is worth noting that planting a Veles pear and caring for it is practically no different from the actions performed when growing other varieties. Seedlings are planted in winter and autumn.
In the spring, seedlings begin to be planted from the twentieth of April to the second decade of May. Autumn planting lasts from October to early November.
According to the description of the Veles pear variety, it is a winter-hardy variety, but still the seedlings love a sunny place, closed from drafts and the cold north wind. The proximity of groundwater negatively affects the tree. Constantly flooded seedlings can simply get wet. Veles loves loose and nutritious soil.
For planting seedlings, it is better to buy two years old. They will get used to it faster. It is important to take a good look at the tree. A healthy seedling should have a developed root system and no damage to the bark. Especially carefully you need to inspect the place of vaccination. It can be seen on the trunk of a seedling near the root with a protruding tubercle.
If it is decided to plant seedlings in the spring, then it is advisable to prepare the pit in the fall. If you forgot to do this, then you can dig them out at least two weeks before the start of planting. When digging a hole for a seedling, the fertile soil layer is left aside. It will be needed for backfilling. The optimal dimensions of the pit: depth – 1 m, width – 80 cm.
During planting, the seedling adhere to the following rules:
- in a seedling with a sharp pruner, the root system and branches are shortened;
- when digging a hole, the fertile topsoil is separated from the infertile soil, but they are left to lie near the landing site;
- a wooden stake is hammered in the center of the pit so that it protrudes above ground level to the middle of the seedling trunk;
- after planting the pear, but before watering, the tree is lightly tied to a peg with a rope;
- after watering, the earth will settle, the seedling will find its permanent place and now it can be firmly tied to a peg until it takes root.
The procedure for performing the work described in the rules can be seen in the photo. And now let’s look at how the process of planting a pear seedling looks like:
- So, a pit measuring 1×0,8 m is already ready. A peg is driven into its center. Its length, taking into account the depth of the pit and the height of a two-year-old pear seedling, is about 1,5 m.
- From the fertile soil deposited near the pit, a nutrient mixture is made. To do this, add humus or compost and mix thoroughly. You can do without the addition of mineral fertilizers, but if the soil is bad, then it is better to add about 200 g of superphosphate and the same amount of potash fertilizer. The resulting mixture will nourish the pear seedling with useful substances for two years.
- 3 buckets of prepared fertile mixture are poured into the pit, but they are not leveled. A seedling is placed on the tubercle with roots, after which they are evenly straightened.
- The pear is lightly tied with a rope to a peg, after which it is covered with the remains of the prepared fertile mixture.
- 2-3 buckets of water are poured into the pit. When all the liquid is absorbed, the soil will sag along with the seedling. To ground level, the pit can be covered with nearby infertile soil. It can be lightly trampled with a foot around the trunk of a pear. Now the seedling has found its permanent place and can be tightly tied to a peg. In this state, it will not take root until it takes root. Then the rope is untied, and the peg is broken off. Its remains in the ground will simply rot and become additional fertilizer for the pear seedling.
There is another option for planting a seedling. Its principle is based on plunging the pear roots into the mud. To do this, after filling three buckets of the fertile mixture, two buckets of water are poured. The seedling is immersed in the resulting slurry with roots, tied to a peg and the pit is backfilled.
The video shows the correct planting of a pear seedling:
Care of the pear
Caring for the Veles hybrid consists of similar procedures that apply to other varieties of pears.
Watering intensity
After planting, the first 2-3 years, the seedling is watered at least three times a month. The best time is early morning or late evening when the sun is not burning the ground. An adult tree is poured with water up to 5 times per season. In dry weather, the intensity of watering is increased. Velesa takes water best when it is poured into the furrows. They are dug around the trunk of a pear tree. Each furrow is temporary and is intended for one irrigation only. After soaking up water, it is buried. For the next watering, dig another furrow in a new place.
Pruning branches
Velesa, like any other pear, can naturally form a crown. However, this matter cannot be left to chance, since then one can not expect good yields. To form a crown, pruning of excess branches is necessary. Usually, a sparse-tiered scheme is inherent in the Veles variety pear. As a result, three tiers of thick branches are formed on an adult tree, forming a skeleton. Moreover, each tier consists of five branches.
When pruning, do not leave stumps. The twig is cut off under the very trunk, and the wound is covered with garden putty or covered with paraffin paper.
Reviews
About Veles pear reviews of gardeners are found only positive. Let’s get to know them now.