Description and characteristics of 14 varieties of Bere pear, planting and care

History of the variety's creation

This variety came from Western Europe, and is largely the result of the work of specialists from France. The plant was developed in 1810 by a breeder named Nicolas Giffard. He received this pear through a random selection of seedlings, and the results were immediately appreciated by gardeners.

Main characteristics

The Bere Giffard pear tree grows to approximately 5 meters and has a sparse, ball-shaped crown. Belongs to summer varieties. The branches are thin and have rough bark. The foliage is light green and elliptical in shape. The edges of the leaves are wavy.

At first the tree grows very quickly, but gradually this process slows down.

The flowers are white, quite large, and the petals are round. Gardeners note the pleasant aroma that appears during flowering. Flowering dates are early. The buds are very vulnerable to cold weather and often suffer during spring temperature changes.

If we talk about frost resistance, then it is at an average level. It is recommended to organize shelter for the winter. It is worth noting that the ability to withstand cold improves with age.

The lifespan of a plant is average - about half a century or a little more. But the older the tree, the worse it bears fruit.

The culture has great prospects in breeding; it was used for breeding species such as Nectarnaya and Ranaya Sergeeva pears.

Late ripening pears

The most popular autumn and winter varieties suitable for cultivation in Russia:

Description of fruits

The fruit size is slightly below average. Pears weigh up to 100 grams, and their shape is typical for this crop. The skin is very tender, not too thick, greenish. When the fruit ripens, the color changes to green-yellow. If the sun falls on one side, then the pear acquires an attractive blush there. Light brown dots can be noted along the entire perimeter.

The peduncle is most often long, although there are specimens with a short one. There is a bell at the top. The saucer is small and sometimes covered with bumps.

The pulp of the Bere Giffard pear is white, pleasant in texture and literally melts in your mouth. Tasters note juiciness and sweet and sour notes in the taste.

The tasting score of the fruit is 4.6 points.

The content of dry soluble substances is 13.7%, sugars – 8.7%, titratable acids – 0.27%, ascorbic acid – 9.6 mg/100 g.

The fruits themselves are tied in bunches containing 2-6 individuals. Until ripening, they are tightly held on the branch, and reach final ripening together. Fruits taken from the tree are stored very poorly, spoiling in about a week. It is recommended to put them in well-ventilated wooden boxes.

For long-term storage, only those crops that look intact and have no defects are selected. You need to eat or send the pear for processing as soon as possible.

Description of the Bere pear variety

The main varietal traits of the Bere group:

1. The height of the tree is about 4 m. The shape of the crown is in the form of a pyramid, spreading, becoming asymmetrical over time.
2. Young shoots are of medium thickness and gray-green in color.
3. The foliage is oval, large. The ends are pointed.
4. Petiole length 0.8-1.5 cm. Buds are pressed.
5. The inflorescences are white, large, wide. The petals are oval.
6. The plant blooms in May.
7. The fruits are large and medium-sized. Their length is 8-10 cm. Weight is 180-230 g.
8. The shape is standard pear-shaped, oval.
9. The skin is predominantly green or yellow, depending on the stage of ripening.
10. The taste is sweet, sweet and sour, the spicy aroma of nutmeg is felt.
11. The fruit ripening period is September-October.
12. The fruits can hang on the tree for a long time without losing their taste.
13. Frost resistance is low. The climatic zone of Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory is not always suitable for culture.
14. Productivity is high. The appearance of fruit on the tree begins within 3-7 years after planting.
15. Disease resistance is high, but preventive treatments are required.
16. Bere pears are partially self-fertile plants, so to increase yield it is recommended to plant them near pollinators.
17. The lifespan of Bere pears is 50 years or more.

Pollinator trees

If you want to get a good harvest from your Bere Giffard pear, you will need to plant pollinators next to it. The following varieties can be used in their role:

• Bergamot Espern;
• Williams;
• Bere Durando;
• Clapp's favorite;
• Hoverla;
• Conference.

Bergamot Espern

Williams

Bere Durando

Clapp's Favorite

Hoverla

Conference

Productivity

Some gardeners consider productivity not the strongest feature of this plant. It must be said that fruiting will be moderate or poor only in the first years of the crop’s life, and then this indicator will begin to tend to increase. Approximately 15 years after planting a tree, you can get up to 80 centners of harvest per hectare (about 100 kilograms per tree).

Bere Giffard begins to produce crops only at the age of 6-7 years.

The crop begins to bear its first harvest in the second half of July, but harvesting begins only in September.

Harvest and storage

The first fruits of Bere Giffard ripen in the second half of July, but full harvesting takes place in early September. The collected fruits are stored in a cool place in well-ventilated wooden boxes.

For long-term storage, only whole, undamaged specimens should be selected. However, we should not forget that pears of this variety spoil quite quickly, so they are more often used for fresh consumption or for canning.

Did you know? The pear is called the “female fruit”, this is due not only to its shape, which resembles the outline of a female figure, but also to the presence in the fruit of a large amount of folic acid, which is necessary for a successful pregnancy.

Diseases and pests

Most often, Bere pears suffer from fungi. Although Giffard shows significantly greater resistance to this problem in comparison with other representatives of the variety, it needs prevention from both fungus and scab and parasites (for example, fruit monilia). The following tips will help you deal with such problems:

1. It is necessary to constantly conduct an inspection, immediately noticing manifestations of diseases or parasite activity.
2. Preventive spraying is very important. The first begins before the buds open, the second - during the flowering process of the plant, the third - a couple of weeks before harvesting.
3. If injured areas were noted during the examination, they need to be cleaned as quickly as possible. The cut material is immediately disposed of by incineration.
4. When the leaves fall in the fall, you can’t just leave them lying there. It would be best to bury it to prevent parasites from multiplying.
5. Immediately after the leaves fall, it is advisable to treat the pear with whitewash, adding fungicides to it.

Possible difficulties during cultivation

Since this variety was bred a very long time ago, its cultivation may be associated with some problems:

• slowing down or completely stopping growth. This phenomenon is usually caused by a lack of moisture and minerals, in particular nitrogen, in the soil. Compliance with the watering and fertilizing regime will avoid this problem;
• overcooling of the root system leads to a decrease in fruiting, in some cases to the complete death of young trees. To prevent this phenomenon, it is important to insulate plants before the onset of severe cold;
• Despite resistance to diseases, Bere Giffard is affected by moniliosis (fruit rot). Brown spots form on the fruits, quickly increasing in size, the pulp and peel soften, and a white-gray coating located in circles forms on the surface of the spots.

The danger is that the disease can move to the branches. To avoid this, it is necessary to promptly remove diseased fruits and spray the tree with Fitosporin, according to the instructions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before planting a plant, you should pay attention to its strengths and weaknesses. This will allow you to decide whether it is worth purchasing seedlings for your garden plot.

Advantages of the variety

1. Not the worst immunity to diseases and pests relative to other representatives of the variety.
2. Juicy and tender pulp with an incredibly pleasant taste and aroma.
3. The fruits ripen early and can be harvested towards the end of July.
4. In principle, the tree is unpretentious to care.
5. Over time, the amount of harvest obtained from the plant increases.
6. Frost resistance increases over the years.

Disadvantages of the variety

1. The tree is quite tall, which can make caring for it difficult.
2. At first, the plant is extremely afraid of frost; if you do not cover the young seedling, there is a risk of losing it.
3. Pear is picky about soil fertility indicators.
4. At first the harvest will be very meager.
5. The fruits are small, they cannot be stored for a long time, and they are also not suitable for long-term transportation. It is advisable to eat the harvested fruit immediately or send it for processing.

Landing

To get a plant that will delight you with a tasty harvest, you need to plant it, adhering to all the rules. They are not that complicated.

Selection of seedlings

For planting, experts advise choosing young plants no more than two years old. It is two-year-old plants that take root best and have good immunity.

It would be best to buy materials for planting in special nurseries or stores, since hobbyists can sell young animals infected with diseases or parasites. The best choice is a two-year-old pear on a quince rootstock.

Preparing a place to place a seedling

The crop in question is very picky about the soil; most of all, it loves fertile and loose soil. After selecting the optimal location, you need to dig it as deep as possible, and then add fertilizer to improve fertility indicators. As for acidity, the best indicator is 5.6-6 pH.

The place for planting the Bere Giffard pear should be on the sunny side of the site, since young individuals do not take root well if the ground is too wet.

Planting scheme

The usual option for placing pears is a 3x3 scheme. But it is known that Bere Giffard is distinguished by tall trees and a spreading crown, so it is advisable to place the trees at a distance of 4 meters from each other. The row spacing is at least 5 meters.

Recommendations for planting

A layer of drainage is placed at the bottom of the pit, the thickness of which should be maintained at 10 centimeters, after which it is sprinkled with a layer of garden soil mixed with humus. A young individual is immersed in the hole, carefully straightening the roots so that they are distributed along the diameter of the hole. A stake is placed near the seedling, to which a pear is tied. Sprinkle the specimen with the remaining soil, tamp it down slightly and fill it with 20 liters of water.

Planting the pear: 1. incorrect 2. correct

Cultivation technique

Sweet cherries for Siberia are delicious, winter-hardy

It is recommended to choose a place to plant a tree near a building. This will protect it from strong winds and snow. If this is not possible, then for the winter the pear must be wrapped in agrofibre or any other material. The optimal planting period is autumn.

Note! The dug hole should be fertilized with organic matter. Pear is a very demanding crop when it comes to soil.

Before planting, the roots of the seedling can be kept in a superphosphate solution. This will nourish the root system and ensure its high-quality regeneration.

After planting a seedling, its branches need to be pruned, since the roots of the pear grow rather slowly, the seedling must spend all the useful organic and mineral nutrients on improving them, and nutrition will arrive in the upper part of the tree later.

On the site you need to have several trees of different varieties, since the pear does not self-pollinate; accordingly, the presence of several varieties of the same crop will allow you to reap a good harvest.

Planting columnar pears

If you have a small area for planting, you can choose columnar pears. Growing columnar pears will not cause any problems. The features of caring for this agricultural crop are the same, the only differences are in pruning the branches.

Pears should be planted away from poplars, since the leaf roller is considered the most common pest of this agricultural crop, and it lives and reproduces on poplar leaves. An equally common pear disease is bacteriosis. It affects the entire branch, the leaves on it turn black, and when cut, you can see clogged black channels. If such a disease is detected, the branch must be cut off, the cut area should be poured generously with alcohol or cologne (you can use vodka), and then covered with garden varnish.

Important! If the fruits on the tree begin to turn black and crack, the tree is affected by scab disease. In this case, in addition to external data, the fruits lose their juiciness and taste

If the disease was noticed at the initial stage, it will be enough to treat the tree with Bordeaux mixture. Subsequent stages are treated with fungicides.

The following varieties are considered resistant to scab:

• Taiga;
• Perun;
• Veselinka.

Fruit rot of pear

Another fruit disease is fruit rot. When this disease is present, the pears begin to turn black and rot. To prevent fruit rot from becoming widespread, it is recommended to remove the affected fruits and treat the rest with lime in a ratio of 1 kg per 10 liters of water.

The following varieties are resistant to this disease:

• Lukashovka;
• Pink Barrel;
• Svarog.

Young trees that have not yet developed immunity suffer from a disease such as powdery mildew. With this disease, the leaves of the tree become covered with a milky white coating, and then curl into a tube and dry out. The disease most often appears in the spring. All affected leaves are removed and burned, and the tree is treated with soda in a ratio of 40 grams per bucket of water. You also need to add 15 grams of liquid soap to the solution.

The following varieties are resistant to this disease:

• Siberian;
• Isetskaya juicy;
• Sverdlovsk skorospelka.

Pear processing

Care

Caring for a pear after planting does not involve anything complicated. It includes the following activities:

• constant watering, this is especially true during drought (at least twice a month);
• loosening the tree trunk circle;
• using mulch;
• getting rid of weeds;
• timely application of fertilizers;
• implementation of formative and sanitary pruning;
• prevention of diseases and pests;
• preparing pears for winter.

Preparing for winter

Plants must be covered for the winter. Straw, film or paper wrapping is suitable for this. It is also advisable to mulch the soil with straw or sawdust.

Feeding

When feeding plants, you need to know when to stop. Nitrogen is added in the spring and throughout the growing season - during the setting of buds and flowers, after the shedding of flowers in June and once in July.

Ammonium nitrate

Superphosphate

Typically, ammonium nitrate is used for fertilizer at the rate of 30 grams per bucket of water. The prepared mixture is enough for two trees. In the autumn, the crop needs potassium supplements - for example, superphosphate at the rate of 30 grams per bucket of water. This fertilizing is applied after autumn digging and watering.

Trimming

Since the tree of this variety is characterized by rapid growth at the beginning of its life, pruning is required. It is practiced when the seedling reaches the age of 2 years.

To properly form the crown, you need to select 4-5 equal branches located symmetrically, after which a quarter is removed from them. The main trunk is left untouched, but other branches are removed. Repeat pruning every year, removing lower branches and injured shoots.

Reviews

Natasha, Moscow : We have been growing this variety of pear for a long time. At first we were disappointed with its low fruiting, but then it began to please us with a large and stable harvest. The tree is easy to care for, you just have to insulate it for the winter. The pears themselves are very juicy and tasty.

Oleg, Volzhsky : I love the Bere Giffard variety. There are a lot of fruits, they are all very sweet, my grandchildren especially love them. The only disappointment is that the shelf life is very short. The whole family can’t cope with the harvest, we have to distribute it among our friends.

Valeria, Podolsk : My grandmother planted this pear in our garden. From a young age I remember the pleasant taste of the fruit, I always devoured it on both cheeks. At the moment, the tree is already very old, clearly reaching its last years, the amount of harvest has actually decreased. But I have already purchased several seedlings and plan to plant them on my plot - I liked this variety too much.

Useful recommendations from experienced gardeners

In order for the Bere Giffard variety to please you with a rich harvest, it is enough to remember a few simple rules:

• carefully select seedlings, preferably 2 years old;
• ensure the presence of favorable pollinator neighbors from the list of recommended ones;
• follow the rules of tree care: watering, fertilizing, pruning, insulation according to the calendar;
• use organic fertilizers sparingly, especially in the autumn-winter period.

So, having examined the Bere Giffard pear variety, we can conclude that its popularity is caused mainly by the excellent taste of the fruit. The species has a number of disadvantages, which, however, are compensated by the variety's resistance to disease and ease of care. If you follow agricultural technology, you can achieve a lasting increase in garden productivity.

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