History and characteristics of the variety
The variety was obtained by breeders from the Research Institute of Pear Fruit Growing in Belarus. Suitable for cultivation in the northwestern regions of Russia.
Late Belorussian pear is a medium-sized tree with branches extending horizontally from the trunk. This makes the crown formation process much easier.
The harvest is represented by fruits with an average weight of about 120 g
The small, broadly pear-shaped fruits are covered with a rough skin. When ripe, they have a green color, which during storage changes to yellow and then crimson.
The harvest is represented by one-dimensional fruits with an average weight of about 120 g. When ripe, the pear pulp is very sweet, but dense. At consumer maturity, which occurs approximately 3-4 months after harvest, the pulp becomes very juicy and oily. The pears received a taster rating of 4.4 out of 5 points. Despite the sweetness, their taste is not cloying.
Fruits can be stored until mid-spring at a temperature of 0-2 °C.
Fruit characteristics
The fruits of the Belorussian late are usually medium in size, their weight usually reaches about 125 grams. Their shape is traditional pear-shaped. The fruits are covered with a rather dense skin that is rough to the touch. Ripening fruits are green, ripe ones are orange-yellow, with a slight sunny “blush”.
The pulp is white or milky. Its consistency is soft, delicate and even a little oily. At the same time, it is very juicy, sweet and sour in taste. Reviews often come from people who find the taste refreshing.
In order for the harvest to be stored even longer, it must be harvested correctly:
- Do not wait until the pear is fully ripe - the fruit will be soft and will begin to spoil faster. It is better to choose the time a few days before full ripening.
- After picking, let the pears dry a little in the sun.
- Now the fruits need to be collected. The best storage options are special boxes, cardboard boxes or bags made of natural materials. Do not take plastic bags; it is in them that any food spoils most quickly.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Belarusian late one has a number of significant advantages:
- excellent taste of fruits;
- long shelf life;
- early fruiting (2-3 years after planting);
- small tree height and compact crown;
- good transportability of fruits;
- high frost resistance up to minus 30 °C;
- uneven opening of flowers during the flowering period, which in case of return frosts allows saving a significant part of the future harvest.
This variety has a long shelf life and bears fruit for 2-3 years.
Disadvantages include partial self-fertility and vulnerability of the pear to scab, which cannot be said about the Sheikh Nart pear, and bacterial burn, which most often occurs in damp, rainy summers.
Reviews
Maria
It was not for nothing that the late Belarusian was bred in Belarus - I have four trees growing in my dacha near Minsk and I couldn’t be happier. The harvest is enough for yourself, all your relatives and friends, both fresh pears and dried or frozen. The taste is excellent, cool and refreshing in summer. I can only recommend this variety, it definitely will not disappoint you.
Nikolai
I planted the tree three years ago and now it is my favorite pear. It is quite average in all respects, but it is reliable and easy to care for - the main thing is not to overwater, because one of my trees actually rotted alive - I planted it in the wrong place, the groundwater was too high.
Natalia
My favorite variety, we planted it in the garden back in the 2000s and have been enjoying it ever since. I’m not a gardener, I need a dacha for relaxation, so I plant fruits that are beautiful to look at and easy to care for, so that no extra work is required. I can’t say that Belorusska late is the easiest tree in this regard, but in general it’s quite easy to care for. And the fruits are tasty, sweet, very pleasant and there are surprisingly many of them.
Landing
Correctly carried out planting is the key to the formation of a strong, healthy tree, as well as a high annual harvest.
Pollinators
The Belorussian late pear variety is partially self-fertile. For good pollination, the presence of pollinating neighbors is required on the site. Chizhovskaya, Marshal Zhukova or Severyanka pears are suitable for their role.
Optimal timing
For midland regions, planting is recommended in early autumn. This will allow the tree time to take root before the onset of cold weather.
In more severe climates, seedlings can be purchased in the fall and stored until spring. It can be left in the cellar for the winter or buried in the ground on the site. In the spring, before the start of sap flow (late April), the tree must be planted in a prepared hole in the fall.
History of selection of the Belorusskaya Late pear
The breeding of a new variety of winter pears began in Belarus in the late 90s. 20th century in order to obtain an improved type of fruit with high yields, suitable for cultivation in the climate of the middle zone and northern regions.
The selection of Belorusskaya Late began through free pollination of the French pear variety under the authorship of scientists Mikhnevich, Kovalenko and Myaglik. The procedure significantly improved the characteristics of the crop, and also helped to adapt to the local climate. Since 2002, the pear has been included in the State Register and is actively grown in Russia.
Features of care
The pear tree needs sanitary pruning, timely watering, fertilizing and disease prevention. In the fall, you should take care of covering the tree and protecting it from rodents.
Watering
After planting, the young tree is watered every week. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening. For one young plant, 1 bucket of water is enough.
For one young plant, 1 bucket of water is enough.
From the moment the tree begins to bear fruit, the amount of moisture is increased, and watering is carried out according to the following schedule:
- before flowering;
- during the period of fruit set;
- 2 weeks before harvest;
- after the end of leaf fall - moisture-recharging irrigation.
One fruit-bearing tree needs 2-3 buckets of water. When water charging, the amount of water is doubled.
Fertilizer application
Before the pear begins to bear fruit, the fertilizer applied during planting will be sufficient. From the third year of a tree’s life, fertilizers are applied annually, combining them with watering (in early spring after a snowy winter, watering can be omitted):
- After the snow melts, 1 kg of ash and 300 g of bone meal are added to dig up the tree trunk circle.
- When setting buds and during the formation of ovaries, you can add organic fertilizers. A solution is prepared from rotted chicken droppings or slurry in a ratio of 1:10 (fertilizer:water).
- In early August, 1 kg of wood ash is scattered around the tree trunk.
- After harvesting, 2 buckets of humus or compost with the addition of 300 g of superphosphate are added to dig up the tree trunk circle.
In early August, 1 kg of wood ash is scattered around the tree trunk.
Autumn fertilizing with organic fertilizers is recommended once every 3 years.
Tree trunk care
The condition of the tree trunk affects the condition of the tree and its productivity.
Caring for the tree trunk consists of some mandatory procedures:
- mulch. Tree trunk circle Timely removal of weeds and loosening of the soil after each watering.
- Mulching. It is necessary to slow down the evaporation of moisture and slow down the growth of grass. In addition, the tree receives additional nutrients as the substrate rots. Mulch with peat, rotted sawdust, hay or chopped tree bark. The mulch is poured in a layer of about 10 cm.
Mulching is necessary to slow down the evaporation of moisture.
You need to loosen the soil after each watering. The dense crust that forms on the surface of the earth slows down the aeration of the roots.
Trimming
Immediately after planting, the seedlings are pruned. The stem of an annual tree is shortened to a height of 70 cm. Formed skeletal branches on two-year-old seedlings are shortened by a third, the central conductor is cut by a quarter.
Mandatory sanitary pruning is carried out annually in spring and autumn. In this case, shoots are removed:
- growing inside the crown and down;
- with mechanical damage;
- sick;
- frozen and dried out.
Stimulating pruning consists of shortening annual growth by a quarter. This procedure promotes the formation of new flower buds.
Diseases
Late Belorussian pear is characterized by good resistance to most diseases of pome trees. Scab and fire blight can affect trees under unfavorable weather conditions (cold, high humidity, frequent rainfall in summer and spring).
The table presents possible pear diseases, their symptoms and methods of combating them.
| Disease | Signs | Treatment and prevention |
| Scab | Fruits and leaves become covered with dark spots. Over time, cracks appear on the pears, which later harden. The taste of the fruit deteriorates significantly | Spraying with Bordeaux mixture three times per season:
No more than 6 sprayings per season are allowed. The frequency and rules of the procedure are described in the instructions |
| Fruit rot, or moniliosis | The first symptom is small dark spots on the fruit, which grow as the disease progresses. Later they become covered with fungal spores. Affected fruits rot but do not fall off | |
| Bacterial burn | A rapidly developing and dangerous pear disease. Infection occurs during the flowering period. As a result of damage, the inflorescences, ovaries and leaves curl | Treatment must be comprehensive. The causative agent of the disease is a bacterium. Frequent use of fungicides in the garden also kills beneficial microflora. Therefore, treating trees with compounds to restore the microflora of garden crops will help to avoid bacterial burns. |
Scab
Fruit rot
Bacterial burn
Thickening of the crown creates favorable conditions for diseases and pests of pears
Main characteristics
The Belorussian pear is a medium-sized tree, which usually does not exceed 5 m. The skeletal branches extend from the trunk almost at a right angle. Their ends are directed upwards. The shoots are medium thick, pubescent, brown in color, covered with tubercles and streaks (lentils). The buds are small, sharp, conical in shape.
The crown is very thick. It has a round spherical shape. The leaves are oval, short-pointed, relatively small in size, slightly curled. The surface is smooth, bright green, with finely toothed edges. The venation is pinnate, weakly expressed.
The flowers are large, white, five-petaled. Solitary or collected in inflorescences. Flowering occurs around May. Its start will depend on weather conditions. The flowers have a pleasant aroma that attracts pollinating insects to the plant.
The fruits are formed on short fruiting branches - simple and complex ringlets. They are attached to short straight stalks growing at an angle. They reach harvest maturity by the end of September, and can be stored until January-February (sometimes until March).
The variety is frost-resistant. In some years with extremely harsh winters, trees experienced moderate freezing. The immune system cannot be called strong. The plant can be susceptible to common pear diseases such as scab and fire blight. The development of diseases can depend on many factors. Therefore, wood does not always require mandatory treatment with chemicals.
Pests
The most common pests are presented in the table.
| Pest | Signs of defeat |
| Green aphid | Insect colonies grow on young shoots and leaves. They feed on the sap of the plant, slowing down its vital processes. |
| Pear moth | The caterpillar emerges from eggs laid by a butterfly. She gnaws the pulp in order to get to the seeds |
| Apple flower beetle | The beetles infect the buds, the larvae gnaw out the buds |
| hawthorn | The emerging caterpillars feed on leaves, buds and buds. Butterfly pupae overwinter on trees |
To combat insect pests, insecticides are used in accordance with the instructions supplied with them.
Collection, storage and use of crops
The first harvest appears 2-3 years after planting. The varietal feature of the Belorussian late is its stable annual fruiting. Up to 40 kg of harvest is harvested from one young tree.
Up to 40 kg of harvest is harvested from one young tree
The fruits ripen in mid-September. Ready to pick pears are easily removed from the branch. They can be eaten immediately after collection. However, only during storage the taste of the pear is fully revealed.
Harvesting rules:
- Choose warm and dry weather. The condensation released has a negative effect on the storage of fruits, so it is not recommended to harvest on very hot days and at midday.
- Remove pears from the tree along with the stalks. Without them, shelf life is significantly reduced.
- You need to wear gloves when harvesting. Even with short nails, the skin can be damaged, which will make the fruit unsuitable for storage.
- The fruits are placed in wooden or plastic boxes. Each layer is sent with thick paper.
The consumption period is in winter, and the fruits can be stored until mid-spring. Store the crop in dry, cool rooms at a temperature of (0-2) °C. To maintain the required level of humidity in the room, place containers with salt or lime.
Growing late-ripening pears allows you to enjoy delicious fresh fruit all winter long. Proper planting and further care of a tree determines its high immunity and productivity. Belorussian late yields a rich harvest, which can be harvested in September. You need to remove only those fruits that can easily be unscrewed from the branch along with the stalk. Pears are stored in a cool place, avoiding excessive moisture. The best taste of the fruit is revealed several months after harvest.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the Belarusian late pear, in most cases, weigh 100-120 g. Most often they are approximately the same size. They are characterized by a regular, beautiful pear-shaped shape and medium one-dimensionality. The funnel is narrow, heart-small in size. The color at ripeness is green with a brown outer tint. With the onset of consumer ripeness, pears become bright yellow, almost orange with a blurry brown-red integumentary tint.
The skin is dry, of medium thickness. Chews well and does not spoil the taste of the fruit. Covered with small brown-gray dots. The pulp is white, juicy, fine-grained in consistency, melts pleasantly in the mouth. The aroma is weak. The taste is predominantly sweet. Professional tasters rate it at 4.3-4.5 points on a five-point scale.
The level of dry matter in fruits is 14.5%, sugars - 9.3%, titratable acids - 0.1%. There is a high content of vitamin C - 12.1 mg/100 g. Fruits are stored for a long time, so you can enjoy them all winter. They are recommended to be consumed fresh, however, they can also be used for preparations.
