Selection history and planting regions
The Thumbelina pear variety was bred by Yu. Petrova and N.E. Efimova on the basis of VSTISP in Moscow by pollinating hybrid No. 9 (“Bere” winter Michurina) with several southern species of pear trees:
- "Forest Beauty";
- "Josephine of Mechel";
- "Triumph of Zhuoduan";
- "Angevin Beauty";
- pear variety "Duchess Angoulême";
- "Dekanka winter";
- "Cure";
- "Saint Germain".
In 1995, the designated hybrid was sent for state variety testing, and already in 2002 the fruit crop was registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation.
According to its varietal predisposition, pear seedlings of the Thumbelina variety are preferable to be grown in the southern regions. But the central part of Russia is also considered an acceptable area for planting. Due to the presence of such qualities as frost resistance, the designated pear variety can grow in the Moscow region, the Volga-Vyatka region and even in the Urals. If agricultural technology is followed, the standard can take root like a pear for Siberia, but in its southern regions.
To which regions is the variety more adapted?
Varieties of Duchess are not adapted to all regions of Russia. When choosing a specific pear option for subsequent cultivation, such patterns should be taken into account.
- D'Angoulême is best grown in the Crimea, as well as in the Caucasus. The northern regions are not suitable for it.
- Moscow Wild Duchess grows well in various regions, including Central Asia, the Moscow region, and the Caucasus.
- Moscow Garden variety grows well in the Moscow region and in the European part of the Russian Federation.
- The winter variety should be planted in the Caucasus or Crimea. It also grows well in Uzbekistan.
- Summer Duchess grows well in the southern regions.
Read about pear varieties for the Moscow region here.
Description
Thumbelina pear seedling belongs to the mid-late varieties of fruit trees. The fruits reach consumer ripeness around mid-September, but only if the standard grows in the central part of Russia. In the southern regions, ripening occurs in early autumn.
Tree
The height of the Thumbelina pear tree is small. The trunk can grow up to 1.5, maximum 1.7 meters. The crown of the seedling has a round shape, is not prone to thickening, and grows quite slowly. The branches are located at an angle of 90 degrees to the trunk, somewhat drooping, the bark on them is brownish-brown.
The foliage is medium in size, dark green in color with a smooth surface. There are small serrations along the edges of the leaves. During the flowering period, the seedling is covered with white flowers, the petals of which have a terry surface.
Measures to protect against leaf roller
Particular harm to the Thumbelina variety is caused by leaf roller caterpillars that live in the foliage of fruit trees. The plant parasite is most widespread in the Non-Chernozem Zone. On pears grown in home gardens in the Moscow, Leningrad and Vladimir regions, you can most often find the roseate leaf roller, characterized by a golden or brownish-yellow color.
Treatment of garden plantings against this pest should begin in early spring. The product “Preparation-30” has good effectiveness, which should be sprayed on plants after the snow melts. The category of very effective procedures includes treating pears with Atom, Binom, Zolon, as well as powerful insecticidal agents Desant and Terradim.
Irreparable damage to fruit trees can be caused by young caterpillars, which should be destroyed with Lepidocide, Bitoxibacillin or Fitoverm. It is recommended to carry out treatment with these biological products in warm, dry and windless weather. Experienced gardeners have long confirmed the effectiveness of such well-known pyrethroids as “Ivanhoe”, “Ci-Alpha” and “Fastak” against the leaf roller.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pear seedlings have quite a few advantages over other varieties of similar fruit trees, the main ones being:
- pleasant taste of the fruit;
- presentation of fruit;
- long period of storage of the harvested crop;
- short stature of the trunk;
- low maintenance (except for soil moisture requirements);
- high level of frost resistance;
- strong immunity to most diseases;
For your information!
A distinctive feature is the invariability of the taste of pears. This is possible if during the growing season the fruit plant did not have enough sunlight, for example, if cloudy days predominate in the summer.
As for the disadvantages, one of them is the need to control soil moisture in order to water in a timely manner. The fruits can quickly fall off after ripening, so you need to not miss the moment and start harvesting on time.
Landing
Planting work is one of the main stages, which includes the selection of a seedling, as well as preparing the site for its growth, and, of course, compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology.
Deadlines
Pear seedlings of the Thumbelina variety can be planted in autumn and spring. But in this case, it is necessary to focus on the climatic conditions of the region where the tree will grow. In the south and southeast, autumn planting is allowed, since winter comes quite late. The optimal time is considered to be September-October, since the trunk will have time to take root before the onset of frost. In central Russia and closer to the north, it is recommended to plant in the spring, when the earth warms up. This could be around April.
Thumbelina pear is quite unpretentious in agricultural technology
Site selection and soil preparation
Considering that pear seedlings are heat-loving fruit plants, even despite their frost resistance, they should be planted in sunny areas protected from direct wind blows. The southern, south-eastern side of the garden is considered optimal. It is recommended to plant in places where there is no access to drafts. The fact is that during severe frosts, gusts of wind have a destructive effect on the tree bark, it will freeze or cracks will appear on it. As a result, the process of gum formation may begin in places of cracking. Spores of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, as well as larvae of insect pests, can hide in the resulting cracks.
Important!
The planting site should not be close to groundwater levels or wetlands. Although pear seedlings of the Thumbelina variety are demanding on moisture, excessive amounts can cause rotting of the root system.
In order for a pear seedling to take root and develop further, it needs to be given the necessary nutrients when planting. To do this, it is recommended to prepare the soil. In this case, you should mix the top fertile soil layer, sand, and peat in equal quantities. Add one part each of humus, manure and compost. All indicated components must be poured into the dug hole, filling it one third, and then watered. It is advisable to carry out preparatory work at least 2 weeks before planting the seedling.
If the soil on the site has a high level of acidity, it is necessary to embed dolomite flour into the soil before digging a planting hole. After this, this procedure will need to be carried out every 5 years.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
Despite the fact that the Thumbelina pear variety is included in the State Register and has passed the state. The tests have been carried out for a long time; seedlings of this type of fruit plant are not yet widely distributed. Therefore, it is recommended to buy a standard in trusted garden stores or specialized nurseries. But you definitely need to pay attention to indicators such as:
- The root system should be well developed, with at least 4-5 lateral roots in addition to the main one, without signs of lethargy or damage.
- It is better to purchase a seedling at 1.5-2 years of age, this increases the chances of it taking root in a new place of growth.
- The tree should also have approximately 5-6 branches, in addition to the central trunk.
If a trunk is purchased with a closed root system, in a container, then you should inspect the foliage on it; it should be free of signs of disease and pest damage.
In order to prepare the pear for planting, you need to soak the roots in water for a couple of hours, and then dip them in mash (a clay solution with a little mullein added to it). Some gardeners treat the root system with special preparations to improve the rooting process.
The soil for Thumbelina pear is preferably neutral or slightly alkaline
Landing algorithm
Planting work is not difficult to perform, but you still need to take into account several main rules. Eg:
- Before placing the seedling in the hole, it is necessary to drive a wooden peg into it, to which the trunk of the tree should then be tied.
- You need to place a standard in the hole, carefully spreading the root system over the earthen mound.
- Then cover the roots with soil, slightly lifting the plant so that the soil penetrates evenly between all the roots and compact it.
- Afterwards, water the fruit crop, using 2 buckets of water for each specimen.
Attention!
When planting work is completed, it is recommended to mulch the tree trunk circle with sawdust or peat. This will prevent the growth of weeds and slow down the process of moisture evaporation.
When planting any fruit plant, it is important to remember the correct depth. The root collar, located in the lower part of the trunk, should be located approximately 5-7 centimeters higher above ground level. Thanks to this, it is possible to prevent the death of the trunk due to rotting of the designated area, which can provoke its presence in a constant damp environment.
When planting several pear seedlings on a plot at once, you need to maintain a distance between them so that the root system of the trees does not compete with each other for nutrients. In this case, the distance between pear seedlings when planting should be approximately 4 meters from each other.
How to make Laza seasoning correctly
The traditional recipe consists of three ingredients: pepper; garlic; vegetable oil.
The final taste of the seasoning depends on the type of pepper you use when preparing the sauce. There are laza recipes that use both fresh capsicum and dried ground pepper.
Ground pepper recipe
- ground red (hot) pepper – 4 tablespoons;
- garlic – 4 cloves (medium size);
- vegetable oil – 100 milliliters;
- water;
- salt - a pinch.
Peel and finely chop the garlic (you can use a garlic press).
Pour the pepper into a metal bowl.
Add a little water and mix until mushy.
Place chopped garlic in the middle of the dish.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and pour it onto the prepared foods.
Salt. Mix well. The sauce is ready.
Hot oil should be poured in with caution - splashing may occur. If desired, the recipe can be improved by adding vinegar, soy sauce or tomato paste
Ingredients are added at the last stage of cooking
If desired, the recipe can be improved by adding vinegar, soy sauce or tomato paste. The ingredients are added at the last stage of cooking.
Fresh hot pepper laza recipe
For preparation we purchased:
- hot red pepper – 0.5 kilograms;
- garlic – 1 medium head;
- vegetable oil – 150 milliliters;
- tomato paste – 2 tablespoons;
- salt - a pinch.
Cut the pepper into two or three parts, removing the seeds.
Pass it through a meat grinder. Add a little salt to remove excess moisture (use a colander for this).
Peel the garlic and chop it finely.
Place the pepper (try to remove excess moisture from it), tomato paste and finely chopped garlic into a metal bowl.
Heat vegetable oil and pour it onto the prepared foods.
After two to three minutes, stir.
The spiciness of the sauce can be reduced. To do this, replace some of the hot pepper with bell pepper.
The sauce is stored in the refrigerator in a glass, well-closed container.
Contraindications
We must not forget that the seasoning is very spicy. Therefore, people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are not recommended to use it.
Care
Compliance with planting rules is the basis of agricultural technology, but in order for a planted tree to reap the benefits of a harvest, it must be properly cared for.
Watering and fertilizing
For the Thumbelina pear, watering is vital. Seedlings do not tolerate soil drying out, however, constant moisture is unacceptable. Therefore, the following points should be taken into account:
- If the winter was snowy or it rained before flowering, then watering should be done only before the formation of the ovary.
- In the absence of precipitation, watering the seedling is required before budding.
- In the summer, when there is no rain for a long time, the pear tree needs to be watered twice a month, 2-3 buckets each.
As for fertilizing, fertilizer needs to be applied every three years; the most important period is the transition of the trunk to the process of beginning to bear fruit. It occurs in the 6th year after planting. During flowering, it is recommended to scatter saltpeter in the root zone, and then generously water the tree trunk circle with water. Urea can also be used. When the ovary begins to form, you should feed the seedling with Kafor. At the stage of fruit ripening, magnesium sulfate must be added. In the fall, before frost, it is worth fertilizing the trunk with organic matter (manure, compost, humus).
The main feeding of pears is required for the 6th year
Trimming
The Thumbelina pear variety, unlike other types of fruit crops, does not require crown formation. When growing on seedlings in the future, it is necessary to perform only sanitary pruning and remove branches that are damaged, for example, by diseases.
Note!
When cutting large branches, you need to treat them with garden varnish. This will help protect the trunk from infection.
Whitewash
In early spring and late autumn, it is recommended to whiten the tree trunk and skeletal branches with lime. Thanks to this, you can protect the tree bark from sunburn and from frost in winter. Lime mortar is also used as a preventive measure against diseases and pests. Lime contains substances that can destroy bacteria, fungi and insect larvae, which often hide in the bark for the winter.
Preparing for winter
The pear hybrid Thumbelina is a frost-resistant variety. Mature trees without shelter can withstand frosts down to -38 degrees. For young seedlings up to 4-5 years old, it is recommended to wrap the trunk and skeletal branches with insulating material, such as burlap or centipon. In addition, preparatory work should be done regarding the seedling itself. It is necessary to whiten it, water it abundantly (a month before frost), dig up the soil in the tree trunk circle, and mulch it with sawdust or peat. You can use spruce branches. Don’t forget about adding organic fertilizer.
Characteristics of the variety
The pear under the very symbolic name “Thumbelina” has become most widespread in household plots and garden plots in the Moscow and surrounding regions.
The trees are short and characterized by slow growth rates. The crown is quite thick, slightly drooping, and round in shape. The shoots are short. The leaves are medium in size, with a smooth surface.
The pulp is cream-colored, oily in consistency, very juicy, melting, tender, with a pronounced aroma. The taste is sweet, dessert-type, with almost imperceptible sourness. The fruits have excellent taste regardless of weather conditions and are intended for fresh consumption.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
An adult pear painlessly tolerates temperatures down to -38°C. In this case, the root system and shoots are not affected. Spring thaws will also not harm the tree.
But the Thumbelina pear does not tolerate drought well. The ovaries crumble, and young shoots also suffer.
Resistance to diseases and adverse factors
Immunity to fungal diseases is very high, other ailments are also not particularly dangerous. Problems can only appear during periods of aggravated epidemics, when neighboring trees are severely affected. Pests are also practically uninterested in Thumbelina.
The variety is resistant to frosts up to 38 degrees, it is not afraid of snowless winters with sudden thaws and cold snaps. Thumbelina also easily tolerates return frosts, even if they are significant. In heat and drought, the variety does not suffer and does not lose ovaries. The fruits continue to develop normally, gain sweetness and the typical aroma of the variety in any conditions, be it heat, rain or coolness.
Productivity and Application
The fruits are transportable; during transportation, the pulp does not wrinkle or rot. Keeping quality is also good; pears can be stored in the basement or refrigerator for up to 4 months, while they remain fresh. The fruits are mainly used for fresh consumption, but they are also good for making candied fruits, dried fruits, jams, juices and various desserts.
Harvests are regular, but not abundant, there is no periodicity. Even in unfavorable years, there is no risk of being left without fruit. The average number of pears collected in one season per hectare and meter of land is 174 centners.
Advantages and disadvantages
Hobbyists grow Thumbelina pear because of the excellent taste of the fruit. But this is not all the advantages of the variety. Pear has a number of positive characteristics:
- stable yield;
- compact size;
- good frost resistance;
- good immunity.
In addition, the fruits do not wrinkle during transportation and do not lose their taste. The disadvantages of the variety include the ability to shed fruit and require watering. They must be regular.
How can you increase fruiting?
Despite the fact that the Thumbelina pear seedling is short-growing, a fairly large harvest can be harvested from the tree, approximately 15-25 kilograms of fruit. Due to its taste, many gardeners are wondering how to increase the number of fruits without planting additional pear trunks on the site. In this case, it is possible to increase fruiting rates by rootstock cuttings onto another type of similar fruit crop, which is taller in growth and has a wide crown.
The designated pear variety enters the fruiting phase 6 years after planting; in 7-8 years the seedling produces the full harvest stated in the standard characteristics. The total fruiting period is 11-15 years.
Grafting a tall pear will help increase productivity
Diseases and pests
The Thumbelina pear variety is able to resist most fungal and infectious diseases due to its strong immunity. But without proper care and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, as well as if prevention is ignored, the tree may be subject to diseases such as:
- scab;
- powdery mildew;
- black cancer;
- moniliosis
The occurrence of these diseases can be prevented by treating seedlings in early spring and late autumn with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. If the indicated diseases are detected on the trunk, the affected foliage and branches must not only be removed, but burned outside the site.
As for insect pests, the gall mite most often parasitizes the designated type of fruit crops. As a preventive measure, you can use the drug “Inta Vir”, which should be sprayed on the crown before the buds open. During the formation of the ovary, it is recommended to treat with colloidal sulfur. Also on pear seedlings there is a copperhead, but you can get rid of it and the larvae without the use of chemicals, just treat the tree with an infusion of tobacco dust, chamomile, yarrow and dandelion.
Pros and cons of the variety
Thumbelina pear is grown for its excellent taste. In addition to the taste of the fruit, the variety has a number of positive characteristics:
- stable yield, regardless of weather conditions;
- aesthetic appearance;
- The fruit tree is small in size and takes up little space on the site;
- photosynthesis is not impaired by ultraviolet deficiency;
- frost resistance;
- long shelf life of fruits;
- resistance to infections and garden pests.
The disadvantages include:
- after ripening, the fruits fall off;
- requirement for watering at the time of ovary formation.
Reviews
About the Thumbelina pear variety, despite the short historical growing cycle, gardeners have already left a lot of reviews, all of them are positive. This is justified, since the hybrid combines all the best qualities from its parents. The main ones are frost resistance, pleasant taste characteristics of the fruit, as well as a long period of storage after harvest.
Would you like to plant a Thumbelina pear in your own garden? Share in the comments!
Thumbelina pear pollinators
The Thumbelina pear variety is self-fertile, pollination takes place within 1 tree due to flowers of different sexes. Cross-pollination is recommended to improve pear yield. Select crop varieties with the same flowering time. Krasnoyarsk large, Veselinka and Sibiryachka are suitable as pollinators. Trees are located on the site within 10 m of the Thumbelina pear. If varieties suitable for pollination are located in an adjacent area, this will be sufficient.
