Pear "Williams red": characteristics, pros and cons

For many decades, the breeders bred a huge number of varieties of pears, however, nature does not stand still, so sometimes we can see the natural mutations that create new varieties. Today we will discuss the Williams Red pear, set out a description of the variety, and also talk about its strengths and weaknesses.

Inference history

The variety "Williams" was bred back in 1796 and was named after the breeder Williams Krista, however, the red variation arose independently, spontaneously, without conscious human influence. I.e, pear "Williams Rouge Delbara" is not the fruit of the efforts of breeders, but a simple natural mutation.

Tree description

The aboveground part is much smaller than that of the pure Williams. The crown is framed in the form of a pyramid, not thickened. The branches grow at an acute angle of 40˚ closer to the base, and the apical shoots bend to the ground in the form of an arc. Sheet plates do not differ in shape and size from the standard. It is worth noting that the bark on the tree has cracks, which is associated with varietal characteristics, and not with the activity of insects.

Fruit Description

Distinguish the "mutant" from the fruit, "Williams" is quite simple, since the first has a brighter color. Pears are not only painted in shades of red and purple, but also have a more elongated shape.

The average weight of the fruit - 200-250 g. Pears have a thin peel. The flesh has a yellow shade, very soft and juicy. The taste is very sweet pear with nutmeg flavor. There is a slight sourness.

Lighting Requirements

The tree is planted in an open area, as it needs a lot of sunlight and heat.Even a slight shading is not acceptable, since the crown of the tree is quite thick, which is why the lower shoots already suffer from a lack of light.

Soil requirements

The variety loves fertile, well-drained soil, so either immediately plant a seedling on a fertile substrate, or apply a sufficient amount of humus, ash or superphosphate when planting. If the soil is poor, then you have to apply a large amount of fertilizer every year. It is worth noting that the pear does not like stagnant water, so if you cannot improve the composition of the soil, then work on its structure: add sand or make a good drainage layer of expanded clay or fine gravel.

Pollination

Unfortunately, This variety is self-infertile, so it will definitely need other pear pollinators. The best are the following: "Favorite Clapp", "Forest Beauty" and "Bere Gardi". It should be understood that samobosplodnye varieties for fruit set require obtaining pollen from varieties that are not fruitless.Even in the case of insects, the tree will not yield any crop at all if there are no other trees suitable for pollination in the vicinity.

Fruiting

Fruit "Williams Red" begins only at 5 years of age. Until this tree can bloom, but the ovaries will not.

Gestation period

For personal use, the fruits are removed in early September, since it is then that biological maturity occurs and the pears will not need to be ripened. Harvest maturity occurs at the end of August, and the products require ripening for about 16-18 days.

Yield

The average yield is 10-12 tons per hectare, provided that the tree will receive timely top dressing, water and sunlight in sufficient quantity.

If you compare with a pure variety of "Williams", the mutant gives less production.

Transportability and storage

When storing products in a cool, well-ventilated storage, pears lie for about 2-2.5 months. When frozen, the shelf life is at least 1 year. Transportability is average. If transported fruits of removable maturity, the product receives minimal damage.If the pears are fully ripe, then transporting them over long distances is not profitable due to losses.

Disease and Pest Resistance

The variety has an average resistance to scab, that is, it is affected only if the growing conditions are not satisfactory. It should be said that “Williams red” is vulnerable to such diseases: cytosporosis, fruit rot, rust, root cancer.

You can cure absolutely all diseases, except cancer. This disease is not treated and requires the destruction of the affected wood, as well as the disinfection of the soil, so that the "infection" does not spread to other plants. That is, if all the roots are affected by cancer, then it is easier to uproot the tree and burn it. If a small part of the root system is affected, then it is removed, and healthy roots are treated with 1% copper sulphate.

Other diseases are easier to treat with fungicides. First, you immediately destroy all the mushrooms that are parasitic or are going to parasitize on a tree. Secondly, you do not need to know exactly which fungal disease struck the pear in order to use a suitable remedy. It is enough to buy a fungicide of a wide spectrum of action and kill all the disease-causing fungi at once.

As for the pests, the pear is affected by the “standard” parasites for this plant: aphids, suckling, pear mites and bedbugs, as well as a California shield. To destroy all parasites, especially on an adult tall tree, it is better to resort to the help of chemistry. The tree is treated with insecticides, in the spectrum of which there are parasites mentioned above.

Frost resistance

Resistance to frost is average, therefore it is not recommended for cultivation in the northern regions. However, it is worth noting that the flowers have good frost resistance, so you do not risk losing the entire crop, if at the end of spring the weather decides to make a pod.

Use of fruits

Pears of this variety have universal use. They, in addition to direct consumption, can be dried, produce wine on their basis, or used for marinades.

Advantages and disadvantages

Next, we describe the strengths and weaknesses to figure out whether to plant a mutant in your area.

pros

• High commodity and taste qualities of products.
• Good stable yield.
• Pears are quite heavy.
• The tree has a small height, which allows you to conveniently collect the fruit.

Minuses

• Low resistance to drought and frost.
• It affects almost all diseases of the pear, so treatment with drugs is required.
• Self-infertility does not allow to form a garden only on the basis of "Williams of the Red."

Based on the above, it can be concluded that the variety, although it has the “convenient” dimensions of the above-ground part, does not, however, differ in resistance to disease or the vagaries of the weather, and therefore cannot be planted to produce a crop that will be sold. The lack of immunity to diseases encourages the owners to constantly carry out treatments, which greatly affects the environmental cleanliness of products, as well as affordable. Therefore, "Williams red" is only suitable to diversify the varietal palette in the garden and try something new.