Botanical name: Common pear (Pyrus communis) is a species of the genus Pear, family Rosaceae.

Homeland of the common pear: Eastern Europe, Western Asia.

Lighting: photophilous.

The soil: fertile, drained, moist.

Watering: moderate.

Maximum tree height: 30 m.

Average life expectancy: 25-50 years.

Landing: seeds, cuttings, seedlings.

Description of the pear tree: fruit, crown and flowering

The common pear is a tall tree, reaching up to 25 m, or a large shrub. The trunk is straight, up to 80 cm in diameter, with wrinkled bark. The wood is strong and hard. The crown is dense, abundantly branched.

The leaves are round or oval, shortly pointed, leathery, shiny, finely toothed, dark green above, matte below. They are supported by long petioles. The photo of pear leaves clearly shows their features.

The flowers are large, white or pink, solitary or collected in inflorescences of 6-12 pieces. They are located on stalks up to 5 cm long. They are formed from last year's fruit buds. They have a white or pink corolla, 20-50 stamens, and a pistil with 5 styles. Appear before the leaves bloom.

The fruits are oblong, round, pear-shaped. The size, shape, color and taste may vary depending on the variety. The fruit contains seeds covered with a brown skin. Pear flowering begins at the end of April, lasts until mid-May, lasting for 10-15 days. The fruits ripen in August-September. The pear tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 3-8 years.

The lifespan of a tree is 25-50 years.

When describing the pear tree, it should be noted that all varieties of this crop are self-sterile, therefore, for normal fruiting, the proximity of two mutually pollinating varieties is required. The most popular winter-hardy varieties are “Sibiryachka”, “Polya”, “Vnuchka”, “Povislaya”, “Tema”. Their fruits have a good taste and are suitable for fresh consumption.

Photos of the pear tree and some of its varieties can be seen in the gallery after this article.

Growth

The common pear tree is widespread in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It grows wild in central and southern Russia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Chernozem, gray forest and loamy soils, structural and fertile in composition, are suitable for this plant. The tree often settles on hills and slopes with good air drainage.

The growth of the common pear in lowlands and closed pits, where cold air stagnates, negatively affects its growth and fruiting.

Pear fruit trees are moisture-loving, but cannot tolerate stagnation of water in the soil and excessive waterlogging. Many varieties are drought and frost resistant. However, in severe winters, wood and skeletal branches may freeze. Flower buds are damaged by sudden temperature changes and spring frosts.

Fruit of the pear tree

The pear fruit contains sugars, organic acids, nitrogenous and tannins, pectins, fiber, phytoncides, vitamins A, B1, PP, C. A large number of microelements have been found in many varieties.

Pear fruits contain less sugar than apples, but due to their low acid content their taste is sweeter.

The fruits are used in fresh, dried and canned form, and are used to make desserts, juices, and wine drinks. Compotes are made from dried fruits. Pear juice is rich in tannins, flavonoids, catechins, and anthocyanins. Fresh pears are easily absorbed by the body and regulate the functioning of the digestive tract. A decoction of dried fruits perfectly quenches thirst.

Other photos of pear fruits are presented at the bottom of this page in the photo gallery.

Application of the pear

The fruits are used in the food industry and in folk medicine. Dried pear seeds are used as a coffee substitute.

The plant is also used on the farm. This individual is suitable as a rootstock for growing different varieties of pears.

Wood is valued for its strength and beautiful pattern; it lends itself well to processing and polishing. It is used to make furniture, musical instruments, rulers, toys and other products. It is very popular among artists and sculptors.

Common pear leaves

Common pear leaves are rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, and the glycoside arbutin. They are a medical drug prescribed to combat fungal diseases and dermatitis.

The flowers of this plant produce a lot of nectar. From one hectare of pear orchard you can collect up to 25 kg of honey and a large amount of pollen.

The common pear is a valuable ornamental tree, therefore it is planted in personal plots, in parks, squares, and along roads.

The photo of the pear below demonstrates this:

Formation of a pear crown: video and description

The pear crown undergoes periodic pruning. The quality of plant growth, the nature of fruiting and the yield of the tree depend on a properly formed crown. The formation of the pear crown begins in the first years of the tree’s life. This work is carried out in two ways: pruning and bending branches. When pruning, shoots are shortened and branches are thinned out. Shortening the shoots promotes the awakening of new buds and the formation of shoots. When shortening annual shoots, the cut is made above the bud. After thinning the branches, the illumination inside the crown improves, which leads to the formation of more flower buds.

Bending down branches helps regulate the growth and development of the tree. In order to speed up fruiting, the main branches are deflected from the trunk at an angle of 50-60 °. Small branches are moved to a horizontal position, with their ends located slightly above the beginning of the main branch. The branches are bent down using wire; the attachment points are wrapped with electrical tape so as not to damage the bark.

In some cases, the crown skeleton is formed during transplantation of the seedling to a permanent location. For seedlings that do not have branches, the cut is made above the bud at a distance of 70 cm from the ground. From the remaining buds, lateral shoots are formed, from which the first tier of skeletal branches is formed.

Old trees need rejuvenating pruning, when the fruits have been significantly crushed, and the annual growth of shoots is 10-15 cm. With rejuvenating pruning, all old branches are removed, and skeletal and semi-skeletal branches are pruned. Annual shoots are pruned, leaving 2-3 lower buds. After this, highly developed shoots grow on the tree. Some of them serve as a replacement for skeletal branches, while other shoots are transferred to fruiting. The branches that thicken the crown are cut out. After rejuvenating pruning, the tree needs enhanced care: abundant watering, fertilizing and treatment against pests.

The video will tell you in detail how the pear crown is formed:

A little history

Cultivated varieties of this plant originated from the wild common pear. Cultivation of the individual began in Ancient Greece by selecting large and sweet-fruited species. Pear fruit trees were brought to Russia from Byzantium. Initially, the plant was grown in monastery gardens. In the garden of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, there were about 16 varieties of pears. Peter the Great tried to increase the variety of varieties in Russia, therefore, by his decree, new seedlings were imported from Western Europe every year. Today, there are more than 5,000 varieties of this crop, differing in taste, color, fruit ripening period, shape and size.

Common pear (lat. Pyrus communis)– fruit crop; species of the genus Pear of the Rosaceae family. Another name is wild pear. The natural range covers territories from Eastern Europe to Western Asia. The cultivars are widely cultivated in temperate regions.

Characteristics of culture

The common pear is a deciduous shrub or tree up to 20 m high with a dense, highly branched crown and a straight trunk covered with wrinkled bark. The leaves are dark green, shiny, leathery, oval, rounded or oblong-rounded, pointed, finely toothed, sitting on long petioles. In autumn, the foliage turns brownish-golden or yellow with dark dots. When dry, the leaves turn black. The flowers are white, white-pink or pink, solitary or collected in corymbose inflorescences of 6-12 pieces, located on pedicels of medium length (up to 5 cm), formed from last year's fruit buds. Flowering is abundant, occurs in May and lasts up to 15-15 days.

The fruits are round, oblong-round or pear-shaped, depending on the variety they differ in color, shape and size. The fruits ripen in August-September. The seeds are brown, medium-sized. The common pear begins to bear fruit 3-8 years after planting. Important: all varieties of common pear are self-sterile; to ensure normal fruiting, at least two interpollinating varieties must be planted on the site. Currently, many winter-hardy varieties have been bred, but even they often drop their flowers during spring frosts. Sudden temperature changes also negatively affect flower buds. In harsh winters, skeletal branches and wood often freeze.

Growing conditions

The common pear prefers sandy loam, loamy, gray forest and chernozem, loose, fertile soils. Accepts silty-silty and heavy clay soils provided there is good drainage. Peat-bog substrates are not suitable for growing the species in question. It develops normally on slopes and hills, and in this case drainage is required. It has a negative attitude towards lowlands and areas where large amounts of melt water accumulate in spring.

The degree of moisture plays an important role when cultivating crops; excessive waterlogging or increased dryness are extremely undesirable. According to the pH reaction, soils should be neutral or slightly acidic; on alkaline soils, plants are severely depressed, practically do not produce fruit and are affected by various diseases, including scab. Plants react painfully in areas with close groundwater. The common pear is shade-tolerant, but does not bear fruit well in shaded areas.

Reproduction and planting

The common pear is propagated by grafting. Rootstocks of cultivated varieties of common pear can include Ussuri pear, forest pear, serviceberry, hawthorn, northern quince, hawthorn, chokeberry and rowan. On the last three rootstocks, pears are formed with weak growth, and a small harvest is produced in the second year. Experienced gardeners consider such grafts to be short-lived; they produce a good harvest of fruit for 6-10 years, after which breakage may occur at the grafting site. This is due to insufficient compatibility of the rootstock and the scion. If shadberry or chokeberry is used as a rootstock, then the pear is grown as a bush. Common rowan can also act as a rootstock; in this case, a pear cutting is grafted into the root collar of the rowan. The operation is performed in early spring before the buds open.

It is preferable to plant common pear seedlings in the spring; during autumn planting, young plants do not always have time to take root before the onset of cold weather and eventually die. Dimensions of the planting hole: depth 70-80 cm, width - 80-100 cm. The root collar of the seedling is not buried when planting, but is placed 6-10 cm above the soil surface. After planting, the soil in the tree trunk circle is slightly compacted, watered abundantly and mulched with organic material (peat, dry fallen leaves, humus, sawdust, etc.). The distance between vigorous varieties should be at least 4-5 m, between weak-growing ones - 3-3.5 m. When planting, humus or compost and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to the hole. If this procedure has not been carried out, fertilizing is carried out during the season (per 1 sq. m. 20 g of potassium salt, 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 50-60 g of superphosphate and 3-4 kg of compost or humus are needed).

Care

The first 2-3 years after planting, young plants need careful and timely care. The soil in the tree trunk zone is kept free of weeds. Regular watering is required, especially during prolonged drought. Mulching is encouraged; this procedure will protect the roots from overheating and greatly simplify maintenance. Fertilizers are applied once every 2-3 years. In case of severe depletion, fertilizing is carried out once a year. Recommended doses for annual feeding: compost or humus - 3 kg, superphosphate - 10-20 g, ammonium nitrate - 15 g, potassium chloride - 5-10 g.

In winter, the tree trunk area is insulated with a thick layer of mulch, and the trunks are tied with spruce branches. Whitewashing tree trunks is desirable; a chalk solution is used for young trees, and a lime solution is used for adults. The common pear requires systematic formative and sanitary pruning. Productivity and the nature of fruiting depend on a properly formed crown.

Good afternoon, my dear readers and site guests! Today I will tell you about a tree that is widespread almost everywhere, like the common pear, which has a branched crown and a slender trunk with a diameter of 50 centimeters and a height of up to 35 meters. Sometimes found in the form of a large shrub with thorny shoots.

The bark of the tree is thin and gray, and in old trees it is longitudinally fissured. The leaves are oblong, rounded, ovate, up to 8 centimeters long, on long leathery petioles. The plant blooms with white flowers, 6-10 pieces in a corymb, with long pedicels. Blooms in April - May. Pollinated by insects.

The root system of the common pear is deep and powerful. The core character is clearly expressed. Lateral roots are sparse. The roots are weakly and long-haired, gradually thickening, without tubercles or flattening. The outer color is brown, sometimes with a reddish tint; the transition to the color of the trunk is gradual.

The water in which the roots of the plant are immersed almost does not change color and transparency after a day. The roots are difficult to break. Their smell is earthy.

The common pear is a light-loving species. In conditions of sufficient lighting, it lives up to 200 years, and in plantations - up to 150 years. When young, tolerates significant shade.

The common pear, along with Apple and Cherry, is one of the three most common fruit crops in horticulture. The first mentions of the plant are found in ancient Greek literature. It is likely that Pear has been grown since time immemorial. However, the geographically precise place of origin of the species is unknown.

The tree has a taproot system. The roots tend to penetrate into the deeper layers of the soil; in the upper layers the branching is weak. The common pear has a strong and thick trunk. As they mature, the smooth bark darkens and wrinkles. Prostrate and erect thorny branches covered with dense foliage form a rounded or pyramidal crown.

The leaves are arranged in several rows in a spiral. They sit on short petioles and are covered with light fluff when blooming. The leaf blades have a rounded-ovate or oval shape. The dark green color of the foliage changes to yellow-red in autumn.

The common pear blooms in early spring before the leaves appear. Small flowers with white petals are collected in umbrellas. Flowering lasts up to two weeks. This plant is one of the honey plants.

Elongated fruits with an expanded lower part appear from August to October. The colors are in green, yellow and red tones. Soft, juicy, tasty and very healthy pears are actively used in cooking and folk medicine.

The common pear is a plant for the southern regions. Over the years, many frost-resistant varieties have been bred, thanks to which the growing area has expanded to the Urals and Western Siberia. The decorative value of the tree cannot be neglected - tapeworms and group plantings look spectacular during flowering.

Growing

The common pear is a long-lasting and high-yielding crop. With proper care, a tree can live for more than a hundred years. It is necessary to take into account the stages of development programmed by nature.

In the first years of life, the plant grows roots and aerial parts. It reaches fruiting age only at the age of 5–10 years. 20–40 year old trees produce maximum fruiting. Then, due to natural aging, the number of fruits decreases and the branches dry out. Then the trees are either uprooted and new ones are planted, or anti-aging pruning is carried out. It should be mentioned that the Pear tree needs much less sanitary pruning than the Apple tree. Basically, pruning comes down to amputation of broken branches and shoots growing steeply upward.

The plant is propagated in culture most often by grafting. It is interesting that not only representatives of the species can be used as a rootstock, but also hawthorn, shadberry, and rowan. In such a “symbiosis”, fruiting begins within a couple of years.

Some varieties of Common Pear are capable of setting fruit without pollination and fertilization. Most require partners - other varieties with the same flowering period.

Diseases and pests

Scab, powdery mildew, fruit rot, pear gall mite, hawthorn.

Reproduction

Seeds, cuttings, grafting.

First steps after purchase

When purchasing common pear seedlings with an open root system, it is advisable to choose one-year-old specimens. Plants in a container can be older, but not older than three years. Otherwise, the seedlings take root long and difficult.

Plants are planted in the spring, having prepared the planting hole in the fall. Autumn planting is also possible - the hole is dug in 3-4 weeks. A support is driven into the hole, and the excavated soil is mixed with fertilizers. Lime must be added to acidic soil in advance.

The seedling is buried in such a way that the root collar remains 5 cm above ground level. The plant is watered abundantly, the tree trunk circle is mulched. The tree is loosely tied to the stake.

Secrets of success

The common pear is light- and heat-loving. It is best to grow it in southern or southwestern areas, protected from the winds.

Young plants are watered frequently and abundantly. Adults themselves extract moisture from the deep layers of the soil. They are moistened only in dry summers. The best method is sprinkling. Let's assume another method - pouring water into a ditch dug around the tree. Water-recharging autumn watering is required, which is carried out after leaf fall.

It is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil to prevent crust formation. The procedure is carried out after natural or artificial water procedures.

The plant receives its first feeding when planting. Subsequently, nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the summer. Once every three years it is recommended to feed the tree with organic matter.

Possible difficulties

When choosing a variety, it is necessary to take into account climatic conditions. “Southern” Pears can take root in cold regions with great difficulty, but in this case one cannot expect either flowering or fruiting.

At a young age, even the most frost-resistant varieties need shelter for the winter. The tree trunk circle needs to be mulched, and the trunks need to be wrapped with non-woven material.

Many varieties of Common Pear require cross-pollination. It is advisable to plant several different varieties. If the area of ​​the site does not allow for marking out additional specimens, it is recommended to graft other varieties onto an already growing tree.

Diseases and pests cause serious damage to the tree. Sections of the site provide information to help make a diagnosis and choose a treatment method.

In the subject of plant science, a plant such as a pear is considered the only and unique one in the Rosaceae family. First appeared in European countries. In order for a tree to receive conditions for survival and to grow in favorable conditions, it is necessary: ​​an abundant number of light rays, fertile soil, black soil and a sufficient amount of moisture.

The length of the tree should not exceed 31 m. Moreover, its lifespan can be about 49 years. Trees are propagated mainly by planting seedlings, cuttings and seeds.

Representation of the pear plant

The plant itself is a huge tree with a length of about 31 m or can be a huge shrub less than 31 m long. Bark mostly wrinkled and uneven, the trunk can reach 75 cm in diameter. The tree of the plant differs from its other representatives in improved density and strength. The branches of the pear are completely covered with leaves. The leaves are a pointed oval. Leaf color mostly dark green, and the leaves themselves are in most cases shiny.

In the spring Huge flowers appear on the trees, mostly pink and white. They can grow either one at a time or collect several pieces in an inflorescence. The stalks on which such flowers are located reach a length of almost 6 centimeters. The crown of the flower is the same color as the flower itself, namely pink or white. In this case, there are stamens, the number of which does not exceed 50 units, and the pistil itself includes 5 columns. The flowers grow until the first leaves appear on the pear.

Fruit, which germinate after some time, are varied in taste, shape and smell. Usually these criteria are directly related to what type of fruit it is. The pear fruit itself has a round, oblong and slightly elongated shape. The seeds contained in the pear are covered with a brown peel.

This tree blooms mainly in spring. Wherein flowering period can reach 2 weeks. For the most part, this period begins in late April and lasts until the middle or end of May. And already at the end of summer and beginning of autumn, or rather in the last days of August and the beginning of autumn, ripe and tasty fruits appear. However, in the first years of the tree’s life there are no fruits, because the tree begins to bear fruit only after 2-7 years of life. This type of pear, like the common one, lives for 49 years and bears ripe fruit for about 45 years.

It is also necessary to pay attention, in order for the tree to begin to bear fruit, it is necessary to plant at least two varieties of pears nearby, which will be able to mutually pollinate each other. These can be a wide variety of pear varieties, but varieties such as Vnuchka, Tema, Polya are some of the most famous. And secondly, these pear varieties adapt well to winter weather. Also, these fruits are one of the most delicious; their fruits can be eaten fresh.

Distribution of pears

Any type of fruit thrives in countries such as Asia or Europe. For good life, a tree needs soil rich in nutrients and high-quality black soil. Very often wild trees can be found in elevated areas. In such areas, air drainage is well developed.

Therefore, pears often need to be planted and propagated in elevated areas, otherwise poor ventilation in low areas and stagnation of cold air leads to poor and sometimes stale fruits. Most pear varieties are highly susceptible to severe frost or drought. However, in winter, branches and wood often freeze on the pear tree. Severe frosts in the spring or a sharp change in temperature can adversely affect the buds of flowers - they can be damaged.

Description of the fruit

Fruits of any type are extremely popular among consumers all over the world. After all, each fruit contains a huge amount of vitamins. In addition, the fruit has a very pleasant and sweet taste. Pears contain vitamins A, C, B1, as well as a huge amount of fiber, pectin, etc. Any type of pear will taste sweet, unlike apples. All this is due to the fact that pears contain the minimum amount of sugar and acids.

Pears are often used to make sweet juice, delicious wine or other desserts. Dry fruits are used for preparing various decoctions. At the same time, the juices made from pears are predominantly sweet, due to the fact that pears contain a huge amount of vitamins and microelements. Also, compote is often made from pears, mainly dry ones. This compote will help quench your thirst much better than compotes made from other fruits or berries.

Application of pear fruits

Crown formation

Blooming speed, the quality and quantity of fruits directly depend on how correctly the shape of the branches is formed. The branches need to be pruned frequently to give them the correct shape. After you have planted a tree, be it a small or already mature pear, you must constantly take care to ensure that the tree’s crown is formed correctly.

There are several ways to form the desired shape of tree branches:

1. first and the most important way- This is pruning, which is carried out to reduce the length of shoots and branches. Thanks to this, new shoots are created and appear, which will be more fruitful, as well as buds. Shoots are pruned mainly after one year of the tree's life. By pruning and reducing the number of branches, a huge amount of light is created for the crown, which leads to the formation of more buds;
2. By bending the branches, improved tree growth can be achieved. In order for a pear tree to bear fruit well, its branches are bent a small number of degrees from the trunk.

When the time comes to replant a seedling, you must first pay attention to the skeleton of the tree crown.

Important materials

Those varieties that are most often in demand in the national economy originate from the most common wild plant.

In ancient times the Greeks selected the most delicious and huge fruits in order to then cultivate them. And the fruits came to Russia from Byzantium. At first, trees were grown only near monasteries. In total, there were about 16 species that were brought to Russia. However, after some time, Peter I ordered that more and more new species of this fruit be brought into the country every year. The fact is that Peter I really liked the fruits that were delivered at that time, and he became their big fan.

Pear juice has also gained immense popularity during the reign of Peter I.

Today there are about 6,000 different types of pear. Each type and variety has a different size and taste of the fruit, as well as different length and strength of the tree.