Bergamot pear variety: description and characteristics, planting and cultivation

Bergamot pears are bred in Italy and actively grown in Europe and Russia. The varieties are combined into one group, because they have fruits of the same type - round and slightly flattened. Consider the description and characteristics of these trees, their advantages and disadvantages, features of planting, growing and care. How to protect a pear from diseases and pests, when you can pick fruits and how to store them correctly.

Description and characteristics of the tree

Russian breeders adapted the southern varieties to the cold climate, cold-resistant varieties, for example, Moscow Bergamot, were bred through their efforts. But most often such pears are grown in the warm climate of southern Russia.

Bergamot trees grow to medium height, grow quickly, form a pyramidal but spreading crown. Pears are high-yielding, stably bear fruit, give up to 150 kg of fruit per tree. Plants are moisture-loving, with a lack of moisture, pears become small, lose their taste. Trees bear fruit late, the first fruits can be removed 6-7 years after planting. The duration of fruiting is more than 20 years.

Aromatic pears, each weight - 80-120 g. They ripen in early autumn, but do not hang on the branches for a long time, after ripening they must be immediately harvested, otherwise the flesh will become rougher. The flesh is green-white, granular, juicy and sweet, the taste is tart. The skin is thin, light green or greenish yellow, and a slight blush may be present.

Bergamots are considered self-fertile, they can bear fruit without pollinators, but if you want to get a bigger harvest, you need to plant varieties with the same flowering period next to pears, for example, Tonkovetka and Bessemyanka.

Pros and Cons of Bergamot Pear

Pros and conshigh productivity;annual fruiting;resistance to crop diseases;duration of fruiting;the original shape of the fruit.average winter hardiness;irrigation dependency.

Fit features

As with other types of pears, for Bergamot you need to choose the optimal place for planting, plant at the recommended time for the crop and plant correctly.

Timing

Pear varieties Bergamot can be planted in spring or autumn, but since the trees do not have sufficient winter hardiness, it is better to choose the spring. Seedlings are planted in the spring, when the ground dries out a little after the snow melts.The main condition is that the kidneys should not yet bloom. In autumn, it is necessary to land 1-1.5 months before the onset of frost. After planting for the winter, cover the trunk circle with mulch.

Optimal conditions

Air and soil temperature, its humidity affect the survival rate of Bergamot pear seedlings. The temperature at which you can plant is above 10 ˚С, but below 20 ˚С. The soil should warm up, but not dry out. Both damp and cold, and dry land does not contribute to the good survival of the plant.

Bergamot pears love loamy or sandy soil, with neutral acidity. To loosen, you need to add sand or peat to the soil, to reduce acidity - lime. After digging the site, fertilizers must be applied to the ground - humus, compost, ash or standard mineral fertilizers.

Fitting technology

For planting, you need to purchase 1-2-year-old seedlings.It is these young trees that take root best. Planting a Bergamot pear seedling is simple: a day before planting, soak the roots in a growth stimulant solution, then lower the root system of the seedling into a dug hole (0.5-0.7 m deep and 0.7 m wide), straighten the roots so that they diverge to the sides. Cover with soil, compact it and water it. Place a peg next to the tree, tie a trunk to it.

Rules for plant care

Caring for Bergamot trees is easy. As with other varieties, they require regular watering, fertilizing at set times, pruning once a year to form a crown and regulate fruiting.

Feeding and watering

A young seedling is watered for the first 2 months once a week until it takes root. Then water once a month. The variety is considered to be moisture-loving, so an adult tree will also have to be watered, especially in the heat.

Feed the tree, starting from the 2nd season, 3 times a year: early in the spring, before the start of sap flow, before the onset of flowering and after it is completed. They use organic or mineral mixtures, both woods respond equally well.

Cutoffs

Pruning pear branches in spring or autumn, during gardening. Remove old, dry, frozen, affected by diseases and pests. They form a pyramidal crown, most suitable for this group of trees. For the winter, the soil around the trunk is insulated with mulch so that the pear can successfully endure wintering.

Possible diseases and pests

Bergamot pear is resistant to fungi and bacteria, but preventive spraying with agricultural preparations will help it better resist infection. Processing can be carried out by one of the popular means within the recommended time frame.

If diseases do appear, treatment should be carried out with agents specifically designed to kill certain pathogens or pests.

Harvest and storage of crops

Bergamot pears ripen in September. Ripe fruits do not hang on the branches for a long time, they are harvested after reaching technical ripeness. Store in a cool and dry place. In a private house, a cellar is used for this. Selected fruits are placed in boxes or baskets. Layers of fruits are shifted with paper. Shelf life is small - 3-4 months.

Pears of the Bergamot group are best planted in regions with a warm and temperate climate. Dry regions are not suitable for growing. Planting, care and pruning technologies for these varieties are standard. Pears do not keep very long, but retain their original taste and aroma for a long time.

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