Duchess pear (Williams): description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation and care

Duchess pear variety is most often found in suburban areas. This is a productive and unpretentious variety, which immediately fell in love with many summer residents. The fruits of the variety are tasty and versatile in use. The only negative is low frost resistance.

Description and characteristics of the Duchess pear

Duchesse has many varieties, such as Rouge Delbara, which is often found in the markets. Before buying a pear variety, it is important to study the description and characteristics of the plant, as well as the fruit.

Varieties

There are two main varieties of Duchess (also called Williams) - summer and winter. Any hybrids that have been created from the Duchess variety are divided into these two types.

Williams pear summer

The winter hardiness of the summer variety is average. There is also low resistance to diseases and insects. The fruits are usually tied in 2-3 pieces, tightly attached to the stalk. The weight of a pear is medium and is about 85-190 g. The shape of the fruit is pear-shaped, the head is oblong.

The peel is dense, rough, lemon-colored. Creamy pulp. The taste of ripe fruits is sweet, with a slight spicy aftertaste. Harvest ripens by August. Up to 250 kg of crops are harvested from one tree.

Winter variety of Williams

Winter variety William is characterized by a tall, branched tree with a wide crown. The shape of the crown is pyramidal.The leaves are dark green in color and grow in clusters or singly. The shade of ripe fruits is rich yellow, the pulp is white, soft and very juicy. There is a slight sour taste. The skin is smooth. Harvest in October. Up to 100 kg of fruits are harvested from one tree.

Red Williams

Red Williams is considered one of the most unusual varieties of pears. And all thanks to the shade of the fruit. Rich wine-colored skin. This variety is also called Rouge Dulbara. But not only the fruits of the variety are red, the trees have red bark and young leaves.

The tree is undersized, the crown is not thickened. Tolerance to drought and frost is average. The tree begins to bear fruit in the 5th year after planting the seedling. The ripening of pears begins in the second decade of August. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, tender, with a pleasant nutmeg aroma. Ripe fruit of medium size. After harvesting, they are stored until winter.

Pros and cons

The advantages of the variety include:

High yield.
Mass fruit ripening.
Taste quality.
Stable yield.
Multipurpose use.
Can be grown in any region.
Fruits keep for a long time.

The disadvantages include low resistance to diseases and pests, drought and frost. In addition, the variety is self-fertile, which is also a minus of the Duchess pear.

Features of growing a tree

Growing pears is practically no different from growing other fruit trees. It is important to pay attention to the technology of planting a seedling and caring for a tree. In advance, you need to decide on the timing of planting and prepare the soil for planting a seedling.

When a pear is planted

You can plant seedlings twice a year - in spring and autumn. Autumn planting is considered the most favorable. Its advantage is that during the winter the pear will have time to take root in a new place, and in the spring it will begin to grow actively. Also, when planted in spring, seedlings often begin to bloom in the same year, which is undesirable.

If it is not possible to plant a tree in the fall, you can plant it in the spring. Many summer residents prefer spring for planting, since the seedling will not have to go through the winter immediately after planting, because over the summer the pear will get used to the new place.

In autumn, a pear is planted in September-October, and in spring - in April-May.

Light requirement

Pear prefers to grow in open sunny areas. The main thing is that the place is protected from the wind. It is not recommended to plant a tree in a lowland.If there is no other place, the seedling is planted in partial shade. Well, if most of the time it will be in the sun. It is undesirable to plant a pear in the shade. The tree will grow poorly and produce a poor harvest due to lack of sunlight.

Choosing a landing site and preparing a hole

Pear prefers to grow on black earth, loamy or sandy soils. Light fertile soils are suitable for seedlings. The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil. A hole is prepared in the soil 2-3 weeks before planting the plant. To do this, dig a hole to a depth of 1 m and a width of 80 cm. The topsoil is mixed with manure, wood ash and mineral fertilizers. Then they fill the bottom of the hole with them. After 3 weeks, they start planting.

It is undesirable to plant a pear too close to other trees. The minimum distance must be 3 m between each tree.

Distance between seedlings

If the distance with other fruit trees in the garden needs to be left large, then the distance between the pears can be reduced. Enough 1.5 m between adjacent trees. If pears grow close to each other, this will increase the pollination of trees, and, accordingly, the yield.

Fitting technology

The process of planting pear seedlings is almost the same as planting other fruit trees.

The process of planting a pear in a permanent place consists of several stages:

Drive a stake into the center of the hole.
Put a seedling in the hole, gently straighten the roots.
Fill the hole with soil and tamp the earth near the trunk.
Tie the seedling to the stake.

At the end of planting, water the seedling abundantly with warm water. It is recommended to plant a seedling in warm, calm weather.

Tree pollinators

Both the winter and summer Duchess pear varieties are self-fertile, so pollinator trees will have to be planted nearby. The best pollinators include the following varieties:

Williams;
Olivier de Serre;
Bere Ardanpon.

These varieties are suitable for winter variety. For a summer variety, the best pollinators are:

Clapp's favorite;
Bere Ardanpon;
Forest Beauty.

Plant pollinating trees at a distance of 2-3 m.

Rules for plant care

The minimum pear care includes watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and removing weeds, and pruning the tree. These procedures will be enough to keep the plant he althy.

Irrigation

The plant does not need frequent watering. It is enough to moisten the tree 4 times per season:

The first watering is carried out during the swelling of the kidneys.
The second time the pear is irrigated when the flowering period begins.
The third watering is carried out during fruiting.
The last time the plant is moistened before the onset of frost.

2 buckets of water are enough for one tree. Watering is allowed with warm, sun-warmed water.

Feeding pears

Without additional fertilization of the soil, the plant will grow poorly and yields will decline. Top dressing is applied 4 times per season. If necessary, increase the amount of fertilizer.

Autumn feeding:

Potassium chloride (1 tablespoon), superphosphate (2 tablespoons) and 10 liters of water. Water under the root.
Urea (1 tbsp), superphosphate (2 tbsp), wood ash (550 g), phosphate rock (1 tbsp), ammophoska (2 tbsp), chloride potassium (1 tbsp.).

In spring, pears are fed with s altpeter, chicken manure and urea. Top dressing is applied before the appearance of the kidneys.

Mulching

The soil is mulched in autumn. Peat, sawdust, crushed weeds without roots or straw are used as mulch. The layer of mulch should not be less than 15 cm. Mulch not only protects the rhizome from frost, but also saturates the soil with micronutrients. Mulch the soil in autumn every year.

Rejuvenation

The pear is cut twice a season - in spring and autumn. In autumn, sanitary pruning is carried out when dry and damaged branches are removed. Rejuvenating pruning is carried out in the spring. Trees are shortened by 1/3 of the entire length.Then cut off the branches growing to the bottom. From each pair of closely spaced branches, one is cut off. On the lower tier, 7 skeletal branches are left. Cut dry branches. At the forks of the branches, the lower shoots are cut. These measures will be enough to rejuvenate the old plant.

Preparing for winter

Before the onset of winter, the soil around the trunk is mulched. And the lower part of the trunk is covered with durable material so that mice do not gnaw on the bark.

Diseases and pests

Most often Duchess is affected by scab. But other diseases can often be found on the tree. For the prevention of scab, the plant is treated with Bordeaux liquid 3 times per season. The first time is when the leaves begin to appear. The second time - during flowering. The last - when flowering ends. Another common disease is moniliosis. For prevention, trees are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid and Hom preparation.Dry branches are also regularly pruned.

Among the insects on the pear there are:

leaflet;
pincers;
aphid;
codling moth.

Tsimbush, Agravertin and acaricides are used against harmful insects. Spraying with a decoction of dandelion or chamomile helps well. From aphids, a solution of laundry soap or an infusion of mustard powder helps.

Which region is the variety more suited to?

Due to low frost resistance, it is not recommended to plant the Duchess variety in the northern regions. The tree may not survive severe frosts. The most favorable areas for growing are considered to be the southern, as well as the central part of Russia and the regions of the Volga region. The main condition for planting a seedling is the absence of severe frosts in winter.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Depending on the variety of the Duchess pear, the harvest starts from August to October. It is recommended to collect the fruits before they fall off. The harvested crop is stored in a cool dark place. The winter variety can lie until December.