One of the most common varieties of pears that can be grown in regions with different climatic conditions is the Silent Don variety. Compact trees look beautiful on the site, and a couple of years after planting, they can please the first harvest of delicious fruits. This article describes the characteristics of the Tikhiy Don pear, lists the rules for planting seedlings, recommendations for caring for the crop, and methods of dealing with possible problems during cultivation.

Characterization and description of the variety

Pear Quiet Flows the Don is the result of crossing varieties Rossoshanskaya beautiful and Marble. Experiments on the breeding of this species were carried out in the city of Rossosh (Russia) at the Zone Experimental Gardening Station. The resulting variety was named in honor of the novel of the same name by Sholokhov "Quiet Don". Description of pears of this species was made by its author - A. M. Ulyanischeva.

Did you know? The homeland of the pear is not precisely defined. This culture was grown in ancient Greece for 1000 years BC. e.

The main characteristics of the variety Quiet Don are listed below:

1. The average height of an adult tree is about 3 m. The main trunk is painted gray.
2. Crohn is moderately thick and round, has a slightly weeping appearance. It is formed of vertically directed branches covered with brown bark.
3. The shoots of the tree are painted brown-red, straight and vertical, without pubescence.
4. The shape of the kidneys resembles a cone. They are brown and look bulging on a branch.
5. The pear of this variety has medium-sized ovate leaves. Their glossy surface is painted dark green, and on the edges of the sheet plate a fringing of small notches is noticeable.
6. The tree is characterized by early flowering and stable bearing.
7. Ripe fruits have a good presentation and excellent taste. They are used fresh in food, for making compotes, as well as in cooking for desserts.

According to the description of the stalk of medium length, there is no funnel. The cup has a half open or closed shape

Pollination

This variety is a hybrid, therefore self-fertile. In order for the pollination of trees to be successful, next to them you need to plant other varieties of fruit trees, the flowering of which occurs simultaneously with the variety Quiet Don. These include the pear Dessert Rossoshanskaya and Marble, as well as various varieties of cherries, peaches and apple trees.

Frost resistance

Trees of this variety tolerate extremely low air temperatures well and can survive frosts down to -30 ° C. But in regions with very cold winters, which are accompanied by a small amount of snow, the Tikhiy Don pear can freeze, therefore, in such growing conditions, trees must be covered for the winter.

Important! The tree is very sensitive to low air temperatures during flowering - May frosts can destroy almost all inflorescences.

Variety Productivity

This variety belongs to the high-yielding and allows you to collect a large amount of ripe and tasty fruit 10 years after planting a seedling.

The characteristics of the yield and fruit of the tree are presented below:

• young grafted seedlings yield up to 20 kg of pears in 4 years after planting;
• from one adult tree, you can collect about 70 kg of ripe fruits;
• pears are very large in size, the weight of each of them is 275-350 g;
• the fruits are oval and proportional in shape, and on the outside they are covered with a dense greenish-yellow peel, which has a blurred raspberry-red blush;
• ripe fruits are characterized by a gentle creamy pulp of an oily consistency, containing a lot of juice;
• the taste of a ripe pear is sweet, with a slight acidity and a tart aftertaste;
• seeds are elongated and brown.

Inside the fruit are long seeds of a deep brown hue. A slight astringency with a slight acidity gives the fruit a piquant taste

Pear variety transportability

Thanks to the dense peel, ripe fruits are well protected from mechanical damage and perfectly tolerate transportation. For transportation over long distances, it is recommended to collect pears from a tree at the stage they reach removable maturity. At the same time, the pulp of the fruits is denser, so the fruits better retain their attractive presentation after transportation.

Disease and pest resistance

Pear Quiet Don have a good immunity to disease, and most infections are not afraid of him. But trees of this variety can be seriously attacked by pests or be affected by a fungal infection if improperly maintained.

Most often, when growing this variety of pears, the following problems arise:

1. Septoria (white spotting) - This fungal infection that infects a tree in late spring. Symptoms of the disease are gray spots on the leaves, surrounded by a dark border. Treatment is carried out with the help of the Nitrafen preparation - it is diluted in water (300 g per 1 bucket of liquid) and the diseased tree is abundantly sprayed with the resulting solution. To prevent infection, you can treat the pear with this drug in the spring until the buds open.
2. Soot fungus - the disease occurs on trees that have been attacked by pests. The main symptom of infection is a black coating on the surface of leaves, inflorescences and fruits. For treatment, sanitary pruning of the tree is carried out, removing all leaves affected by the fungus, and then the crown is sprayed with insecticides. As a prophylaxis, insect pests must be controlled.
3. Fruit rot - the infection affects the fruit, making it unfit for human consumption or storage. In this case, brown spots appear on the fruits, which later turn into pillow-like formations - they contain spores of the fungus. To get rid of this disease, you need to remove all rotted fruits and treat the crown with antifungal agents. As preventive measures, they control pears and regularly prune the tree.
4. Rodents (mice, gophers, hares) - they eat the bark and can significantly damage the trunk. To protect the pear from the attack of the pest, you need to tie the bottom of the tree with several layers of thick paper.
5. Pear Thorns - the pest hibernates in a layer of fallen leaves or in cracks in the bark and activates with the onset of spring. The larvae emerging from the eggs cover the surface of the leaves and branches of the pear with a sticky coating - copper dew, and also damage the fruits. With a massive defeat, inflorescences wither, leaf death and distortion of the shape of the fruits occur. The affected trees are treated with insecticides, and as a preventive measure in early spring, the pear is sprayed with an aqueous solution of soap and kerosene (40 g of soap and 80 g of kerosene in a bucket of water).Copper dew on pear leaves

To prevent the occurrence of the listed diseases and pests, you need to choose a suitable place for planting the pear and follow the recommendations for caring for the trees.

Video: Pear fell ill, how to treat

The timing of flowering and fruiting

Silent Don variety is characterized by early flowering, and fruit ripening dates fall. The exact time of inflorescence formation and pear ripening largely depends on the climate characteristics of the particular growing region.

Did you know? Pear wood has long been used in Germany as a material for printing boards, which served to form a special cookie - springerle.

The characteristics of flowering and fruiting of the trees of the Quiet Don are presented below:

• the pear blooms in May - this process occurs annually, without interruption;
• inflorescences are brushes collected in the form of an umbrella - each of them can contain up to 8 flowers;
• the flowers are small and cupped in shape, and their petals are painted white;
• the stigma is located at the level of anthers, and the pestle is not pubescent;
• from 8 flowers formed at least 5-6 fruit ovaries;
• the first fruiting occurs early - 2 years after planting a seedling;
• pear Quiet Don regularly bears fruit, and fruits are stably large in size and do not grow smaller over time.

Silent Don pear trees relatively weak growth

Optimal conditions for growing

This variety was developed for cultivation in the Central region of Russia, which is characterized by a temperate continental climate. But with all the recommendations for care, the Pacific Don pear can grow in more northern latitudes.

The optimal conditions for growing this crop are listed below:

• moderately cold winters with an air temperature of -8 ...- 13 ° С, but short-term frosts up to -25 ...- 30 ° С are permissible;
• steady snow cover throughout the winter;
• mass melting of snow at the end of March and a small amount of precipitation in spring;
• lack of night frosts in May;
• warm summers with air temperatures of +22 ... + 26 ° С, where heat above + 30 ° С is very rare;
• the presence of short and heavy rains in the warm season;
• Autumn decrease in air temperature occurs gradually and only at the end of September.

Autumn pear varieties also include:

Planting and caring for the Pacific Don pear

It is recommended that the Tikhiy Don pear be planted in open ground in autumn, but it is also permissible to plant it on the site in the spring. Autumn pear planting is carried out in early October, so that the seedling has time to take root in a permanent place. In spring, pear seedlings are planted in the ground in late April or early May.

Video: Planting a pear seedling

After planting, the trees are provided with regular care, which consists of proper watering, timely fertilizer application, regular pruning and measures to protect the pear from cold, disease and pests. About all this - later in the article.

Important! Planting of seedlings of pear Pacific Don should be carried out only with positive air temperature and the absence of probability of night frosts.

Landing rules

To grow Tikhiy Don pear, you need to choose a suitable site, as well as correctly prepare young seedlings for planting in open ground. This will help young trees to quickly adapt to a new place and begin active growth.

For the cultivation of this crop, a site is suitable that meets the following requirements:

• it is well lit by the sun - its light is necessary for the formation of large and sweet fruits;
• It is quite spacious - the Pacific Don pears are small in height, but can grow in width and require free space;
• located in lowlands - this will provide the roots of the tree with the necessary moisture that is collected in the lowland;
• It has loose soil, contributing to the good passage of water and air to the roots.

Spring planting is recommended in late April or early May, before the plant wakes up. In the autumn, it is advisable to plant a pear in the first ten days of October

After choosing a suitable site, you need to purchase a pear seedling for planting.

It is recommended that you follow these rules:

• buy a tree only in a specialized store or from a trusted seller - this will help to get a real, healthy and strong seedling of the selected variety, which was grown and stored according to all the rules;
• choose a specimen that has reached the age of 3 years - such a seedling is better adapted in the open ground;
• on a young tree there should be a branching - this means that it is strong enough to plant in a permanent place;
• the seedling should have a healthy and fresh appearance, without mechanical damage or signs of damage by diseases and pests;
• the roots of the selected specimen should be elastic and branched, without signs of decay or drying out.

Important! If planting a pear is planned for autumn, then planting pits begin to cook in August.

Step-by-step instructions for planting seedlings of this variety are presented below:

1. Prepare in advance landing pits with a diameter of about 1 m and a depth of 60 cm. The distance between adjacent recesses is left at least 6–7 m.
2. Mix the soil from the plot with a small amount of compost and mineral fertilizers. Form a mound from the resulting mixture at the bottom of the landing pit.
3. Drive a small wooden support into the bottom of each cavity to garter a young tree.
4. Place the pear seedling in the pit so that its root neck is 4-6 cm above the surface of the earth. Spread the roots on the surface of the formed knoll.
5. Fill the roots with loose soil and ram it a little with your hands around the trunk, forming a hole.
6. Tie each young tree to a support and water it abundantly with 2 buckets of water.

In order for the pear to take root and grow well, try to choose a neat, beautiful seedling with a branched trunk

Watering and fertilizing plants

Trees of this variety can safely survive a short summer drought, but for high yields they need to be provided with enough water.. In order for the fruits to be large and maintain their high taste characteristics, it is recommended that the Tikhiy Don pear be regularly fed with fertilizers.

Basic watering rules are listed below:

• in the first year after planting, the seedling must be provided with a large amount of water - the tree needs moisture for active growth;
• in order not to erode the soil around the roots of a young tree, watering is carried out using sprayers;
• during pear irrigation, water can be poured into small grooves dug around the trunk - so moisture is better absorbed into the soil;
• several watering cans are spent on each tree - they are poured out gradually, waiting until the moisture is completely absorbed into the soil.

The first top dressing of the Pacific Don trees is carried out only 2 years after planting seedlings. During this period, those nutrients that were introduced into the soil at the time of planting are pearing enough.

Did you know? 100 g of pear contains only 57 kcal, so it can be included in the diet during the diet.

Further fertilizer application is carried out according to the following rules:

• in the fall after harvesting and partial yellowing of the leaves, the pear is watered with a solution of 10 l of water, 1 tbsp. l potassium chloride and 2 tbsp. superphosphate - this helps to restore the strength of the tree;
• in early spring make nitrogen fertilizers (nitrate, chicken droppings) - this stimulates the growth of green mass;
• before flowering trees are watered with an aqueous solution of complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - they provide the formation of a large number of large fruits;
• at the stage of ovary formation make phosphorus-potassium fertilizers - they make the fruits of the pear sweet and juicy.

To prevent the appearance of weeds and keep the earth moist longer, it is recommended to cover the surface of the soil on the trunk circle with a layer of mulch.

A very positive effect on the growth and development of planted fruit plants is the mulching of the soil in the trunk circles. It is recommended that in the first year after planting a pear, keep aisles under black steam. Around the trunk, it is advisable to make a small hole for watering plants

Trimming and shaping branches

Spreading crown of a pear Pacific Don needs to be trimmed, which helps to prevent excessive thickening of branches and gives the tree a beautiful and compact appearance. You need to prune the trees in the spring, after the weather is stable and stable, but before the active sap flow begins.

The basic rules for pruning the Pacific Don pear are listed below:

• the first pruning of the seedling is performed in a year - the tree is shortened 50 cm from the ground to stimulate the growth of side branches;
• at a two-year-old tree you need to slightly shorten the top and remove the extra vertical shoots, and cut off the remaining branches by about a third of the length;
• on the 3rd year trimming excess shoots located too close to each other or growing inside the tree, slightly shorten the main conductor and skeletal branches;
• in subsequent years continue to remove dried, damaged and excess shoots to thin out the crown of the tree, and the edges of the skeletal branches are cut to a small length;
• autumn pear is not cut - This procedure can weaken the tree and make it more susceptible to frost.

Whitewash tree

To protect the pear from adverse external factors, diseases and pests, its trunk and lower skeletal branches need to be whitened. This procedure is performed in the spring during the period of the appearance of buds and in the fall after the leaves fall.

The main objectives of the whitewashing of the Pacific Don pear are listed below:

• prevention of barrel damage from sudden temperature changes in winter;
• protection of wood from the bright sun;
• the destruction of fungi and larvae of pests wintering under the bark;
• protection of a tree trunk from insect pests in the spring.

A solution for whitewashing can be purchased in a specialized store or prepared independently from 10 liters of water, 2 kg of lime and 1.5 kg of clay.

Preparing trees for winter

Silent Don variety can be grown even in regions with harsh climates, but to protect against freezing, trees need to be properly prepared for wintering.

The basic rules of such preparation:

1. In the autumn, before the onset of the first frosts, they dig a tree trunk and water it with water - this procedure supplies the roots with moisture and helps eliminate pest larvae wintering in the soil.
2. Around the tree lay a layer of humus mixed with peat and sawdust, its thickness must be at least 20 cm, so that the roots of the pear are reliably protected from freezing.
3. After the appearance of a stable snow cover, the surface of the trunk circle and the trunk itself are covered with snow for additional protection of the tree from freezing.

Harvest Dates and Rules

The ripening of the crop of this variety largely depends on the climatic conditions of a particular region, but usually falls in the fall.

The dates and basic rules for harvesting ripe fruits are listed below:

• pears can be collected at the stage of removable maturity in the first half of September - while their peel acquires a greenish-yellow color;
• you can leave the fruits on the tree until mid-autumn and harvest from October to November - the peel becomes more yellow, a blurred orange blush is visible on it;
• to protect the fruits from mechanical damage, they are torn from the trees by hand and carefully stacked in prepared containers;
• fruit picking is recommended in dry weather - while their surface will be dry, which will positively affect the shelf life.

Important! For better fruit storage, harvesting is recommended in mid-September at the stage of removable maturity.

Harvest Storage Features

In the absence of mechanical damage to the skin of the pear, the Quiet Don are characterized by good storability. The shelf life of ripe fruits in a cool darkened cellar is 1.5 months, and in specialized fruit stores - up to 150 days. At the same time, fruits fully retain their attractive appearance and excellent taste for 3 months.With the growth of pears, the fruits do not grow smaller and do not crumble

Pear Quiet Don is resistant to adverse climatic conditions and unpretentious in care, and its fruits have a rich taste and are perfectly stored. Using the recommendations listed in this article, you can easily grow this variety on your site and get a generous harvest of large fruits.