Despite the fact that there is no such variety in the State Register of Plants of the Russian Federation yet, the autumn pear Tenderness is happily grown by summer residents and gardeners in their garden plots. This tree is intended for cultivation in the central zone of the country, but it successfully grows and bears fruit in more northern regions. Pear has excellent taste and attractive appearance of the fruit.
History of selection
The variety was developed by the Yakovlev breeders at the State Scientific Institution VNIIS named after.Michurina. The ancestors of Tenderness were two well-known varieties:
- Clapp's favorite.
- Subject.
From its predecessors, the new variety inherited resistance to a number of diseases, as well as pest damage. The Tenderness pear was specially bred with the expectation of growing in the conditions of the central zone of the Russian Federation. It is believed that, due to its frost resistance, Tenderness can be grown in regions with a more severe climate, up to the Krasnoyarsk region.
Characteristics and description of the variety
Trees of the Tenderness variety are of medium or rather strong growth - up to 4-6 meters in height, depending on growing conditions. They have a spreading oval crown, sparse skeletal branches, located at an obtuse angle to the lower part of the trunk. This arrangement of branches allows us to classify Tenderness as a columnar or semi-columnar pear variety. This feature must be taken into account when planting seedlings, calculating the distance between trees in the garden, adjusted for growth. Even in the smallest garden you can find a place for these beauties.
Tenderness pear leaves are dark green, dense, glossy on the outside. They have an oval shape and a sharp, slightly elongated tip. Young leaves fold slightly along the central vein.
The fruits are large, up to 120 millimeters long, almost oval in shape with a wide base. They are uniform and therefore have an excellent presentation. The weight of the fruit is 150-200 grams, at first it has a juicy bright green tint, as it ripens it gradually becomes yellowish-green, and from the side of the sun it appears “tan” or “blush” - pink blurry marks.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pear variety Tenderness has the following characteristics:
| Positive features | Negative qualities |
| Stable, fairly high yield - up to 30 kilograms of fruit per tree. | Weak resistance to drought. To avoid losing the crop, it is recommended to use irrigation. |
| Excellent taste of pears. | |
| Resistance to diseases and pest damage.
Frost resistance up to -40 degrees Celsius. |
|
| Productivity does not depend on weather conditions. | |
| Preservation of the marketable appearance of the fruit for 30 days after removal from the tree. | |
| Suitability for consumption in fresh and processed form. | |
| Can be used for preparing baby food. |
From the listed features of Tenderness, it becomes clear why most gardeners try to purchase it for their plot, as well as interest in it from the field of industrial plant growing.
Subtleties of cultivation
This variety is self-fertile, but all pears are poorly pollinated by their own pollen, so to obtain regular full-fledged harvests, it is necessary to plant several pear trees with similar flowering periods next to Tenderness.
Optimal timing
The seedling is planted in the spring in a place prepared in advance in the fall. Considering that the plant will begin to bear fruit at the age of four or five, preparation and proper placement of Tenderness can be decisive factors in obtaining a harvest.
Spring planting - in the second half of March - will allow the Tenderness pear to take root well, adapt to growing conditions and strengthen its strength before the onset of cold weather.
Selection of location and planting material
For planting, choose a strong, healthy seedling of two years old with a well-developed root system and intact buds. Before planting, it is advisable to keep it for a day in a bucket of water to which a stimulating substance has been added. This will strengthen the plant’s own immunity, allow it to take root well and develop powerful roots.
After processing, humus or well-rotted compost, sand, wood ash and superphosphate are added to the soil, mixing the soil with a pitchfork.
Landing technology
A hole 1-1.2 meters deep and 60-80 centimeters wide is dug under the seedling. A stick at least 50 centimeters high is driven into the middle of the planting hole. This stake will serve as a guide for evenly planting the seedling.
The resulting pit is filled two-thirds with a nutritious earth mixture based on humus or other organic materials, mixed with long-term mineral fertilizers. The mixture is formed in the form of a mound, sprinkled with a layer of ordinary soil on top so that the roots of the tree do not suffer from contact with fertilizers.
The finished hole is left to settle for 14 days, then the prepared seedling is placed in the middle of the hole, distributing the roots over the surface of the mound, then covered with prepared soil.The root neck of the pear should remain 5 centimeters above the surface.
Cultivation care
After planting, the tree is vulnerable and therefore requires increased attention.
Watering
The seedling must be watered regularly, with at least 2 buckets of water, especially in hot and dry weather. You can water only with warm water. An adult Tenderness pear plant also needs watering during drought. It is necessary to water rarely, but very abundantly.
Fertilizer application
They begin to fertilize Tenderness from the third year of life. The scheme is classic - nitrogen fertilizers are applied early in the spring for growth, after flowering - potassium fertilizers are applied to stimulate the ovaries, then phosphorus fertilizers are applied to ripen the wood and produce a harvest.
Trimming
This is the most important point for young pears. Pruning of Tenderness is carried out regularly, especially shortening the central conductor during the first years of life. It should extend beyond the skeletal branches by about 40 centimeters.
Further care for the Tenderness pear is to thin out and shorten the long shoots to the outer bud.
Wintering
The Tenderness variety is frost-resistant, so it needs to be covered only in the first year of growth, in severe dry frosts without snow cover.
Diseases and pests
Tenderness pear is resistant to pests and diseases, but for preventive purposes it is recommended to treat it with fungicides, especially young seedlings with weak immunity, as well as those growing in the garden next to other pear trees.
