Williams pear (Summer Duchess): description of the variety, photos, reviews

Content

1 Variety varieties
2 Growing rules
3 Review of the variety Williams Rouge Delbara
4 Conclusion

Every year more and more varieties and hybrids of vegetable and horticultural crops and fruit trees appear. And the more surprising is the fact that some of their types remain popular for tens and hundreds of years. One of these “long-lived” crops is the Williams pear, the first mention of which dates back to the mid-eighteenth century. Over the years, this variety of pear tree is popular and loved among gardeners; moreover, the Williams pear has spread throughout the world, its seedlings have reached almost all continents.

Description of the Williams pear variety, detailed characteristics of several of its varieties, photos of fruits and trees, as well as reviews from gardeners and recommendations for growing in Russia: all information about this crop is collected in this article.

Variety varieties

This particular pear variety called Williams was first presented at an exhibition of fruit trees back in 1770. This crop was obtained by crossing the Common Pear with some variety that has been forgotten to date.

Spreading around the world, the Williams pear received new names: for example, in America this variety is called “Bartlett”, and in Russia you can often find the name “Duchess Summer”. The names of this species also change due to mutations of the variety, selection of new hybrids and varieties of pear trees.

Today there are three most popular types of Williams pear:

Pear Duchess Summer (or Williams Summer).
Williams Red, better known as Rouge Delbara.
A winter variety often called Cure.

Attention! It is impossible to say with absolute accuracy that the listed varieties originated from the same species (after all, Williams is a very ancient variety).

But these varieties have much in common, and, most importantly, they are united by the excellent taste of the fruit and the amazing fertility of the trees.

To understand the subspecies of pear, you need to read the description of each of them, look at the photo and read the characteristics.

Williams Pear Summer

Trees of this variety grow small, they are regarded as low and medium-sized. Immediately after planting, the tree begins to grow rapidly and gain height, but after 10-12 years its development slows down significantly. Experts associate this inhibition with abundant harvests, which take a lot of strength and nutrition from the pear.

Detailed description of the Duchess Summer variety:

shoots are thick;
the trunk and branches are painted in a yellowish tint, they are smooth or slightly curved in the form of an arc;
the leaves are large, shiny, their shape resembles a boat, the tip is pointed;
The Williams Summer pear blooms with snow-white flowers, each inflorescence contains 6-7 flowers;
the flowering period is quite long, weather conditions do not affect this process in any way;
the pears are medium and large, their approximate weight is 150-180 grams;
the shape of the fruit is elongated, oblong;
the peel is shiny, there are tubercles and irregularities;
The color of the Summer Pear is greenish-yellow, there may be a small pink spot on one side;
the pulp of the fruit is yellowish-white, its structure is delicate, the taste is very pleasant, the aroma is strong;
3-4 pears are formed in each ovary, they are firmly attached to the stalks and do not fall off the tree;
Harvest ripening can be expected in the second half of August, but it is recommended to pick pears 1-2 weeks earlier so that they ripen in the room;
the productivity of the Williams Summer variety is very high, the trees are literally covered with fragrant large fruits;
the variety is resistant to low temperatures and drought, tolerates periods of bad weather;
the tree rarely gets sick and is considered resistant to attacks by insect pests.

Attention! Summer Duchess is a self-sterile variety, that is, another tree is required to pollinate the flowers. The best pollinators for Williams are Forest Beauty, Aleksandrovka and Pass Krassan.

The tasting characteristics of the Williams pear are very high - 4.8 points out of five possible. The fruits are considered dessert fruits; they are perfect for fresh consumption, making preserves or jams; meat dishes and various salads are prepared with the addition of pears.

Williams pears ripen very quickly, and this is one of the most important advantages of the variety. The fruits are also very nutritious, they contain a lot of useful vitamins and microelements, they are excellent for dietary nutrition.

Description Duchess pears Summer, as well as photos and reviews of those gardeners who have already planted such a tree on their plots, are pushing an increasing number of owners to purchase these particular seedlings.

Important! Williams Packhams is another variety of Duchess Summer.The fruits of this variety are larger, the peel is green, the flesh is crisp and very aromatic. Due to their excellent taste and long-term storage, Packhams pears account for 30% of all exported varieties.

Winter Williams variety

A tree of this variety was first discovered by a French priest - curé, and the Winter variety of Williams was named after him. Cure is a vigorous and very durable pear, distinguished by large fruits and later ripening.

The characteristics of the variety are as follows:

the pyramidal crown is very large and spreading;
the bark is gray, all covered with small cracks (young trees have smooth stems);
the leaves are large, colored emerald;
Curé's petioles are burgundy, and the inflorescences are white with pink anthers;
early flowering;
fruit shape is classic, elongated;
the weight of pears ranges from 160 to 260 grams;
the peel is dense, matte, smooth;
Pears are picked when they are colored green; after a couple of weeks of storage, the fruits become lemon yellow;
on some fruits a characteristic feature of the variety may be observed - a longitudinal brown stripe;
the pulp is sweet and sour, with a slight aftertaste of nutmeg and a strong aroma;
Cure needs other trees to pollinate (best Clapp's Favorite, Williams Summer);
Cure tolerates sub-zero temperatures and drought well; after freezing, the tree quickly recovers.

Attention! The taste characteristics of the Williams Winter pear strongly depend on the region of growth and growing conditions. Under unfavorable factors, the fruits become tasteless and insipid.

The Winter Williams harvest is excellent for processing: these fruits make delicious jams and aromatic preserves, and Williams schnapps is also very famous, which is considered an elite alcoholic drink.

Red Williams

The trees of the Rouge Delbara variety grow small, their crown is compact, and there are not very many leaves either. The fruits of this variety look very tempting - the pears are colored in a rich burgundy-pink hue. The tree begins to bear fruit already in the fifth year after planting the seedling.

The Williams Red variety has its own characteristics:

the tree has a pyramidal crown;
standard shoots are strewn with cracks, and on young branches the bark is smooth and gray;
the leaves are elongated, ovoid, their color is dark green;
flowering later;
the fruits are large, pear-shaped and have a bumpy skin;
the skin is thin and shiny, turning red as the pears ripen;
the pulp is creamy, slightly grainy, very aromatic, sweet and sour, with nutmeg notes;
Rouge Delbar ripens at the end of August;
The harvested crop can be stored until the beginning of winter;
The variety's resistance to low temperatures and severe drought is average.

Important! The Williams Red variety also needs pollinators. The best “pair” for this pear is considered to be Clapp’s Favorite, Bere Gardi and Bere Giffard. Other varieties with medium to late flowering periods are also suitable.

Growing rules

Growing a Williams pear will not be difficult, because this variety is not too whimsical and capricious. The climate of almost all regions of the country is suitable for the tree; you just need to take into account that different subspecies of the variety have different degrees of winter hardiness.

To get a good harvest, you need to follow some rules:

For planting, choose areas on flat or slightly elevated terrain - pears are not planted in lowlands.
It is better if it is a southern or southwestern slope with plenty of sunlight.
Young seedlings do not like drafts and strong winds, so choose a quiet place for planting.
If a tree is planted in the spring, then a hole for it is prepared in the fall. Autumn planting of pear trees is preferable.
Fertile soil from the pit is mixed with humus, peat, wood ash, and mineral fertilizers.
The seedling is placed in the center of the hole and begins to be covered with earth. The soil is compacted around the roots, and a peg is driven into the ground to tie up the tree.
After planting, the seedling needs to be watered abundantly.
In the first five years, the crown of the tree is formed. Pear pruning is done regularly, at least twice a year.
During periods of severe drought, the Williams pear needs to be watered, otherwise the lack of moisture will have a bad effect on both the fruit and the tree itself.
In the northern regions, young seedlings need to be covered; older trees usually tolerate winter well.
Like all fruit trees, pears can get sick. In this case, treatment with special means is necessary. To prevent Williams from being damaged by insects, preventative agents are used, treating the tree before flowering.
The harvest must be harvested on time, as large fruits can break off tree branches. Harvested pears are stored in a cool, dark place.

Advice! In order for the tree to bear fruit well, Williams needs to be planted close to other pear trees. The flowering time of nearby growing pears should be approximately the same.

Review of the variety Williams Rouge Delbara

Stepan Kuzmich, 64 years old, Tver region

I tried several times to plant independent seedlings of this pear, but they froze in the first winter (we live in the center of Russia). Therefore, I abandoned these attempts and grafted the cutting onto the crown of the Yurate variety (somewhere, at a height of two meters from the ground). Although the winter hardiness of the Williams pear is poor, it blooms late, so return frosts do not affect flowering in any way. Even in bad and rainy weather, the tree is well pollinated, and many ovaries appear on the shoots. In my opinion, these are the most delicious pears I have ever tried. Rouge Delbara is a mutant, so it is prone to discoloration - branches with lightened or striped fruits appear on the tree every now and then. Such shoots need to be pruned to preserve the variety. I consider the strengths of the variety to be the compactness of the trees and the early fruiting of Williams, high yield and excellent taste of the fruit. One of the disadvantages is the weak frost resistance of young trees.

Conclusion

Williams is a wonderful and very ancient pear variety that has earned popularity in Europe and other continents. There are several varieties of Williams, all of which are distinguished by high yields and excellent taste characteristics of the fruit.

Growing a pear tree is not difficult, you just need to follow some rules and prune regularly. While the trees are young, it is recommended to cover them for the winter and water them abundantly during periods of drought.