For a long time, gardeners in the Urals tried to adapt various varieties of pears from warmer regions in their gardens. The planted plants, if they took root, then bore little fruit, and the quality of the fruits was far from perfect. The situation changed only at the beginning of the 21st century, when the Krasulya pear, bred by scientists at the then Chelyabinsk fruit and vegetable experimental station named after P. I. I. V. Michurina. It turned out to be successful crossing of pears of such varieties as Little Joy and Late.
Before talking about the features of this pear, let's remember when and how the pear began to be cultivated by man.
A bit of history
According to scientists, people began to “domesticate” wild pear species about 3000-4000 years ago in various regions of East Asia. The ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated this plant in their gardens. It was from them that the pear began to spread innorthern European countries such as Belgium, France, Germany and the UK. In Russia, the pear appeared already in the 11th century and was actively grown in the gardens of the nobility and at monasteries. In the 16th century, this fruit tree came to the American continent.
What is useful?
Pear fruits, unlike the same apples, are sweeter due to the lower content of various acids, but no less useful for this. Modern studies have shown that the pear contains chlorogenic acid, which prevents diseases of the biliary tract and liver, as well as arbutin, a substance that helps the urinary system and kidneys function normally. In traditional folk medicine, both the fruits and leaves of this plant were widely used as an antipyretic, disinfectant, antitussive and diuretic.
Pear Krasulya: variety description
This summer variety was obtained in 1987 and released in 2002. The seedling develops into a tree of medium size and height with a rounded dense crown. Plants are highly winter-hardy and resistant to severe frosts.
Fruiting begins four to five years after planting, subject to proper care and timely formative pruning. The Krasulya pear is medium-yielding, and the fruits on it are medium in size, weighing up to 120 g. Oval-flattened pears of a greenish-yellow color with a brownish-red “blush” ripen in August, but they are stored for a very short time - from 12 to 15 days even in refrigerator.
Tree Features
As noted above, the pear varietyKrasulya grows into a medium-sized tree up to 4 meters high. The rounded crown is formed by straight and compactly arranged branches extending from the trunk at an angle of almost 900. The trunk of this pear is cone-shaped and slightly twisted, and the bark on the main branches and trunk has a greenish color. The Krasulya pear has the so-called mixed type of fruiting, in which the ovaries are formed both on short fruit twigs - annelids, and on last year's growths.
Fruits
This variety cannot boast of large sizes of pears. As a rule, bergamot-shaped, oval-flattened, single-chamber fruits are small and weigh from 90 to 120 g. Krasulya pear - the description of the variety from the developer indicates this - should have an oily and tender, smooth skin, painted in a green glossy color at the time of removal from the tree with small patches of reddish blush.
A pear of this variety can be considered finally ripe when its color turns golden green, and the blush darkens slightly and spreads to most of the fruit. In large numbers, there are clearly visible gray subcutaneous dots. This pear has straight and short stalks, and there is no funnel at all, since growths of various shapes appear in its place, which are one of the varietal characteristics. Small, semi-open seed chambers contain rather large and wide brown seeds.
Pear Krasulya did not get its name in vain, since the appearance of the tree itself, and the fruits are quiteattractive.
Taste nuances
The fruits of this variety have semi-oily, juicy and tender flesh of a cream shade. Experts rate it as rich sweet and medium aromatic, with a slight spicy aftertaste.
According to tests, on a 5-point tasting system, the taste of this pear received 4.7 points. Studies have shown that the Krasulya pear, the description of which you are reading, contains in its fruits:
- ascorbic acid - 8.5 mg/100 g;
- sum of sugars - 11.2%;
- solids - 13%;
- titratable acids - 0.49%.
The fruits of this variety are good for fresh consumption, you can also make juice from them, and, as gardeners have shown, they are great for preservation in the form of compotes and jams.
Pros and cons
The Krasulya variety has many advantages:
- excellent winter hardiness;
- high resistance to various diseases, including fungal ones;
- plant compactness;
- good yield;
- precocity.
This pear has much less disadvantages: it is, of course, the small size of the fruit, as well as the fact that in cool summer the fruits form more tart and not very sweet.
