Pear 'Bere Gardi'

Synonyms: Bere Gellert, Bere Hardi

Pear Bere Hardi – an old variety of French selection. Raised in 1830 by the French pomologist and originator Bonne. Widely grown in Crimea, on the Black Sea coast, and in the North Caucasus.

It is a fairly tall, vigorous tree with a sparse, high, narrow-pyramidal crown. At 12 years the crown diameter can reach 5–5.5 m. Scaffold branches grow almost parallel to the central leader. Young shoots are brown, straight, with a grayish-green tint. Buds are projecting, conical in shape.

Leaves large, 85–90 x 60–65 mm, glossy, dark green, oblong-ovate, margins raised, irregularly serrated. The leaf blade is saddle-shaped along the midrib, turned down and to the side.

Blooms mid-season. Flowers small. Petals obovate, gradually narrowing to the base. The variety is self-sterile. Best pollinators: Lesnaya Krasavitsa, Bon-Louise, Marianna. Pollinates varieties: Bere Bosc, Lesnaya Krasavitsa, Kieffer.

Begins bearing: when grafted on quince – in 4–5 years after planting; on wild pear – in 7–9 years after planting. Yield is high and annual, reaching 175–250 centners/ha, but on dry soils it may decrease and show irregular (periodic) bearing.

Fruits medium to large, 100–150 (200–250), oval-conical, less often bluntly broadly pyriform or Decana-like. Peduncle short, thick, set obliquely. Funnel absent. The calyx basin is wide and smooth. Calyx open. Skin rough, thick; at harvest grayish-green, at full ripeness golden, covered with numerous grayish-rusty dots. Fruit surface most often russeted. The sun-exposed side sometimes has a light blush. Core small, superior, elliptical. Locules flattened. Seeds black, long-pointed, sometimes underdeveloped. Flesh juicy, white, tender, melting in the mouth, buttery, aromatic. Flavor good, dessert, wine-sweet. Taste score 3.5–4.2 points. When ripened on the tree they do not store long and fall off easily.

The variety is autumn. Harvest maturity occurs in early September; eating maturity is 2–3 weeks after harvest. Stores in a cellar for 15–20 days, in a refrigerator for 85–120 days.

Hardiness zone 6a. Mature trees are fairly frost-hardy, while young trees may suffer slight winter damage.

Site: not demanding to soil, prefers moderately moist, light-textured soils. Prefers sunny open locations. Not very drought-tolerant.

Pruning: pruning is similar to that for the common pear.

Diseases and pests: high resistance to scab. May be affected by white spot.

Uses: Fruits are consumed fresh and dried, and used for jams and juices. Fruits contain: 11.6–14.1% dry matter, 6.5–9.7% sugars, 0.2–0.3% acids, 0.60–0.87% pectins, 1.5–2.3 mg vitamin C per 100 g fresh weight. Fruits have excellent market appearance and transportability, as well as high taste quality.