Pear Olivier de Serre

Pear Olivier de Serre begins its history in France, where this variety was bred by A.T. Bouabunel in the middle of the 19th century. The variety was named after the French agronomist and writer Olivier de Serre, who is rightfully called the “father of French agriculture”.

On the territory of our country, the Olivier de Serre pear variety was tested in the first half of the twentieth century and since 1947 has been included in the State Register. The best results can be achieved by growing the Olivier de Serre pear in the North Caucasus (Dagestan, Stavropol, Karachay-Cherkessia).
Despite certain advantages of the pear variety, Olivier de Serre cannot be called the most popular pear variety. But breeders are actively using its strong qualities to create new varieties.

Pear Olivier de Serre: variety description and characteristics

Pear Olivier de Serre: photo of the variety

Olivier de Serre pear is a partially self-fertile variety, which means you can harvest the crop even without pollinators. Still, to achieve the best result, it is recommended to plant pears nearby, the flowering period of which coincides with the Olivier de Serre pear variety. The best companions will be “Clapp's Favorite"," Winter decanca "," Williams ".

You can harvest the first crop in the sixth or seventh year, but if you plant Olivier de Serre on a quince, then such a seedling can give the first harvest in the fourth year.

Olivier de Serre pear trees are medium-sized, growing no more than 4-4.5 meters. A young tree has a high crown, shaped like a pyramid, with the age of the tree the crown seems to "squat" and becomes wider and spreading. Thick and not very long branches that make up the "skeleton" of the tree branch off from the trunk at an acute angle, the bark on these branches and the trunk is colored brown (on the branches it is smooth, and on the trunk it flakes a little). Shoots are colored in a darker shade of brown, large cone-shaped buds are not completely adherent. The leaves are oval-elongated with pointed ends and a wavy edge.

• Description of the fruits.

The fruits have a very unusual shape for a pear and are more like an apple. These are rounded fruits with a bumpy or ribbed surface, a thick and slightly rough skin and a short plump stalk. The wide and deep funnel is rusty; the saucer is also wide and rather deep. The mass of fruits is from 120 to 150 grams, but sometimes real giants weighing 400-600 grams come across.

By the time of harvest, the pear variety Olivier de Serre is grayish-green in color (in the process of ripening, the color changes to dark yellow, sometimes there is a reddish "blush" on one side).

The creamy pulp of the fruit has a dense but melting structure, it contains a lot of juice, has a pleasant aroma and a light almond flavor. Despite the insufficiently attractive appearance, the variety of pears "Olivier de Serre" is considered one of the best among late winter pears, proof of this is the high tasting score: 4.5 points out of five.

Harvesting is necessary, as a rule. For the first days of October. The fruit sticks well to the tree and does not crumble. Consumer ripeness occurs in November or early December, and if the conditions are right, the fruit can be stored until the end of winter. In addition, the fruits of the Olivier de Serre pear variety perfectly tolerate transportation without losing their taste and presentation.

Olivier de Serre pears are eaten fresh - due to their long shelf life, they remain a source of vitamins in winter.In addition, they, like any other pears, can be used to make jam or compotes (which are especially tasty and aromatic from pears of this particular variety).

Pear Olivier de Serre: advantages and disadvantages

Any kind of pear has clear advantages and the same obvious or hidden disadvantages.

The advantages of the Olivier de Serre pear variety include:

• Everything related to fruits: their high taste, long shelf life, transportability.
• Resistance to scab, a fungal disease that gardeners often encounter.
• Participation in breeding work - "Olivier de Serre" is the "parent" of several varieties of pears.

The disadvantages of the Olivier de Serre pear variety include:

• An unattractive type of fruit - most gardeners prefer the classic "pear-shaped" shape.
• Low yield.
• High demands on soil composition and environmental conditions. For each pear, it is advisable to choose a well-lit dry place, the groundwater should lie deep, and the soil should be light and nutritious. But most pears will bear fruit without all these conditions being met (with the exception of groundwater - they can destroy any tree). "Olivier de Serre" is a capricious variety, capable of producing crops only in ideal soil and climatic conditions.
• Winter hardiness of the variety, which is sometimes positioned as high for the home region, we also attribute to disadvantages. Based on the feedback from gardeners, it can be argued that trees of this variety still need additional shelter for the winter.

Conclusion

When choosing seedlings for the garden, what are you guided by first of all? If the tree has a high yield and unpretentiousness, then most likely the Olivier de Serre pear variety is not for you. But if you are ready to experiment and want not only to taste amazingly tasty and unusual pears, but also to provide your family with fresh vitamins for the whole winter, then Olivier de Serre pear will be the right choice.