Pear (Pyrus communis) VILMA

Pear (Pyrus communis) 'Vilma'

A Latvian early summer variety with exceptionally juicy and sweet fruits.

'Vilma' is a very early summer pear variety from Latvia, valued for its rapid entry into bearing and its high, regular yields. The fruits are medium-sized, with an attractive yellow color and a bright red blush. Its flesh is its greatest asset – it is exceptionally juicy, melting, sweet, and completely free of stone cells. Thanks to its high frost resistance and disease tolerance, it is an ideal choice for gardeners seeking a reliable and low-maintenance variety for fresh consumption.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Extremely early ripening: One of the first pears to ripen in the season.
• Excellent flesh quality: Juicy, melting texture without stone cells (sclereids).
• High productivity: Delivers abundant harvests from a young age.
• High frost resistance: Reliably withstands winter frosts.
• Good disease resistance: Shows good tolerance to scab and fruit rot.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Latvia, Pūre
• Breeders: Aleksandrs Maizītis, Roberts Āboliņš
• Cross: ‘Mālnava No. 31’ × ‘Clapp’s Favourite’
• Year of registration: Protected variety in Latvia since 2008.

Variety Characteristics

Tree

The tree has medium-strong growth and forms a crown with characteristically drooping branches that bend downwards under the weight of the heavy crop. It comes into bearing very early and produces abundant and regular yields.

Fruit

• Size: Medium to smaller, depending on the crop load.
• Skin: The base color is yellow, covered with a distinct, bright pinkish-red blush on the sunny side.
• Flesh: Fine-grained, soft, melting, and very juicy. A major advantage is the complete absence of stone cells.
• Taste: Sweet with a mild acidity, without a distinct aroma. Consistently rated as excellent every year.

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Very high; the variety is reliable even in colder regions.
• Diseases: Shows good resistance to pear scab and fruit rot.

Growing Recommendations

• Use: Exclusively a dessert variety intended for immediate fresh consumption. It is not suitable for processing or storage.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Ripens very early, at the turn of July and August. The fruits are picked progressively at technical maturity while they are still firm.
• Eating maturity: After harvesting, the fruits need 2-3 days to ripen at room temperature for the flesh to develop its typical melting consistency.
• Storability: Virtually no storage life. The fruits must be consumed within two weeks of harvesting.
• Harvest characteristics: The fruits hold well on the tree and do not drop.

Important note: Do not let the fruits overripen on the tree. Their flesh quickly becomes watery and they spoil directly on the branches.