Topic: Pear Tree Varieties - Buttira and Santa Maria

[winecap]

Looking at this years offerings at Aldi, I see they have three types of pear - Williams, Buttira and Santa Maria. The Williams I am familiar with, but does anybody have any experience with the other two varieties? I know that for £3.50 I could just have a go and see what I think, but would anybody recommend either one?

[johhnyco15]

oh dear oh dear one problem i aint got no more room in my orchard the best flavor is buttira has a nice sweet aromatic like flavour santa maria is a bit grainer in texture must have a look tomorrow just in case i can squeeze one in

[penedesenca]

Don't forget these are aldi trees and regardless of what you supposedly buy, there is a good chance they will be something entirely different 

[RobinOfTheHood]

I've had lots - well 13 -  of these over the past 8 or so years, and all of them have been correctly labelled. When are they in, I don't see them on the website?

[RobinOfTheHood]

Make that 15, always room for more....

[johhnyco15]

Make that 15, always room for more....

id normally agree but have 47 trees already really aint got no room

[johhnyco15]

Make that 15, always room for more....

id normally agree but have 47 trees already really aint got no room

ok i found enough room had to move a dwarf necterine  but bought a stanley plum and a buttira pear 49 trees no more thats it (well untill next year  lol )

[penedesenca]

my local didn't have santa maria :(

[johhnyco15]

my local didn't have santa maria :(

they have some in clacton so maybe look online for another store close to you and give them a call they might reserve one for you

[winecap]

Thanks  for the input. I shall give the buttira a try.

[Steve Oram]

Hello all. Just registered here.

I was wondering the same thing. I've just been to bag myself some raspberry canes. They have Tulameen - not a bad variety, a bit 'velvety' textured but taste good, are large fruits and has smooth canes.

Just a quick thought about rootstocks - Aldi doesn't include rootstock info, and not many of the new stocks being developed in Europe have been trialled in the UK. They could be on anything. And of course, it's a bit of a lucky dip as to what you're getting. I bought a Braeburn from Aldi that turned out to be Elstar. I was about to rip it out but someone picked and ate the apples and said he liked them , so I let it live.

Anyway, my local had these varieties:

Schattenmorello (i.e. Morello)

Santa Maria pear - usually grown in Italy (and Syria, Iran, Turkey). Morgan's Book of Pears says it ripens in late August as opposed to July on its home turf. Sweet with acidity, juicy, melting flesh and tender skin. Lemony flavour.

Butirra pear - There's two possibilities here. Butirra is a synonym of an old pear variety very widely grown in the Mediterranean called Spadona d'Estate. It won't ripen in the UK. The other possibility is Butirra Precoce Morettini, a synonym of Beurre Precoce Morettini. This will ripen as far north as Notts according to Morgan. However, I have come across these in a London orchard and they were vile. Completely inedible. They had gone over to be fair (they're an early), but there was a nasty astringency that would never have been edible.

Oblacinska sour cherry - Also known as "red pearls of the Balkans". Probably much like a Morello. Might ripen at a later date, but I can't find much about them.

Burlat cherry. Possibly the same as Bigarreau Burlat (3fatpigs website: ...very early, from the middle of May onwards. The cherries are large, dark red and very juicy...)

Hedelfinger cherry. Old German cultivar. Another post here has said it's self-fertile, but I don't think that can be right. Resists cracking, ripe in June/July (or more likely about April this year...).

Rythgestotter(?) plum - I couldn't quite read what I'd scribbled down, but I found one called Ruth Gerstetter. Very early plum from Germany. NationalFruitCollection.org.uk says "Fruits have firm, little juicy flesh with a little subacid to sweet and insipid flavour". Both Keepers and NFC mentions high susceptibility to canker.

Hope this is helpful.

[johhnyco15]

yes indeed manokent  rootstocks can be a problem the buttira i had in london was indeed early and they only keep for a week in the fridge so yes they do go over really quickly but eaten from the tree when perfectly ripe i can say the are fantastic ill give you they taste is a little different but sweet and very aromatic lets get back to rootstocks i keep all my trees no higher than 7ft and no wider than 4ft  except espaliers and fans with pruning in my opinion (for what its worth) most trees can be kept under control and still produce a fair quantity of quality fruit  i strive to have fresh tree fruit from late august to october then stored fruit from them untill it runs out so for me small controlled trees  are what i need so yes your right you have to do your homework a fool and his money are easily parted however with regards to rootstock it shouldnt stop you from flashing the cash as it were

[penedesenca]

Hi manofkent the rootstocks are supposedly as follows according to their customer service

Apples, – These will be budded onto a “M9 Dwarf” rootstock, which will fruit earlier.
Cherry, – These are budded on to “Colt” rootstock which has uniformed growth pattern, it is semi vigorous and will not grow too large.
Pear, – These are budded on to a “Quince A” rootstock which is a virus free example.
Plums, – Will be budded onto a “St Julian A” root stock or a “Myrobolane” root stock these are virus free and semi vigorous growing

 

[johhnyco15]

Hi manofkent the rootstocks are supposedly as follows according to their customer service

Apples, – These will be budded onto a “M9 Dwarf” rootstock, which will fruit earlier.
Cherry, – These are budded on to “Colt” rootstock which has uniformed growth pattern, it is semi vigorous and will not grow too large.
Pear, – These are budded on to a “Quince A” rootstock which is a virus free example.
Plums, – Will be budded onto a “St Julian A” root stock or a “Myrobolane” root stock these are virus free and semi vigorous growing

 

well i didnt know that  but i do now thanks fella

[RobinOfTheHood]

And two more today from Poundstretcher @£3 each, Victoria plum to replace my diseased example and pear 'Williams' Bon Chretien' of which I know nothing.
However T&M are selling them @£24.99 http://www.thompson-morgan.com/fruit/fruit-trees/apple-and-pear-trees/pear-williams-bon-chretien/cww3398TM

[galina]

And two more today from Poundstretcher @£3 each, Victoria plum to replace my diseased example and pear 'Williams' Bon Chretien' of which I know nothing.
However T&M are selling them @£24.99 http://www.thompson-morgan.com/fruit/fruit-trees/apple-and-pear-trees/pear-williams-bon-chretien/cww3398TM

Williams Bon Chretien = Williams Christ = Bartlett pear, the classic pear in tins and kilner jars.
You should find plenty under its UK name of Bartlett. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_pear

[johhnyco15]

And two more today from Poundstretcher @£3 each, Victoria plum to replace my diseased example and pear 'Williams' Bon Chretien' of which I know nothing.
However T&M are selling them @£24.99 http://www.thompson-morgan.com/fruit/fruit-trees/apple-and-pear-trees/pear-williams-bon-chretien/cww3398TM

i have a williams espalier great tree but watch out for pear midge which decimates the crop spray just before the white flower buds burst open with bug clear or your prefered control hope this helps

[Steve Oram]

Good to know about the rootstocks, thanks. No guarantee they're all what they say though...

You should find plenty under its UK name of Bartlett. 

Bartlett is what the Americans call Williams - it was taken over to a Mr Bartlett, but the label was lost so it got marketed under his name. It's a good pear, much more interesting than Conference.