Because of its aromatic taste, the ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ is often referred to as the “queen of pears”. We'll tell you more about the special features of this pear variety.
The ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’, also known as ‘Vereins-Dechant’, ‘Doyenné du Comice’ or ‘Comice’ pear, convinces with its taste. Even if it is not one of the most productive varieties, the pear is ‘Vereinsdechant’ because of its resilience and the really convincing taste both in crop cultivation and in the garden a popular and often used Variety.
contents
- Vereinsdechantsbirne: Profile
- Vereinsdechantsbirne: history and origin
- Appearance, taste and characteristics of the pear variety
- Doyenné du Comice: peculiarities in cultivation and care
- Harvest and use the club's dean's pear
Vereinsdechantsbirne: Profile
| Synonyms | 'Vereinsdechantsbirne', 'Verein-Dechant', 'Doyenné du Comice', 'Comice'-pear |
| fruit | large to very large, broad and bellied |
| taste | very juicy, sweet and at the same time spicy with an excellent aroma |
| Yield | not very high |
| Harvest time | Mid to late October |
| Ripe for enjoyment | November |
| Shelf life | can be stored in cold storage after harvest until February |
| growth | medium to strong; upright or broad |
| climate | prefers a warm location |
| Diseases and pests | prone to fire blight, compared to scab only in unfavorable locations; sensitive to various viral diseases |
Vereinsdechantsbirne: history and origin
As early as 1840, the ‘club dean's pear’ was discovered in France, more precisely in Angers, as a chance seedling in the garden of the horticultural society. Around 1865 it found its way to Germany. Because of its good taste, it is considered a very valuable variety - both for the home garden and in commercial fruit growing. In 1905 the ‘Doyenné du Comice’ pear was even described as the best pear in the world by the “Practical Guide to Fruit Growing and Horticulture”.
Appearance, taste and characteristics of the pear variety
The ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ has a large to very large fruit, which is very broad and bellied. Often the pears are uneven. The skin is yellowish-green and often has a faded, reddish-brown color with numerous small skin points. The stem is short, thick, and woody, and is usually framed in a dull scab. Another feature is a small meat nose at the exit point of the stem. The pulp of the pear variety ‘Vereinsdechant’ is white to yellowish-white, medium firm and really very juicy. The taste of the ‘Doyenné du Comice’ pear is sweet and at the same time spicy with an excellent aroma.
Doyenné du Comice: peculiarities in cultivation and care
The ‘Comice’ pear can be used for commercial purposes, in extensive orchards or in the garden. The Doyenné du Comice ’pear tree has strong to medium vigor and is upright or wide. The crown is pyramidal with moderately branched branches. The vigor in particular depends heavily on the base used, with quince or pear being used as a base. The base ‘Quince C’ is very weak and remains even smaller than the ‘Quince A’. The small rootstocks are better suited for growing in the small garden, but often somewhat prone to wind, frost and some soil diseases - they should therefore only be used in the best locations will. Suitable tree shapes for the ‘Vereindechantsbirne’ on weak quince rootstocks are the trellis, shaped fruit trees or the wall fruit hedge. The steeply growing ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ works best in these forms, but there is also the option of purchasing the pear as a half or standard stem. If the ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ is to grow into a large tree, it is placed on a seedling pad grafted, which forms a thick and strong trunk and is much more robust than the weak-growing ones Quinces.
Tip: The refinement on a quince hardly leads to problems at the refining point of the ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’, so that, unlike other pear varieties, no intermediate refinement is required.
The ‘Doyenné du Comice’ blooms in mid-late to late April and May and lasts for a relatively long time. In addition, the flower is not very sensitive to frost. Varieties such as ‘Bosc bottle pear’, 'Clapp's darling', ‘Gellert's Butter Pear’, ‘Conference’, "Williams Christ" or those ‘Delicious from Charneux’ for use.
The ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ prefers a warm location with a good and not too heavy soil in your garden, as this also has a strong influence on the quality of the fruit. Soils that are too light or too heavy can be done with a high-quality, peat-free potting soil like ours Plantura organic universal soil be improved to increase the nutrient and water storage capacity and to support the air flow. In protected locations, the ‘Doyenné du Comice’ can also be grown at medium altitudes.
If you want to cut the pear tree in the garden, you should make sure that the ‘club dean's pear’ branches rather poorly. Accordingly, it is advisable to always leave several shoots to form new fruit canes. The leading shoots are never shortened too much, because the shoot growth of the variety is strong enough even in old age and should not be further provoked. Rejuvenation is only necessary at a late stage and growth is still strong enough in old age to produce fresh fruit wood again and again. More tips and explanations on how to use your Cutting pear tree, can be found in our special article.
The ‘Dechant pear’ is susceptible to fire blight, but only in unfavorable locations to scab. The variety is sensitive to various viral diseases, which is why it is worth buying virus-tested (vt) or virus-free (vf) plants. In addition, the flower is moderately susceptible to frost, which is less of a problem due to the late flowering period. In addition, the tree is hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -25 ° C.
The yield of the pear variety is rather low to medium. The variety can begin to alternate in locations that are prone to late frost or after heavy pruning, so that the yields fluctuate greatly from year to year. But newer varieties now also deliver more reliable yields.
Harvest and use the club's dean's pear
The ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ is ready for harvest in mid to late October, and it is ready for consumption in November. This makes it one of the late autumn or winter pears. The fruits hang windproof on the tree until harvest. If these are stored in a cool place after the harvest, they can be kept well until December or January, in cold storage even until February, and thus offer a tasty winter fruit. The fruits are not withered in storage, but become doughy when overripe.
Tip: The later the ‘club dean's pear’ is harvested, the better it can develop its full aroma. However, the earlier it is harvested, the longer it can be stored.
The ‘Vereinsdechantsbirne’ is popular as a table pear, but can also be used excellently for compotes, various desserts or pear cakes.
Which other stand the test of time Pear varieties you can find out more in our overview of varieties.
