Apple tree spring description of the variety. Proper care of a young apple tree. Events calendar. Spraying on a bare trunk

Spring is a busy and responsible time for any gardener. It is in the spring that the most important work is carried out on the arrangement of the site, the care of fruit crops, and other plants.

Including the apple tree requires special care: proper care is the key to a good harvest this season. We will learn how to properly care for an apple tree in the spring, we will consider in detail all the stages of work.

It is necessary to start caring for the apple tree as soon as the snow melts in the garden. Thus, usually in our climate, the start of work falls on the end of March-April, in the southern regions earlier. Gardeners are guided by this criterion: as soon as the average temperature per day reaches zero degrees and a little higher, then it's time to start caring for fruit trees in spring.

The main works for caring for an apple tree in spring are as follows:

Taking cover

Free the fruit tree from winter shelter it is necessary during the period when at night the temperature does not drop below zero, and during the day it reaches + 10-15 degrees. It is clear that in different regions of our country this period begins at different times: earlier in the south, and later in the Urals.

They remove the shelter and dig out the trunk not immediately, but in stages to allow the apple tree to gradually adapt to the cool air. Usually the whole work takes 3-4 days.

Whitewash

To protect the delicate bark of the tree from the bright spring sun and return frosts, it is customary to whitewash the lower part of the apple tree. Cover with a layer of white and skeletal lower branches. In addition to weather conditions, whitewashing helps protect the plant from cracking the bark, which happens due to sudden temperature changes.

Protective whitewashing is especially important for young apple trees, whose bark is still tender and thin. Whitewashing is done every spring anew, since the coating is not able to survive the autumn rains and winter snows.

Gardeners usually breed whitewash on their own, using the following ingredients for this:

• lime;
• copper sulfate;
• garden glue;
• water.

You can also whitewash the tree with acrylic paint, which is more stable and is guaranteed to last the entire growing season on the trunk. Keep in mind, however, that the acrylic composition will cost more.

The most popular and easiest to prepare is the following composition:

• lime - 300 gr;
• water - 2 liters;
• stationery glue - 2 full tbsp. spoons.

Copper sulphate, poured into the mixture, will help better defense from diseases and pests. Whitewash should be applied in a uniform thin layer and only in dry weather.

Important: the specified composition is more like for adults and already fruiting trees. It is customary to take care of seedlings with the help of ordinary chalk whitewash.

Elimination of damage

After removing the shelter, it is necessary to carefully and carefully inspect the tree. Often during the winter, an apple tree is damaged by rodents or its individual branches freeze out.

If superficial wounds can be found, they should be immediately covered with garden pitch. In the case when the wounds are deep and reach the wood, the apple tree is grafted with a bridge using a large number of shoots. This method helps to save the plant from infection, and the wound heals quickly.

From the effects of frost, the bark can be damaged, cracking and flaking, exposing unprotected wood. In this case, it is necessary to clean the damaged area, and then cover it with pitch.

Damage is treated then to exclude the possibility of infection by the tree. Use garden pitch or store-bought putty. In extreme cases, you can cover up the damage and oil paint.

Important: when buying putty in a store, make sure that it does not contain rosin, which can harm the tree.

pruning

This procedure is carried out differently for adult fruiting plants and young apple trees. Let's take a closer look at the tips below. experienced gardeners regarding this difficult issue.

The first step for trees of any age is to sanitary pruning. During the winter, the apple tree is exposed to severe frosts, winds, it can also be gnawed by pests. In the spring, it is necessary to inspect the branches and remove damaged, frozen, broken ones.

Pruning is carried out only when the air temperature reaches above zero. In frosty weather, the procedure is not carried out, since in this case even greater injuries will be inflicted on the tree. The fact is that wood in frost is very fragile and brittle, it is poorly restored and heals.

Spring pruning scheme:

1. Damaged branches are removed - the so-called sanitary stage.
2. The crown is thinned out - the branches growing inward are removed too densely.
3. If necessary, the top of the main trunk is shortened.
4. Shoots that have grown over the past year are shortened.

The last operation is carried out taking into account the age of the apple tree:

• for the 2nd year and up to 5-7 years - cut short, no more than a quarter of the length of the shoot in order to enhance their growth;
• up to 10-12 years old - cut by a third so that there is a good harvest:
• after 12 years - each shoot is shortened by half with a rejuvenating purpose.

Spring pruning does not imply the processing of cuts with garden varieties in without fail. Process only cuts on weak and diseased trees, while young and healthy ones will quickly recover and actively grow without help.

Sanitary pruning is carried out starting from the top of the plant - if the apple tree is already more than 7 years old. The top branches in this case do not carry any practical benefit, but only interfere and add trouble. However, in young apple trees, the top is not removed, allowing the tree to grow. After working with the top, diseased and damaged branches are removed.

After proper pruning, the crown of the tree begins to be well ventilated, which helps protect it from fungus and mold. In addition, pruning makes it possible to increase the yield of the apple tree and make it more convenient to pick fruits.

When forming the crown of young apple trees, special attention should be paid to the skeletal branches located in the first and second row from the bottom. In the first row, the skeletal branches should be located at a distance of 40-70 cm from each other. In the second row, the branches should be located at the same distance and look to the sides or up.

If the apple tree has reached a height of 4 meters, its top must be shortened, otherwise harvesting on the upper branches will be difficult. Yes, and the treatment of pests / diseases of a high apple tree is difficult and ineffective.

After the tree reaches 12-15 years, it is necessary either to get rid of it, or to carry out rejuvenating pruning. The fact is that without this procedure, the yield of an apple tree decreases significantly with age. Anti-aging pruning involves the removal of one third of the length of all branches and shoots and activates the vitality of the plant.

If, after rejuvenating pruning, carried out for three consecutive years, the apple tree did not come to life and did not begin to produce a decent harvest, it is recommended to get rid of the tree and plant a new one.

Attention: all branches, bark, shoots that have been cut off must be removed from the site and burned: they may contain pests, sources of infection.

Disease and pest control

From the weevil, protection with trapping belts is especially effective. But the devices must wrap around the tree trunk very tightly so as not to leave loopholes for insects.

Pest control also includes preventive spraying. The procedures are carried out in three stages:

• before the buds appear;
• when forming buds;
• after flowering.

Suitable for spring processing apple trees from pests and diseases preparations:

• Inta-Vir;
• Fury;
• Strobi etc.

These drugs help almost all diseases.

Attention: when buds begin to form, it is better to remove pests manually so that pollinating insects do not suffer from chemicals.

Graft

Grafting procedure fruit trees and apple trees, including, is held almost always in the spring. The choice of time is connected with the fact that at the beginning of active sap flow, the graft takes root especially quickly and successfully.

Vaccination can be aimed both at breeding a new variety of apple trees, and at enhancing the fruiting of an existing one. The optimal choice of time is the beginning of May: it is at this time that active sap flow begins in the trees.

Vaccination can be done in different ways:

• in a split;
• for bark, etc.

In split

The simplest and most common grafting method. The method is good because it is suitable for scion with different diameters. The method involves a cross-shaped hole in the rootstock, into which the lower part of the scion is inserted. The junction is fixed, smeared with pitch and after a while the scion takes root.

For the bark

Suitable for scion of large and medium diameter. To implement the method, you need to cut the branch into a stock where the cutting will be grafted. The diameter of the cut branch and the bottom of the cutting should be approximately the same. The stump should remain beveled: the same oblique cut must be made on the bottom of the handle.

The bark at the end of the stock needs to be moved a little and the scion inserted as tightly as possible. The junction is fixed and smeared with pitch, as usual. The percentage of survival of the cutting in this case is higher than with the "split" method.

Top dressing in the spring

Spring care for an apple tree must necessarily include fertilization. But before fertilizing, be sure to remove weeds from the beds and loosen the soil.

Loosen carefully so as not to touch the roots of the tree with a shovel or fork. After the soil has become light and permeable, make small ditches in it, into which nutrients will be laid.

For the first time, they feed the fruit crop as soon as the snow melts.

Nitrogen compounds are used to help the apple tree gain green mass faster:

• calcium nitrate;
• ammonium nitrate;
• bird droppings;
• aged manure.

When buds begin to form, emphasis should be placed on potassium and mineral compositions, but still with nitrogen:

• wood ash;
• urea;
• mullein;
• potassium sulfate.

When the flowering period is over, you need to stop feeding the apple tree with nitrogen. The fact is that nitrogen leads to the active growth of leaves and shoots, and after flowering, it is important to form fruit ovaries. It is recommended at the end of spring to feed the apple tree with herbal infusion, as well as phosphorus and potassium.

You can feed the trees with nitroammophos, urea and humus in the spring. A similar composition is well suited for depleted soil and already mature trees.

• superphosphate - 1 kg,
• potassium sulfate - 300 gr;
• mullein - a bucket;
• water - 300 gr.

All components are thoroughly mixed, after which they insist for a week. 40 liters of such fertilizer are spent on one apple tree. This nutritional supplement will revitalize and activate the plant, adding strength to it. It is necessary to carry out abundant watering of the plant before and after top dressing.

Manure for an apple tree is usually diluted in a ratio of 1:10, bird droppings - 1:15, boric acid and blue vitriol - 1:15, wood ash - 1 tbsp. - 1 liter.

Each time after the next fertilization, loosen the earth again shallowly.

Watering, loosening the soil and mulching

After the snow melts, the soil is usually saturated with moisture, so at first the apple tree does not need watering. However, if the spring is dry, further soil moisture is necessary. If the soil is not moistened, ovaries and fruits will form on the tree in insufficient quantities. Of particular importance are regular waterings for young plants that have not reached 5-6 years.

The soil is moistened once every 5-6 days, but at the same time focusing on weather conditions.

Irrigation rates are selected depending on the age of the tree:

• young apple trees (up to 5 years old) are watered more often, but in a smaller volume - up to 2 years per 1m2 of soil, two buckets of water, from 2 to 5 years, 4 buckets per 1m2 of soil;
• adult fruit-bearing trees are watered less often, but more abundantly - the soil should get wet to a depth of 80 cm.

Attention: provide the root zone with a drain for water, as its stagnation at the roots threatens the apple tree with rotting of the root collar.

loosening

After watering, the soil must be loosened to eliminate a dense dry crust on the surface. The procedure will provide air access to the roots and help eliminate weeds.

Mulching

The procedure is also carried out after watering in order to ensure longer moistening of the roots. Mulch the root circle with peat or dry straw. Sawdust is not used, as they acidify the soil during decomposition.

The mulch layer should not exceed 3-5 cm, and it should not be placed near the trunk itself. Failure to follow these recommendations can lead to aging of the bark in the lower part of the trunk and the development of fungus, rotting.

Spring frost protection

In some regions with unstable cool weather, return frosts are possible when the leaves have already blossomed on the apple tree and the buds have swollen. You should carefully monitor the spring weather forecast and prepare if weather forecasters promise frosts this night.

In this case, usually the crown of the plant is sprayed with water from a hose so that the leaves are wet. After the frost hits, the water droplets use up their heat to warm the foliage. The procedure is effective, however, only in calm conditions.

In windy weather, the smoke method is more suitable. It consists in setting fire to a pile of garbage, dry branches, brushwood, grass, sawdust in the area next to the apple tree. All this is sprinkled with moist soil. A stake should be driven into the middle of the pile, which is removed before setting fire: the smoke coming from the hole will help protect the tree from the cold.

If frost strikes when the foliage has not yet formed, nothing threatens the apple tree.

Care should be taken especially carefully for young trees, since their immunity is still not strong enough. At least until the tree begins to bear fruit.

It is especially important to regularly water young apple trees, as lack of water or drought can even cause the death of trees. Be sure to mulch the soil after moistening so that the roots of the plants are moistened longer.

Aphids do more harm to young fruit trees - the fight against this pest should begin from the moment the first greenery is formed and even earlier.

Clean the root circle of young plants from weeds that take food away from apple trees and are a haven for pests.

Mature trees are more in need of anti-aging pruning - this is the main thing. Other procedures, of course, will not be superfluous for them either.

So, we learned what kind of care an apple tree needs in spring. There are many procedures - all of them are necessary and useful. A set of well-performed procedures will help protect the plant and ensure an excellent harvest this year.

Apple varieties at Kalinin E. M. in Yekaterinburg

I present the observations of the varieties of apple trees by Evgeny Ivanovich Kalinin in the conditions of the Sverdlovsk region.

Antonovka common. Central Russian variety of folk selection. The tree is quite vigorous, with a compact rounded crown. Winter hardiness in our conditions is insufficient for growing a variety in a standard form; it can only be grown in a slate form. Fertility is average. On vigorous rootstocks, it begins to bear fruit for 6-7 years. The yield is high. The variety is resistant to scab. The fruits are large or above average size (up to 180-250 g). The color is greenish-yellow, without a significant blush. The pulp is yellowish, with some excess of acid, good taste, with a unique aroma. Harvesting of fruits in our conditions is carried out at the end of September- early October. Fruits are stored until mid-end of January.

This variety grew in my garden as a separate tree in a standard form. For several years, the tree bore fruit well. However, in the winter of 1998-99, it was severely affected by frost, but survived and produced a small crop in 1999. But still, frost damage to this tree turned out to be so serious that it soon died. In the son's garden in the village, the Antonovka tree also grows, but only formed in a slate form. In winter, the branches of the crown of this tree bend down forcibly to the ground and are always covered with snow. The tree grows without watering and fertilizing. The abundance of fruits on it has not yet been observed. I harvest fruits as soon as possible. I also store the fruits in tied plastic bags. Their taste improves significantly by the end of December and in January. At the end of January of this year, I was invited to listen to a lecture at the UGSHA, and I decided to get an opinion on the taste of Antonovka fruits from the audience. For this purpose, I took five fruits of this variety, cut them into slices and gave them to the audience for tasting. To many, the taste of the fruit seemed sour, and to many- not sour, but sweet and sour. But, in fact, due to the lack of heat in the 2006 season, Antonovka fruits did not really accumulate enough sugar, and their taste was sour. But in the season of 2005, which was warmer than the season of 2006, the fruits of Antonovka were much tastier. I like the fruits of Antonovka, and sometimes I use them with pleasure. It seems to me that Antonovka vulgaris deserves the attention of gardeners, thanks to the original taste of its fruits. But it must be grown in a slate form, forming a crown closer to the ground in a soil climate, where it is much warmer. The crown should not be thickened so that the sun's rays heat the soil during the day, and at night, on the contrary, the soil gives off heat to the soil layer of air. All this contributes to better fruit ripening.

Aroma of Uktus. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from crossing varieties Isetskoye with Iyulsky Chernenko. Tree of medium height, with a wide pyramidal crown. Winter hardiness is good. Fast-growing and productive every year. In ordinary years it is weak, and in wet years it is moderately affected by scab. Fruits of average size (about 90 g). Main color cream, integumentary- solid bright dark crimson blush on the entire surface of the fruit. The pulp is coarse-grained, medium juicy, good sweet-sour taste. The fruits ripen in the middle of the third decade of August. Stored for 1-2 weeks. In very hot years, they can overripe already on the tree.

I purchased cuttings of this variety in 1988. The grafting was carried out at a height of one and a half meters in the crown of a tree of the Yantar variety. In the first years of fruiting this graft, the variety interested me in the aroma of ripening fruits. I even specially approached this tree several times before starting to harvest fruits from the indicated grafting, in order to enjoy the aroma emanating from the fruits. Therefore, I decided to grow the Aroma Uktus variety as a separate tree. For this, a seedling of Amber was grafted at a height of half a meter. Now it's- a big tree with a well-formed crown. In addition, this variety was also grafted into the crown of the Progress rootstock tree at a height of 1.5 m. Two years later, I found that the graft of this graft was far ahead of the rootstock in diameter. That is, poor compatibility of these grafting components was revealed. Therefore, I had to reduce the growth force of the scion by greatly shortening its branches. And I did not pay attention to the yield and quality of the fruits from this vaccination.

My me about variety Aroma of Uktus the next. The variety is winter-hardy and productive, with rather large, beautiful and fragrant fruits. However, the taste of fruits in almost all years did not suit me much. In some years it was not higher than 3.5 points. When ripe, the fruits are heavily showered from the tree, while remaining hanging- may overripe. Therefore, the fruits must be harvested a little earlier than the onset of their consumer maturity. In hot years, the fruits after picking are stored for a very short time, sometimes no more than five days, after which they begin to swell and become inedible. In wet years, both leaves and fruits are affected by scab. With the current abundance of new winter-hardy summer varieties of apple trees with better fruits and not affected by scab, I believe that the Aroma Uktus variety has no prospects for cultivation. I am now using the Aroma Uktus tree I have growing to graft other new varieties into its crown.

Crimson. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Medium tree. Winter hardiness is high. Early. High yielding. Scab resistance is good. Fruits weighing 125 g. Coloring is crimson. The pulp is sweet and sour, medium taste. The fruits ripen in September and are stored until the end of October.

I have been vaccinated with this variety. But, after tasting the fruits of the first harvest, I found that Crimson is not worth growing in my garden. Given the high winter hardiness and productivity of this variety, it should be tested, like the Ryasnoye variety, in northern regions our area.

Good news. A new winter variety immune to scab. Obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. The tree is medium. Winter hardiness is high. Early. The yield is good. Immune to all scab races common in the Middle Urals. The fruits are medium in size, weighing 95 g. The color is red. The pulp has a very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and remain in bed until May and beyond.

Cuttings of this very interesting variety were obtained only in July 2000, and the eyes from them were occluded on several young trees. In the spring of 2001, I again had the good fortune to receive several cuttings of the Good News, and I grafted them onto different trees. Given the very flattering characteristics of this variety, I decided, without waiting for the fruiting of its inoculations, to make a series of inoculations. So, on a tree of the Imbelyan variety, I made four grafts at a height of 2.5 meters, on a tree of the Persian Seedling variety, I regrafted its top at a height of more than 2 meters. In 2004, the grafts began to bear fruit, and I found that they were grafts of two varieties. There are three grafts of yellow VEM and one of Good News on the Imbeliana tree. On the Persian Seedling grafted on top- also VEM yellow. When analyzing the vaccinations, an error was found in the names on the labels of the July cuttings. I had to fix the bug. Unfortunately, such an incident can often occur. Fruit characteristics and other data of the variety correspond to those described above. The fruits in tied plastic bags were well stored by me until May and at the same time they had a good taste. And I am quite satisfied with winter hardiness, and productivity, and the taste of fruits, and their keeping quality. I advise every gardener to have this really very interesting winter apple variety in his garden.

Bratchud. The variety was bred by M. A. Mazunin from crossing a hybrid (Ural winter x 11-20-12) with Vydubetskaya weeping in the South Ural Research Institute of POK. It is also a naturally slate apple variety. When grown on ordinary seed rootstocks, it grows into a wide bush 2.5-2.7 m high. Early maturity is good, productivity is high, resistance to scab is also high. Winter hardiness is also high. The fruits are large, the average weight is 140-160 g, the maximum is 250 g. The color is greenish-yellow, with a red blush. The pulp is white, semi-juicy, coarse-grained, excellent sweet and sour taste. The fruits are harvested at the end of September, they are stored in the bed until the end of January-February. The characteristic is also given by M.A. Mazunin for the conditions of Chelyabinsk.

I started growing this variety simultaneously with Chudnoye apple-tree variety from planting its seedling. The nature of the growth of Bratchud over the past years was the same as the Chudnoye variety. Bratchud also started fruiting very late. I stored the fruits of the 2006 harvest in order to test their ability to keep for a long time. The storage technology was my usual - in tied plastic bags and then in a vegetable pit. I tasted the fruits in December and January 20, when they had already begun to deteriorate. Both in the first and in the second period of tasting, the taste of the fruit was bad. You can call the fruits absolutely inedible. In short, I am completely disappointed in this variety. I don’t know how it is in Chelyabinsk, but in our country, due to the much smaller amount of summer heat, its fruits do not ripen at all. And what taste of its fruits should be north of Yekaterinburg, where there is even less heat in summer?

In my opinion, like the Chudnoye variety, Bratchud is not very suitable for cultivation in the Sverdlovsk region in any form. I would like to add here that M. A. Mazunin often complains that it is not his varieties of “super-dwarf apple trees” that behave badly, but it is not clear what varieties of such apple trees grown by various random persons. But in my case, I purchased Chudny and Bratchud seedlings from a person who brought them directly from M.A. Mazunin.

Spring. Bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium height. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is good. Scab resistance is good. The fruits are medium in size, weighing 95 g. The color is bright red on most of the fruit. The pulp has a very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and remain in bed until the end of May.

The first grafts of this variety were made in 2001 on two Progress trees. In the first years, the gains on vaccinations were distinguished by good growth. In the third year, one of the vaccinations bore fruit. The fruits were not particularly large, but were very attractive, having a bright red color. They were firmly attached to the tree. I took the fruit at the end of September. They had very good taste. In subsequent years, the increase in vaccinations decreased. Vaccinations of other varieties began to drown out the vaccinations of the Spring. I also observed weak growth in grafts of this variety on young seedlings. The growth of shoots in grafts is especially slowed down, according to my observations, from the beginning of their fruiting. I exhibited the fruits of Spring twice at the autumn exhibitions in the Rossiya KOSK with their tasting. All visitors who tasted the fruits of this variety gave them a very high rating. Unfortunately, I have not yet achieved large harvests of Spring fruits, but, nevertheless, for three years now I have been laying most of its fruit harvest for storage and checking their quality throughout the winter. I want to say directly that I am pleased with the taste of the fruits of this variety and the ability to be successfully stored in tied plastic bags in a vegetable pit until May and beyond. In my opinion spring- very interesting variety deserving the widest cultivation.

VEM is yellow. A new scab-resistant winter variety. Obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium vigor. Highly winter hardy. Early. The yield is good. The fruits are medium in size, weighing 95 g. The color is yellow. The pulp has a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and remain in bed until March.

The first graft of this variety was made in July 2000 on a young seedling in a lateral branch at a height of 80 cm. The graft began to grow very strongly and is now grown on the main trunk. When describing the Good News variety, I already wrote that along with the Good News vaccinations, VEM yellow vaccinations were made by mistake, which was determined by the fruits. So there, the grafts of VEM yellow also stood out with stronger growth than the grafts of other varieties. The beginning of the fruiting of the inoculations began in the fourth year, and they pleased me with the harvest of large apples. A graft made in the upper tier of the Imbelana tree is illuminated very well from all sides. And she brought me amazing fruits in size (140-160 g), color and taste. The wife took with her to work, as a birthday present for one of the employees, several of these fruits. This employee cut one apple and treated her colleagues. The general opinion of all was that such tasty apples cannot grow in the Urals. The pulp of these fruits was juicy, dense, crispy, reminiscent of the taste of pineapple. In 2006, the harvest from all inoculations of this variety was just wonderful. I tried storing the fruits in tied plastic bags. In early December, the fruits in the bags began to turn black and deteriorate from the inside, they had to be brought home. I plan to conduct a more thorough test of their keeping quality in the future. Maybe storage in tied plastic bags is not suitable for them and they require storage in the open? I exhibited the fruits of VEM yellow twice at the autumn fairs in the Rossiya KOSK, and they very much attracted visitors. And after tasting the fruits, all visitors would like to have this variety in their garden. According to my observations, VEM yellow has a great growth force. In addition, with separate rootstocks (I have Progress), the variety does not quite good compatibility. In my opinion, VEM yellow is a good interesting variety that deserves wide distribution.

VEM souvenir. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium height. Winter hardiness is high. Early. The yield is high. Has immunity to scab disease. Fruits of medium size, weighing 100 g. Coloring- red stripes on most of the fruit. Pulp of excellent sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and are stored until the end of February.

The first grafts of this variety were made in 2001 on two trees of Progress and on the tree of Seyants Persianka in the lower wild branches extending from the rootstock. In 2002, I also vaccinated a young seedling. Shoot vigor on all rootstocks was moderate and compatibility with all rootstocks was good. Since 2003, the fruits of the VEM souvenir were exhibited annually at all autumn exhibitions in Koska "Russia" and many visitors could see and taste them.

In all these years, the fruits of this variety have received very high marks from visitors for their appearance, size, color and, above all, for taste. Their pulp, although coarse-grained, creates a harmonious combination of sugar and acid, has a very pleasant aftertaste, and in general gives an excellent taste. The yield of the variety in vaccinations is good. High winter hardiness can only be tested by time. In the first years of VEM, the souvenir was included in the classification of autumn-winter varieties, now, most likely, it should be attributed to late autumn varieties.

In 2002, I grafted a VEM souvenir onto a young seedling that was growing half a meter from the path, planning to move it to a new location. In 2004, having carefully looked at the young tree, he decided that it did not make sense to transplant it, as this would worsen its further growth and delay the start of normal fruiting. The decision was made- form this young tree in the form of a narrow pyramidal spindle and move the path from it. Soon this tree will begin to bear fruit well.

I think VEM souvenir is very good new high winter-hardy variety, which has a high yield, scab immunity and excellent fruit taste. I would attribute the disadvantage of the variety to the fact that the fruits of the VEM souvenir are not stored until the end of February, but are stored for one or two months less. However, I believe that this new and interesting variety is worthy of growing on most of our garden plots.

Dwarf. The variety was obtained by A. V. Petrov in the 50s of the last century at the Moscow Fruit and Berry Experimental Station. The tree is medium. Under our conditions it is moderately hardy. In cold and low places and in the northern regions of the region, the variety is recommended to be grown only in slate form. The yield is high. Early. Scab resistant. The sample available at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station differs from the one described in the literature in large-fruited, better taste and good keeping quality. The fruits are very large, weighing 180 g. The color is cream, with pink stripes. The pulp is juicy, very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and are capable of winter storage. Most likely- this description is not of a Gnome, but of some other apple variety imported from the Moscow fruit and berry station. Since the specified description does not at all converge with the description of the real Dwarf.

I have grafted this variety on four apple trees. The two trees of Progress have already harvested three times. So far there has been no fruiting on Imbelyany and Ekrannoy grafted trees. I want to note here that the graftings of very many varieties on the trees of Progress begin to bear fruit earlier. For example, it happened in the second year after vaccination. I showed the fruits of the Gnome twice at the autumn exhibitions in KOSK "Russia". They amazed many visitors with their size. After the last exhibition, I kept all winter varieties of apple trees first on the balcony, and then in the refrigerator. On January 12, I decided to taste the fruits of the Gnome, taken on September 8. They are well preserved. The flesh was juicy and dense, but only of good taste. I also tasted the fruits of the Gnome, taken in early October and stored in tied plastic bags in a vegetable pit. They were also well preserved, without signs of aging, and could still lie further. But their taste was also only good and I didn't really like it. Most likely, the taste was affected by the cold summer. I'll try to keep an eye on this variety. In my opinion, Gnome is a variety for lovers of very large fruits that can be stored for a long time.

Bugler. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. The tree is powerful, with a wide pyramidal crown. Winter hardiness is very high. Early and high yielding. Scab resistant. Fruits weighing up to 100 g. The color is very bright, solid, red-orange. The pulp is juicy, good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of the second decade of August and are stored for 2-3 weeks. The fruits are good for the production of natural juices.

I have several fruitful Bumper grafts. The fruits of this variety, when ripe, are very well eaten directly from the tree. Reviews of familiar gardeners about Hornist I have very good. The variety is very suitable for the northern regions of our region. I have information that Hornist grows well even north of Ivdel. I believe that this variety deserves the attention of gardeners in both the middle and southern parts of the Sverdlovsk region.

Country. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from pollination of Isetsky with a mixture of pollen from Melba, Dreams and Candy. Tree of medium height, with a rounded crown. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is high. Practically not affected by scab. Fruits of medium size, weighing 90 g. The color is pale yellow, one-color. The pulp has a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in the second half of August and are practically not stored.

I made the first inoculation of this variety in the crown of Amber, but too close to the trunk. Due to too much shading and competition with other branches, the graft practically did not grow. To ensure the growth of this graft, several large branches of Amber had to be cut. The second time Dachnaya was vaccinated by me in 2000 on three branches in the crown of Aroma Uktus. These vaccinations were immediately observed good growth. The first fruiting began in the third year. The fruits somehow reminded me of Papirovka, were summer term ripening, ripened all at once and immediately crumbled. The taste was good, but in the juiciness of the pulp, they lost to the fruits of Papirovka. It is good to have such a variety only in grafts, no more than three or four branches, since when this variety is grown as a whole separate tree with a large annual yield of fruits and with their very rapid over-ripening, the lion's share of the crop will irrevocably deteriorate. Although some gardeners have such a property of Dachnaya as a very rapid ripening of fruits after picking, it happens and suits them. I have such familiar gardeners. I now have Dachnaya vaccinations that grow very well and give a lot of fruits that I do not have time to use in a short time. Therefore, I plan to reduce the number of inoculations of this variety. To grow or not to grow this kind of apple tree- gardeners must decide for themselves.

Baby. The variety was obtained by M. A. Mazunin at the South Ural NIIPOK. I did not find a description of this variety in the literature, so I will describe it based on observations in my garden. I was presented with a seedling of Detsky on a dwarf rootstock in the fall of 2001 and was told that it was a very good variety of apple trees. I found a free piece of land for planting it and began to wait for the harvest. A little later, a graft was made on the Children's and on the Progress tree. Shoot growth was average. In 2006, fruiting began both on his tree and on the graft. The fruits weighed about 120 g, their color was light. The taste of the pulp was fresh-sweet, with a very small amount of acid. The fruits ripened in early September. The name of the variety Children, in my opinion, was not given in vain, since both the grandson and granddaughter eat his apples with pleasure and ask for more. I exhibited the fruits of this variety at exhibitions in KOSK "Russia" and conducted a tasting by visitors. Some visitors, after tasting, became interested in the variety and asked for its cuttings for grafting. The tree and the Children's graft have not yet frozen slightly and show good winter hardiness. This variety, like the varieties of L. A. Kotov: Scarlet Sweetness, Sweet Tooth, Sweet Bliss, Seman, Sugar, Candy, are interesting for gardeners who love pure sweet apples, as well as for gardeners whose families have children. I consider the apple tree variety Detskoe interesting for growing in the garden plots of our region.

Pepinchik's daughter. The variety was obtained by N. N. Tikhonov at the Krasnoyarsk fruit and berry experimental station. Weak tree. Winter hardiness is very high. Early. The yield is good. Scab resistant. The fruits are small, weighing 15-20 g. The color is entirely burgundy. The pulp has a very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and can be stored until early March. Due to its very high winter hardiness, the variety can be successfully cultivated in low places and the northern regions of the region. In other places of the region, Pepinchik's Daughter can be grown as an insurance variety for frosty and especially frosty winters.

I wanted to use this variety as a winter-hardy stem-former for grafting other varieties on it. For this purpose, it was grafted on two trees of Progress and on seedlings. The result is the same everywhere, all vaccinations have very weak growth. Any upper side branch at the rootstock takes the lead over the grafts of Pepinchik's Daughter, and the grafts of this variety, especially under the weight of the fruit, turn into ordinary side branches with slow growth. For this reason, Pepinchik's Daughter is absolutely not suitable for use as a skeleton or stamp former. The fruits are, of course, very small. True, at the same time they have a fairly good taste and are readily eaten in September and October. During storage, they lose their juiciness, and their taste deteriorates somewhat. I decided to test the suitability of young seedlings of this variety as a rootstock, for which I sowed its seeds. In my opinion, the variety can really be of interest only for gardens located in frost-prone places and in the northern regions of the region.

Zarya pineapple. It is a clone of the Zarya variety, obtained by P. A. Dibrova at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from sowing seeds of Soldatovka No. 3 from free pollination. Fruits of medium size (100-120 g). The main color is light greenish, during storage it becomes light yellow, integumentary- carmine stripes and specks. The pulp is greenish-creamy, juicy, fine-grained, of good wine-sweet taste. The fruits are harvested in the second half of September, consumption in November- March. Trees are medium. Winter hardiness is moderate, in the winter of 1966-67 the trees froze very much. It can be grown in an open form only in elevated, wind-protected places with good cold air flow or in a slate form.

I did not know anything about the winter hardiness of this variety at that time, and I grafted its cuttings onto the slates of Pepin saffron and Papirovka, in order to also grow them in the slate form. The first fruits that appeared on these vaccinations made a good impression on me. They were about 80 g in weight, elongated-oval in shape, completely covered with a bright crimson-red blush. The pulp was light green, dense, tender, fine-grained, juicy, with a very good sweet-sour taste, with a hint of pineapple. The fruits were harvested at the end of the first decade of September. But my vaccinations were made in the middle of the crown and developed very poorly, due to their strong shading by neighboring branches.

At the same time, I vaccinated the indicated variety with a neighbor in Siberia. The grafts of several varieties on it died due to incompatibility, and the graft into the lateral branch of Zarya pineapple grew well and bore fruit for several more years. An Siberian tree with a graft of this variety turned out to be very one-sided, and so that the graft would not break off under the weight of the fruit, a permanent support had to be made under it. But three years ago, the branch with the graft was still torn off the trunk. The neighbor regretted the loss of the Zarya pineapple inoculation, since everyone used its fruits with pleasure. At one time, I sold seedlings of this variety to familiar gardeners, and they themselves reminded me of them. They said that everyone is very pleased with the fruits of Zarya pineapple and until they eat them, they do not want to eat fruits of other varieties. Yes, and I have now decided that it is high time for me to take a closer look at this variety, despite its relatively low winter hardiness.

Green Ural. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Medium tree. Winter hardiness is good. Fast-growing with high yield. Scab resistance is good. Fruits weighing 80 g. Coloring is green. The pulp has a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in September and remain in bed until January.

I have two grafts of this variety in my garden. Their fruiting has been observed for several years. Fruit sizes- less than above, fruit flavor- only satisfactory, and they remain in bed only until the end of October. I consider the variety not worthy of the attention of gardeners.

Imbelyan. A variety immune to scab was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station. The tree is medium. Winter hardiness is high. Fast-growing, with good yield. Fruits of medium size (100 g), white color, good sweet and sour taste. They ripen in early September and remain in bed until the end of November.

This variety came to me more than ten years ago. At that time, L. A. Kotov’s assistant, T. A. Makarova, gave me cuttings of several varieties of apple trees with signed labels for testing. While grafting cuttings in my garden, I did not understand the name on the label from these cuttings. I discarded the first two incomprehensibly written letters IM and left only the distinctly written word of Belyan. Under this name, this variety stayed with me for a long time. And then I didn’t know about the existence of immune varieties of apple trees, as the discarded letters IM indicate. The cuttings were grafted onto the seedling, and the grafts quickly and imperceptibly grew and in the fifth year gave the first crop of fruits. The fruits were 120-130 g in weight, with white-yellow, juicy, good sweet-sour taste pulp. The first opinion was, why grow non-winter-hardy Papirovka in the stlanets, when here it is a variety that can replace it, however, it ripens a little later. In the second year, the tree rested. On the third day, they were pleased with a good harvest, but the apples were already smaller and much more sour, because of the cold summer they did not have enough heat. The winter of 1998-99 overwintered well and confirmed its high winter hardiness. I have been grafting other varieties on this tree since 2000. The young tree of Imbelyana grows in the garden and at the son's in the village. The winter of 2005-2006 did not affect him at all. Last summer, this variety pleased me with a very large harvest. The variety is summer-autumn, there was nowhere to put the apples, and the wife, so as not to throw them away at all, went out with them to the market. She cut one apple for testing, and everyone who tried it sold out all the apples in 5 minutes. In my opinion, the variety deserves the attention of gardeners.

Iset is white. The new variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. The tree is medium. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is good. Practically not affected by scab. The fruits are large (130-165 g). The color is white, sometimes with a slight tan in the form of blurry stripes. The pulp is white, dense, fine-grained, very good taste. The fruits ripen at the end of August and are stored for 1.5-2 months.

Inoculations of this variety in my garden were made in the crowns of Uktus Aroma and Progress trees. The first harvest was in the third year. The fruits were really very large, but I did not like their taste. It was far from very good taste. There was no harvest the following year. Vaccinations grew normally. The size of the fruit and color fully corresponded to those described above. But for all the years, both with warm and cold summers, there was no very good taste of fruits. So far, left the variety for further testing. I also cannot yet express my final opinion to gardeners about this variety.

Chinese gold early. The variety was bred by I. V. Michurin from the seeds of White filling, pollinated by Kitayka. The tree has a relatively small pyramidal crown shape. Winter hardiness for open culture in the Sverdlovsk region is insufficient. In frosty winters, the tree freezes heavily with the death of part or all of the crown to the level of snow. The yield is very low. For 30 years of growth in the garden, a good harvest was observed only four times. Fruiting begins in the second or third year after planting. In wet years it is affected by scab. The fruits are small, weighing 30 g, yellow-golden in color, fragrant, good sweet and sour taste. They ripen very early (at the end of July- the first days of August) and are stored for two to three weeks. The main advantage of the variety is very early term fruit ripening. Due to very low winter hardiness and very low yields, the 30-year-old tree of this variety had to be uprooted and removed from the garden. I consider this variety of apple trees not currently deserving of the attention of gardeners in the region. He gave his characterization only so that gardeners would not make attempts to grow it in their garden plots.

Cinnamon new. A variety of early winter ripening was obtained by S. I. Isaev at VNIIS. Michurin from crossing Brown Striped with Welsey. The tree is vigorous, with a broom-shaped crown. Winter hardiness for our conditions is insufficient, it can be grown only in slate form. Early fruiting is average (begins to bear fruit for 5-6 years). Yields increase slowly, at a mature age in a year gives high yields. Scab resistant. The fruits are above medium and large size (up to 275 g). The main color is greenish-yellow with dark red stripes over the entire surface. The pulp is creamy, dense, juicy, excellent taste with a pleasant aroma. Removable maturity- In the middle- late September, the fruits can be stored until the end of January, often until the end of February.

For this variety, I did not work out personal opinion. I think that it is necessary to additionally study its behavior in the slate form and in the open form in high grafting on winter-hardy boles. So for now, I don't make any recommendations.

In addition to the apple tree cultivars described here, in the same years I purchased at the Sverdlovsk horticulture breeding station cuttings of a number of apple cultivars bred at this station for open cultivation, which, in the form of grafts or individual trees, were also tested under the conditions of my garden plot.

These were the following varieties: Aroma of Uktus Persian, Screen, Silver Hoof, Nastenka, Marina, Rumyanka Sverdlovsk. As well as tests of the indicated slate varieties, tests of these standard varieties were carried out when growing their individual trees or grafting into the crown of trees of different other varieties. The characteristics of these apple varieties and the results of their cultivation are given below.

Beauty of Sverdlovsk. The variety was bred by P. A. Dibrova, L. G. Vengerova, L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from sowing seeds of an unknown southern variety, most likely Jonathan. The tree is medium-sized, with a sparse crown. Winter hardiness is average. In the northern regions of the region and in low places, the variety should be grown only in slate form. Although in the rest of the region its cultivation is also more reliable in slate form. The tree is quite fast growing. Productivity during normal wintering is good. The variety is practically resistant to scab. The fruits are large (120-160 g). Cream coloring, integumentary- in the form of a bright red blush on most of the fruit. The flesh is pale cream, dense, fine-grained, prickly type, juicy, very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in September and are stored until March-April.

The variety has been multiplying massively for more than a quarter of a century and is known to very many not only in the Sverdlovsk region. Large, dense, very good or excellent taste, its fruits with an original color peculiar only to them, cannot be confused with fruits of other varieties. Its fruits are very well stored, including in tied plastic bags. There is practically no scab either on the fruits or on the leaves. But in some years, there is a shrinking of the fruits and cracking of some of them. For many years, the variety does not differ in productivity.

Currently, one tree of Krasa Sverdlovsk is growing in my garden. The trunk and the branches on it, except for the lower ones, grow in an open form. Several lower branches are horizontally low to the ground. Moreover, two of them are pinned to the ground and covered with soil for rooting. This variety is also grafted into the crowns of two Progress trees at a height of about 2 m from the ground. I did not receive very large harvests of the fruits of Krasa Sverdlovsk, but I would very much like to receive them and lay them on long-term storage. In 2006, the fruit harvest of Krasa Sverdlovsk was very small,- probably fruit buds froze in winter. Now I am trying to apply different techniques to the tree and grafts of this variety in order to increase the yield of the variety. Despite all that has been said, I consider Krasa of Sverdlovsk to be a very good winter variety, deserving of wide distribution throughout the entire Sverdlovsk region, but better- everywhere in slate form.

Carol. Late summer variety of Canadian origin. Tree of moderate growth and spreading crown. The winter hardiness of the variety is insufficient for growing in open culture. The variety can only be grown in slate form. The variety is early-growing, with a good annual yield. Not resistant to scab. Medium-sized fruits (100-120 g). The main color is greenish, the covered fruit is almost completely colored with an intense red color. The flesh of the fruit is white, fine-grained, very juicy, excellent taste. The fruits are harvested in mid-September, they are stored until mid-November.

For some reason, Carol's initial inoculation died on my site, but I sold a seedling of this variety to one of the gardeners in our collective garden. So I went to this grower to ask him for cuttings from Carol's tree to graft. By this time, a tree of this variety was already bearing fruit, and he admired its fruits. He let me cut the cuttings, and I re-grafted Carol in several places on rootstock 134 and on the seedling. All my vaccinations went well in growth, and a neighbor's tree of this variety died a year later. And he reminded me for several years that I was responsible for the death of his Carol tree, as I cut cuttings from it for myself. I had to grow a new seedling of this variety for this neighbor and give it to him for planting. Unfortunately, such incidents do happen.

I planned to form Carol's tree in a graft on a seedling in a two-tiered form - one trunk in the form of a trunk in an open form, all the rest and lower branches - in the form of a stalk. When bending down in the autumn, I found that the wood of the second trunk did not bend well, and I decided not to bend it down. Now this tree has formed in the form of two trunks for open cultivation and lower branches that are bent down annually and covered with snow for the winter. Bending down and protecting the lower branches is done to ensure the safety of the variety in frosty winters. The experience of growing this tree of the Carol variety showed that it survived the winter of 1998-99, which was very bad for overwintering for all our fruit crops, without major damage. I exhibited the fruits of Carol three times at the autumn exhibitions in the Rossiya KOSK. Visitors always paid attention to its fruits, and after tasting they admired their amazing taste, little believing that they were grown in the Urals.

In my opinion, for the very high quality of the fruit (according to my assessment 4.8 points), good yield in the slate form (due to the freezing of fruit buds, there was no fruit harvest on the part of the crown not covered with snow in the fall of 2006, the fruits were only on the branches covered with snow), the absence of scab damage (in the conditions of my site, the variety was not affected by scab), I consider it possible to grow the Carol variety in slate form in all garden plots in the Sverdlovsk region.

Affectionate. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk sectional horticultural station. The tree is vigorous, with a high oval crown. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is high. Scab resistance in wet years is average. Fruits of medium size, weighing 80-100 g. Coloring - on a cream background- bright red blurred blush. The pulp is tender, fine-grained, of good or very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in mid-September and are stored for 1.5-2 months.

This variety was grafted in the spring of 2000 into the crown of Progress on the western side at a height of 70 cm from the ground. Although there is little sunlight there, the graft is growing well so far. The first fruit harvest was obtained in the third year. The taste of apples did not make a good impression on me. In the garden of my son in the village, a young tree of Laskova grows, and two more seedlings have been grafted with her. I noticed that without watering and good nutrition, the growth strength of an individual tree, and the grafting of this variety is noticeably reduced. The variety endured the winter of 2005-2006 well. Last season there was a large harvest of fruits, especially on grafts. To check the keeping quality of the fruits, I put them in tied plastic bags and placed them in a vegetable pit. The last bag of apples was removed from storage on January 21. Oddly enough, but the apples in this package are well preserved. About 15% of apples began to spoil, the rest could be stored even longer. The taste of the fruits of this harvest year was slightly better than in the previous year, but it was still not higher than 4 points. So far, Laskova has left a separate tree and grafts for further testing. But if the improvement in the taste of the fruit does not occur, then it may be necessary to part with the variety. If the taste of the fruits of Laskova suits gardeners, then they can successfully grow the specified variety.

Lobo. Variety Canadian selection, with fruits of winter ripening, is a seedling of the Mekintosh variety from free pollination. Tree of medium vigor, with a rare wide-rounded crown. Winter hardiness is higher than that of Mekintosh, but in the Sverdlovsk region it can also be grown only in slate form. The variety is fast growing and productive. In wet years, leaves are affected by scab quite strongly, fruits- to an average degree. Fruits of medium or above average size (100-125 g), the main color is greenish-yellow, integumentary- beautiful intense raspberry-red speckled blush. The pulp is white, juicy, tender, fine-grained, with a very pleasant sweet and sour taste. Fruit picking is carried out at the end of September- early March. The fruits are stored until the beginning of March.

Variety Lobo in my garden in grafting and separate trees grows in many places. Moreover, vaccinations were made both on vigorous rootstocks, and on dwarf 134 and medium-sized Progress. Part of the grafts and trees grows in the form of slats, one tree, grafted onto 134 rootstocks and first formed in the form of slats, now grows in the form of stalks and bushes. In 2003-2004, the Lobo variety was grafted onto two Progress rootstock trees, which I use as a stem former for very many insufficiently winter-hardy varieties, at a height of one and a half- two meters. Grafts began to grow very well and gave a harvest in the second or third year. It is known that January 2006 was very frosty with long 40 degree temperatures. But all the shoots and fruit buds were very well preserved on these vaccinations, and in the fall they gave a very good harvest of fruits. True, due to a large number in my garden last year, the codling moths, many fruits of this variety were amazed by it.

Currently, the Lobo apple variety is growing on many sites of my acquaintances in our collective garden, as well as in other collective gardens. In most garden plots, the variety is grown in slate form, and in some places in bush and even standard forms. Although in the winter of 1998-99, bush and standard trees there was a death of the above-ground part at the level of snow from freezing. But from the living parts of the crown preserved in the snow, these trees recovered again. In my opinion, for the very high taste qualities of fruits (my taste score is 4.8 points), their transportability, very good preservation in tied plastic bags, high yield, resistance to scab disease (despite the data on the strong susceptibility of the variety to scab disease, he never had this disease with me) the variety deserves to be grown in a slate form in every garden. In especially favorable climatic conditions on winter-hardy standard formers, you can try to risk growing it in standard form.

Malobrusyanskoye (GS 11-19/18). An elite seedling was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. In 2000, I drew attention to one of the grafts of the Uktus dessert apple tree with fruits. The fruits were not similar in description to the fruits of the Uktus dessert. They were larger, had a brighter color. In mid-September, they already had quite a good taste. The next year, other grafts of the Uktus dessert fruited on other trees. The apples on these inoculations were different and resembled the description of Uktus dessert apples.

In 2003, I exhibited both samples of these fruits at the autumn exhibition in KOSK "Russia", signing on the labels one- Uktus dessert, others- unknown variety. The fruits of an unknown exhibited variety were of medium size, weighing 110 g. The main color is light green, integumentary - red striped blush. The flesh is initially light green, when fully ripe- white, juicy, good sweet and sour taste. I turned to many, so that they determined the name of this variety by the fruits. But neither knowledgeable gardeners nor experts could determine the name of the variety for me. A seedling of this unknown variety was planted in 1997 in the garden of a son in the village. In the winter of 1998-99, it froze to the level of snow. From the living part of the stem remaining in the snow, a tree of not very high growth was subsequently grown, which bore fruit and gave fruits of the same unknown variety.

In 2004, a good harvest of fruits was planned from the inoculation of this unknown variety. I was in no hurry with harvesting, because I saw that the fruits were still poorly colored and not ready for picking. And when in mid-September he arrived at the garden plot, he saw that all the apples were on the ground. I had to collect them in a box and put them in storage on the balcony, since such fallen fruits are not suitable for long-term storage in a pit. After a couple of weeks, they acquired a very good taste, and everyone ate them with pleasure.

Taking a few remaining apples, I went with them to the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. I bought cuttings of both an unknown variety and Uktus dessert at the station, so the ends could only be found there. L. A. Kotov tried the apples of this unknown variety that I brought, which in shape, color and taste resembled the fruits of Melba, only their stalk was very short, unlike the fruits of Melba, and listened to the story of the appearance of the variety from me. In his breeding journals, he found that, according to all data, the unknown variety corresponds to the elite seedling GS 11-19/18. Knowing that it is very problematic to come up with a name for some new variety, I suggested the name Malobrusyanskoe, after the name of the village where this variety grew as a separate tree in my son's garden. All this was recorded in the journal entries of L. A. Kotov.

In the winter of 2005-2006, an apple tree in the garden in the village and grafting on garden plot they endured it well and in the fall pleased us with a bountiful harvest. Knowing that the fruits can crumble, I had to selectively collect them and store them in boxes in the summer room until severe frosts.

To protect against frost, all the boxes at the end of autumn were put together in one place, covered with a film on top and, for greater insulation, with different rags and rags. With the onset of sufficiently severe frosts, the fruits were sorted in boxes and the fruits suitable for storage were carefully packed in plastic bags, on which the name of the variety was written with a marker. The bags were then packed back into boxes and placed in a vegetable pit for further storage. In the fall of 2006, I deposited five buckets of this variety. The last fruits from storage were withdrawn in January of this year.

After the autumn exhibition of 2003, I kept Malobrusyansky's apples in the refrigerator. For consumption, I got them in the twentieth of March. The fruits were well preserved and in terms of their qualities were in second place among the eight varieties stored. Such a long description of this variety is connected with the unusual fate of its appearance with me.

The variety also has its drawbacks. Its winter hardiness is only average, and scab resistance- below average. Fruit picking must be selective. Due to the very tender pulp, the variety has a reduced transportability.

But, despite these shortcomings, the variety, in my opinion, deserves great attention from gardeners. By the way, over the past few years, many gardeners have been asking me for his cuttings for grafting.

Mantet. Late summer Canadian variety. A medium sized tree with a broad pyramidal crown. The winter hardiness of the variety for growing in an open form is insufficient. It can only be grown in slate form. The variety is early-growing, with a good, but periodic yield. Scab resistance is average. Fruits of medium size (90-100 g, maximum 130 g). The main color is greenish-yellow, integumentary- crimson red in the form of merging stripes. The fruits are very beautiful. The pulp is white, dense, juicy, dessert sweet and sour taste. Removable maturity comes with us from 10 to 20 August. The fruits do not ripen at the same time; they can be stored in a refrigerator or cold cellar for about two months.

This variety grows in my grafts on a winter-hardy apple tree at a height of one and a half meters. To guarantee the preservation of the variety from freezing, I also grow it in the form of a separate slate tree. All the qualities of the fruit (I rate the taste of the fruit at 4.5-4.7 points) and the yield of the variety under my conditions correspond to those described above. At my neighbors in the plot, this variety grows in bush form and so far feels relatively well. They are very pleased with the taste of its fruits. In my opinion, the variety deserves to be grown in our gardens in slate form. It can be a good substitute for Grushovka Moskva, which is still grown in some of our gardens.

Marina. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing Samotsvet with Nega. The tree is medium-sized, with a rounded crown. Winter hardiness is good, flowers are resistant to spring frosts.

Fast-growing, with a high annual yield. Fruits and leaves are resistant to scab. Fruits of medium size (80-100 g). The color is greenish-yellow, covered with a striped blush. The pulp is juicy, coarse-grained, medium sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in September, stored in bed until March-April.

This variety grows in my graft on the Screen tree, neighbors and acquaintances grow twelve-year-old trees of this variety, and they, despite the not very good taste of its fruits, are satisfied with the variety and note its good qualities such as resistance of flowers to spring frosts, abundant yield, good shelf life, resistance to scab. I believe that Marina should be grown. And if someone does not like the taste of its fruits, then such a completely winter-hardy tree can be re-grafted with other more worthy varieties.

Mekintosh. Variety of Canadian origin, with fruits of winter ripening. Medium-sized tree with a wide spreading crown. Winter hardiness is low. In our conditions, the variety can be cultivated only exclusively in the form of slats with careful shelter of the tree for the winter with snow. Early fertility is average (for the 6-7th year). The yield is annual and moderate. Resistance to fruit and leaf scab is weak. Fruits of medium or above-average size (100-120 g), brightly colored. The color of the skin is greenish-yellow, with a blurred intense bright red blush and carmine stripes all over the fruit, with a bluish bloom. The pulp is white, melting, very tender, juicy, excellent wine-sweet taste with a pleasant aroma. Removable maturity comes at the end of September- early October. Fruits in our conditions are stored until the end of March.

I am now growing this variety in slate form on a dwarf rootstock 134. Oddly enough, but in the conditions of my garden, I have never observed its scab damage. I usually pick fruits from a tree at the very end of September. The fruits are well preserved in tied plastic bags in a vegetable pit. The characteristics of the fruits in our conditions are fully consistent with those described above. My assessment of the taste of fruits- 4.8 points. True, due to the fact that the variety is grown on my dwarf rootstock, the fruits are larger.- up to 160-170 g. In some years, there is a periodicity of fruiting. In my opinion, the Mekintosh apple variety is in all respects an excellent winter variety for growing in our area in slate form.

Melba. The variety was bred at the Ottawa Experimental Station in Canada by sowing Mackintosh seeds from free pollination. The tree is vigorous, with a broad oval or rounded crown. In our conditions, the winter hardiness of the tree is reduced. It can only be reliably grown in slate form. At the time of fruiting, it enters the fourth or fifth year. In favorable conditions, provided that all branches are bent to the ground and the tree is covered with snow for the winter, the yield is plentiful. The variety, especially in wet years, is strongly affected by scab. The fruits are above average, often very large (up to 300 g). The main color of the fruit is greenish-porcelain, with a delicate striped blush. The pulp is snow-white, juicy, tender, with a wonderful dessert taste. Removable fruit ripeness comes at the end of August- early September. The fruits taken in the first decade of September are stored under our conditions until the end of December- end of January. That is, the variety is practically autumnal in our region. The variety is very widespread in all areas of horticulture in Russia and is, in fact, one of the most famous summer varieties in the country.

The first seedling of the Melba variety was purchased at the Sverdlovsk Horticulture Experimental Station in 1975 and planted obliquely to form a slate crown. The first harvest of fruit taken from a tree grown from this seedling immediately interested me, and I grafted this variety on one of the branches of the Pepin saffron apple tree. Several pieces of wild animals growing with neighbors were also grafted with this variety. Thus, Melba seedlings began to spread throughout our collective garden and beyond. The first Melba tree was planted low in relation to the soil surface, and in one of the springs, five years after planting, it was in the water for several days. I had to save this tree by constantly pumping out water. Subsequently, the tree grew safely and gave high yields. Several branches of this tree were specially covered with earth for rooting, and after rooting they were separated from the mother tree and replanted. In a new place for debarked branches, an overestimated landing was made. Near the old tree, the trunk circle was gradually covered with earth. The base of the tree was also covered. This tree continued to grow and bear fruit well. Now he has one large root branch.

Now, on my brother's plot, next to my plot, there is a twenty-year-old Melba tree, which in the early years was formed in a slate form. But then the tree did not form in a slate form, the branches did not bend down for the winter and were not covered with snow. As a result, the tree formed a slate-bush-like crown. The tree is still growing and bearing fruit well. True, the yields are not very high. The fourteen-year-old Melba tree also grows, originally formed in a slate form. But in the winter of 1998-99, its crown froze hard and it observed the death of individual branches. To date, the crown of this tree has recovered. In the 2006 season, for the first time in many years, in our collective garden, no one had a harvest of fruits on Melba trees, with the exception of single fruits, although in many other collective gardens she gave a very good harvest. Moreover, a good harvest of Melba is mainly obtained only from slate trees.

In my opinion, the Melba apple variety in our conditions deserves the highest rating at 5 points. And I strongly recommend that all gardeners in the Sverdlovsk region grow this variety in their garden plots, but only in slate form.

Dreamer. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from crossing varieties Yantar and Skoroplodnoe winter. The tree is medium. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is plentiful. Scab resistance is average. The fruits are medium and large (80-100 g, maximum 140 g). The color is yellowish-white, with a speckled striped blush. The pulp is juicy, very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in the second half of August and last up to one and a half months.

Graftings of this variety, as well as Bulk Isetsky, were also made in the crown of the Aroma Uktus tree. In the first year, the vaccines grew well. From the second year, due to shading, their growth, like the inoculations of Isetsky Naliv, stopped. The Dreamer was also grafted onto a young seedling. This graft also began to grow well, but its growth began to lean towards the ground. So I thought I had confused this graft with another variety. In the fourth year, the graft began to bear fruit, and the fruits corresponded to the varietal description of the Dreamer, and the growths ceased to lean. Last year, the grafting fruited well. At the autumn exhibition in KOSK "Russia" I already had the opportunity to exhibit the fruits of this variety. The taste of the fruit very much resembled the taste of the Mantet fruit. Everyone highly appreciated the dignity of these fruits. By September 15, the apples had lost some of their juiciness, but their taste was still very good. In my opinion, the Dreamer deserves wide distribution as a summer variety with fruits of very good taste and their long shelf life.

Iset pouring. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural station from crossing varieties of Kizer summer with Bely filling. A vigorous tree with a sparse crown. Winter hardiness is good. The variety is fast growing and productive. Scab resistance is average, in wet years both leaves and fruits can be severely affected by scab. The fruits are medium and large (up to 120 g and above). The color is dull yellow, with a slight tan on the sunny side. The pulp is coarse-grained, juicy, of good or very good taste. The fruits ripen in late August - the first half of September and are stored for one to two weeks.

I made two inoculations of this variety in the crown of the Aroma Uktus tree at a height of 1.5 m from the ground. In the first year, the vaccinations grew very well. The next year, due to the strong thickening of the crown, the growth of grafts practically stopped. Now I have done a few more grafts of this variety on the indicated tree to other, more open branches. Because of these overlays, the beginning of the fruiting of the Isetsky grafts was delayed, but I hope that it will happen very soon. I hope that the variety will be promising.

Nastenka. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing Anise purple and a mixture of pollen from the Gem and Rainbow. The tree is vigorous, with a tall crown. Winter hardiness is good. Fertility and productivity are good. In wet years it is strongly affected by scab. Fruits of medium and large size (about 100 g, large up to 180 g). The main color is greenish-yellow, the integument is a solid dark red, dull, blurry-striped blush. The pulp is greenish, juicy, sweet and sour, table taste. The fruits ripen in mid-September, stored in the mat until mid-winter.

After several years of fruiting, due to the satisfactory taste of the fruits (3-3.5 points according to my assessment) and severe scab damage to fruits and leaves, I completely cut out the graft of this apple tree variety and never tried to renew it again. This is my subjective opinion about this variety of apple trees.

Orlik. A winter variety obtained by E. N. Sedov at the Oryol fruit and berry station from crossing varieties Mekintosh and Bessemyanka Michurinskaya. Tree of medium vigor, with a rounded crown. Under our conditions, the variety is not winter-hardy and can only be grown in slate form. The variety is fast growing and productive. Scab resistance is average. Medium-sized fruits (90-100 g). The main color is greenish-yellow, integumentary - over the entire surface of the fruit in the form of stripes and a blurry thick blush. The pulp is white, dense, fine-grained, juicy, sweet and sour taste, aromatic. Removable maturity occurs at the end of September, the fruits are stored until the beginning or end of March.

Cuttings of this variety were originally grafted into the crown of Pepin saffron half a meter from the base. But since the rootstock of Pepin saffron was covered up and the further safety of this entire tree was a big question, then a seedling of Amber was planted and formed in a slate form nearby at a higher level, and two horizontal growing branches of Orlik were grafted in three places on this seedling . Now this tree still grows on two roots, but the main part of the crown is formed on a seedling. I consider the Orlik apple variety to be a very good winter variety for slate culture. Its varietal characteristics in our conditions correspond to those described above, but I would rate 4.8 points for the taste of the fruit, the same as for the fruits of the Lobo variety. I have not tried to grow this variety in an open form and I can not say anything about it. Scab disease in the conditions of my garden of a tree of this variety, I also have not yet observed. I also consider it very desirable to grow the Orlik variety in a slate form in all garden plots of our region.

Oryol striped. The variety was obtained by E. N. Sedov at the Oryol fruit and berry experimental station by crossing the varieties Mekintosh and Bessemyanka Michurinskaya. The tree is medium-sized, with a rounded crown. Differs in sko-roplodnost, regular good productivity and resistance to a scab. Fruits are above average size or large (up to 150 g).

The main color is greenish-yellow, covered with purple and crimson stripes. flesh white, medium density, tender, juicy sweet and sour taste. Removable maturity occurs in mid-September, the fruits are stored in a refrigerator or cold cellar until December.

I grew this variety on rootstock 134. The growth of the shoots was very strong- as if the variety was grafted not on a dwarf rootstock, but on a vigorous one. The tree entered into fruiting very early, gave a very large harvest of large apples. But I did not like the taste of apples, because the fruits of other varieties of apple trees growing in my area were much tastier, and I cut out the graft of this variety. Therefore, I cannot give any deeper recommendations, due to the very short period of cultivation of the Orlovskoye striped variety in my garden. Maybe someone will find the taste of the fruits of this variety quite good for themselves and will grow it in slate form. But this is already his own business.

Excellent student. Obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from crossing Anise purple with 2-74. The tree is tall, with a rounded crown. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is good. Scab resistance is average. The fruits are large, weighing 110 g. The color is pink. Pulp of excellent sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in mid-September and can be stored for 1-1.5 months.

The variety is grafted into the crown of Progress. Fruited in the third year. The fruit size is up to 200 g. The fruits look beautiful and very attractive. But the taste qualities of the fruits do not correspond to the excellent taste, their taste is much worse. The variety requires further testing. So far, I can't make any specific recommendations for this variety.

Paping - variety of folk selection, originally from the Baltic States, very popular in the Central Non-Black Earth Region and a number of other places. Tree of medium vigor, forms a crown with branches extending at an angle of 45o. Under our conditions, the variety is not winter-hardy and can only be grown in slate form. Begins to bear fruit on the fourth- the fifth year, the yield is good. Fruits and leaves are damaged by scab, especially in wet years. Fruits of medium size or large (80-120 g), color is light-straw or white, with a white coating. The flesh is snow-white, juicy, coarse-grained, tender, very good or excellent wine-sweet taste, with little aroma. The fruits ripen at the end of August, they hold firmly on the tree. Keeping fruit up to two weeks. Due to the fact that the fruits do not have an integumentary color, and their skin is very thin, darkened spots from pressure and blows are very pronounced on them.

I purchased a seedling of Papirovka at the Sverdlovsk Horticulture Experimental Station in 1973. Planting was carried out at the time of development of the garden plot. Due to the lack of sod land at this time to fill landing pit the planting of this seedling was deepened. Despite what has been said, the tree formed in the slate form began to grow well and already in the fourth year it immediately gave two buckets of very large, beautiful and very delicious fruits. For more than twenty years, one Papirovka tree fed my whole family with apples throughout August. According to my observations, the taste of Papirovka fruits in our area is very good in most years, especially in years with neither hot nor dry summers. Once or twice all the time, in hot summer weather, the apples were dry and very wadded when overripe. I rate the taste of Papirovka fruits at 4.7 points, and other gardeners I know also rate the taste of its fruits. I believe that such a well-proven, valuable, summer apple tree variety as Papirovka still deserves to be grown by gardeners, but only in the form of a slate. I am very sorry that now our gardeners have completely rejected the slate culture of the apple tree. But such a culture of fruit trees is the most reliable in our country and has only one drawback - slate trees occupy a large area.

Growing apple trees for many years, first in my parents' garden, and then on my own garden plot, by 1985 I clearly realized that the productive period of cultivation of its plantations in the Middle Urals on vigorous rootstocks should be no more than 20-25 years, and on dwarf clonal rootstocks even less. Although in some cases, when the garden is located in particularly favorable climatic conditions, with good care for the plantations for some varieties of apple trees, this period may be longer. In addition, I saw that for about the same period of time there is a significant change in the assortment of apple trees due to the inclusion of new improved varieties and the exclusion of old varieties with worse characteristics. Therefore, I decided to radically change the varietal composition of the apple tree in my garden. Considering the slate culture of the apple tree in our region as the most reliable, I decided to start changing varieties with the cultivation of its new slate varieties for me. In one of the issues of the magazine "Home gardening" for those years, I read an article by an amateur gardener in Vologda about the experience of successfully growing a number of Central Russian and American varieties of apple trees under the conditions of a slate culture. Moreover, the cultivated varieties were given very flattering characteristics. These varieties included Mekintosh, Lobo, Mantet, Carol, Orlik, Orlovskoye striped, Cinnamon new. I wanted to try all of these varieties in my garden. In the spring of 1987, with the assistance of L. A. Kotov, I purchased the cuttings of these apple varieties at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. There were no seedlings for grafting in my garden, and the acquired cuttings had to be temporarily grafted into the crown of the Pepin saffron apple tree, as well as onto several roots taken from the Amber tree. Subsequently, these varieties of apple trees were grafted onto a variety of rootstocks. Below I give the characteristics of these varieties of apple trees.

Pervouralskaya. The first variety in the Urals, immune to all five races of scab that currently exist in the world. Bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. The tree is medium. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is high. The fruits are large, on average 125 g. The color is orange-red, beautiful. The pulp is of good or very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the end of September and remain in bed until the end of May.

The first graftings of this variety, as well as the Good News, were made in July 2000 on the trees of Seyants Persian and Progress. In the first years of growth, grafts saw a strong increase. The first fruit harvest was obtained in 2004. The fruits immediately attracted my attention with their size, beauty of coloring and good taste already at the end of September when they were picked. In subsequent years, the harvest increased rapidly, and the size of the fruit also increased. The mass of individual fruits exceeded 300 g. The fruits were well stored until the end of March in tied plastic bags. This year I plan to check their safety and longer. The winter of 2005-2006 had absolutely no effect on the vaccinations of Pervouralskaya. In the fall of last year, the vaccinations were overwhelmed by the harvest of very large apples. I was in no hurry to harvest, and it suffered one of the days of September from a strong wind. The largest fruits were on the ground. When they fell, they were severely injured and were not suitable for laying in storage. And all the fruits collected from vaccinations were laid for storage. In my opinion, Pervouralskaya is in the forefront of apple varieties, not only as the first apple variety immune to scab in the Urals, but also as the first apple variety in all other respects. I advise all gardeners to get hold of this very valuable variety of apple trees.

Persian. A winter variety of apple trees was obtained by P. A. Dibrova and L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from crossing varieties of Peach with Kungur pineapple. Srednerosly tree, with a sparse rounded crown. Winter hardiness is good. Fast-growing and productive every year. In ordinary years, the variety is slightly affected by scab, in wet years- often to a great extent. Fruits of medium size and large (80-100, up to 180 g). The main color is first greenish, then yellowish, integumentary- thick carmine striped blush on the sunny side of the fruit. The pulp is coarse-grained, yellowish, juicy, with a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in mid-September, stored in the mat until March.

The variety was grafted by summer budding in the butt with two eyes on the lower thick branch (about 4 cm in diameter) of the Amber tree. In the spring, the shoots that grew out of the eyes began to quickly gain strength. The continuation of this branch of Amber after the place of inoculation was covered with earth and rooted.

After three or four years, when the thickness of the branch before the scion became less than its thickness, it was cut off from the native tree. Every year the yield from such a Persian tree increased, and I had to make a special support from two pipes beaten into the ground with a crossbar at the top under the main branches of her crown. Persian fruits are well stored in tied plastic bags in an ordinary vegetable pit. The first two or three years since the start of fruiting, I liked the fruits. However, then their significant, in my opinion, shortcomings were revealed, such as coarse, coarse-grained, not very juicy flesh and not always good taste. I rate the taste of fruits over the years of growing a variety at 3.8-4 points, and sometimes even lower, besides, in wet years, both the leaves and the fruits of Persian are strongly affected by scab. Therefore, now, in the presence of many new winter-hardy varieties of apple trees with tastier fruits, I cut out more and more branches of the Persian.

In the early years of Persian fruiting, I recommended other gardeners to grow this variety, and now I hear dissatisfaction from many of them. And I advise them, given the good winter hardiness of the Persian, to use her tree for regrafting with other better varieties. True, there were also gardeners who liked that variety. Of course, my opinion about the taste of the fruits of any apple variety, although coinciding with the opinion of many gardeners, is subjective, and gardeners are free to grow any variety they like.

Radonitsa. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing the Canadian Chinese Kerr with the Krasa Sverdlovsk variety. Tree of medium height. Winter hardiness is very high. Early. The yield is high. With good scab resistance. Fruits of medium and below average size, weighing 70-80 g.- completely covered with a dense bright crimson-red blush. They have an excellent presentation. The pulp is quite dense, crispy, tough, with a good sweet and sour taste. From the middle of winter, the flesh becomes less rigid. The fruits are harvested at the end of September, they are perfectly preserved in the bed until the end of April and beyond.

In the spring of 2001, I planted Radonitsa on one of the shoots from the roots of the Papirovka tree. In the first year, thanks to the powerful old root system, the increase in vaccination was about a meter. This variety was recommended to me as a hardy winter variety whose fruits become edible only by the new year. I calculated that such a variety would be suitable for my son’s garden in the village, because due to the low edibility of the fruits, various thieves will not touch them in the fall, they can be normally removed and laid down for long-term storage. And indeed, Radonitsa grafts are now growing in the garden in the village, they bear fruit well, and it turned out- thieves don't care about fruit. Soon, in my garden plot, the graft of this variety began to bear fruit. In 2004, several Radonitsa apples were placed in storage. I started checking the taste qualities of the laid fruits in November and December. In January, the fruits began to rot. Most likely, storage in tied plastic bags is not suitable for storing fruits of this variety. The taste of the fruits of Radonitsa in December I estimate no higher than 4 points. I also exhibited the fruits of this variety at autumn exhibitions in the Rossiya KOSK. For example, the fruits of Radonitsa looked very good at the 2005 exhibition. Some visitors, admiring the appearance of the fruits, took pictures of them. There were also those who wanted to plant this variety not only for fruit production, but also for beauty. By 2006, the Radonitsa tree had formed a good wide-pyramidal crown more than two meters high, and I decided to use the tree also for growing other varieties on it. In the spring of 2006, I grafted cuttings of four numbered elite apple seedlings onto this tree. I consider Radonitsa to be a very interesting, highly winter-hardy variety with a very long shelf life of fruits (however, it is still necessary to decide on the modes of storage of fruits). First of all, the cultivation of this variety in low places and in the northern regions of the region should be recommended. It would be interesting to test Radonitsa as an element of landscape design.

Blush Sverdlovsk. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing Aport with Eliza Ratke. The tree is medium or vigorous, with a rounded crown. Fairly winter hardy. Early and fruitful. Practically resistant to scab. The fruits are large and very large (120-180 g and more). The main color is greenish-yellow, integumentary- bright, striped, from smears and continuous mottling on most of the fruit. The pulp is coarse-grained, loose, with a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in September, stored in the bed until January.

I've had this variety for over ten years. It was grafted onto a seedling in my small nursery, and it remained to grow fifteen centimeters from another tree located on the south side. At the Rumyanka tree of Sverdlovsk, the main trunk deviated to the east and grows well, and one large branch deviated to the west. So two trees grow well together and grow, rustling their leaves in the wind. The Sverdlovsk Rumyanka tree began to bear fruit in its eighth year, which, of course, is very late. Most likely, this was caused by the cramped conditions for the growth of the tree in the first years of life. The fruits are very large, beautiful, weighing about 140-180 g. The taste is good, according to my assessment 4 points, which, I think, with the abundance of autumn varieties now with a very good and excellent taste of fruits, is not enough. So for the last two years I have been cutting out some of the branches of that variety's tree that are preventing or hindering the growth of grafts of new varieties on the neighboring tree. But, in principle, the Rumyanka Sverdlovsk variety is not bad.

Ryasnoe. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium height. Highly resistant. Fast-growing, with good yields and moderate resistance to scab. Fruits weighing 70 g. Coloring is white. The pulp has a very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in early September and last for about a month.

I have grafted this variety into the crown of Progress at a height of 2 m from the ground. The fruits of the first fruiting I really liked to my taste. Their taste resembled the fruits of Papirovki, but was more pleasant. But during the next fruiting, when the yields increased significantly, it was found that the fruits overripe very quickly and are not stored at all. At this time, there are many fruits of different summer varieties and beginning to ripen or already ripe autumn varieties, and I consider it unreasonable to grow another autumn variety with such a short shelf life of fruits. In my opinion, given the very high winter hardiness of Ryasnoy, it should be tested in the northern regions of our region. In addition, due to the lower heat supply in these areas, the fruits of Ryasnoye should ripen there later and be stored for a longer time.

Sverdlovsk. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing Amber and a mixture of pollen from varieties Orange, Zvezdochka and Samotsvet. The tree is vigorous, with a sparse crown. Winter hardiness is good. Fruiting begins at 5-6 years. The yield is good. Scab resistance in wet years is average. In ordinary years, the variety is practically not affected by scab. Fruits of average size (about 80 g). The coloration is initially light greenish, then becomes white or yellow. The pulp is fine-grained, dense, very good or excellent sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in the second half of September and remain in bed until the end of February-March.

The inoculation of the Sverdlovchanin was made in the crown of a young seedling of Amber. However, in the winter of 1998-99, this seedling suffered greatly from frost, as it turned out to be not hardy enough.

The fact is that Amber is a winter-hardy variety in our country, but due to the fact that in my garden there are many low-hardy varieties in the slate form, it is most likely that Amber flowers were pollinated by pollen from one of the low-hardy varieties. And the seedling that grew up from such pollination deviated towards the less winter-hardy parent. The grafts of Sverdlovchanin, Anis Sverdlovsky and Farmer that grew on this seedling died.

In the son's garden in the village, several grafts of Sverdlovchanin grow at a height of two meters from the ground, and the size of the grafts also reaches two meters. They had a bountiful harvest last year. On September 10, I collected a small part of the fruits for the exhibition and for testing. At this time, their taste was already very good. I planned to collect the entire crop after the end of the exhibition and put it in storage. And already on September 16, I did not find a single apple on these vaccinations and on the ground under them. Probably someone really liked them. Although on the same tree on the lower grafts of the Screen, all the fruits were intact.

In my opinion, Sverdlovchanin is an excellent winter apple variety and should be grown in every amateur garden. I once asked L. A. Kotov a question about why such a good variety of apple trees as Sverdlovchanin is so little propagated? And in response I heard: “We breed, but the demand far exceeds our capabilities.”

Silver hoof. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from crossing varieties Snezhinka and Raduga. The tree is undersized, with a rounded compact crown. Winter hardiness is good. Differs in skoroplodnost and annual good productivity. In wet years, it is moderately affected by scab. Fruits weighing 60-80 g. The main color is intense cream, integumentary- in the form of a blurry-striped blush. The pulp is creamy, dense, very juicy, good sweet and sour taste. The fruits do not crumble, ripen in mid-August, stored for one- two months. Left not removed from the tree by the end of August, they pour, become translucent.

I have this variety grown in grafting into a side branch in the crown at a height of 80 cm and bears fruit very well every year. In my opinion, the variety attracts the attention of gardeners for the low growth of the tree, early maturity, yield, juiciness and good taste, as well as the duration of fruit consumption for the summer variety. The disadvantage is- moderate scab in wet years. I don’t pay much attention to this variety, since I grow a lot of varieties of summer ripening that have a great fruit taste.

Persian seedling. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium height. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is good. Scab resistance is average. Fruits weighing 100 g. Coloring is red-striped. The pulp has a very good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in September and can be stored in bed until March.

The first grafting of this variety was made in the spring of 1999 at the top of a young seedling at a height of 1.2 m. The following year, another seedling was grafted at a height of 2 m, and this seedling was not transplanted. The first fruits appeared in the fourth year. They were with fine-grained pulp, very juicy, very good sweet and sour taste. Checking their storage showed that they were well stored in tied plastic bags in a vegetable pit until the end of February. In the son's garden in the village, the Persian Seedling was grafted on a ten-year-old seedling into a side branch on the south side, at a height of 1.5 m. In 2005, the harvest of this graft was very large, the branch with the fruits broke and lay on the lower branches. Having carefully studied the place of the fracture, I decided not to lift it, since when lifting it, it could be broken off completely. In 2006, this graft also bore good fruit. I was in no hurry with harvesting, as I was waiting for better fruit ripening due to the rather cool summer of last year. But I was late to harvest the entire crop, ahead of the thieves who collected 60-70% of the fruits. In my garden, grafted with Persian Seedling, I started grafting other varieties of apple trees. But now I think that it started to do in vain. In my opinion, due to good winter hardiness, high yield, relative resistance to scab (I did not observe any signs of scab disease of this variety at all), very good taste of fruits with a long shelf life under simplified conditions in a vegetable pit, the Persian Seedling deserves close attention of gardeners.

The sweetness of scarlet. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station. Tree of medium height. Winter hardiness is high. Fast-growing, with good yield. Scab resistance is average. Fruits weighing 70 g. The color is bright scarlet. The pulp is very sweet in taste. The fruits ripen in September and remain until the end of November.

This variety was grafted in July 2000 into the crowns of Progress trees, Aroma Uktus and young game trees. Compatibility is good everywhere. In the crown of Progress, the growth of the scarlet sweetness inoculation was weaker than other inoculations. Fruiting began in the third - fourth year. The fruits of this variety were twice exhibited by me at the autumn exhibitions in the KOSK "Russia". Although the size of the fruits was not so large, many visitors liked them. The taste of Sweet Scarlet fruits is very pleasant, sweet, practically without acid. You can eat a lot of these apples. Children especially like these fruits. But, in fact, the fruits of Sweet Scarlet with such a taste are not for everybody. Of course, the disadvantage of this variety is its rather strong susceptibility to scab disease in wet years. Fruits should be stored in the bed for up to two months. But due to the not very large harvest of fruits, which were eaten very quickly after being removed from vaccinations, it was not possible to test them for keeping quality. In my opinion, the variety is interesting for lovers of sweet apples and for those gardeners whose families have small children.

Uralul. The variety was bred by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from crossing Uralets with the variety Julia ed. Srednerosly tree, with a pyramidal crown. Winter hardiness is good. Early. The yield is good. Scab resistance is average. Fruits of medium size, weighing 80 g. The color is solid, bright red, "red" type. The pulp has a good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen in the second half of August and are stored for no more than 7-10 days.

The first inoculations of this variety were made in 2001 in the upper part of the crown of a young seedling tree. Two more inoculations were made on the Progress tree and on two small seedlings. On all rootstocks, a very powerful growth of Uralyul grafts is noted. For example, a graft in the upper part of the crown of a seedling tree is much faster than the older graft in the same part of the crown of the Persian Seedling in growth by two years. Inoculations on two young seedlings turned into powerful trees in three years. Three seedlings grew nearby with inoculations of the Farmer variety, which were also two years older than the Uralulula inoculations. But they are also far behind in growth. The first fruits appeared on grafts on the Progress tree. In the fourth year of graft growth, I fully appreciated the taste qualities of the fruits of this variety. The fruits ripened in the twentieth of August. They weighed 100-120 g, very beautiful. Picked straight from the tree, the apples were very juicy and had a very good sweet and sour taste. But fruits with a completely bright red color were not observed. In 2005, the fruit harvest was already significant. After picking, the apples were kept on the balcony. After 10 days of storage, it was noticed that they began to lose their taste and had to be eaten quickly. In my opinion, as a new summer variety, Uralul deserves the attention of gardeners. I think that this variety should have a great future. For its vigor, very beautiful and very tasty apples, I would classify it as a commercial variety.

Screen. The variety was obtained by L. A. Kotov at the Sverdlovsk horticultural selection station from the pollination of Amber with a mixture of pollen from Zvezdochka, Samotsvet, and Orange varieties. Fertilization occurred from the pollen of Zvezdochka, since the signs of this variety were clearly manifested in the hybrid. The tree is medium-sized, with a rounded spreading crown. Winter hardiness is good. Fast-growing and productive every year. Resistant to scab disease. Fruits of lower average size (65 g), with a swollen funnel, completely blurry pink-red. The pulp is tender, juicy, quite dense, of good sweet and sour taste. The fruits ripen at the beginning of September, and remain in the bed until January-February.

The variety was grafted in the spring in two cuts of the side branch with a diameter of 3 and 5 cm of Amber. Two cuttings were grafted into each cut under the bark from below and from above. The grafted cuttings quickly began to grow, especially the upper ones, and began to produce not very large, tasty apples. The fruits of the Screen are very peculiar in shape, color and taste. This variety cannot be confused with another variety. We can say that everyone loves the fruits of the Screen- "both small and old." I decided to grow the Screen tree instead of one dead Amber tree. After uprooting amber and complete removal from the planting hole of all roots and all the old soil and backfilling of completely new soil to a higher level, a young tree of the Screen was planted in this place, which is still growing well.

In my opinion, as an autumn variety with good winter hardiness, resistance to scab, original and tasty (according to my assessment of 4.5 points) fruits, Screen clearly deserves the attention of gardeners. But I never managed to keep its fruits for a long time. So, when laying fruits in tied plastic bags for storage in a vegetable pit, after three weeks they began to rot from the inside. After being removed from the bags and stored on a glazed balcony in boxes, the rotting of the fruits stopped and the fruits were edible for some time. The fruits of the same variety without packing in bags, when stored in boxes on the balcony, were better preserved. It is necessary to look for a way to preserve the fruits of the Screen in the bed.

In my garden, after the harsh winter of 2005-2006, Screen produced literally only a few fruits, since its fruit buds were frozen. While my son was in a garden in the village, not so far from our collective garden, on several large branches of the Screen, grafted high (1.5 m) had a very bountiful harvest. That is, the winter hardiness of the fruit buds of this variety in especially frosty winters is clearly in question. Their best preservation is observed at a corresponding distance of the lower branches from the snow-covered surface. However, I now use a separate Screen tree for grafting other varieties into its crown.

Amber. Received by P. A. Dibrova at the Sverdlovsk horticultural breeding station from seedlings grown from a mixture of seeds of Michurin varieties. The tree is winter-hardy, has a sparse spreading strong crown, annually productive. Scab resistance is weak. The fruits are small and below average size, weighing 30-40 g, in favorable conditions up to 60-70 g, amber-yellow color. The pulp is creamy, fine-grained, dense, very good or excellent sweet and sour taste. The fruits are firmly held on the tree. They ripen in September, are immediately edible, and will last until January-February (for example, this year). However, in most recent years, they persist only until the end of October-November. Yes, and they are affected by scab. In recent years, the variety has begun to be affected more than before.

I bought two seedlings of this variety at the Sverdlovsk Horticulture Experimental Station, and I brought one more seedling from my parents' garden. For all the years of cultivation, all three Amber trees gave a very good harvest. Indeed, in recent years, the fruits of Amber began to overripe rather quickly, and in years favorable for the development of scab, leaves and fruits began to be strongly affected by this disease. At the age of ten, one tree was broken by melting snow, the branches of the crown had to be tied and nailed. The branches grew together, but an infection got into the wounds, and eight years later the tree died. The second tree died at the age of 25. When I started to uproot it, I found that the roots were rotten. In the last years of growth, a lot of rain fell, and this apple tree was, as it were, in a vessel with water. Since the dense layer of clay in the walls and in the bottom of the planting pit did not have time to release the rainwater, the roots were deprived of oxygen and died. The third tree began to die, at the thirtieth year of life. Now only a two-meter stump remains from him.- scab disease and numerous wounds took their toll. Despite the shortcomings noted, I consider this variety deserving of the attention of gardeners for the excellent taste of its fruits and other advantages.

Evgeny Mikhailovich Kalinin

In order to harvest a good harvest of apples in the fall, it is necessary to take care of the fruit-bearing trees in time, which need special care with the onset of spring. Experienced gardeners know all the intricacies of caring for apple trees and, without waiting for all the snow to melt, they arm themselves with the necessary tools and go to the garden.

Of course, all fertile trees require care all year round. But with the onset of a warm season, when all living things come out of hibernation and experience some stress, the need for preliminary work increases.

Do not be afraid to spend your own time, as it will fully pay off with the advent of autumn - it's time to reap the benefits. BUT lack of care work outside the garden can lead to:

• to various kinds of diseases;
• to the drying of the trunk or crown;
• to the appearance of pests;
• to sunburn or frostbite.

Barrel whitewashing

Only young trees that need protection from sunlight are whitewashed. Apple trees more than fifteen years old have a fully formed bark structure, therefore they are not susceptible to sun exposure and it is not necessary to process them.

The best thing carry out whitewashing early March or late February. Garden paint is used as a coloring agent. acrylic base. As a rule, the lower part of the trunk is processed, starting from the ground and ending with skeletal branches.

Spring whitewashing has the greatest effect and provides protection against burns for a long time. If the treatment is carried out in the summer under the heat, then the paint layer will perform more decorative function than protective.

Recovery from winter damage

After winter, on the trunk are often observed brown spots or exfoliation of the bark in some places. This is the result of frostbite on the upper layers of the tree. What to do, to cure an apple tree:

1. If the detachment is insignificant, it is enough to carefully cut off the excess bark, and lubricate the resulting bare trunk with pitch. In the future, the wound will heal on its own.
2. If the detachment occupies half the diameter of the trunk or more, it is recommended to graft with a bridge. In this case, cuttings from frost-resistant varieties of apple trees or from a damaged tree are used.

In addition to frostbite of the bark in winter can be damaged by rodents or hares:

1. If the damage is minor, it is enough to lubricate them with a specially prepared pitch.
2. If the damage is more significant, it is necessary to resort to grafting with a bridge.

Pruning an old tree

Many gardeners believe that apple trees over 15 years old should be replaced with younger plants. But this opinion is far from being a regularity, and in most cases old plants continue to please their owners with a good harvest, if they are properly cared for.

Pruning features:

• it is better to carry out in March, when the air temperature stabilizes in the warm range and does not fall below -10°C;
• handle old apple tree follows until reaching 3-4 years old wood, and in some cases, if the tree is very old - up to 7-9 years old;
• in the absence of new growths over the past few years, semi-skeletal and skeletal branches are shortened. Fruit formations also lend themselves to pruning;
• the main reference point for pruning is the zone of dormant buds located at the bottom of the shoot. It is not recommended to shorten the apple tree to a ringlet or fruit.

If the pruning procedure is carried out correctly, after a year young branches will appear, which, if necessary, must be thinned out. In the second year after pruning fruits will appear, and on the third plant will begin to bear fruit.

Pruning a young tree

• as in the previous case, pruning is carried out with the onset of spring;
• processing is carried out in order to regulate the growth and fruiting of the tree;
• annual plants, as a rule, do not differ in significant branching, so it is enough to cut them at the level of one meter from the soil. In the presence of side shoots, they are removed at a height of half a meter;
• it is important to remove young branches that form sharp corners with the trunk, as they may break off in the future under the weight of the fruit.

Pruning of two-year-old seedlings is carried out in a similar way. Only the highest quality and strongest branches, which will become skeletal in the future. The maximum length of the lower branches should not exceed 30 cm and decrease with movement up the trunk.

Spring top dressing

Why is it necessary feed in a timely manner:

• to regulate growth and skeletal formation;
• to develop immunity against various diseases and pests;
• to form a rich harvest in the fall.

At the beginning of the growing season, every tree needs a nitrogen supplement. You don't have to go to the store to buy required drug, there is always the opportunity to cook it yourself. To do this, you can take bird droppings, rotted manure or peat - fertilizers that effectively affect the development of fertile trees. It is better to dilute organic matter with water in a ratio of 30 g per 10 l, so as not to harm the root system.

Option scattering balls of saltpeter directly on the still unmelted snow or ice near the apple tree - not always effective. In this case, the bulk of the fertilizer can be washed out melt waters. Therefore, it is first necessary to dig up the soil or loosen it when the snow finally melts.

During the flowering period, young plants need additional feeding with organic substances, such as urea. To do this, the fertilizer is diluted in water in a ratio of 25 g per 10 liters and infused for 4-5 days. Top dressing of young apple trees provides for three times watering with an infused mixture with half-month breaks.

You can always get information about fertilizers in specialized stores, as well as clarify details proper feeding and frequency of implementation.

Protection from pests and diseases

The first pest control measures should be applied simultaneously with the appearance of the first thawed patches. As traps for rodents and insects adhesive tapes are used, which are tightly tied at the foot of each apple tree. This method does not allow the pest to penetrate to the base and harm the bark.

In the first month of spring, there is also a chemical spraying procedure. It is first necessary to remove from the tree all lichens formed in the winter, and damaged bark. Soil treatment chemicals and whitewashing the trunk with a limestone-based solution will destroy pests wintering under the bark.

In April especially dangerous apple flower beetle. To resolve this issue, you need to:

• gird the trunk with trapping belts;
• carry out another spraying with biological preparations.

During the period of formation and blooming of buds, all spraying procedures are undesirable, as they can be harmful to pollinating insects. Therefore, it is better to collect pests by hand without the use of trapping belts and chemicals.

After flowering, approximately in the second half of May, pests appear that harm the leaves and fruits. At the stage of fruit formation, spraying is not harmful, therefore it is considered the most effective way to fight.

What drug to choose for spraying

Insecticides - spray preparations - are classified into two groups:

• contact. Most often used in the initial stages of care in early March, they contribute to the destruction of winter pests. The destructive effect is carried out by direct contact of the insect with the chemical. Retain their effectiveness for one week in dry weather. Contact preparations are easily washed off by rain;
• systemic. They tend to penetrate inside a plant or fruit, and pests die as a result of poisoning. More resistant than contact substances and can remain effective for a month. Systemic preparations are usually used in April when re-cultivating the garden. The toxic substance does not harm the human body, as it quickly breaks down and completely loses its effect until the fruit ripens.

Frost protection

No one is safe from frost in the spring, so it is necessary to foresee this undesirable phenomenon for the garden. There are two ways to protect:

• water protection. If frosts are expected at night, it is recommended to spray the crown of the tree with water from a hose, and best of all, if possible, so that this procedure does not stop until the sun comes up. The ice crust gives off heat to the leaves and keeps them safe. It is not recommended to resort to water protection in windy weather, because the effect in such conditions is radically opposite;
• smoke protection. To do this, a stake is first driven into the ground, around which a pile of sawdust, peat and dry leaves is formed. Before a cold night, the stake is taken out, and the pile is set on fire. The smoke will directly flow through the hole, forming a protective shell for the apple tree throughout the night.

Watering and loosening of near-stem soil

The garden especially needs additional watering after winters with little rainfall, since the available moisture may not be enough until the leaves are fully blooming.

Young trees planted last fall or early spring needs intensive watering with an interval of 5-6 days. After watering, the earth loosens a little - in order to avoid the appearance of a crust.

In order for the near-stem soil to retain moisture longer, it is mulched with straw or peat, but it is necessary take into account the following nuances:

• sawdust should not be used as mulch, as they increase the acidity of the soil;
• it is important to ensure that the bark does not start to warm up, as these are the first signs of a fungal disease;
• large piles of straw are a great hiding place for rodents that can cause harm, so care must be taken to ensure that unwanted inhabitants do not start up in the mulch.

Planting and caring for seedlings

Seedlings can be planted as in early spring, as well as in autumn. When choosing a warm pore, it is advisable to plant before the buds open, since in this case the tree takes root quickly and better. In the future, it is necessary to monitor regular watering and top dressing of the soil.

First of all, it is necessary select and prepare a place for a young apple tree. It is not recommended to plant a seedling if a fertile plant has previously grown in this place. The optimal distance from the boundary for tall varieties is 3 m, for undersized varieties - 2 m. It is also necessary to take into account the location ground water, if their depth of occurrence is less than one meter, hills are first poured. A suitable depth of groundwater is 1.5 m.

Before planting, the root of the seedling is placed in water for about a day - to restore water balance. Excess parts of the root system are carefully cut with a sharp knife or saw, so as not to damage the remaining root in any way. The desired depth of the hole for seedlings varies between 50-70 cm and depends on the soil, the diameter of the hole should not be less than 80-100 cm.

Experienced gardeners know all the nuances of caring for their own fertile trees. It is important to observe them in order to get a rich harvest every year. Always needed remember about timely watering and top dressing, about protection from pests and unwanted diseases, otherwise the garden will turn into a small patch of forest.

So you and I laid our apple orchard, having previously chosen the ones we liked, having bought seedlings and to pre-selected places.

Ours is still quite young garden constant care and attention is very much required, because only by giving something away, we can count on reciprocal gratitude in the form of generous harvests.

Competent will provide the owner for the entire winter period with tasty and very healthy fruits.

Only with proper care will the apple orchard become our pride and the main decoration of the backyard.

How to grow an apple tree correctly, how to take care of it - you will tell you about this now.

Apple tree care, good feeding

The apple tree requires additional nutritional supplements several times a year. Top dressing is especially important for young trees.

But with young growth, you should be very careful when fertilizing. Fertilizers (especially those containing nitrogen) must be diluted with plenty of water.

Spring top dressing

Spring is the time of life, and it is during this period that apple trees are in dire need of fertilizers that stimulate flowering. When choosing fertilizers, take into account the soil in the garden.

At sandy ground Supplements with nitrogen will be useful, but nitrogen is not needed for black soil.

The degree of soil moisture plays an important role in the application of fertilizers in spring:

• With good watering of trees, fertilizers can be applied in large quantities. In wet, damp weather, they are applied dry. Just scatter the substance near the trunk, along with rainwater, top dressing will get to its destination.

At apple tree care Foliar top dressing (crown spraying) is also necessary. Perform this procedure in the early morning or late evening (the main thing is that there is no sun in the sky).

At cloudy weather you can spray the crown during the day. For foliar supplements, the fertilizer must be diluted or the leaves may be scorched.

◊ The first leaves. The first fertilizer is applied in the spring, as soon as the first leaves appear. At this time, the apple tree needs root top dressing nitrogen supplements.

Additives are made for digging around the entire perimeter of the crown. You can choose one of the following fertilizers(based on one apple tree):

• Nitroammophoska and ammonium nitrate: 30-40 g.
• Urea: 500-600 g.
• Humus: 4-5 buckets.

◊ Flowering. During flowering, the apple tree also needs food. At this time, it is better to make liquid fertilizers(if the weather is dry).

You can choose one of the following variations (based on one tree 4 buckets of composition). All the following top dressings should be diluted in 10 liters of water:

• Potassium sulfate: 60-70 g and superphosphate: 100 g.
• Slurry: 0.5 buckets.
• Chicken manure: 1.5-2 liters.
• Urea: 250-300 g.

◊ Pouring fruits. The third fertilizer in a row when caring for an apple tree is applied after its flowering (the phase of filling and fruit ripening). Choose one of the compositions:

• Sodium humate: 10 g, nitrophoska: 0.5 kg per 100 liters of water (calculation 2-3 buckets per tree).
• Green top dressing (dilute with water 1x10). Place the green parts of the grass in a large container and fill them with water. Close the containers with polyethylene with holes made. After 20-25 days, the green nutritional supplement is ready.

Summer top dressing

In summer, trees need not only nitrogen supplements, but also fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium. In hot weather, feed the apples several times. The minimum break between the introduction of summer fertilizers: 10-14 days.

◊ June. The first summer fertilization is carried out in mid-June. Urea is introduced foliarly.

If the month turned out to be rainy, fertilize the root zone. Urea should be diluted with water in the required proportion.

The older the tree, the higher the concentration of urea should be. When spraying, treat the stem with urea as well - it will kill all pests on the apple tree.

◊ July. In the July care for the apple tree, it is useful to feed it with potassium and phosphorus-containing additives. During this hot time, top dressing is carried out by spraying the crown.

Distribute the composition evenly throughout the foliage. Need a tree and nitrogen feed. between minerals and nitrogen supplements take a break for 1-2 weeks.

Autumn top dressing

In autumn, apple trees no longer need foliar feeding, otherwise the trees will not have time to prepare for winter rest.

In autumn, apple trees need potassium-phosphorus supplements:

1. The compositions can be bought ready-made, diluted with water and applied over the crown area, following the instructions.
2. You can cook them yourself: potassium (1 tablespoon), double superphosphate in granules (2 tablespoons) per 10 liters of water. Pour the composition over the garden with the expectation of 1 square. m. 10 l of solution.

Top dressing is a simple matter, but requires an individual approach. Growing apple trees, important tips for beginner gardeners:

• When caring for dwarf apple trees, reduce the amount of fertilizer by 25-30%.
• In order for liquid fertilizers to be better absorbed by the plant, apply them to holes 30 cm deep. Dig these holes around the entire circumference of the trunk perimeter.
• But such holes cannot be made when fertilizing columnar apple trees (their root system located too close to the ground surface, so the roots may be damaged). For these varieties of apple trees, it is better to scatter fertilizers in a dry form under the trunks or simply water the root perimeter.

If the apple trees lack any element, they will immediately inform the owner about this by changing their appearance.

What is missing	How does the apple tree react?
nitrogen	The leaves begin to shrink and turn pale.
Bora	The leaves curl, shrink, the veins on them turn yellow, leaf chlorosis may begin.
Iron	The foliage turns yellow and loses its color, the leaves begin to die off along the edges, young shoots lag behind in development.
Potassium	The leaves acquire a dull, green-blue color and fall down along the edges.
Calcium	The foliage begins to turn white and curl up, then fall off.
Magnesium	The leaves acquire a red, yellow or purple color (they remain green along the edges and veins).
Copper	Despite the good care of the apple tree, its leaves turn pale, there are brown spots. Then they become lifeless and colorful.
Phosphorus	The crown of the trees becomes dull, dark green with a bronze tint. Sometimes purple or red hues appear on the foliage.
Zinc	The leaves become very small, wrinkled and narrow, acquire a mottled pattern.

Life-giving moisture

Timely watering is very important for apple trees. Many gardeners start watering trees whenever water is available. This is wrong!

For the normal development of the tree, three times a day watering is quite enough (provided that the soil is saturated with moisture up to 80 cm).

1. First watering: during flowering (early summer).
2. Second watering: early July (time of rapid fruit ripening).
3. Third watering: October, before the expected frost.

In areas where climatic conditions dry, it is better to increase the frequency of watering.

If the humidity is high or the summer is rainy, the amount of watering can be reduced.

Ideal water for apple trees should be + 18-25 ° C.

• Experienced gardeners, when caring for an apple tree, are advised to calculate the right amount of water, taking into account the age of the tree (how old it is - how many buckets of water it needs). According to accepted norms, a tree at the age of 1-2 years needs 4-5 buckets for watering, an adult fruit-bearing tree needs 7-10 buckets for each square meter of the trunk perimeter.

Young trees need more moisture - because they grow. They need to be watered 4-5 times per season.

Trees should be watered directly under the neck of the root. Thus, water will penetrate the root faster.

Apple trees up to 3 years of age are best watered into the holes. Older trees can add water in a furrow way (grooves are made 50-60 cm deep).

2-3 days after watering, loosen the soil and mulch it (you can use peat, humus, sand or sawdust).

If watering with a hose, make sure that the water pressure is directed along the perimeter of the entire crown.

Apple tree care, pruning features

For a good, rich harvest, apple trees need sunlight. To provide the trees with access to the necessary light, apple trees are pruned.

This operation is carried out at different times of the year:

◊ Spring. In March-April (before the foliage blooming period), when caring for an apple tree, pruning is carried out to form a tree crown.

At this time, the apple tree has the most highly developed regenerative abilities (abundant juice secretion has not yet begun, so the wounds will heal faster and better).

◊ Summer. During this period, many young shoots appear at the apple tree - they need to be thinned out, the rest should be diluted.

◊ Autumn. Autumn pruning prepares apple trees for winter. At this time, the trees need to be freed from infertile shoots, too large branches, as well as dried shoots.

crown formation

The formation of the crown of an apple tree can be carried out in several ways. All the proposed methods have one goal: to provide the tree with the right balance between the main (central) conductor and the branches originating from it.

Crown formation options:

♦ Longline-discharged. The easiest and most popular way to care for an apple tree. This formation increases the yield of the tree, while its appearance remains as natural as possible.

1. In the spring we measure young seedling zone at a distance of 50 cm from the ground. Above this area, we measure another area of ​​​​30 cm - this area (stem) is intended for the first order of the apple tree. The first order includes three main shoots.
2. After 10 months, shoots form in the trunk. They need to be removed. In the first row, we save a branch for a length of 30 cm, then 2 shoots with a distance of 20 cm. All branches will be located in a mirror arrangement.
3. In the next season, we lay the next row at a distance of 45 cm after the previous zone.

Formation completed. Now you need to timely cut off the growing main process from above above a single branch.

The total growth of such an apple tree should not exceed two meters.

♦ Spindle crown. it fast way(when caring for an apple tree, a small number of branches are subject to processing). Complete formation takes place over 3 years.

And the apple tree begins to bear fruit in the second season. The design is a basic shoot, from which the central shoots diverge in different directions.

1. In the first year of life, we cut off the apple tree, leaving a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skeleton.
2. When the first shoots sprout on the skeleton, we create the second row, rejecting the central branches on different sides.
3. The skeleton is cut again the following year.
4. In the third year of operations, the formation is completed.

During this time, the apple tree grows up to three meters. In the future, it is necessary to shorten the branch over any non-vertical shoot in a timely manner.

♦ Cupped crown. This technique is best for trees with poor growth. The method is a bit similar to the tiered-discharged method, but has its own characteristics:

1. In the initial row, three branches are bred in different directions so that the wiring angle is about 130º.
2. The main branch is cut at a distance of 45 cm from the trunk. It is shortened over the central shoot. We need to get two shoots from three divorced branches.

The same procedure is carried out for the next season when caring for an apple tree. In this case, the tree will become stronger and stronger. His immunity will also increase.

♦ Vertical palmette. This method of formation is suitable for apple trees growing around the perimeter of the garden and creating a natural fence. The implementation of this method will take 4 years.

With this method, the branches from the central trunk turn into a flat surface located on a horizontal line.

1. In each row, all branches on the tree trunk are cut off, leaving only a couple of branches growing in different directions.
2. All levels are symmetrically formed vertically with a distance of 80-90 cm.
3. All processes that appear on the main shoots are bent. Apples will ripen on them in the future.
4. If the main branches have significantly moved away from the central part, they should be tightened, and the processes (if the slope is insufficient) should be pulled back.

With this method, the height of the tree can be adjusted by annual pruning of the trunk and base shoots. In breadth, an apple tree can grow by 2-3 meters.

Anti-aging pruning

Thanks to this method, when caring for an apple tree, you can endlessly get delicious fruits from it. To do this, you need to open the center of the tree as much as possible and thin out the rest of the branches.

First of all, the central trunk is shortened by 1/3, then thickened areas are thinned out. The cutting angle must be at least 45º.

This procedure is best done in the spring, during the dormant period of the tree and in the absence of leaves.

harvest time

So that our ripe apples can be stored for a long time (and the fruits of autumn varieties can be stored until April), pick the fruits from the tree very carefully (work with cotton gloves so as not to damage the delicate skin).

Fruits lying and crushed on the ground should not be stored - they can immediately be put into processing.

• Remove apples together with the stalk - it contributes long storage. A natural wax coating forms on the fruits - no need to wipe it, it protects the apples from overdrying and the influence of various microorganisms, which will help in caring for the apple tree.

Harvesting should be done in dry weather and preferably in the afternoon.

◊ Summer varieties of apples. They begin to collect in August. These types of apples are not stored for a long time.

But you can harvest the fruits 2-3 weeks before full ripening and store at a temperature of 0-3 ° C.

◊ Apples of autumn varieties. The fruits are harvested in late August-early September. During this period, they are still not quite mature and slightly sour.

Until fully ripened, they must be held for 2-3 weeks in storage. With proper storage, apples of autumn varieties will delight you with taste for 3-4 months.

◊ Winter varieties of apples. They are removed in October. Freshly harvested from the tree, they have a harsh flesh and a sour taste.

They need about 2-3 months to mature. But these varieties are stored for a very long time - until April.

How to properly store apples

Freshly harvested fruits should be cooled to +4 ° C and immediately placed in storage.

As a rule, apples are stored in wooden boxes for storage. But such a container has a drawback - the tree can rot.

You can also use plastic containers (previously washed and disinfected).

To improve the preservation of apples, containers are sprinkled with sawdust of hardwood.

It is better not to use conifers - they give the fruits a characteristic resinous smell.

Also, do not use straw - it quickly becomes moldy.

Wood chips should have no more than 15-20% moisture content.

• It is also useful to shift the fruits of an apple tree with maple or oak foliage, peat chips, dry moss. These herbal ingredients have antibacterial properties.

Pre-apples are sorted by variety, degree of maturity and size. Large fruits ripen the fastest.

Choose containers for storing them with small gaps.

1. Before placing apples there, treat the containers with a solution of bleach and dry well.
2. At the bottom of the box, place sheets of clean paper and sawdust in the amount necessary to completely cover the first layer of fruit.
3. Put in the apples. Each fruit is best isolated by wrapping it in paper. The very last layer of fruit is covered with paper leaves, covered with sawdust.
4. The container is sealed.

To isolate the layers of apples, they can be separated by spacers made of cardboard or synthetic material. This will help to avoid the spread of diseases in stored fruits and ensure their protection during transport.

We got acquainted with the basic rules for caring for apple trees, but only mechanical care for our garden will not be enough.

It is equally important to love him and be grateful for the beauty and joy that he gives us!

And our garden will gladly protect us with its crown from the sun in hot summer, delight us with the beauty of its flowering in spring and, of course, give us a rich harvest of beautiful apples in autumn.

I wish you good luck, good harvests and that your garden never gets sick and pests do not annoy it. But still, we will talk about the possible and our apple orchard in future articles.

I also suggest watching a video about caring for apple trees in order to "fix the material covered."

See you soon, dear readers!

To grow an apple orchard that will always look healthy and well-groomed, as well as consistently give a generous harvest, you need to work hard caring for it. Most of the work on caring for apple trees should be done in the spring, which will enable the garden to fully develop throughout the season. The information in this article will help you learn how to care for your apple tree in the spring so that you have a good and tasty harvest. You are waiting for advice, recommendations, videos.

Gardeners with years of experience know what's right it is necessary to start caring for trees in the spring, when the snow melts. Depending on the climate Start of work falls on the beginning of March - mid-April. Another main indicator for the start of spring procedures is a stable air temperature above zero degrees.

On the advice of seasoned experienced gardeners, we can conclude that there are a number of measures for caring for apple trees in the spring that need to be completed. Let's talk about these events in detail.

Video: what should be done with an apple tree in spring?

Removing shelters after winter

There is no exact date for removing the shelter from the apple tree in the spring, it all depends on the climate of each region. The air temperature should not be below zero at night, and stay at around 10-15 degrees during the day. The insulation should be removed from the apple tree gradually, which will help the tree adapt to new conditions, so it is recommended to carry out the procedure within 3-4 days.

Treatment of winter damage to the trunk

After the insulation is removed from the trunk, the trunk should be visually examined for damage from rodents and frost. In case of superficial wounds of the bark of an apple tree, they should be covered with garden pitch..

For more serious damage to the depth of the wood, it is necessary to carry out grafting an apple tree using the bridge method using as many escapes as possible.

Under the influence of severe winter frosts, the bark cracks and eventually exfoliates from the trunk, so it is worth clean the separated areas, then cover the wounds with garden pitch, which will prevent further increase in wounds.

Trunk whitewashing

To protect the bark from the active spring sun, as well as from late frosts, whitewashing the trunk and skeletal branches of the apple tree in spring will help. Besides, protective layer will prevent cracking of the bark with differences between day and night temperatures.

For these purposes, gardeners use:

• special garden whitewash based on lime, chalk, copper sulfate, which are affordable, but not too resistant to environmental conditions, so the trunks should be re-treated in the fall;
• acrylic paints for whitewashing that hold throughout the season and at the same time withstand rains and do not crack in frost, but such mixtures are much more expensive.

Useful materials regarding whitewashing apple trees are waiting for you.

Trunk circle cleaning

Cleaning tree trunks is a mandatory part of spring care for apple trees, as fallen leaves, broken branches and remaining fruits from autumn are breeding grounds for bacteria. Therefore, regular cleaning of unnecessary waste at the base of the apple tree significantly reduces the risk of developing fungal diseases.

Sanitary and shaping pruning

apple tree care you can start in early spring - the first decade of March and continue until mid-April, that is, before the appearance of the kidneys. This will allow you to correctly form an apple tree for ease of harvesting, as well as maintain the strength and integrity of the entire tree.

During the pruning of an apple tree in the spring, it is necessary to understand certain nuances of its implementation:

• bifurcation of the main trunk should be prevented, therefore, leaving the main branch, the second must be cut so that the remaining buds develop shoots purely vertically;
• it is recommended that when pruning, be guided by the basic rule that thick branches are located at the bottom, and thinner ones at the top.

All damaged branches and new growth should be removed, which closes the light to previously formed branches. In addition, branches that are attached to the trunk at an acute angle are cut off, since during the formation of fruits they will not be able to withstand such a load and will break off.

Protection from pests and diseases

One of the most important activities for the care of apple trees in the spring is the fight against diseases and pests. That's why in the beginning of March when thawed patches appear near the trees, you need to attach trap belts on the trees. This measure will help to significantly reduce the number of pests wintering on the bark. Belts should be strengthened so that insects cannot move under them. This is especially effective against the weevil flower beetle.

Apple tree care in spring includes three stages of spraying garden for pest and disease control: before budding, during bud emergence and immediately after flowering. You can read more detailed and complete information about the processing of an apple orchard in the spring season at.

Important! On how well and timely this stage of caring for the apple orchard will be carried out in the spring, its further development and future harvest largely depend.

spring vaccination

In order to obtain new varieties of apple trees or to accelerate fruiting earlier, it is recommended to graft trees in the spring. This the procedure is carried out in mid-May when the growing season begins and sap flow occurs in the branches.

There are many types of grafting of apple trees: splitting, budding, bark, the choice of method largely depends on the experience of the gardener and his preferences. Detailed information and helpful tips regarding spring inoculation of culture, you can study at.

Watering, loosening and mulching

Often, by the time the foliage blooms, there is not enough moisture in the soil (with a long absence of seasonal rains). Therefore, it is necessary to provide apple trees with additional watering in the spring, otherwise this will negatively affect flowering and fruit set. It is especially important to carry out regular watering for young seedlings under the age of 6 years.. Watering apple trees in spring every 5-6 days.

Depending on the age of the apple tree, it is necessary to adhere to different watering rates. Young apple trees no older than 5 years should be watered more often in spring than mature trees, but they need much less water.

Watering rates:

• 1-2 years- 2 buckets per 1 sq. m. crown perimeter;
• 3-5 years- 4 buckets;
• fruit trees- require wetting the soil along the perimeter of the crown with a depth of 80 cm.

Important! The flow of water should be from the trunk to the outer edge of the crown, avoiding stagnation at the base of the tree, as this threatens to rot the root collar.

After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the near-stem circle in order to prevent the formation of a crust, as well as to improve air access to the roots.

To prevent excessive evaporation of moisture and stop the growth of weeds, soil needs to be mulched. Straw or peat is suitable for this. Do not use sawdust, as this significantly increases the level of soil acidity.

Important! You should not make a layer of mulch thicker than 3-5 cm and lay it at the very base of the tree, as this can lead to dampening of the lower bark layer and the development of fungal diseases.

Top dressing and fertilization

Proper care of apple trees involves the timely application of fertilizers. For this after when the snow melts, the first stage is carried out spring feeding apple trees. For this purpose fit products with a high nitrogen content, which will help activate the process of leaf vegetation and the growth of young shoots.

Therefore, it should be used in the spring:

• calcium nitrate;
• ammonium nitrate;
• rotted manure;
• bird droppings.

At the end of the flowering period, nitrogen-containing dressings should be reduced., so this will lead to the active growth of shoots to the detriment of the formation of the ovary. That's why it is recommended to use herbal infusion self-cooking and fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.

You can study detailed information about this element of spring care for apple trees.

Features of caring for young and old apple trees

Depending on the age of apple trees, they need special care, so you should know what is important for a tree in a certain period of life.

It is necessary to take care of young apple seedlings in spring with special attention. before the fruiting period. Lack of moisture during active growth and development can cause their death. Therefore, for soil moisture need to follow permanent and recommended mulch annually.

In the care of young apple seedlings in the spring, it is necessary include and pest control. Aphids are the main enemy of seedlings, so treatment with insecticides from a pest must be carried out at the first sign of its appearance. For this purpose, plants that repel insects can be planted near plantings of young apple trees.. Such plants include celery, dill, mustard, they will significantly reduce the risk of attack by pests.

Trunk circles in young apple trees must be regularly cleaned of weeds., otherwise they will draw most of the nutrients from the soil for themselves.

Video: how to care for young apple trees in spring.

Spring care for old apple trees must necessarily contain a stage of rejuvenating tree pruning, thanks to which you can extend the life of an apple tree by 7-10 years.

Important! Pruning of old trees should be carried out in stages over 2-3 years, the total part of the cut branches should not exceed 1/3 of the entire crown.

Old apple trees are best used as rootstock, so you can graft several varieties of apple trees, which will make it possible to get a crop on one tree different term maturation.

If you properly care for old apple trees in spring and other seasons, they will continue to work with their tasty and sweet fruits.

The specifics of spring carefor apple trees in different regions

Given the climatic conditions of different regions, there are certain features that will help gardeners properly care for apple trees in the spring.

In the middle lane (Moscow region)- when caring for and growing apple trees on loamy or soddy-podzolic soil, adult trees do not need additional watering, since a sufficient amount of precipitation falls in spring in this climatic zone.

In the conditions of the Volga region- both young seedlings and adult apple trees need to be watered regularly in accordance with the irrigation norms, since this region is arid, in addition, it is necessary to spray the trees from the codling moth.

In Siberia- as a care for apple trees, spring pruning of damaged branches during the winter is important, it is carried out not earlier than the middle or end of May, since the germination zone should appear.

In the Urals- in conditions of strong spring winds, as a spring care, young apple seedlings should be strengthened by tying them to a support, and this must be done with each branch separately.

Typical mistakes in caring for apple trees in spring

Often, care mistakes made cause a lack of growth, development and regular fruiting of apple trees. The main mistake of many gardeners is ignoring the timing of a particular procedure spring care. In addition, there are other common mistakes:

• the lack of additional watering during the period of active vegetation leads to slow growth and dropping of the ovary;
• whitewashing the trunk during the period of mass subbotniks is not able to provide the necessary protection to the tree, since the deadline for its implementation should be no later than the beginning or middle of April;
• the lack of timely spraying leads to the mass reproduction of insects and diseases that cause serious damage to young shoots and foliage;
• mulching the near-trunk circle with manure in the spring leads to the decay of young roots and the reproduction of fungal diseases;
• removing the shelter of the trunk in one step without preparing the tree leads to burns of the bark under the influence of active sunlight;
• the lack of sanitary and formative pruning is the cause of erratic crown formation to the detriment of a regular harvest.

Spring care of the garden affects the further development of the apple tree throughout the season. It is necessary to take care of both ordinary apple trees and columnar, dwarf species. The absence of one of the necessary procedures negatively affects the quality and quantity of the future harvest. Moreover, it is necessary to strictly observe the deadlines for their implementation, only in this case you can expect a good result. And do not forget that full-fledged care for the apple tree must be carried out not only in spring, but also in summer, and .

Video: how to properly care for an apple tree in spring.

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