Summer apple tree Candy - a unique variety of domestic selection

The Candy apple tree is rightfully considered one of the main advantages of domestic selection. This is a summer apple variety. It was bred by the famous breeder Isaev, working at the All-Union Research Institute named after. Michurina. To obtain “Konfetnoye” we had to cross the old domestic varieties Korobovka and Papirovka. The variety is not zoned in the Russian Federation, but is widely known among gardeners.

Description of the apple tree

Candy is a fast-growing variety. After planting in just three years, it easily gains 3 meters in height. After this, growth slows down slightly, but does not stop. A fully formed tree does not exceed 5 meters in height.

Its crown is spherical, the branches are very strong and elastic. The leaves are dark green, fleshy.

The Candy apple tree is a frost-resistant variety. Even after severe frosts, it continues to bloom and produce a good harvest. Therefore, it is not uncommon in Siberia to meet a gardener who grows this variety in his garden.

Many gardeners prefer growing “Candy” on a dwarf crown-forming basis. When grown in this way, it bears fruit already in the 2nd year of its life. At the same time, the maximum height available for a tree is 1.5 meters.

But it is worth noting that fruiting in such trees is irregular. Every year the harvest becomes worse and the size of the fruit decreases.

Reviews

Olga, 45 years old, Voronezh region : she planted this variety on her plot quite a long time ago - about 10 years ago. In the first years, I was engaged in the formation of the crown, fed it, watered it abundantly, and covered it for the winter so that the young trees would not freeze. In the future, I only covered the trunk from rodents for the winter and added a thick layer of mulch so that the roots would not be damaged. In general, I am satisfied with the variety - the harvested crop is enough for food and spinning, the trees do not suffer from diseases. True, it is necessary to take preventive measures against scab.

Natalya, 50 years old, Moscow region : this variety feels great in our climate, is practically not damaged by frost in winter, and bears fruit well. True, the harvest does not last long, but I usually have time to process all the collected apples.

Description of fruits

The fruits of this variety are relatively small. There are specimens weighing 150 grams, but this is the maximum weight. Most often the fruits are no more than 100 g. The color is yellow, with a pink blush. The fruit is completely shaded with red stripes.

The shape of the fruit is a ball, not always ideal. The skin is smooth and pleasant to the touch. The pulp is white and becomes more tender over time.

The ripe fruit has a very sweet taste. It's somewhat reminiscent of pineapple and banana with a hint of honey. Acid is completely absent, which allows you to consume apples in unlimited quantities.

Peculiarities

Among the positive qualities of the Konfetnoye variety are its early fruiting, productivity and ability to grow rapidly. Gardeners are attracted by the sweet, honey taste of the fruit and the ability of the pulp to gain sugar content in a variety of growing conditions.

Other advantages of the Candy apple tree:

• the possibility of growing in regions with harsh winters;
• excellent growth vigor, compensating for losses from frost and improper formation;
• high yield of mature candy trees;
• resistance to infections.

A significant disadvantage of the fruits of the Candy apple tree is their short storage.
Gardeners who have been growing Candy apple trees for more than ten years note the disadvantages of the variety, which should be taken into account when planning the garden. Thus, the rapid growth of shoots results in serious annual thickening of the crown, which has to be corrected every autumn. Other disadvantages of growing Candy have also been noticed.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• the inability to store ripe fruits for a long time; apples in a cool room spoil in 20 days;
• ripening crops are often damaged by wasps;
• scab damage, especially during the rainy season.

The Candy apple tree, despite its shortcomings, is one of the most beloved crops in the country. The description of the variety, which promises fruits as sweet as “candy,” is fully confirmed by photos and reviews from gardeners.

An unpretentious crop needs good preparation for planting, and growth and development require special attention only when pruning. Moreover, Candy allows you to correct any shortcomings of amateur care, quickly growing new branches.

Harvest

On average, it will be possible to get a harvest from this variety only in the 4th year of its life. The rootstock plays a major role in fruiting. For example, on a low-growing basis, it can begin to bear fruit already in the 2nd year of its life. Starting from 5 years, the tree consistently produces 30-50 kg of fruit. At 10 years old she can produce 100 kg per tree.

It stands on a very strong stalk. Even after ripening, the apples do not fall off, but remain on it. This is a plus, especially for industrial purposes, where crumbling apple trees are absolutely not valued.

Feeding

During the period until the Candy apple tree bears fruit, it needs to be fertilized four times a year. Absolutely all fertilization processes can be combined with watering.

• In mid-spring, urea is added.
• In June, it is necessary to apply fertilizer for the development of the root system, for example Humat.
• In July, it is recommended to apply fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.
• In September it is necessary to apply superphosphate fertilizers again. For plants that have already bear fruit, the fertilizer application schedule differs in time periods.
• In mid-spring you need to add half a kilogram of urea.
• During the flowering period, it is necessary to apply a complex of superphosphate fertilizers, potassium sulphide and urea.
• When the plant has finished flowering, a mixture of nitrophoska and humate with water is added.
• After you harvest, you need to apply organic, superphosphate and potassium fertilizer.

In order to increase the soil's carrying capacity for moisture and air, it is necessary to dig up the soil around the plant in early autumn and spring. Before the winter period, it is necessary to mulch the soil around the tree. To do this, use dry grass, wood chips, and organic fertilizers. At an early age, young apple trees must be covered entirely for the winter. When snow falls in winter, a fragile seedling of the Candy apple tree finds itself under a snow curtain. Warm air is well retained inside, so the plant will grow especially intensively in the spring. After five years of growth, it is enough to wrap the tree trunk with warm material for the winter period.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

It would be a sin not to include its advantages and disadvantages in the description of the variety. Gardeners include the first:

1. Sweet, honey taste of apples.
2. Beautiful appearance.
3. High vitamin value of the fruit.
4. Good immunity that protects the apple tree from most diseases.
5. Good frost resistance.
6. Stable fruiting and good harvest.

Along with this, there are a number of disadvantages. In particular:

1. The tree is not resistant to diseases such as scab.
2. The fruits spoil quite quickly and are not suitable for long-term storage.
3. Apples have a low transportability rate.

Optimal planting dates

Marbled pear: description of the variety, pollinators

The best time to plant seedlings is autumn. Warm autumn weather helps strengthen the root system and adapt it to the soil. The diameter of the hole for planting a seedling should be 80 cm, the depth - 60 cm. The bottom of the hole is covered with compost mixed with manure, wood ash, potassium sulfate and superphosphate.

After planting, the seedling must be watered abundantly. To preserve moisture, mulch the tree trunk circle. In winter, the trunk of the seedling should be wrapped in roofing felt to create protection from sunburn and rodents.

How to choose seedlings

When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to planting material adapted to local climatic conditions. Such planting material is less susceptible to diseases and tolerates winters more easily.

The root system of the seedling should be strong, not dry, well developed, with a small number of fibrous roots. The trunk must be smooth, free of growths and damaged. The survival rate of one-year-old seedlings is higher than that of three-year-olds. Two-year-old seedlings take root well, but the time for crown formation will be lost.

Sapling with a well-developed root system

Care

This variety is not particularly picky in terms of care. Planting “Candy” is no different from planting other varieties. The pit is prepared six months before the planned planting. The soil is first fertilized with peat, humus and saltpeter.

Planting is carried out either in spring or autumn. A week before planting, the previously chosen place is dug up and watered. If there are weeds on the site, be sure to get rid of them.

Dig a hole approximately 60 cm deep and 80 cm in diameter. The root collar should be 5 cm above the soil surface. After planting, 25 liters of water are poured into the seedling.

It is not recommended to whitewash trees after planting.

The variety loves the sun very much. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant it in the shade or next to tall varieties.

After proper planting, it is necessary to provide a good level of tree care. In order for “Candy” to bring the desired harvest, you need to:

• Water the tree systematically. It is especially important to pay attention to this during dry periods. At the same time, you cannot flood the tree and water it during harvesting. In autumn, the apple tree is watered 2 times a week. These waterings are very important, since it is from them that the tree makes reserves for the winter.
• Trimming. Already a year after planting the seedling, pruning is carried out. To increase productivity, it is recommended to carry out rationing in the first 3 years of a tree’s life, giving its crown a spherical shape. Then they just cut off unnecessary branches in the spring and autumn. Remove dry and damaged branches.
• Fertilize. Experienced experts recommend one-time fertilization of apple trees with superphosphate, humus or wood ash. It is best to fertilize “Candy” in the spring, when the inflorescences have not yet formed. To help the tree survive the winter better, it is fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Also, before winter it is necessary to dig up the soil around the trunk to increase air flow to the roots. After all, in winter the tree will suffer from a lack of oxygen due to soil compaction.

Main characteristics

This apple tree belongs to the mid-early varieties - you can harvest it already in the last ten days of July. This fruit tree is early ripening - the first fruiting can occur 2-4 years after the trees are planted in a permanent place. On the rootstock on dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees, the first harvest is harvested after just a couple of seasons, and the rootstock on tall apple trees begins to bear fruit already in the 4th season.

Fruit trees of this variety are tall, can reach 4-4.5 m in height. This indicator directly depends on the rootstock. Active growth of the apple tree occurs in the first years after planting the crop in the garden. Although trees under 6 years old have a narrow crown, and skeletal branches grow at an acute angle to the main trunk.

Subsequently, the growth of the tree decreases, and the shape of the crown becomes broadly pyramidal. The crown is spreading; a large number of strong, well-leafed shoots are formed.

The foliage has a round shape, with a small sharp tip, large and medium in size, leathery, durable, rich emerald color. The flowers are less than medium in size, with rounded white petals with a pink tint.

Description of fruits

The fruits are quite large, round in shape, with slightly noticeable ribbing. Apples - approximately the same size, weighing 110-145 g. Funnel - wide, shallow. The seed chamber is located approximately in the center of the fruit; the seeds are small in size and brown in color. The stalks are medium in length, with the widest part attached to the shoots.

The skin of apples is dense, smooth, slightly shiny, the main color is yellow, and the outer color is crimson or red, with characteristic red stripes. There is a slightly noticeable wax coating. Subcutaneous small dots of white color appear under the skin.

The pulp is fine-grained, very juicy, not too dense, sweet, the sourness is practically not felt. Its color is cream. Ripe fruits have a pleasant honey-candy aroma.

Ripe fruits of this variety are not prone to falling, so there is no need to particularly collect carrion from under these trees. Since the variety is very spreading, it is unprofitable to grow it on an industrial scale. But in garden plots, this fruit tree, due to its productivity and taste of the fruit, can replace several other varieties of summer apple trees.

It should be noted that ripe fruits do not tolerate transportation over long distances and are not stored for long, even in a cool place. Therefore, the harvested crop should be processed as quickly as possible after harvesting.

Trees of this variety have a fairly high resistance to cold, thanks to which the Candy apple tree can be grown in central Russia and in the Moscow region. Even if a tree freezes in the harsh winter, it quickly recovers during the summer season.

Ripe fruits of this variety have a universal purpose; they are used fresh for food, for preparing baby food, for preparing preserves, confitures, jams, for extracting juice and sealing compotes, and also for drying.

Pollinator trees

The Candy apple tree is a self-sterile variety, therefore, for its good yield, it is necessary to plant other apple trees simultaneously with the seedlings of this variety, which will serve as its pollinators. It is only necessary that the flowering time of the pollinating trees coincide with the flowering of the Candy apple tree.

Productivity

The fruits ripen at the same time, harvesting occurs from the last ten days of July to the first ten days of August. Fruiting is stable, abundant and annual. The first harvests are not large, but already in the fifth season from the moment of planting, the Candy apple tree produces at least 47-49 kg of ripe fruit.

And after another 3 seasons, the yield of this fruit tree increases to 90-95 kg. In general, mature Candy apple trees produce at least 90-100 kg of apples. But by the age of 13-15 years, the fruiting of this apple tree variety becomes cyclical.

Pests and diseases

This variety of apple tree has high immunity, so it is practically not affected by any diseases, except for scab, the resistance to which in the Candy apple tree is low. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures aimed at preventing infection of this variety with scab.

Advantages

The main advantages of the Candy apple tree variety include:

• unusual pleasant taste of ripe apples;
• precocity of trees;
• a large number of active substances, vitamins and minerals in the composition of ripe apples of this variety;
• the possibility of using fruits for preparing baby food;
• versatility of purpose for ripe fruits;
• since apples are very sweet, when canning you don’t have to add sugar to preserves, jellies and other products;
• high productivity;
• powerful shoots can withstand any harvest load and do not break;
• ripe fruits are not prone to shedding;
• The Candy apple tree is highly resistant to most diseases characteristic of other varieties of this fruit crop;
• The variety's resistance to cold is high;
• This fruit tree, even if it freezes in winter, quickly recovers.

Flaws

However, the Candy apple tree also has a number of disadvantages that you need to remember:

• in the first two seasons after planting, seedlings must be covered before the onset of cold weather;
• during spring return frosts, flower buds may be damaged, which will negatively affect the productivity of the tree;
• apple trees older than 15-17 years begin to bear fruit once every 2-3 seasons;
• this fruit tree has low resistance to scab;
• ripe apples do not tolerate transportation well and are not stored for long;
• the variety is self-sterile, so planting pollinator trees nearby is mandatory;
• regular formation of the crown and mandatory observance of the appropriate distance between trees in a row are required;
• The Candy apple tree is not suitable for growing on an industrial scale.

Frost resistance and immunity

The tree as a whole is not afraid of severe frosts. Thanks to this, the variety can be grown even in Siberia. If Candy is somehow damaged by frost, it will quickly recover and produce a good harvest.

As far as diseases go, this is a fairly healthy variety. The only problem, like most apple trees, is scab. It is worth noting that the fruits themselves are more susceptible to this disease than the leaves. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to carry out treatments with special pesticides.

Subspecies

Among the subspecies of the variety are the following plants:

1. Summer candy . It is impossible to attribute this trade name to a specific subspecies of the variety, since the Candy apple tree is already a summer fruiting variety. Therefore, this name is nothing more than an attempt by sellers to sell a long-known tree under new packaging.
2. Candy ranet. Just like the previous name, this is a marketing ploy and the variety simply does not exist in nature.
3. Candy-2 . Modern modification of the variety. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the transportability of fruits has been improved and the size of the crown has been adjusted.

How to normalize correctly?

One of the most important components of proper tree care is pruning. It helps not only to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the tree, but also increases productivity. Pruning is carried out in the spring, before flowering, and in the fall, after harvesting.

We recommend reading: “Description of the Spartan apple tree variety”

In summer, “Candy” rationing is not carried out, since tree sap intensively circulates inside the trunk and branches.

A tree needs pruning if it exhibits the following signs:

1. Branches began to grow inside the tree.
2. The branches intertwine with each other.
3. The crown of the tree became very thick.
4. The branches dry out or are affected by some disease.

Young branches are cut with pruning shears. Thicker branches can be cut down with a hacksaw and then tinting the cut with paint.

Questions from our readers

What is the problem if the apple tree has small leaves?

The reasons may be:

1. Lack of nitrogen, zinc, phosphorus and copper in the soil.
2. Damage to the root system.
3. Disease of culture.
4. The groundwater is located high and the roots are affected.
5. Dry summer.

The candy apple tree is blooming, but there are no leaves at the top

This can occur from either insufficient or excessive application of fertilizers. The reason may be the characteristics of the variety and the frequency of fruiting of the apple tree. Affected by proximity to groundwater, insect pests and diseases.

Green caterpillars on an apple tree, how to fight?

Green caterpillars: winter moth and leaf roller, 2-3 cm in size. To destroy pests you need:

• burn damaged leaves;
• use special adhesive belts;
• spray with a 3% Nitrofen solution twice, before and after flowering of the tree;
• apply tobacco infusion.

Tobacco infusion

Cooking method:

One part of the plant leaf powder is dissolved in two parts of water and infused for 48 hours. Before processing, the concentration is halved.