Dwarf apple tree species. What varieties are best to plant in the Moscow region and other regions of central Russia

Why grow dwarf varieties in the middle zone

This part of Russia is characterized by an unstable climate.
In winter, mild and warm weather alternates with severe frosts and winds. Therefore, many garden crops do not take root here well, and in the cold season they need special attention. Apple trees are no exception. The problem is solved by zoned and new varieties. Another way to get healthy apples from your plot all season long is through miniature varieties. A low-growing apple tree is obtained by grafting a regular variety onto a dwarf rootstock. Such trees have a number of advantages over tall ones:

Dwarf apple trees in the garden

1. Compactness. They are 2-4 m in height and about 2 m in diameter. Therefore, they can fit even in a small corner of the garden.
2. Easy apple picking due to the size of the tree.
3. Annual harvest. In ordinary varieties, fruiting occurs once every 2 years.
4. The quality of the fruits is not inferior to apples from tall trees.
5. Easy winter care.

The relatively high yield of dwarf trees is due to the well-developed roots and abundant growth of young shoots. The root system, which nourishes the tree, is especially important. In low-growing breeds, it goes deep into the ground up to 1 m and grows up to 8 square meters. m.

Advice. In the middle zone, early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening apple varieties develop well. Dwarf representatives of all these species can be placed in one plot to produce harvests from early summer to autumn.

Advice from experienced gardeners

The first rule of a gardener in caring for any variety of apple tree is not to leave the tree without care. It’s not enough just to plant. Lack of pruning, annual fertilizing, and treatment against pests is almost guaranteed to lead to the death of the tree or the absence of a harvest on it.

Considering that many fruitful varieties require the presence of other apple trees on the site, it is best to take care of this right away, taking it as a guide to action. Several seedlings are selected for planting at once, focusing on their suitability to the climatic characteristics of the region.

Apple trees on a dwarf rootstock

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Summer dwarf varieties

Among the most famous in this category:

1. Melba.
2. Candy.

The Melba variety begins to produce crops in the third year of life in the ground. The trees are very prolific, so they enjoy well-deserved popularity among gardeners. Apples are poured at the end of July:

• size – not very large;
• shape – round, slightly elongated;
• weight – 150-250 g;
• peel color – bright green, sometimes with stripes of a yellowish tint;
• the taste is soft and juicy fruits, with a caramel tint.

Variety Melba
The Candy Apple competes with Melba in taste . The variety was developed by I. Michurin. Fruit ripeness occurs by early August. Their description:

• slightly below average apple size and weight (120 g);
• shape – round;
• skin color – dark green, matte;
• The apples taste juicy, very aromatic, the flesh is dense.

Attention! If the Candy variety tree did not have enough heat, but there was a lot of moisture, then harvesting will be delayed by 1-2 weeks.

Autumn low-growing varieties

These include:

1. Zhigulevskoe.
2. Autumn striped.

Zhigulevskoye apple tree variety begins to bear fruit in the 3rd-4th year of planting. The tree is considered the most resistant among autumn species to negative factors. It successfully resists many diseases and pests, and continues to produce equally abundant harvests of large fruits as it ages. But it is afraid of severe frosts, so the apple tree is carefully covered for the winter.

Variety Zhigulevskoe

Zhiguli apples will ripen at the end of September:

• size – very large;
• weight – up to 350 g;
• shape – round, slightly flattened along the axis;
• peel color – red-golden;
• The apple tastes juicy, sweet and sour, with delicate coarse-grained pulp.

Attention! This variety is characterized by high keeping quality. In a cool basement, the fruits can be stored for up to six months without loss of commercial quality.

The Streifling or Autumn Striped also does not tolerate frost, so it needs winter “clothing”. The reason is the shallow location of the root system. Apples will ripen in September:

• size – large;
• weight – about 150-200 g;
• shape – round, slightly elongated;
• color – green with bright vertical stripes along the entire circumference;
• taste – sourish-sweet, rich.

Advice. Apples of this variety should be stored at a temperature of no more than +6C.

Useful photos and videos

Grushovka Moskovskaya.

Bogatyr.

Autumn striped.

Watch a video describing the varieties listed above: Watch a video about dwarf apple trees: Watch a video about the Sokolovskoye and Kovrovoe varieties: Watch a video about the Arbat apple tree:

Winter dwarf varieties

Winter breeds of low-growing apple trees include:

1. Grushevka Podmoskovnaya.
2. Bogatyr.
3. Arbat.
4. Moscow necklace.

Grushevka Podmoskovnaya
Grushevka Podmoskovnaya is one of the most popular and ancient winter-type varieties. The seedling produces its first harvest in the 5-6th year after planting. Fruits regularly and abundantly; apples do not ripen at the same time:

• size – small;
• weight – about 80 g;
• shape – round, elongated;
• skin color – yellow, with blush on one side;
• taste – sweet and sour, aromatic.

Attention! The variety is perfectly stored because the fruits are very resistant to rotting.

Bogatyr belongs to the late varieties. As for a dwarf species, the tree grows very profusely, so it needs annual pruning. This procedure will also increase productivity. But the apple tree is the most frost-resistant of the winter varieties and is very resistant to bacteria, fungi and pests. Fruiting begins in the 5th-6th year of planting:

• size – small;
• weight – up to 80 g;
• shape – round, slightly flattened;
• color – red-yellow;
• the taste is sour, similar to the taste of Antonovka.

Bogatyr fruits retain their quality for up to 9 months.

The late winter variety Moscow Necklace will ripen in mid-October. It does not produce as abundant harvests as some other dwarf varieties. But apples have their benefits. The fruits are large and massive. The color is red-burgundy, the taste is juicy and sour-sweet. The tree sometimes bears fruit even in its third year in the ground. Apples can be stored for up to six months.

Arbat belongs to the columnar dwarf varieties. It is considered decorative and, at the same time, produces an abundant harvest. Apples can be stored for up to 9 months. Their characteristics:

• size – medium;
• weight – up to 120 g;
• shape – flattened-round;
• color – burgundy-red;
• taste – sweet.

Advice. For long-term storage, it is recommended to pick apples a little earlier than expected. However, they will be a little tart at first. To remove this taste quality, leave the fruits to sit for several weeks.

All dwarf varieties, in addition to winter care, need abundant sunbathing and warmth in the summer. Then the fruits will be as juicy, aromatic and tasty as possible.

The nuances of growing late apple trees

The most significant events for fruit trees are:

1. Landing.
2. Care.
3. Trimming.

Let's consider each point in detail.

Landing

Violation of planting rules leads to the fact that the tree will bear little fruit or may even die. The process is divided into three important stages:

• Choosing a location and seedling.
• Preparing the planting hole.
• Direct landing.

Several factors will influence the choice of apple tree for your garden. To choose the right variety, you need to understand:

• height and type of tree (tall or medium-tall, dwarf or columnar);
• apple ripening time;
• illumination of the place for the apple tree;
• shelf life and taste of fruits.

When choosing an apple tree seedling, you need to take into account the condition of the soil (including the groundwater level), the location for planting, and many other factors.

If the seedling is chosen incorrectly, most likely it will simply die.

Once a specific variety has been identified, they proceed to preparing the pit. Experienced gardeners will take care of this in advance. Recommended timing:

• for planting in autumn - July - August;
• spring - September - October.

It is best to plant any apple trees in the fall, but for winter varieties this is especially important.

After leaf fall, a dormant period begins at the top of the plant and the tree spends energy only on the development of roots. It stores nutrients that freely flow to the roots with autumn rains. This is when apple trees take root very well. The optimal time is when the soil temperature is not lower than +4°C, but Indian summer is already over. Long hours of daylight can awaken the buds and bring the tree out of a state of biological dormancy. Therefore, apple trees are most often planted in the second half of September. The tree will need from 10 to 25 days for it to take root and gain strength for the spring growing season.

The soil substrate for planting is prepared taking into account the characteristics of the soil of the place where the tree will grow.

For apple trees, it is very important to properly prepare the planting site in advance and act strictly according to the given scheme.

While the hole for the apple tree is soaking, the earth settles. At this time, green manure is often planted, which is then simply dug up along with the soil.

When filling an apple tree seedling with substrate, it is important to remember that the root collar should not be buried. At the end, the plant is watered abundantly and the trunk circle is mulched.

Careful preparation of the planting site is especially important for bare-rooted seedlings. But regardless of whether the tree was in a container or not, for it in the next two to three years those elements contained in the substrate are very important. They are the ones who will give the apple tree strength for growth and proper development.

Table: timing of planting seedlings depending on the region

When observing the timing of planting apple trees in the ground in the fall, it is important to focus not only on the weather forecast, but also monitor nature. We need the last days of leaf fall.

Care

In general, winter varieties are cared for in the same way as others, but there are some peculiarities. For example, autumn spraying. From the point of view of disease prevention and treatment, this is an important point in tree care. It is carried out only after the fruits have already been collected. Late-ripening varieties yield their harvest in September-October, which means spraying should be carried out later. But at this time the autumn weather comes into its own. Rain, lower temperatures, and even more so frosts will not allow such treatment. Therefore, it is very important not to skip spring spraying.

Video: pruning fruit trees for beginners

https://youtube.com/watch?v=A7teP_nwSeQ

Varieties of dwarf apple trees: photos