Experienced gardeners say that it is very difficult in gardens located in the northern regions to find apple trees that will produce abundant and sweet fruit. Sweet taste is generally characteristic of many southern varieties, and in general this is a true fact. But, one way or another, there are some varieties of apples that can break this prejudice, all stereotypes and prove that even in the north you can get very tasty apples. One of these varieties is the Belarusian apple.
These are winter apples that can be stored for several months, right up to February, while reaching their consumer maturity also in the winter. At the same time, there is absolutely no acid in these fruits, which is also a huge advantage, so in this article we will give a more complete description of this apple variety and demonstrate how such a variety can be grown in various regions of our country. Also in the article we will touch on the intricacies of planting an apple tree and subsequent care for it, the agrotechnical features of the variety, its main characteristics, additional features and characteristics that are very important for the gardener to know about.
Description
The Belarusian sweet apple tree is listed as an early-ripening, late-autumn or late-winter variety (depending on the area of growth).
This is how the Belorusskoe sweet variety looks in the photo:
Tree
It is distinguished by its fast growth - already in the eighth year after planting the tree reaches a height of three meters . It has a not particularly dense, but compact crown of a round-cone-shaped configuration, slightly drooping (this makes it easier to collect fruits and trim branches). It grows up to 3 meters wide.
Reference ! Plastic and thin shoots, covered with a glossy milky-brown bark, bend greatly under the weight of the apples. However, the latter do not fall off prematurely.
Leaves
The branches are completely covered with large egg-shaped leaves with a slight inward curve. They lack pubescence, both outside and inside. The leaves are strongly wrinkled in the center and have small teeth along the edges. Their shade is rich green. They are attached to the shoots with hard, short cherry-colored petioles. The oval buds are small in size, tightly pressed.
Flowers
During flowering, the tree is covered with large white flowers with a crimson center.
Fruit
Main characteristics of the fruit:
- in size (on average, the weight of one fruit varies between 150-180 g; sometimes there are bogatyrs weighing 250 g).
The fruits are round, with a smooth and smooth surface to the touch. At the apple picking stage, the peel is green; when fully ripe, it becomes yellow with a blurred blush. - The pulp is white, slightly loose and oily, tender. It has a pleasant sweetness (completely absent of acid) and an unforgettable aroma. On a five-point scale, taste qualities are rated at 4-4.2 points.
- The condition is good. You can use them immediately after the breakdown. In cool and dark conditions, the fruits remain unchanged until February.
- Compound . Apple pulp contains sugars, ascorbic acid, dry substances and many other useful components (vitamins, minerals). Calorie content – about 47 Kcal per 100 grams of product.
Frost resistance
These apple trees have high winter hardiness. The variety tolerates temperatures down to -37 °C.
History of variety development
The variety was bred at the Belarusian Scientific Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing in the 90s of the last century, and already in 1999 it was transferred to state tests. The authors of the culture in question are Grakovich, Marudo, Evdokimenko and Kovalenko. Due to its high adaptive qualities, the variety is widespread everywhere. In Russia, it was registered in the state register in 2006 and zoned in the central zone. It takes root well in northern regions, but requires high-quality shelter before wintering in the first years of life after planting.
Did you know? Any tree consists of 99% dead tissue. And only 1% consists of living cells in the form of leaves, roots and phloem (a thin layer located under the bark).
Productivity
Fruit ripening begins in September and continues until November. It is possible to remove up to 37-40 kg of apples from a tree at the age of 5 years . From eight-year-old plantings, up to 16 tons are harvested per hectare. Apples do not fall to the ground when ripe.
Harvest storage
Fruits taken from the tree can be consumed immediately.
Only experts assure that the maximum improvement in taste occurs by January (during storage). When storing a slightly unripe harvest in a dark and cool room, its original properties are preserved until the end of February. If you pick ripe apples and do not follow standard storage rules, the shelf life is reduced by 2 months.
Storage conditions:
- humidity – within 75-80%;
- temperature – from 0 to +7 degrees;
- good ventilation;
- lack of light.
Benefit
There is no need to even talk about the beneficial properties of apples - everyone already knows how beneficial this fruit is for the human body. Apples are recommended for all diabetics and anyone on a diet. It is this fruit that is most often recommended for consumption for diseases of various types.
Various jams and juices, fruit drinks and fresh juices are made from apples - these drinks are definitely considered incredibly healthy. The great advantage of apples is that they do not lose the vitamins and minerals they contain during heat treatment. It is for this reason that it does not matter whether the apples are baked or raw - there will be benefits in both.
Landing rules
Its future productivity depends on the correctly chosen location of the tree. Planting material must be purchased from specialized nurseries. Only there can they offer specimens suitable for planting in certain regions.
Tips for choosing seedlings:
- It is better to focus on two-year samples. They are more viable and take root faster than five-year-olds.
- The grafting site should be located 5 cm above the root and have a small swelling (bole) with a height of at least 1.5 cm and the same diameter. It must have an already healed wound or stump after cutting the rootstock. If the cut does not become woody for a long time, but begins to rot, the plant is probably infected with tinder fungus.
- The root should have many small branches. If only the main stem is present with a minimum of shoots on the sides, the chance of seedling survival is reduced to zero. It is advisable that the rhizome be packed in a peat mixture.
- A two-year-old seedling should have one branch located at an angle of 90 degrees.
Apple trees are usually planted in early autumn - about a month before a serious cold snap. It is preferable to root this variety in early spring, when the ground has completely thawed and warmed up. The main thing is to be in time before the buds begin to dissolve.
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The site is selected to be sunny, protected from through winds. Darkening will negatively affect the quality of the fruit and the growth rate of the tree. The groundwater level should not be close to the surface - at least at a depth of 2 m. Otherwise, it is necessary to first fill the hill for planting.
Prepare the land 6 months before the planned event:
- Clear the area of plant debris and weeds and dig up to the depth of a spade bayonet.
- Water with a disinfectant solution. You can use copper sulfate or the drug “Fitosporin” (diluted in water at a ratio of 1:2).
- A month later, the soil is fertilized with a peat-sand mixture (10 kg), mullein (15-17 kg) and superphosphate (350 g) - the figures are presented per 1 sq. m. After this, another cultivation is done.
The following preparation is carried out a week before planting events:
- Dig a hole measuring 50-60 cm by 1 meter. If you plan to plant more than one specimen, make a space of about 5 m, between rows - at least 3 m.
- The soil removed from above is mixed with wood ash (approximately 700 g) and compost (25 kg). Gravel, brick chips and resting sawdust are poured into the bottom.
- Next, the hole is filled with garden soil and that which was previously mixed with fertilizers (layers alternate).
- A peg is fixed in the middle, which should be 1 meter above ground level.
- Fill 2 buckets of water (about 20 liters).
In due time, the seedling is placed in the prepared place , the roots are straightened and covered.
The root collar is left open. To avoid voids, the tree is periodically shaken while burying. Then water with warm, settled water in an amount of 20-30 liters. The next day, the soil under the planting is loosened and mulched with compost.
Rules of care
During the first couple of years after planting, the developing fruit ovaries are removed from the tree in order to later obtain a high-quality harvest.
Caring for the crop involves:
- watering;
- pruning;
- fertilizing
Water twice a month. If the weather is rainy, one will be enough; if the heat is stable, increase the amount of moisture (based on the condition of the soil).
Trimming
Pruning is necessary to form a beautiful crown and for sanitation purposes .
The procedure is carried out in spring and autumn. The tree is pruned for the first time the next year - most of the shoots are cut off (about a third of the total), and vertically growing ones are shortened by 30 cm.
The trunk is also trimmed to match the length of the remaining branches. In spring, cut off all affected branches and remove damaged bark . The wounds are treated with garden varnish.
Top dressing
Fertilizing with organic matter begins in the second year. Before the buds swell (in early April), liquid chicken droppings or manure are added. The droppings are infused for 10 days, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:30. And mullein is bred in a ratio of 1 to 10. The plant is fed immediately after watering is completed. When flowering ends, complex nitrogen-potassium compounds are used.
At the stage of fruit ripening, additional foliar feeding is made from infused herbs, supplemented with wood dust. To do this, place fresh nettles in a twenty-liter bucket filled with water, add 70 g of granulated sugar and half a kilo of ash.
Cover the container with something and leave it in the sun for at least 7 days, stirring daily. Then the resulting mixture is filtered and diluted with water in equal proportions.
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After watering, the root space is loosened and covered with mulch. This protects the plantings from damage by various diseases and prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil.
Preventive measures
To prevent infection of the plant, it is necessary to cultivate the soil in a timely manner. The procedure is especially thoroughly carried out in the spring before the start of sap flow and in the fall, when the trees are already bare. It is not permissible to leave any vegetation on the ground and fruits for the winter . Everything is removed and taken off site where it is disposed of. The resulting ash is scattered over the area as fertilizer or mulch.
Frequent use of products with a high copper content leads to its accumulation in the soil. Accordingly, fruits are also oversaturated with this element. Therefore, when feeding, it is necessary to alternate chemicals with organic matter.
After harvesting, the trees are treated with a 3% solution of copper oxychloride. Examine the bark and shoots for damage. If any are found, they are stripped to a clean cloth and covered with garden varnish.
Shortly before the onset of the first frost, the root zone is covered with coniferous branches or sprinkled with humus. The lower part of the trunk is wrapped in burlap to prevent rodents from damaging the roots.
Diseases and pests
This apple tree variety has stable immunity to scab. But this does not exclude the possibility of infection by other fungal diseases:
- Various kinds of spotting, late blight, alternaria - appear due to fungi of various strains. Pathogenic spores remain in foliage and soil that has not been harvested since autumn. The consequences are eliminated by cutting off diseased parts and treating with fungicides (Mancozeb helps well).
- Bacterial burn is a disease that cannot be treated. Spreads due to planting of already infected material. All that remains is to uproot the trees and treat these places with fungicidal agents.
- Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that occurs against a background of high humidity combined with prolonged heat. It is necessary to remove the affected leaves and spray the plant with “Fitoferm” or “Fundazol”.
The most dangerous insects are:
- aphid;
- mites;
- leaf rollers;
- codling moths.
For minor pest infestation, a one-time treatment with wood ash or tobacco powder is sufficient. Otherwise, potent insecticides will be required: Inta-Vir, Karbofos, Ecoberin, Zircon.
General characteristics
The Belarusian land has always been famous for its fertility; a variety of garden and berry crops are grown, and fruiting is usually excellent. Breeders from local research institutes have developed varieties of apple trees specifically for their lands, with different ripening periods and a wide range of tastes.
The main criteria for varieties were:
- Good frost resistance;
- Increased immunity to various fungal diseases, scab in particular;
- Large fruit size;
- Good taste of the resulting harvest.
The varieties will also differ in the size of the mature tree: in order to speed up the onset of fruiting, apple trees are grown on dwarf and columnar rootstocks.
Interesting! The crown of such a tree will be small, this will greatly simplify harvesting.
There are many varieties suitable for cultivation in Belarus, but there are a couple of dozen main varieties that are most common throughout the country.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive and negative aspects of the Belarusskoe sweet apple tree variety are given in the table:
pros:
- high resistance to frost;
- precocity;
- annual fruiting;
- resistance to scab and bark cancer;
- presentation of apples;
- high taste indicators;
- long-term storage.
Minuses:
- excessive sweetness (not everyone likes it);
- possible damage to the crop if storage conditions are not met.
Reviews from gardeners
After analyzing reviews from gardeners on various thematic forums and other sources on the Internet, we can draw some conclusions.
Most people like the sweetish taste of apples . Housewives note that they make excellent wine, as well as delicious preserves and jams with minimal added sugar.
What else can be highlighted:
- trees are easy to care for;
- there is no need to plant other pollinating varieties nearby;
- the harvest is ideally preserved until early spring;
- Apple trees bear fruit richly every season.
Links to forums here, here and here.
