It is generally accepted that apple trees are an industrial crop and are grown mainly for their fruit. But many of them are also very decorative. The Long apple tree is a clear confirmation of this. It will attract admiring glances from gardeners during flowering and when it is completely covered with unusual fruits.
Apple tree variety Kitayka Long.
History of selection
The history of the variety goes back more than a hundred years. Although one of the progenitors of the Kitayka Dolgo variety was the Russian variety Sibirka, the selection was carried out in America. The second was one of the winter-hardy small-fruited representatives of folk selection. According to the classification of American varieties, Kitayka is considered a ranetka due to its unusual shape.
The apple tree was brought to Russia in the mid-twentieth century. The apple tree, thanks to its ancestors, is very stable, and after it appeared in its historical homeland, this was tested as much as possible. It was even part of industrial collective gardens in Siberia and its environs.
Characteristics of the variety
The variety is considered autumn, undemanding and very beautiful. It can be grown on different types of soil and even in the most extreme conditions. The flowering is abundant and attractive, large flowers attract bees, which pollinate other varieties well. The apple tree is highly productive, but is often perceived by gardeners solely as decorative.
Tree
The Long apple variety has medium height and a rounded crown. The apple tree is very branched and can even be grown as a shrub. The branches grow straight up, covered with brown bark and many dark green leaves.
Fruit
The apple tree is simply hung with fruits on all sides. They are very small, rarely weighing even 20 grams. But they look very attractive, with smooth red skin. They can be oval or slightly ovoid, resembling a plum in appearance. The fruits stick well to the branches, even throughout the winter they can decorate the tree and be good food for birds.
Ripe apple fruits.
Kitayka Dolgo fruits have a very remarkable taste. Some find it pleasant, but on average it is quite satisfying, which is surprising for an ornamental variety.
The taste of the pulp is juicy, wine-sweet. The pleasant plum aroma inherent in the fruit is also noteworthy. The shelf life of picked fruits is short, a month under optimal conditions. Apples are very often used to make drinks or compotes. A bountiful harvest begins to grow in the third year after planting the tree, but it can be cyclical.
Resistance to diseases and frosts
The root system is located very deep. Due to this, the variety is highly frost-resistant. Even in cold Siberian regions it can be grown successfully.
The disease resistance of the variety is quite high. But some diseases can still spoil the appearance of the plantings. Scab and powdery mildew occur infrequently. But cytosporosis, black cancer or bacterial burn can occur. To protect the apple tree from these and other diseases, you need to spray in the spring.
Chinese apple tree - description
The plant differs from European varieties in its small fruits and original leaves, shaped like an elongated, pointed leaf plate of a Chinese plum. In its genotypes one can find signs of a real and berry apple tree. Alternative names for interspecific hybrids are plum-leaved apple tree, Raika. Ranetki and decorative crabs, which differ in fruit quality and origin, are often included in this group.
Benefits of the Chinese apple tree:
- Fruiting is fast.
- Abundant yield.
- Decorative.
- Unpretentiousness.
- You can choose a variety of paradise apples with good taste.
- Increased frost resistance.
- The frequency of fruiting is absent or weak.
- Suitable as a drought-resistant and frost-resistant rootstock.
Disadvantages of the Chinese apple tree:
- Many varieties with low consumer qualities.
- The apples fall off quickly.
- The fruits do not last long.
- Grafting with large-fruited varieties does not always give satisfactory results.
What does a Chinese apple tree look like?
Horticultural culture looks decorative on a summer cottage, standing out among the plantings with its original appearance. Externally, true plum-leaved Raika is distinguished from other small-fruited trees by the following characteristics:
- The tree is deciduous.
- Crown height – 3-8 m.
- The color of the shoots is grayish-brown or with a purple tint.
- The color of the buds is red-brown.
- The foliage is pointed, the edges of the plates are jagged.
- It is interesting to watch the Chinese apple tree bloom. The shape of the inflorescences is umbrella-shaped shields up to 8 cm in size. The number of flowers is up to 10 pcs.
- The color of the buds is pink, the petals are white.
- Flowering period is April-May.
- The size of the apples is 2-2.5 cm.
- The color of the fruit is yellow or red.
Chinese apple tree - ripening period
They tried to cross the small-fruited tree with many European varieties. As a result, the plum-leaved apple tree family now includes many high-quality hybrids that differ radically in consumer characteristics. Let's look at examples of Chinese women with completely different ripening periods:
- Golden early
- mid-August. - Saninskaya
- late summer. - Honey
- late summer. - Cream
– ripening in September. - Long
- autumn. - Kerr
- late autumn. - Kandil-Chinese
- late winter. - Borsdorf Chinese
- late winter.
Chinese apple tree - winter hardiness
In comparison with trees of European selection, this species is considered more hardy. The Chinese apple tree grows without problems in Altai, Kazakhstan, the Volga region and the northwestern regions. Plants tolerate cold winters of -30°C and even slightly below. In terms of durability, it is surpassed only by ranetka and apple berry. Chinese velvet, Saninskaya, Late Winter, Chinese mother are good rootstocks for large-fruited varieties that have problems with frost resistance.
Chinese apple tree – taste
It is difficult to classify varieties of plum-leaved Raika as standards, but among them you can find specimens with good characteristics. The Golden early Chinese apple tree has a delicate sweet and sour taste; the fruits of Dolgo and Kerr are famous for their pleasant aroma. In terms of sweetness, small-fruited hybrids Long Sweet and Honey should be ranked first. Apples from the harvest of other Chinese varieties are more sour for fresh consumption, but are good in compotes, preserves, and jams.
Rules for planting and care
Planting the Dolgo variety is a little easier than ordinary apple trees. He is unpretentious in choosing a place, but prefers the sun and the absence of drafts.
Planting an apple tree.
Deadlines
Planting can be carried out both in spring and autumn. But it would be preferable to plant in the spring, especially if the apple tree has an open root system, so that the young seedling has time to take root before severe frosts when it comes to the Northern regions.
Technologies
Planting is carried out in a pre-prepared hole. It needs to be filled with fertile soil, peat, superphosphate and ash added. You need to drive a stake in the center and tie a seedling to it. Spread the roots and sprinkle with soil. After planting, water and mulch the tree trunk circle.
There is a landing feature that is worth considering. The apple tree does not tolerate deepening of the root neck, so that the process of rotting does not begin. Another important condition is to plant the apple tree separately from other fruit crops, as far away as possible.
Growing and agricultural technology
The health of the apple tree will depend on further care. It requires a little attention to maintain its blooming appearance and abundant fruiting.
Abundant watering of the apple tree.
Important agricultural practices include:
- abundant timely watering 5 times per season. It is very important to control the amount of moisture, because its lack will negatively affect the amount of harvest even next year;
- after adding moisture, you need to mulch the tree trunk circle to retain moisture;
- it is important to ration the harvest in a timely manner, remove some of the inflorescences so that the fruits are larger and tastier;
- pruning of seedlings is necessary from the very first year in order to form the crown and prevent infection or thickening;
- you need to fertilize every year, starting from the second, throughout the entire season;
- carry out preventive spraying in the spring to protect the planting from pests and diseases;
- It is better to whiten the trunk in spring and autumn, and for the winter it is better to cover it with spruce branches.
These simple requirements are very easy to comply with. They will help protect the apple tree from harmful influences and give it health.
Disease Prevention
Treatment and preventive measures depend on the type of disease or pest:
- Cytosporosis . Apply hom during the period of swelling of the buds and copper sulfate shortly before flowering.
- Scab . Despite the Chinese woman's resistance to this disease, she can still become infected with it. Then use urea, copper sulfate, nitrophen, chorus, hom or speed.
- Black cancer . This disease negatively affects the appearance of Chinese women. The damaged bark is removed and special preparations are used.
- Apple moth . Chlorophos solution will save you.
- Green aphid . The entire crown is sprayed in large quantities with a solution of soap and tobacco.
To protect the Kitayka from rodents and cold, the trunk can be covered with spruce branches or roofing felt in late autumn. At the beginning of spring, last year's grass and leaves are removed around the apple tree and the soil is loosened with a rake. A solution of slaked lime and copper sulfate is used to whiten the trunk (the lower section of the trunk from the root collar to the first branches - the most vulnerable part of the tree). A chalk solution is used for seedlings.
Features of ripening and fruiting
Fruit harvesting, depending on the growing region, begins in the last summer month. In some areas it can even last until the end of September. Fruiting is abundant, but the apples are very small in size. You can collect up to 170 kg of fruit from one apple tree, and this is not the largest figure. The shelf life of fruits is short, apples are excellent for various technical needs. They are used to make preserves, jams, wine and even spiced cider.
Fruiting begins in the third year after planting. But there are some nuances that are important to consider. To ensure abundant fruiting, you will need to properly care for the apple tree, prune and fertilize it. It is possible to increase the weight of fruits if you correctly normalize the number of ovaries and remove excess ones.
The Kitayka Long apple tree is most often grown as an ornamental apple tree. It looks attractive both in spring and autumn, when the fruits are already ripe and stay on the branches for a long time. Often gardeners leave them on the branches so that hungry birds can feast on them. Many people also love the taste of fruits touched by frost.
Why doesn't the Chinese apple tree bear fruit?
Most of the reasons for the absence of a full-fledged ovary on a tree coincide with the negative circumstances described in the previous section. Let's add a few more nuances regarding cases when the common Chinese apple tree blooms, but does not produce fruit:
- Flowering of the tree occurs in unfavorable weather conditions - endless rains or severe cold prevent insects from flying out.
- The flowers of the Chinese apple tree are damaged by return frosts.
- Dropping of the ovary due to lack of moisture during the hot period.
- Damage to flower buds by insects - treatment with insecticides, the use of catching belts or traps helps.
Spreading
The ornamental apple tree is successfully grown in different regions. It is distinguished by its stability, so it can adapt to different climate conditions. A distinctive feature is winter hardiness, which allows you to grow apple trees even in frosty Siberian or arid regions.
The photo shows an apple tree in bloom in May.
The video in the attachment describes the trimming process in more detail.
Reviews
Marina Platonovna, 44 years old, Moscow region: “A beautiful ornamental apple tree has been growing here for a long time. We love it for its large flowers, which smell very pleasant, and for its delicious apple berries, which make the most aromatic jam.”
Pavel Fedorovich, 68 years old, Chelyabinsk region: “Chinese plants have been growing in our garden for a long time. For a long time my children have been very fond of it, because small sour apples are so similar to small cream. The tree is unpretentious and does not require much effort.”
The benefits of heavenly apples
Chinese apples contain 11% sugars, 0.7% tartaric acids, 7 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of fruit. Due to the presence of large amounts of vitamin C, the benefits of these miniature apples are invaluable:
- Prevention of hypertension.
- Strengthening blood vessels.
- Improved bowel function.
- Slowing down the aging process of the body.
- Diuretic effect, removing excess salts from the body.
- Prevention of kidney stone disease.
- Prevention of cancer.
In addition to all of the above, Kitayka trees, which do not lose their decorative appearance throughout the season, until late autumn, are often used in landscape design to decorate gardens, parks and squares.
