Of course, every person passionate about gardening has at least once heard of this name Grushovka Moscow apple tree. This variety is one of the most famous and widespread; it was bred by domestic breeders who sought to create a variety that would be sufficiently resistant to diseases and infections, and at the same time would also be distinguished by its unpretentiousness and abundant yield.
The Grushovka Moskovskaya apple tree variety glorified our country back in the mid-17th century, then it spread very actively in various regions, adapted there, hardened and gave excellent yield results. As a result, the variety has taken root well in the lower part of the Black Earth Region, as well as in the Middle Urals and its South. In this article we will dwell in more detail on the description of the Grushovka Moskovskaya apple tree variety, on the characteristics of its main subtypes, and also talk about agrotechnical subtleties, the features of planting a tree and caring for it. This information will be of interest not only to novice gardeners, but also to those who already have experience in planting and growing apple trees, but are looking for opportunities to improve their tree, make it even more fertile and less painful.
History of the variety's creation
The Grushovka Moskovskaya variety has been known for about two hundred years. It is believed that it was bred through natural selection - in other words, it was formed during migration through the Black Earth Region, the Urals and Siberia.
The name of the variety was invented by biologist A. Bolotov, to whom the crown of a young tree resembled a pear. The Moscow apple tree was named in order to distinguish it from the already Grushovka Nemetskaya.
In the 19th century, the plant gained popularity in North America. In 1947 it was included in the State Register of Northern Regions. At the moment, the tree is grown throughout Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
Growing apple trees in the Moscow region
The Moscow region is one of the regions suitable for growing fruit trees, primarily, of course, apple trees. When choosing a variety, you can rely on many indicators. Often amateur gardeners try to focus on taste. And among the varieties offered for the Moscow region, there is plenty to choose from. Some people like sweet apples, others prefer sweet and sour ones. Well, there are also lovers of fruits with a predominance of sourness in taste
When choosing an apple tree suitable for the garden, first of all you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the variety, its frost resistance and plasticity
You can and should grow apple trees in the Moscow region
As a rule, all varieties are divided into groups that correspond to a particular period of fruit ripening. Based on this, we can distinguish 3 main groups:
- summer;
- autumn;
- winter.
Main characteristics
Grushovka Moskovskaya is an apple tree reaching a height of about 7 meters. The crown is branched and usually has a diameter of 8 meters, becoming more spreading as it matures, with drooping branches. If the plant is more than 10 years old, the crown becomes spherical.
The leaves are on long petioles, have the shape of an ellipse, are elongated, with small denticles along the edges. They are usually colored green, less often yellow-green. There may be keeled leaves. Young foliage is pubescent; mature foliage is either absent or insignificant.
The petals in buds are colored pink, changing the shade to light pink, almost white, as they bloom. Diameter – 2.5 centimeters. The bark of the apple tree is brown with an orange or yellow tint. The seedlings are more intensely colored. The branches are smooth, without thorns.
A tree lives on average 60 years, producing fruits 4 years after planting.
Variety description: apple from an apple tree…
Grushovka trees are large in size and have a dense, voluminous crown of a pyramidal or round shape. The average height of the tree is 6–7 m, the diameter of the crown is on average 8 m. The apple tree has dense foliage.
The Grushovka tree has a dense, voluminous crown of a pyramidal or round shape.
Apple trees of this variety usually live 50–60 years, and begin to bear fruit early - most often in the fourth year after planting. The harvest volumes may also surprise you: in the first few years, you can get up to 10 kg of apples from one tree, and if it is more than 15 years old, then 80–100 kg .
From one tree aged 15 or more years you can get up to 100 kg of apples
The fruits of Grushovka are small, often even considered small (maximum fruit weight is 100–120 g, average fruit weight is 60–80 g). They have a round, slightly flattened shape, and are greenish-yellow in color with pink or red stripes. The skin is thin, smooth, covered with a layer of natural wax.
Their flesh is soft, juicy, with a bright and pleasant aroma. When fully ripened, apples taste sweet, with a barely perceptible pleasant sourness. The calorie content of the fruit is quite low and amounts to 47 kcal for every 100 g.
The pulp of Grushovka is soft, juicy, with a pleasant aroma
Comparative characteristics of Grushovka species: Moscow, early and winter
Often, when reading information about Grushovka, you can come across new names - Grushovka Moscow, Grushovka early, winter. And not everyone knows what each of them means. Apple tree Grushovka and Grushovka Moscow are the same plant, the founder of this genus.
The average weight of a Grushovka apple is 60-80 g
But the Grushovka early and Grushovka winter apple trees are the result of crossing with another variety. Early apple trees appeared as a result of pollination of the Grushovka tree by the Moscow Papirovka. Experts consider early pear to be the most successful variety. The fruits of this variety are twice as large as those of the ancestor. Productivity reaches up to 200 kg per tree. The variety is resistant to scab and has good winter hardiness, but the fruits do not ripen at the same time, and most often do not bear fruit regularly, but every other year. Therefore, early Grushovka is used only in amateur gardening and is widespread in most regions of the European part of Russia.
Early Grushovka is the result of pollination of the Grushovka tree by the Moscow variety Papirovka
The winter version of the variety is the result of crossing Moscow Grushovka with the Kronselskoye Transparent variety. Grushovka Zimnyaya differs from Moscow in having larger fruits. The variety is very productive - at least 100 kg of fruits are collected from the tree. And yet, this variety has not become widespread, since its winter hardiness is quite low, and the disease resistance of apple trees is also low. You can meet them in central Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Winter Grushovka is the result of crossing Moscow Grushovka with the Kronselskoe transparent variety
Description of fruits
Grushovka apples are either small or medium. The maximum weight is 120 grams, the average is about 80. They are spherical in shape, slightly flattened, but can also be onion-shaped. The skin is quite thin and has a pleasant smell. Because the fruit has a layer of natural wax, it may appear greasy.
The pulp is juicy and friable, the color is white, but can be cream or pink. The taste is subtle, delicate, kilo-sweet or noticeably sour (if it contains a lot of vitamin C). An overripe crop has dry and mealy pulp. The calorie content of apples is 47 kilocalories per 100 grams.
It is not advisable to use the fruits for commercial purposes, since they are poorly stored and do not like transportation.
Pollinator trees
To pollinate the Grushovka Moskovskaya apple tree, pollination with pollen from other varieties is necessary. The following varieties of apples act as excellent pollinators:
- Antonovka;
- Padding;
- Anise Striped;
- Cinnamon;
- Bellefleur is Chinese.
Antonovka
Anise Striped;
Padding
Cross pollination requires the presence of 3-4 varieties. In orchards, pollination can occur with the help of bees, so it is advisable to place trees at a distance of a maximum of 60 meters from each other.
Diseases and pests
In general, the culture has average immunity to diseases. Most often it suffers from scab, powdery mildew, and fruit rot. For prevention, trees should be treated with fungicides: early in the spring, during bud break, and then after flowering.
A solution of Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride, Horus or Skor preparations helps well against powdery mildew and scab. Fundazol saves you from fruit rot.
You can protect your tree from diseases using simple preventive procedures:
- constantly rid the apple tree of old, dry and damaged branches;
- before placing the tree in a permanent place, you need to keep the land fallow for at least 2 years;
- if necessary, spray the apple tree with disinfectants and medicinal agents;
- in the autumn, it is imperative to collect and burn fallen leaves, since fungal spores can move from the foliage to the ground, where they calmly survive the winter.
If we talk about pests, then most often the apple tree is attacked by aphids, apple moths, codling moths, apple flower beetles and some others. It is aphids and moths that pose the greatest danger. The first one is generally capable of quickly spreading throughout the tree and sucking out all its juices, and this provokes the falling of leaves. Moth caterpillars also feed on the juices of leaves and shoots, chewing them.
To get rid of parasites, you can use Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, and soda solution. If the problem was discovered late, insecticides will help.
It is worth noting the harmful effects of rodents on wood. They usually become active in winter. These include hares, mice and other rodents. To prevent them from harming the apple tree, whitewashing should be done in late autumn.
Some gardeners advise protecting the tree with covering materials (for example, roofing felt).
Caring for the variety in spring, summer and autumn
To water a tree, dig a ditch around its perimeter and pour settled, room-temperature water into it. In the summer, when it is hot and there has been no rain for a long time, watering can be done classically, and then using the sprinkling method. It is required that the leaves dry completely and watering, for example, can be repeated in the evening.
Tree feeding is applied 3 or 4 times per season. For example, 1 feeding is done after April 20. They make a mixture of fertilizers: per bucket of humus water requires 5 or 6 buckets + 0.5 kg of urea.
2 fertilizing is applied before the plant blooms. For 10 liters of liquid you will need the following composition: 40 g of potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate. To water 1 tree, you need 40 liters of mixture. When the apples ripen, add 50 g of nitrophoska with sodium glutate at the root. In the autumn, the last feeding is done: 300 g of potassium salt + 300 g of superphosphate. The mixture should be scattered around the tree trunk.
Pruning and whitewashing, how does a tree winter?
The tree is pruned for the first time 1 year after planting. This is done to ensure that the trunk grows evenly. The owner cuts off the branches located on top by 1/3. This is approximately 30 to 40 cm. If pruning is needed in the future in the fall or spring, the owner will cut off the extra branches that thicken the crown.
In autumn the tree is whitewashed. This helps destroy larvae and pests hiding under the bark. In addition, lime destroys disease spores that end up on the bark.
"Important! Before whitewashing, you need to carefully inspect the trunk and cover all wounds with cracks with garden varnish.”
A solution suitable for high-quality whitewashing is as follows:
- quicklime - 2 kg;
- water - 6 l;
- fatty clay - 1 l.
The mixture is stirred, milk with a low fat content is poured into it. Now the mixture will stick perfectly to the bark. Trees need to be whitewashed in November, when the rains typical for this time of year have ended. To whitewash, start from the roots, process the trunk, forks and 10-15 centimeters at the beginning of large branches.
Grushovka is frost-resistant; it is not specially covered for the winter. The bark of a young tree is readily gnawed by hares, so the trunk must be protected. Most often he is wrapped in old nylon tights and black polyethylene.
They cut off the top and bottom, make cuts on one side of the plastic bottles, turn away the edges and cover the barrel with plastic. If they don’t want to cover it with bottles, they tie spruce branches around the tree with the needles down.
Hares are cowardly, if you tie black bags by the handles to the branches of a young tree, then the animals will see them in the snow from afar, and the fact that they rustle will scare away the big-eared ones. In March, when the snow cover melts, the trees need to be freed from protection. The main thing is not to forget, otherwise the trunk will overheat and the tree will prematurely release buds, which will quickly freeze, and this will have a bad effect on the harvest.
Advantages and disadvantages
Before planting an apple tree of the Grushovka Moskovskaya variety, you should carefully study its strengths and weaknesses. Gardeners highlight the following advantages of the plant:
- the apple tree survives the winter excellently, coping with frosts down to -50 degrees;
- Trees bear fruit 4-5 years after planting;
- Apples ripen at the end of July-beginning of August;
- fruits contain B vitamins, vitamin C, sugar, pectin and organic acids;
- the yield is quite high, especially if the tree is mature.
The disadvantages of the variety are as follows:
- the ripening time of apples on the same tree may differ;
- if the summer is dry, then the tree tends to shed its harvest;
- the plant suffers from scab, especially if the weather is rainy;
- storing or transporting crops is problematic;
- It is impossible to make jam or preserves from apples; they are also not suitable for fermentation;
- the consumer period is quite short;
- Fruiting is irregular and uneven.
How to plant an apple tree
The Grushovka Moskovskaya variety is not capricious; planting an apple tree differs little from planting other varieties of apple trees, so the description of this action will not be a revelation for experienced gardeners.
A beginner needs to plant an apple tree together with a friend
The main requirement when planting a fruit tree is to choose a site. A strong wind can easily break a thin young seedling; an apple tree tends to crumble, and the wind intensifies this phenomenon. This way you can lose, if not the entire harvest, then a significant part of it. For this reason, it is recommended to choose a place for planting that is protected from gusts of wind and at the same time sufficiently sunny. Elevations are well suited, while in lowlands and basins the tree runs the risk of freezing. In order for the apple tree to grow as beautiful and productive as in the photo, it is advisable to select an area with fertile soil for planting it. The soils best suited for this variety are sandy loam and loam. The apple tree reacts nervously to the proximity of groundwater, but if such a position of groundwater has developed on the site, then you will have to spend a little more effort on the planting event and, in addition to planting, dig drainage channels not far from the apple trees. An apple tree of this variety, like other varieties of fruit trees, is planted either in spring or autumn. It is preferable to carry out spring planting activities starting from mid-April, and autumn planting activities until mid-October. It is not advisable to plant trees after October due to frost.
Before planting, excavation work is carried out, it is advisable to complete it a week before the main events. First, a hole is dug under each seedling, the size of which depends on the size of the tree’s root system - it must fit freely into the hole. The average dimensions of a planting hole are a depth of 60-70 centimeters and a diameter of up to 100 cm. Four days before planting the plant, the soil at the bottom of the hole is loosened and humus is laid - 25 g for each hole
After this, a layer of mineral and organic fertilizers is added to the future place of residence of the seedling; let’s say, wood ash and superphosphate are best suited for this. A seedling is planted on an earthen bed, straightening the root system and carefully covering it with earth. Having sprinkled the roots, carefully compact the soil, trying not to damage the roots.
It is recommended that before planting a seedling, place a stake in the hole and tie the young tree to this support. The purpose of the stake is to add stability to the seedling while it is still small. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly, for which at least five buckets of water are used. Then the tree trunk soil is mulched with peat. The next week the seedling is watered again.
Landing
Most of all, the apple tree of this variety loves loamy, sandy loam or turf soils. In general, the tree is unpretentious, so the planting rules are the same as for many fruit crops. You cannot plant an apple tree in a damp area with stagnant liquid or in the shade.
Young plants are planted around the end of April or beginning of May, or in September-October. The pits should have steep slopes, a width of 100 centimeters and a depth of 60 centimeters. 4 days before planting, fertilizers are applied (25 kilograms of humus). In the formed hole you need to make a recess for the root system.
It is best to plant with garter stakes. Thanks to this, the seedlings will be more stable. A stake is driven in immediately before placing the plant, placing it on the north side of the trunk to protect the apple tree from frost and heat.
The planting must be deep; it is necessary to make rollers along the boundaries of the pit. Immediately after planting, pour in 30 liters of water, and then mulch with humus or compost.
Care
In order for a tree to enjoy a bountiful harvest, it must be provided with proper care. For intensive development of the apple tree after the first flowering, gardeners recommend removing up to 85% of the flowers. 50% of apples need to be picked while still green. Due to this, harvest volumes are normalized.
The plant is afraid of drought, therefore, it is necessary to properly organize the watering regime: activities are carried out about 2-3 times a week. They stop watering it only at the end of August so that it is properly prepared for winter.
The tree trunk needs to be regularly loosened and weeds growing nearby must be pulled out. In the fall, to make the apple tree cope with the cold more easily, they mulch with horse humus.
In late autumn, in order to protect the apple tree from lichens and mosses, as well as to destroy parasites and fungi, it is recommended to whiten the trunk. All damage is first covered with a garden varnish.
The following composition is suitable for whitewashing: 6 liters of water + 2 kilograms of quicklime + kilogram of fatty clay. After thorough mixing, add skim milk. Not only the trunk is treated, but also the bases of large branches.
You don’t have to cover the tree for the winter, although you should take care to protect it from rodents. To do this, you can use simple nylon tights, plastic bottles, black plastic bags or spruce branches.
As soon as the snow has completely melted, the protective piles must be removed. Otherwise, the trunk will overheat and the buds will open before the required moment.
Features of growing pears
If you want your tree to take root and bear fruit well, we advise you to follow several rules.
- Plant this variety in sunny places. If you plant such a tree in the shade, the fruits will not become sweet, and the sour taste will prevail.
- Pay special attention to the soil; it must be well drained so that moisture does not stagnate in it. In terms of composition, slightly acidic soil or chernozem is best suited, but the tree will be quite comfortable in turf or sandy loam soil.
- Before planting, place compost or humus in the planting hole. Moskovskaya Grushovka loves organic fertilizers.
- Provide the tree with regular watering.
- Don't forget to apply fertilizer on time. Fertilizing is done 3-4 times during the growing season.
- Carry out disinfestation twice a season, this will help in the fight against pests and diseases such as powdery mildew, scab and fruit rot.
Landing
It is worth taking a responsible approach to this event, because it depends on whether your tree will take root and bear fruit.
Planting begins with choosing a seedling and preparing the hole; pay more attention to this issue.
There are some requirements for the planting process itself.
- Dig a sufficiently large planting hole; its size should be at least 70 centimeters in diameter and one meter deep.
- We prepare the pit two weeks before planting, adding fertilizer in the form of manure, humus or bird droppings mixed with soil in advance.
- Be sure to place a stake in the hole to which you need to tie the tree.
- Form a tubercle inside the hole, this is necessary so that the roots do not curl up when planting.
- Immerse the seedling in the hole, spread the roots along the tubercle, tie the seedling to the stake.
- Fill with earth gradually, 10 centimeters of earth at a time, compacting the earth firmly each time.
- Do not bury the root collar, let it be at a level of 4 - 6 centimeters above the ground surface.
- Water the seedling generously, you need to take about 2 - 3 buckets of water.
Basic conditions
The main conditions for successful planting are to comply with all the requirements that relate to both the planting site, the soil, the selection of seedlings, and the time of year and weather conditions.
When to do this and how to choose material
To choose the right seedling, the most important thing is to pay attention to its root system. The roots must be healthy, without any mechanical damage, there should be no rot or mold on them, they should not be dry
Preparing the site and distance from other trees
Preparation of the landing site consists of a pre-dug hole. Two weeks before planting, it must be dug up and saturated with organic fertilizers. The depth of the pit must be at least one meter, and the width and length must be at least 70 centimeters. The distance between the apple tree and another tree should be at least 4 meters.
Permissible groundwater level
The apple tree is very demanding of moisture, and the Grushovka Moskovskaya variety is even more demanding. Excessive humidity is contraindicated for this variety, so the groundwater level should also be within acceptable limits. The generally accepted level for an apple tree is considered to be at least 2.5 meters deep; this is the most optimal option when planting can be done.
Disembarkation dates
For this variety, it is very important to choose the right planting time. The best time for this is considered to be spring, namely May. Autumn planting is also acceptable; September is best.
The soil
This variety of apple tree is not considered particularly picky regarding the type of soil. The best lands for it will be turf, black soil or sandy loam. It is worth noting that Grushovka Moskovskaya will not tolerate stagnant water or close proximity to groundwater, so it is recommended to install drainage.
Landing technology
If you are going to grow an entire apple orchard, then you need to adhere to the correct planting pattern. When planting in several rows, the interval between apple trees should be 4 meters, and between rows - 5 meters. Most often, the apple orchard is planted in a checkerboard pattern, so the diagonal distance should be about 6 meters.
Tree care
Like any other plant, this apple tree needs timely watering, regular fertilization and preventive measures against diseases and the negative influence of pests. If you planted the seedling correctly and prepared the hole correctly, the seedling will grow strong and bring a good harvest.
Watering and loosening the soil, correct agricultural technology
Watering is very important for the full growth of Grushovka Moskovskaya, since if it is not enough during the hot period, the apple tree will begin to drop unripe fruits, which will affect the harvest. In summer, a young seedling should be watered two to three times a week, but again everything depends on the region. Stop watering completely in August and then do a final fall watering after the first frost.
Feeding
The first fertilizers must be applied while planting the tree, and then only a year later, since the applied fertilizers will be enough for development and growth in the first year.
In the second year, fertilizing is introduced regularly; the tree will need to be fed four times per season.
- The first feeding is carried out in the spring, in April.
- The second feeding is in mid-to-late May, when flowering begins.
- The third feeding is carried out as soon as the fruits begin to set.
- The fourth fertilizing is applied after harvesting.
Grushovka Moskovskaya is very fond of organic fertilizers; in the spring you can feed the plant with slurry or humus. If you do not have organic matter, you can use mineral fertilizers, for example, urea.
During autumn feeding, use minerals without nitrogen.
Protection from frost and rodents
In the fall, you need to take several simple actions, as a result of which you will protect the tree from rodent invasion and the possibility of frostbite.
- Although this is one of the most frost-resistant varieties, do not neglect mulching the tree trunk circle, this will protect the root system from freezing. You can use sawdust, tree bark, compost or hay as mulch;
- use garden varnish to treat damage to the tree;
- to prevent diseases and protect against rodents and pests, whiten the tree trunk;
- get rid of all damaged branches;
- If you have a really cold region, insulate tree trunks before wintering. Burlap, hay, spruce branches are suitable for this.
Crown formation simple pruning
Pruning Grushovka Moskovskaya is the same as for most fruit trees and is necessary to stimulate crown growth and fruit ripening.
The first pruning is done in the second year of growth.
- all diseased, dry and damaged branches are removed;
- the main trunk is shortened by 40 centimeters;
- all skeletal branches are shortened by 30 centimeters.
If you prune the branches every year, you are guaranteed a rich harvest.
Reproduction
A tree like an apple tree can be propagated in many different ways. The gardener can choose any path that suits him and carry out propagation as he pleases. The best method of propagation, of course, is grafting.
Graft
By grafting you can obtain plants with the desired properties and characteristics:
- growing on a dwarf rootstock solves the problem when groundwater is high;
- the period for the apple tree to begin bearing fruit decreases;
- the costs of purchasing new varieties are reduced.
Rootstock main features
There are several ways to propagate an apple tree by grafting. You can graft onto clonal, intercalary or seed rootstock. Each of them is characterized by a different method of cultivation: the rootstock can be grown from cuttings or seeds. Do not forget that each rootstock has its own scion, and if you combine them incorrectly, you will simply waste time.
Beginning of fruiting
The beginning of fruiting of an apple tree grafted onto a seed rootstock occurs at the age of 7-8 years. An apple tree grafted onto a clonal rootstock begins to bear fruit at 3-4 years of age.
Bloom
The Moscow Grushovka apple tree blooms profusely, with soft pink, small flowers. Flowering begins between 5 and 12 years, it all depends on the region in which you live and the conditions under which the tree grows. Flowering lasts 10 days.
Flowering time
Flowering begins in May, depending on your region, if you live in the south, then the apple tree blooms in early May, respectively, if in the north, then at the end.
Productivity and pollination
A very productive variety. In addition, the peculiarity of this apple tree is that the fruits ripen one by one and on one branch you can observe both ripe and unripe fruits.
Pollinators of the Moscow pear apple tree
The Moscow Grushovka apple tree is not capable of self-pollination, so it should be planted next to the following varieties: White Naliv, Papirovka, Kitayka, Bellefleur, Striped Anise, Candy, Cinnamon, Antonovka. They will serve as pollinator plants.
Feeding
The Grushovka Moskovskaya apple tree is fed from the second year of its life. At the beginning of spring, rotted horse manure or humus is added to the soil in a ratio of 10 kilograms per square meter. 500 grams of urea are used as mineral fertilizers.
In autumn, the plant can be supported with the help of complex fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen (or those that contain no more than 5%). As an example, we can take the product “Kemira Autumn”, which is applied at the rate of 40 grams per square meter. The granules are simply scattered dry around the apple trees, and then the soil is dug up.
Trimming
The tree is first pruned the next year after planting to promote adequate trunk formation. The upper branches are cut off by about a third, and the main part of the trunk is shortened by 40 centimeters. In the future, such manipulations are carried out as necessary.
Ripening and fruiting of Grushovka apple trees
Pear trees are planted specifically for the sake of collecting fruits, and not for decorative purposes. The timing of their ripening is directly affected by climatic conditions, as well as the weather of a particular year. Therefore, they can noticeably shift to both earlier and later periods. However, the characteristics of the variety also play an important role.
Beginning of fruiting
When the seedlings begin to bear fruit depends on the characteristics of the rootstock. Grafted onto dwarf or semi-dwarf trees will bring a good harvest already 2-5 years after planting. If Grushovka is grafted onto a wild or vigorous apple tree, rowan, or pear, then you will have to wait longer for fragrant apples - only by 6-9 years can you see fruiting.
Flowering time
Usually the apple tree blooms very profusely by the beginning of May. All trees are covered with a thick carpet of lush multi-petaled flowers. The buds have a white or pale pink color, which gradually becomes more saturated.
If you want to get a good harvest, most of the buds need to be cut off at the flowering stage (85-90%). After they turn into ovaries, it is advisable to destroy another half of the remaining amount.
Fruiting and growth
Trees of this variety very quickly begin to bear fruit abundantly. Already from the first year you can get about 8-10 kilograms of apples. However, Grushovka reaches full strength approximately 3-6 years after the first harvest.
Fruiting has an irregular basis, depending on many external factors. Therefore, it cannot be said that fruits are usually collected annually or every other year - this happens “as luck would have it.” However, if the flowering was abundant, most likely the harvest will also please you.
Top dressing
- Organic.
- Mineral.
- Complex.
What to do if it doesn’t bloom or bear fruit
- Feed with fertilizers.
- Protect from wind.
- Check for diseases or pests.
- Transplant.
- Make a trim.
Reviews
Marina, Moscow region : I’m just a fan of Grushovka! I think these are the most delicious apples I have ever tried. The tree does not require special care, and for me this is ideal, since sometimes due to work I cannot come to the dacha. The harvest is simply incredible, about 100 kilograms. I am very pleased.
Nikolay, Ufa : About 20 years ago, my parents planted several apple trees of the Grushovka variety. All of them consistently bring us harvest, and in large volumes. The only sad thing is that sometimes we don’t have time to eat it, even if we distribute it to our neighbors: they are not easy to grow, these apples. A couple of times our trees were sick, but we noticed them in time and treated them. These apple trees endured even harsh winters with dignity. Suitable for our area.
Options
Semi-dwarf
The semi-dwarf Grushovka can only be grafted. It is of little interest except for sellers, since the fusion bursts in the 15-17th year. It is not recommended by professionals for industrial planting of gardens.
Dwarf
With a dwarf rootstock, especially a vegetatively propagated one, the situation is even worse.
Due to the multiple fruits on the side of the Grushovka scion and poor splicing on the side of the rootstock and without proper supports, such trees often split completely or in half.
Therefore, it is risky to establish large plantations.
Columnar
Information is being spread on the Internet that there is such a columnar type. They say that it is characterized by increased cold resistance, the apples are small, lemon-colored with a slight rosy cheek, and have a sour taste.
Late
This is another promotion. Since in the Leningrad region, due to the short summer, such an apple tree actually produces apples, like an ordinary late-autumn apple tree of any other variety. But there is nothing new in it.
Summer
This is a typical "synomic" variety name. This is how Grushovka is sold in the southern regions. And due to the peculiarities of its development, it cannot grow normally there, which is why sellers resort to various tricks.
Grushovka, grown in the southern regions.
