It is believed that columnar apple trees appeared in the mid-twentieth century. According to one version, a Canadian scientist accidentally created a tree that bears fruit on one central shoot. The benefits were noticeable immediately: it is much more convenient to collect fruits from such a fruit tree, and in taste and characteristics they are in no way inferior to ordinary ones. The columnar apple tree Malyukha is just such a variety.
Malyukha apple variety.
History of selection
In 1964, in Canada, in the village of Kelowna, on a 50-year-old apple tree of the McIntosh variety, a powerful branch was discovered that had no side conductors, all covered with fruits. Taking advantage of the result of a natural mutation, Canadian breeders propagated the branch and named the new variety Vazhak. The variety had low yields, so it was mainly used for breeding new improved crops, which included Malyukha.
Did you know? Glass balls for decorating a New Year tree are an imitation of real apple fruits. They had to be made due to the poor apple harvest, because before that the tree was decorated with live fruits.
Malyukha was bred in Russia when, in 1976, Vazhak pollen and specimens of columnar apple trees from Great Britain were delivered from Canada. The author of the variety was V.V. Kichina. The variety is named for its small stem height. In Russia, the variety is zoned in the central zone and the Urals, but is grown everywhere. It is also widespread in Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland, due to the high adaptive ability of Malyukha and its decorative appearance.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like most other fruit crops, the Malyukha variety has both certain advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the variety include the following significant points:
- due to the compactness of the tree, caring for it will not be particularly difficult (as well as harvesting);
- trees can be planted quite densely due to the lack of side branches and spreading crown;
- the fruits hold on to the branches very tightly and do not fall off even if you start to shake the tree;
- the apple variety has a beautiful and aesthetic appearance;
- the culture is precocious;
- the variety is best suited for planting in regions with less than favorable climatic conditions;
- with proper storage, apples can be preserved without losing their marketable characteristics until December;
- The baby has a high immunity to scab and most other diseases.
There are not many disadvantages to be found in this variety. As a rule, most gardeners focus their attention on only two points. We are talking about the too high cost of seedlings of a columnar plant and the not too long period of fruiting.
If we talk about the variety as a whole, it should be noted that the number of advantages clearly outweighs the existing disadvantages. Therefore, choosing the Malyukha apple tree for planting in your garden plot will be the right decision, the decision of which you will not have to regret.
Description of the variety
Malyukha has attractive external characteristics - the trees are cultivated not only as fruit trees, but also as ornamental crops. They create interesting garden compositions in combination with flowers or other columnar fruit crops.
External features
The tree is compact. The height of an adult specimen reaches 180 cm, less often 200 cm. The crown is pyramidal or columnar, depending on whether shaping is performed or not. The trunk is much thicker than that of ordinary trees. It is covered with small growing branches, at the ends of which flower buds form. The side shoots never become as powerful as those of conventional varieties.
From 3-4 years of growth on the site, the growth force of lateral shoots decreases. The plant develops vertically, without lateral branching, only if the central point is not cut off. The foliage of the plant is average. The leaf blades are oval in shape, with a pointed end. The outer side of the leaf has a bright green color, the inner side is a lighter tone, matte, with pubescence.
Find out what an apple is and what its features are.
Properties of apples
Apples have a rounded-flattened shape. Their weight is 250 g. The peel is thin and resistant to mechanical damage. It is colored yellow-green with a slight red blush. The pulp is light, very juicy. Has a dense structure. The taste is sweet and sour. In terms of use, the fruits are universal. They are perfect for various types of processing and fresh consumption, and can also be the subject of commercial activity.
If not properly cared for, the tree will produce not only small fruits, but also minimal yield. Or it may even refuse to bear fruit.
Reviews
Marina Grigorievna: “At first I didn’t take the small, flimsy tree seriously. But when fruits appeared on it in the second year, I was very surprised. Now my attitude has changed, I love the Malyukha variety for its taste and the fact that it is unpretentious.”
Arkady Nikolaevich: “I laughed at my wife for buying who knows what. But she treated her with such reverence that I even changed my mind about making fun of her. Now we have planted a second apple tree on the site to accompany Malyukha. Her apples are tasty, juicy and sweet. And the tree itself is unpretentious.”
Characteristics of wood
Malyukha has very attractive characteristics for gardeners. In addition to external and qualitative data, the variety is characterized by high survival rate on any type of soil.
Did you know? Apples are a natural sugar substitute
due to their high fructose content .
Winter hardiness and immunity to disease
The plant has high winter hardiness - it easily tolerates frosts down to –40°C. As for diseases, the plant is highly resistant to scab and most fungal pathogens. Very rarely affected by pests.
Pollination and timing of apple ripening
The tree is self-fertile, so pollinating varieties should be planted nearby. The most suitable in this regard are Currency, Kitayka, Chervonets. The fruits reach harvest maturity, which coincides with consumer maturity, in September. After harvesting, the fruits are perfectly preserved until January inclusive.
Fruiting of the columnar apple tree Malyukha.
The main differences between the columnar apple tree variety Malyukha and other varieties
The main difference between the variety in question and others is its super-high precocity. The plant is capable of producing a harvest a year after planting. The productivity of an apple tree increases exponentially, and by the 4-5th year of life the plant produces 15 kg of fruit. At the same time, most other varieties are just beginning to produce their first harvest.
The Malyukha variety is famous not only for its taste, but also for its high keeping quality. Another difference is the uniform distribution of the fruit along the trunk, which completely eliminates its damage. Few varieties can boast of high resistance to scab and most fungal diseases. Thanks to this, the gardener will not have to treat the plants with chemicals - it will be enough to carry out preventive treatment with biological products only a few times a year.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the autumn varieties of apple trees:
Pollination
In order for an apple tree to show its potential, it needs suitable pollinators. Chervonets, Valya, Kitayka gold and red will cope with this task perfectly. Since columnar varieties take up little space, you can plant a whole collection of varieties, selecting them according to their flowering time. True, not every gardener can afford such variety - the prices for such unusual apple trees are quite high.
Optimal conditions for planting
In order for plants to quickly take root and develop well, they need a well-lit area, protected from the north side from the blowing wind. In areas exposed to drafts and shade, the fruits do not collect enough juice.
The tree does not tolerate close groundwater, so it should not be planted in low areas. Even with high frost resistance, the buds periodically die in winter, which negatively affects the yield. Regarding the soil, the main requirement is good drainage. Plants do not tolerate waterlogging, so you should pay attention to the location of groundwater: the distance to it should be at least 2 m.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Malyukha variety gained its popularity and numerous positive reviews due to the following advantages:
- compactness. Trees take up little space in the garden. As a result, a large number of apple trees can fit in a small area. At the same time, due to the lack of branches, they do not interfere with the growth of other fruit crops;
- beautiful appearance;
- excellent presentation of apples;
- long period of storage of fruits;
- good taste of apples;
- Trees do not grow too high. This fact makes harvesting much easier;
- easy care;
- high cold resistance;
- good immunity. Thanks to this, the apple tree is rarely attacked by pests and pathogenic microflora.
However, this variety also has disadvantages. The most important drawback is the poor fruiting. At the same time, the fruiting period does not differ in duration. The apple tree produces a much smaller yield after 5–8 years of cultivation. The second disadvantage of this variety is the high cost of seedlings. As you can see, the Malyukha columnar apple tree is an excellent acquisition for the garden, even despite the relatively small volume of the ripening harvest.
Rules for planting the Malyukha variety
The columnar Malyukha apple tree is planted only in spring. Plant in mid-spring, before the buds bloom on the seedling. It is important that during this period the weather is warm enough and the risk of return frosts has passed. The average daily air temperature when planting a plant should be at least +10°C. The soil should warm up to at least a temperature of +3°C.
Important! Green manure plants, for example, phacelia, or grains can be sown between the rows of seedlings. They will attract pollinating insects and improve soil aeration.
Site preparation begins in the fall. The area is leveled and cleared of vegetation. Then they are cultivated to a depth of 30 cm and treated with a disinfectant composition - use a 3% solution of copper sulfate or Fitosporin diluted with water 5:10. A week after this treatment, the following is added to each m²:
- 10 kg of compost and sand (if you need to lighten the soil, not necessary on light soils);
- 20 kg of fresh or rotted manure;
- 500 g superphosphate.
To prevent the apple tree from experiencing hunger and thirst during growth, you need to properly prepare the soil mixture. After applying fertilizers, cultivation is carried out again and the area is left in this state until spring. A month before planting, cultivation is carried out again. Planting holes begin to be prepared before planting. The size of the holes is 50x60 cm. A distance of 1–1.5 m is left between the holes and rows.
Planting process:
- A 25 cm high layer of sand and crushed stone mixed 2:1 is poured into the bottom of the pit.
- Then add 4 kg of humus, 80 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium sulfate to the top layer of soil.
- A stake is placed in the center of the pit, and then a small elevation is formed next to it.
- The roots of the seedling are placed on it and straightened. Be sure to level it along the root collar so that after filling the hole it is 5 cm above the ground.
- When all manipulations are completed, fill the hole with soil, alternating clean and fertilized. Periodically, shake the seedling a little to eliminate the risk of voids forming in the hole.
- Next, the soil in the tree trunk circle is compacted and 20 liters of water are poured into the hole.
Video: planting a columnar apple tree
Features of care
The variety does not require specific care. It is important to monitor watering, especially in the first years of tree growth, apply fertilizers in a timely manner, and also do not forget about preventive treatments with fungicides and insecticides. Despite your resistance to disease, you can never be careless.
It is better to apply fertilizers in dry form on the surface of the tree trunk or slightly deeper into the ground.
In the first year of cultivation, nitroammophoska is used in the amount of 50 grams per tree. After 4 weeks, fertilizing is repeated. This time you can use a urea solution (2 tablespoons of urea per 10 liters of water). The third feeding occurs after another 4 weeks with nitroammophos or urea. Fertilizing is combined with watering and subsequent mulching of the tree trunk circle so that moisture and nutrients are retained in the soil longer.
The variety requires moderate watering. On light soils, trees are watered 2 times a week, but the watering schedule is different for different regions. The soil should be moist at a depth of 4-5 centimeters. So check the tree trunk circle for moisture and you can build your own watering schedule.
In spring and autumn, it is necessary to treat trees with fungicides and insecticides of complex action in order to maintain high plant immunity. For the winter, it is recommended to wrap tree trunks with chain-link mesh to protect them from mice and hares.
Reproduction of columnar apple trees
Obtaining variety seedlings on your own is a rather labor-intensive process; there are several ways to propagate varietal plants:
- Grafting a cutting of a columnar apple tree onto a rootstock of a different variety. The method is complex and requires the knowledge and experience of a professional gardener.
- Seed propagation. The longest and most expensive to maintain. There is a possibility of character splitting, so not all seedlings grown from seeds will be of the columnar variety.
- Air layering. The optimal way. In early spring, a suitable side branch the diameter of a pencil is found and a cut is made along the ring at its base. The width of the removed bark is approximately 0.5 cm. The incision site is wrapped in a cloth moistened with Heteroauxin for a day. Next, the fabric is replaced with wet peat, and the stem is wrapped in black plastic film. It is necessary to ensure that the peat does not dry out and there is no access to air. With the right actions, by autumn the branch has a 50% chance of giving roots. Then it is separated from the trunk and planted in the ground.
Loading …
Problems with choosing a columnar apple tree seedling
An important nuance is the high cost of planting material and the difficulty of choosing a high-quality rootstock. Those who have already encountered the purchase of columnar apple trees for their garden know this feature. Experienced gardeners and nursery owners believe that it is possible to grow a real columnar apple tree only by grafting it onto a superdwarf rootstock (R-22, M-9, PB-4 and others). But not every breeder approaches this issue responsibly - some graft onto medium-sized rootstocks, and the result is disastrous.
There is another problem: they say that seedlings (from different places) do not always bear fruit in the 3rd year, but in the 5th–6th they produce small game. Experts say that this is a common phenomenon - the grafted “column” froze, and the harvest was obtained from a wild rootstock.
Choosing a high-quality seedling of a columnar apple tree is not an easy task. It is important not only to choose a variety of columnar apple tree, but also to familiarize yourself with the planting rules, agricultural technology, and also find planting material from a responsible and experienced nursery owner (in no case from a reseller). We invite you to familiarize yourself with the technique of artificial insemination of animals
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the technique of artificial insemination of animals
Ripening and fruiting
The Malyukha apple tree is considered early-bearing and produces a harvest already in the second year after planting. But full fruiting will occur only after 4-5 years. Typically, 13-15 kg of fruits are removed from an adult healthy tree. The apples are medium and above medium in size, although in the state register they are listed as small. The average fruit size is 180 grams.
Apples are removed from the tree in September, but under proper conditions they are stored until January. Also, fruits can be transported over long distances due to their rather dense skin.
Apples of the Malyukha variety are universal. They are very tasty, the tasting score is 4.8 points, they are considered one of the best in taste. This allows you to consume fresh fruits immediately after picking and prepare delicious desserts.
Harvest of apples of the Malyukha variety.
