Universal apples - Berkutovsky variety

Since ancient times, man has been using the gifts of nature and could not ignore fruit trees as sources of tasty and nutritious food.

Apples, pears, peaches, apricots - there are countless fruits given to us by Mother Nature.

The rich history of mankind has not been stingy in giving
its rightful place to the apple . In what stories did it not take part:

• At the origins of human life it was when Adam and Eve ate it;
• And a bone of contention between Greek beauties. We came to the Trojan War;
• Apples of the Hesperides in gold, which Hercules mined;
• And also a scientific fall on one’s head, and the discovered laws of gravity;
• Naive Russians were looking for rejuvenating apples. And they set off to distant lands;
• There are many Christian holidays. There is no raspberry or banana Savior. But there is an apple Savior. And very revered.

Have you ever wondered how many varieties of apples there are? And why their number significantly exceeds the number of varieties of other fruits.

I will not discover America if I name some reasons for such popularity :

• Can be grown in most regions of the world. These are not citrus fruits or bananas;
• Moreover, each region has its own varieties;
• Their usefulness for the human body: a set of vitamins, ascorbic acid, carotene, sugar, organic acids. Mineral salts. Pectins. And that's not it.

Apple tree Berkutovskoe.
Or take China. The names are different, but the roots are different.

American:

• Glory to the country. He's Guo-Guan. Rolls;
• Ruby. Or Hong Yu. Jonathan.

A fairly solid group consists of varieties from our region:

• Large yellow – Papyration;
• Large red – Astrakhan red;
• Anises. Aporty, Grushovka Moskovskaya.

Interesting Facts! Chinese technologies make great use of the decorative appeal of many trees with small fruit sizes.

Let me also remind you of the significant difference in the approach to growing apple trees in different countries.

Nowhere in the world is the position of amateur gardeners as strong as in the post-Soviet space. And they are not weakening.

Apparently, the industrial cultivation of apples in most countries did not force citizens to think about breeding and growing apples.

And these days there are more opportunities.

Description

The winter variety was created by specialists from the Saratov Horticulture Experimental Station (O.D. Berkut, G.V. Kondratyeva). The variety is named after one of the creators.

When creating it, we used the apple varieties Cortland, Antonovka vulgaris and Anise pink-striped.

In the State Register since 1987.

It has been zoned for the Volgograd and Saratov regions since 1988.

The awarding of a gold medal in 1991 at the All-Russian exhibition indicates the high recognition of the variety.

So:

• The crown looks like a pyramid. Wide at the base and not very thick;
• Smooth gray bark . And the brownish-red shoots are smooth and of medium thickness;
• Large and pointed elongated leaves . Green, wrinkled and matte;
• The pinkish-white flowers are not particularly noticeable among the many apple trees. Not the size. Not in color. Neither the form;
• Green-yellow, slightly cone-shaped fruits of average size 100-120 grams have a uniform crimson blush. And barely noticeable bumps. The craters show slight rustiness. There are specimens even up to 250 grams;
• The juicy, white, fine-grained pulp has a sweet and sour taste. And a little bit of aroma.

Fruits of the Berkutovskoe apple tree.

Apple tree Berkutovskoe

The winter variety of apple tree Berkutovskoe appeared at the experimental horticultural station of the Russian city of Saratov in the 70s of the last century. It was obtained by pollination of Cortland (USA) with a mixture of pollen from domestic forms: pink-striped anise and Antonovka vulgare. The authors of the hybrid were O.D. Berkut and G.V. Kondratiev, the name was derived from the author’s surname.

Berkutovskoe was included in the State Register in the late 80s, it is recommended for cultivation and forms the basis of industrial plantings in the Volgograd and Saratov regions. These apple trees are found both to the south, where they produce sweeter apples, and to the north, subject to the implementation of additional agricultural measures. In 1991, the variety was awarded a gold medal at a competition at the All-Russian Exhibition Center.

Description

The apples are smooth, marketable, larger than average, weighing from 150 to 250 grams. Their shape is classic, round, sometimes with smoothed bumps, and the skin is shiny and without the waxy coating often found in other apples. The cover color depends on the degree of illumination: in the shade it is basic, yellowish-greenish, and in the sun a red blush appears in the form of merging stripes and spots. Rare light subcutaneous dots are clearly visible against this background.

The pulp is dense, juicy and fine-grained. The taste is pleasant, sweet with sourness, and earned a tasting score of 4.7 points. Transportability is good, the purpose is universal. The yield is high, 70 kilograms per tree. Fruit is harvested at the end of September - beginning of October.

Keeping quality is excellent, up to 200 days. To ensure that apples are stored without problems and retain their taste, aroma and density, they are carefully removed from the trees, sorted and placed in layers in wooden boxes, lined with soft material.

Berkutovsky trees are medium-sized, with a rounded, rather sparse crown. They reach a height of 3 meters, which is convenient for both maintenance and harvesting. Frost resistance is high in the recommended areas, but for the Moscow region it is average.

Gardeners note the good drought resistance of the trees, which makes the form suitable for the so-called “weekend cottage”. This quality is also useful in regions with hot summers where there is little rainfall. The hybrid is less adapted to a humid climate; in this case, the trees may develop powdery mildew. The disease first affects the budding leaves and young shoots, and then the inflorescences. It is well helped by spring spraying with Bordeaux mixture, fungicides or summer pollination with sulfur preparations. Sometimes it may be necessary to use insecticides and acaricides - against codling moths, copperheads and ticks.

Growing and care

Garden care largely depends on its location. It usually includes pruning, removing fallen leaves and whitewashing, summer loosening and autumn digging, watering and fertilizing.

Fertilizers are used both organic and mineral. Among the former, wood ash, humus, manure and bird droppings, as well as fermented weeds in the form of extracts and infusions, are popular. The latter are easy to purchase in stores and markets and use according to the accompanying instructions - these are urea, urea, potassium salts, including nitrophoska, and superphosphate.

It should be remembered that an excess of nitrogen fertilizers provokes the development of powdery mildew, and they must be used in a standardized manner. The soil must be well moistened before adding nutrients.

Tree pruning is carried out sanitary (dry branches can be removed in the fall), shaping and thinning, so that the crown is ventilated and the ripening fruits are evenly illuminated. Young plants with thin bark and fragile roots are tied with insulating material for the winter, and the tree trunk circle is generously mulched, forming a protective mound. These protective measures are especially relevant in the latitude of the Moscow region and to the north, where trees can freeze during cold winters.

According to reviews, you should not leave the garden unattended even during flowering: if it occurs during spring frosts, you may be left without a harvest. To protect the plants, the soil is first watered abundantly, and the trees are fumigated with smoke.

Planting and pollinators

Planting holes are made at intervals of 3 meters or more, in an area that is not flooded by groundwater, especially in the spring. Nurseries offer seedlings of the described variety of various ages, with open and closed root systems. The advantages of the latter are that they can be planted throughout the entire warm period, if you do not destroy the earthen ball entwined with roots.

Fruiting occurs 4 years after planting. For mutual pollination, Berkutovskoe is alternated with suitable pollinators, for example, Northern Sinap.

additional characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Without merit, gold medals are not awarded, and the Berkutovskoe apple tree is distinguished by the following characteristics:

• You will have fruits of this variety every year. No frequency ;
• With a decent harvest of more than 50 kg from a compact tree;
• Excellent taste and appearance of apples;
• This taste lasts until March;
• Resistant to transportation;
• Drought resistance is very high.

Given these characteristics, many do not even consider weak resistance to powdery mildew to be a significant drawback.

Photo of the fruits of the Berkutovka apple tree.

Dimensions of an adult tree

Even an adult tree does not exceed 3 meters in height. This is on medium-sized rootstocks.

Frequency of fruiting

You don’t have to determine the periods of fruiting. You will have good winter apples every year. And in sufficient quantities.

Productivity

Various information:

• Some call the yield of this variety moderate;
• But you will collect up to 70 kg of delicious apples annually from one apple tree
• I think this is even respectable. Does anyone have a different opinion?

Tasting assessment

Expert tasters give juicy sweet and sour apples no less than 4.8 points . And that's out of five!

Gardeners and even more so. Especially if these are apples from their orchard. And they treat you to them.

Apples have a characteristic color.

Winter hardiness

High winter hardiness implies:

• Ability to withstand low temperatures. For a long time;
• But that is not all. It is very important how the tree behaves in frost after warming;
• And how it recovers after freezing;
• After all, many varieties simply cannot be restored. And they die.

Experts believe that the winter hardiness of this variety in the lower Volga regions is good . If you grow further north, it will be average.

Disease resistance

Average resistance to scab. Prolonged rainy weather can contribute to powdery mildew.

It is necessary to carry out complex preventive treatments with fungicides against many diseases. Including powdery mildew.

Scab on an apple tree.

Productivity

According to the timing of fruit ripening, the Berkutovka apple tree is a winter variety. The tree has good early fruiting. You can get the first harvest 3-4 years after planting the seedling in open ground .

The apple tree bears fruit annually, regularly and abundantly, which is why it is a high-yielding variety. From one tree you can collect up to 50-70 kg of fruits and 22 tons of apples per hectare.

Apples ripen in mid-October, but it is better to eat them a few weeks after harvesting - then their taste will fully develop and they will become more juicy.

Features of fruit storage

The optimal harvest time will be mid-October (3-4 weeks before the first frost). The fruits must be carefully picked from the trees. First of all, small and large apples should be used for food and processing. And medium fruits can be left for the winter (if stored correctly, they can last until spring).

Recommendations for storing apples so that they last as long as possible and do not lose their properties:

1. Before storing, apples should be wiped with a piece of soft cloth that has been soaked in a weak solution of salicylic acid or glycerin.
2. After drying, the fruits need to be wrapped in thin paper.
3. It is recommended to sprinkle all apples with sawdust at the rate of 300 g of sawdust per 10 kg of fruit.
4. The fruits should be placed in boxes (pre-treated with bleach and dried in the sun), laying them diagonally or in rows, with the stem down.
5. Racks with drawers should be positioned in such a way that the bottom shelf is at least 20 cm from the floor, and the distance between the ceiling and the top shelf is 40 cm. At the same time, the height distance between the drawers should be at least 20 cm.
6. It is best to store apples in a basement or cellar, where the air temperature is approximately 0°C.
7. You should not immediately bring apples into a warm place from the cold. It is better to give them a few hours to adapt in a cool room.

Reviews

Sergey. “The Berkutovskoe apple tree variety is not yet very popular. So I want to advertise for him. Good. Before landing here, I didn’t know him either. He chose everything from strangers. But our area is risky for them. They recommended Berkutovskoye, looked at the description and photos. I couldn't be happier. It has been bearing fruit for 5 years now. Every year there are consistently 5-7 buckets . Productivity increases. The care is normal. In the general system for treating pests and diseases, feeding and preparing for winter. But apples are delicious and last until March. So a guaranteed replacement for foreign sissies.”

Vladimir. “They imprisoned Berkutovskoye. On recommendation, they showed a photo and description of the variety. All stages of its growth were studied. They thought they were exaggerating her merits. As always, to implement. But with this variety it’s as written. And the first fruiting occurs in the 4th year after planting the two-year-old. And the yield after five years. Everything is recorded in the photo. And most importantly - apples. Delicious, juicy. Fragrant . Conventional agricultural practices. Nothing special."

Sergey. “I would like to share my impressions about the Berkutovskoye variety. They took me out in Saratov. For the Volga region, a winter variety is needed. I read that they are rated 4.5-4.8 points out of 5. And the descriptions of Berkutovka are true. Fragrant, juicy. Especially if they lie down for a little while. And they lie quietly in an ordinary cellar with temperature changes until March. But even in March they do not become loose . It’s not for nothing that the variety was awarded a gold medal. The totality of all qualities. It is clear that it is better to plant a reliable variety. Without fear that it won’t survive the winter.”

Features of planting and care

Landing

Deadlines

Do not look for or wait for recommendations on the exact planting date of this apple tree variety. Many different factors and circumstances can influence the determination of this time.

Autumn planting of an apple tree.

But the main weather conditions will be :

• In spring - this is April: The soil has warmed up;
• Before the buds open.

Advice! You have a seedling to plant. But there is no suitable weather in autumn. Don't fuss with landing. Especially in wet and lumpy soil. If possible, bury the seedling in a good place until spring. Cover it securely for the winter.

It is necessary to water the apple tree after planting.

Technology

• Buy a seedling of this variety: 2-year-old is better;
• Check the root system . The roots must be healthy. Not dry and without damage;
• Buy from nurseries . And with a closed root system;
• Freshen the roots before planting.

Planting an apple tree.
There is another option in the picture. Only the sizes are different.

Necessarily! The grafting site should be 5-7 cm above ground level.

Distance

• Plant apple trees in rows at least 3-4 meters apart.
• Consider the rootstock of the seedling.
• On a dwarf rootstock the distances are even smaller. Up to 3 m.

Growing

Choose sunny places with light soils (loamy and sandy loam). They are ideal for planting Berkutovskoe apple trees.

Experts do not recommend for planting them:

• Wetlands;
• Places with high groundwater and excess salt in the soil.

Agricultural technology

Carrying out landing.
Carry out the entire range of agrotechnical practices. The place has already been chosen. The seedling was planted... But this is just the beginning.

To get the most out of your apple tree:

• Keep the soil in good condition: Dig;
• Sow green manure;
• Mulch.

An important part of agrotechnical measures is watering.

• Protect from diseases and pests: Even good resistance to scab does not exclude preventive treatments with fungicides against many diseases (moniliosis, bark diseases, powdery mildew and others);
• And it’s not even worth naming all pests. You already know them. For lovers of buds, foliage, flowers, fruits, roots: Experts recommend up to 10 treatments per season. But you don’t want to spend the season with a sprayer behind you. And then eat it all;
• If you develop a certain annual system, 3-5 treatments may be enough. Depending on the number of attackers;
• Use tank mixes of compatible fungicides and insecticides. So to speak, in one move against two enemies;

Pruning and crown formation

They also help fight against adversity. A properly formed and timely pruned tree is better able to withstand them. But this is not the only purpose of pruning. The main thing is to choose the best option for the apple tree and variety.

Sparse forms are more suitable for this variety. But it's up to you to choose. After all, there are many options.

Here are just a few of the many:

• Sparsely tiered;
• Cupped;
• Fusiform;
• Bushy;
• Palmetta.

Pruning the apple tree in the spring before sap flow begins . In addition to forming the crown, remove damaged, dry and duplicate branches.

Pollinator varieties

Follow the principle of good pollination. Plant varieties of the same ripening period side by side. The northern sinap is very suitable.

There are hardly any opponents to placing an apiary for pollination.

Features of ripening and fruiting

Beginning of fruiting

• In the 3-4th year after planting you will see the first fruits.
• And you will reap good harvests from 6-8 year old apple trees.
• With sufficient care.

Deadlines

Apple tree "Berkutovskoe".

Maturation

In the second ten days of October, this variety is harvested.

And remember:

• Removable ripeness is when the apple is fully formed. And it is ready for storage;
• Consumer maturity is when they are the most delicious, aromatic and beautiful. This is when they lie down for a while.

Notice! Berkutovskoe apples grown in the southern regions are sweeter than those grown in more northern regions. And their color is more intense.

Fruit storage

Till March. And some gardeners estimate that they are well preserved even after 200 days.

And I had enough patience... Or maybe there were a lot of apples?

Features of fruiting

• Do not plant a garden of only Berkutovskoye apple trees. It must be pollinated by other varieties.
• Experts note good compatibility with the Northern Sinap variety.
• The fruits must be picked on time. Ripe apples may fall off.

How does pollination occur?

In the Berkutovka apple tree, the flowers are cross-pollinated, which means that for pollination you need bees nearby .

The ideal option would be to locate an apiary near the garden or install a pair of beehives directly on your summer cottage.

You should not allow a situation where only apple trees of the “Berkutovskoye” variety will grow in the garden, since the trees will have nothing to pollinate with. Pollination is carried out by alternating with pollinators suitable for this variety. So, apple trees can act as pollinators:

• Antonovka;
• Anise;
• Cortland;
• North Sinap;
• Bergamot Ranet;
• Welsey;
• Lobo.

Growing in regions

Interesting information about the regions:

• Gardeners and specialists do not mean specific administrative units, but climatic conditions. And this is a temperate continental climate ;
• And often these are not the regions that trading people and their companies are talking about. So it is with central Russia: Even Wikipedia will definitely not answer you;
• One option is the European part of Russia from the borders of Belarus in the west to the Volga region in the east. From Karelia and Arkhangelsk in the north even to the Caucasus in the south;
• And in a narrow version, the area around Moscow. Total 160-230 km. But with Smolensk and Yaroslavl.

  
  The climate of the Moscow region and the Volga region is very suitable for growing Berkutovsky.

• Udmurtia, Bashkiria, Komi, Perm Territory and Orenburg Region do not exactly belong to it;
• And the Saratov region is included. This apple tree variety was created there.

So the climate of the Moscow region and the Volga region is very suitable for growing Berkutovsky.

But winter hardiness in the Moscow region is not as high as in zoned areas. You can help the apple tree:

• Wrap the trunks of apple trees (especially young ones) with insulation;
• Cover the trunk circles for the winter.