Red Delicious apple tree - cultivation and beneficial properties

The overseas variety Red Delicious (Red Tasty or Red Excellent) has become widespread throughout the world, including in the southern regions of Russia, due to its unpretentiousness, excellent taste and commercial qualities of apples. There are hardly any gardeners who have never heard of this variety.

Apple tree Red Delicious.

History of selection

Red Delicious apple tree is a clone of the American industrial variety Delicious. Received as a result of mutation: deep red apples suddenly appeared on the shoot of a green-fruited tree. Thanks to a fortunate coincidence, the stepson was accidentally discovered in 1880 and taken for further work by breeders.

It is currently one of the fifteen most popular varieties in the United States.

In Russia, this cultivar has become widespread in the southern regions of the country and is zoned in the North Caucasus region. With the participation of the variety, the assortment has increased due to the development of new varieties.

Description of the Golden Delicious apple tree

The apple tree is medium-sized, no more than three meters in height. A young tree has a cone-shaped crown, while an adult tree has a wide, rounded crown, prone to thickening. Due to the abundant annual harvest, the branches droop and droop. Skeletal branches extend from the trunk at an acute angle. The bark of the tree is dark gray. The shoots are medium thick, curved, light brown with a green tint, slightly pubescent, with large lentils.

The leaves are oval, wide, elongated at the ends, smooth, bright green in color. The petiole is long. Stipules are medium in size. Mixed fruiting type. The flowers are medium in size, saucer-shaped, white, with a slight pink tint, with a long pubescent pistil column. Stigmas are located at the level of the anthers.

A medium-sized tree with a dense and spreading crown

The fruits are medium and large in size, round-conical in shape. The skin is dense, dry, with a slight roughness. Weight depends on the region where the apple tree is cultivated. For example, in the southern regions the weight of the fruit is 140–170 g, in other areas it is slightly less.

The color of apples at the beginning of ripening is light green, then gradually acquires a golden yellow color, sometimes with a slight brown pigmentation. Often, when ripe, a pink blush appears on the sunny side. The pulp is white with a slight greenish tint, dense. When stored, it becomes creamy or light yellow, more tender and spicy. The taste is dessert, the aroma is rich.

The average weight of an apple is 150 g

Chemical composition of fruits - table

Variety varieties

Golden Delicious has varieties that have been bred in various countries through mutation. For example, Golden Delicious Rangers produce high yields of tasty apples, but require careful care, which can only be done in industrial conditions. Other clones of the variety are Starking, Royal Red Delicious.

The Jonagold variety was obtained by traditional crossing of Golden Delicious with Jonathan. Domestic varieties: Yantarnoye, Scarlet Sails, Alminskoye and others. All varieties are suitable for transportation to almost all countries.

Photo gallery: varieties of Golden Delicious

Characteristics of the variety

The varietal characteristics of Red lie mainly in the quality of its fruits. The main characteristics of Delicious correspond to many other varieties grown in the south of the country, but at the same time it does not lose its individuality:

1. An apple tree of winter ripening, no more than 5.5 m high. On dwarf rootstocks, the height does not exceed 4 m.
2. The crown of an adult tree is dense, well-leafed, broadly rounded, while in young trees it is reverse-pyramidal.
3. During flowering, the tree looks very elegant: large pinkish inflorescences make it decorative. Flowering later.
4. The timing of the beginning of fruiting is average - about 5–6 years.
5. Apples of the Red Delicious variety are large, weighing up to 300 g. Very high marketability of the fruit is combined with excellent transportability and excellent taste of apples.
6. The apple stem is red. This is the hallmark of Red Delicious.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

The winter hardiness of the Red Delicious apple tree is average, and its drought resistance is high. Thanks to these properties, the variety has become widespread in southern regions with hot summer months and very mild winters. In regions with cold winters, trees will have to be covered.

Apple tree pollinators

The apple tree is partially self-fertile, so if you want to get full harvests, you will have to find a place in the garden for pollinators. Pollinators are apple trees with similar flowering periods, such as Golden Delicious, Idared, Glory to the Winners.

Tasting assessment

Many experts call the taste of apples the standard. The flesh is greenish-cream, crisp, very juicy. The skin is bright dark red, very dense and harsh. According to the results of tasting examinations, the fruits of Krasny received very high marks: 4.7-4.8 points on a five-point scale.

Red Delicious apple fruits.

Area of ​​application of fruits

Apples store very well, so they are mostly eaten fresh. At the same time, they are easy to dry, maintaining a pleasant taste. Red Delicious fruits can often be found as an ingredient in various salads.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Delicious apple trees are susceptible to scab and other fungal infections, so they are not recommended for growing in humid climates.

During storage, fruits are susceptible to damage by bitter pitting (subcutaneous spotting).

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

One of the most important advantages of this variety is the excellent consumer properties of the fruit:

• presentable appearance;
• very good taste characteristics;
• high resistance to damage during transportation;
• long shelf life (if stored properly, apples can last until April).

In addition, the apple tree is unpretentious to soil quality.

Disadvantages include:

• susceptibility to disease;
• poor adaptive qualities.

Renet Simirenko

The exact origin of this mixed-bearing winter variety is unknown. The trees usually grow above average in size and are resistant to drought and strong winds. The fruits are medium and large in size. Their main color is light or bright green.

A distinctive feature of the variety (and not a disease) is warty formations with a diameter of 7 mm with rustiness on the surface. Their number can reach 2-3 on one fruit. The pulp is white, tender and juicy, with a wine-sweet spicy flavor.

The fruits are consumed mainly fresh.

Landing

The basic rules for planting apple trees also apply to Red Delicious apple trees, with the exception of some nuances.

Examples of improper planting of a Red Delicious apple tree and an example of correct planting.

Recommended timing

In regions where the variety is zoned and approved for cultivation, it is recommended to plant seedlings in the fall, before the onset of frosty weather.

In regions with cold winters, spring planting is most suitable, since during the summer the seedling has time to take root well and overwinter with less losses.

Choosing a suitable location

The site chosen for planting should be on the south side, taking into account the wind rose. It must be remembered that apple trees do not like drafts and north winds and need good lighting.

There should be no stagnation of melt water on the site; the occurrence of groundwater should be as low as possible (2.5 m). For seedlings on a dwarf rootstock, the permissible height of groundwater is 1.5 m.

Selection and preparation of planting material

For planting in a permanent place, one- and two-year-old seedlings are best suited. You need to buy a seedling only from a trusted nursery.

When purchasing seedlings, it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the planting material for obvious signs of any disease, the presence of dry branches, or damage to the bark.

When purchasing seedlings with an open root system, you must also carefully examine the roots. They should be well developed, elastic and flexible.

The process of planting a Red Delicious apple tree.

You should refuse to purchase if:

• the roots are dry and break off;
• there are some spots on the trunk or branches;
• the bark has cracks;
• the vaccination site has not healed well;
• The branches are adjacent to the trunk at a very acute angle.

Before planting, it is advisable to place the roots of the seedling for a day in a solution of any biostimulator of root formation, for example, Kornevin.

On the day of planting, carefully inspect the root system, cutting off too long and dry shoots.

Landing algorithm

The planting hole is prepared in advance, at least a month before the planned planting of the seedling. The size of the hole depends on the height of the mature tree.

In any case, it is necessary to take into account the volume of the root system of the seedling on the day of planting: the roots must be freely placed in the hole.

Planting is carried out in the following order:

1. Stones or broken bricks are poured into the bottom of a hole dug to size as drainage. Then a fertile soil mixture of peat, humus and sand is poured in a heap in a ratio of 1:1:1.
2. A peg is stuck into the top of the slide. A seedling is placed on a fertile mound, the roots are straightened and sprinkled with a layer of fertile soil mixture.
3. Then fill the hole with garden soil. In this case, you need to make sure that there are no air pockets left between the roots and the ground.
4. The soil is compacted well, the hole is well watered and mulched.

When planting, you need to control the height of the root collar above the soil surface (5–7 cm).

Video

We offer you to watch videos in which experienced gardeners share their opinions about the Red Delicious variety:

Chemist-technologist by training and an avid amateur gardener. He devotes his free time from work to relaxing at the dacha and caring for plants. She believes that her own garden is the best place to relax. Loves to communicate with experienced summer residents and learn something new and useful. He is happy to share his knowledge with readers.

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Natural toxins are found in many plants; Those grown in gardens and vegetable gardens are no exception. Thus, the seeds of apples, apricots, and peaches contain hydrocyanic acid, and the tops and peels of unripe nightshades (potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes) contain solanine. But do not be afraid: their number is too small.

“Frost-resistant” varieties of garden strawberries (more often simply “strawberries”) need shelter just as much as ordinary varieties (especially in those regions where there are snowless winters or frosts alternating with thaws). All strawberries have superficial roots. This means that without shelter they freeze to death. Sellers’ assurances that strawberries are “frost-resistant,” “winter-hardy,” “tolerates frosts down to −35 ℃,” etc. are deception. Gardeners must remember that no one has yet managed to change the root system of strawberries.

You need to collect medicinal flowers and inflorescences at the very beginning of the flowering period, when the content of nutrients in them is highest. Flowers are supposed to be picked by hand, tearing off the rough stalks. Dry the collected flowers and herbs, scattered in a thin layer, in a cool room at natural temperature without access to direct sunlight.

Oklahoma farmer Carl Burns developed an unusual variety of multi-colored corn called Rainbow Corn. The grains on each cob are of different colors and shades: brown, pink, purple, blue, green, etc. This result was achieved through many years of selecting the most colored ordinary varieties and crossing them.

Humus is rotted manure or bird droppings. It is prepared like this: the manure is piled up in a heap or pile, layered with sawdust, peat and garden soil. The pile is covered with film to stabilize temperature and humidity (this is necessary to increase the activity of microorganisms). The fertilizer “ripens” within 2-5 years, depending on external conditions and the composition of the feedstock. The output is a loose, homogeneous mass with a pleasant smell of fresh earth.

Convenient Android applications have been developed to help gardeners and gardeners. First of all, these are sowing (lunar, flower, etc.) calendars, thematic magazines, and collections of useful tips. With their help, you can choose a day favorable for planting each type of plant, determine the timing of their ripening and harvest on time.

Care

Proper care of an orchard is a guarantee of an excellent harvest. Red Delicious is very undemanding to growing conditions, as are many related apple varieties, for example, Royal Red Delicious.

Watering

Immediately after planting, the seedling requires regular watering, provided that the weather is warm, dry.

Watering Red Delicious apple trees in the fall.

From the beginning of the growing season, the tree needs to be watered 5–6 times, in addition, three water-recharging irrigations will be required:

• spring - before flowering begins;
• summer - during the period of fruit ripening;
• autumn - before the beginning of leaf fall.

Rules for pruning and crown formation

The Red Delicious apple tree has a unique property: it practically does not require crown formation, but sanitary pruning will have to be done regularly, starting from the age of 4–5 years.

First of all, it is necessary to remove shoots that thicken the crown, as well as those growing inside the crown. In addition, weak, dry and diseased branches must be removed.

Fertilizers and rates of their application

Like all fruit-bearing crops, Delicious needs regular feeding.

In spring:

• during the period of bud swelling, combined mineral fertilizers must be added to the soil: 70–90 g of nitroammophosphate is mixed with the soil and scattered along the edge of the tree trunk circle;
• During the flowering period, add 300 g of wood ash.

In summer, during the period of fruit ripening, superphosphate and potassium salt are added, in dosage according to the instructions.

In autumn, organic matter can be used as fertilizer.

Preparing for winter

When preparing trees for wintering, you need to perform a number of measures:

• carry out water-recharging irrigation;
• restore order in the tree trunk circles, clearing out all the debris, fallen leaves and fruits;
• add all necessary fertilizing;
• carry out preventive treatment against pests and diseases;
• whiten the trunks and skeletal branches of trees;
• insulate apple trees using covering materials;
• fence tree trunks with a special net to protect the garden from damage by rodents.

Video: preparing an apple tree for winter

Video on how to properly prepare apple trees for winter:

Preparing one-year-old seedlings for winter:

Advantages and disadvantages

The apple tree has proven itself a long time ago - more than 100 years ago. She has more advantages than disadvantages. When purchasing this variety, you should remember that with good care of the tree it is possible to compensate for many weaknesses.

Advantages

• Tasty, beautiful and large fruits;
• High yield;
• The dense peel protects the fruit from damage - good shelf life and transportability;
• Resistance to powdery mildew and fire blight;
• Unpretentiousness to soil composition;
• The crown is formed naturally - the tree only needs sanitary pruning;
• Frost resistance in temperate climates.

Flaws

• Unsuitable for cold regions with harsh winters;
• Susceptibility to glassiness and rot;
• The fruits are not suitable for heat treatment;
• The tree has difficulty withstanding sudden weather changes.

Harvest and storage

Red fruits are ready for harvest in mid-September. Since apples do not fall off, in good weather conditions the harvest can be postponed to a later date. This is justified because longer exposure of apples to the sun allows them to accumulate more sugar. Therefore, in stable good weather, cleaning may take until mid-October.

Red Delicious apple harvest.

Red fruits have high economic value due to their properties. They tolerate transportation well due to their thick skin. Apples can be stored until April. Storage conditions: cool, dark, dry place.

If the basic rules are not followed or the storage period is long, the apple pulp becomes loose and its juiciness is lost.

Often during storage, apples are affected by bitter spot. This disease is not contagious, i.e. one fruit with subcutaneous spotting cannot infect nearby fruits. Experts attribute this to the fact that the harvest took place in damp weather, and moisture remained on the fruits.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main positive qualities of the Red Delicious apple tree include:

1. good yield;
2. the harvested crop can be transported to different distances;
3. fruits can be stored in appropriate conditions almost until spring;
4. the variety is resistant to fire blight and powdery mildew;
5. ripe apples - universal purpose;
6. good taste of Red Delicious apple tree.

Good varieties of apple trees:
Antonovka apple tree Zhigulevskoe Imant apple tree
The disadvantages of this apple tree include:

1. not too high frost resistance;
2. Young apple trees have poor resistance to scab;
3. fruits may be affected by rot.

Diseases and pests of the variety

The cultivar is susceptible to fungal diseases, especially scab of fruits and leaves. Therefore, it is absolutely not suitable for growing in conditions of high humidity and cool weather.

To prevent infections, it is recommended to carry out seasonal treatment with biological antifungal drugs. If the trees are already diseased, then it is best to use a combined method for treatment: treatment with chemical and biological fungicides. This method will help not only temporarily get rid of pathogens in the area, but also consolidate the resulting effect.

Scab disease on Red Delicious apple tree.

In addition to scab, Red Tasty is also very fond of the codling moth, which damages fruit ovaries. The codling moth larva is the same worm that is sometimes found in apples. Codling moth caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves and bark cracks. In autumn, for preventive control of the codling moth it is necessary:

• remove all plant debris from the tree trunk;
• clean the trunk and skeletal branches from old bark with a special brush;
• dig up the soil around the tree trunk in winter to destroy the caterpillars that have “dug in” for the winter.

In the spring, trapping belts must be placed on trunks and large branches, which are checked every ten days, and any discovered caterpillars are destroyed. Biological products are used as preventive measures. The garden is treated with insecticides (in spring - early summer) during the period when the caterpillars emerge from the eggs.

Description of the plant and characteristics of fruiting

The apple tree is medium-sized, from 4.5 to 7 meters high, depending on the rootstock. A young tree has an oval or reverse pyramidal crown, which becomes more rounded with the beginning of fruiting. The crown diameter is from 3 to 5 meters.

The main branches are quite powerful, with numerous ringlets of different ages, on which fruiting is concentrated. The shoots are of medium thickness, intensely pubescent, straight or slightly curved. Covered with brown-red bark. The bark of the trunk and skeletal branches is rough.

The leaves are medium sized, green, elongated oval in shape. The surface of the plate is shiny, the edges are serrated and crenate. The leaves are distinguished from the “Delicious” variety by the color of the petiole and central vein (up to half) in red.

The inflorescences consist of 3-5 large five-petaled white-pink flowers that exude a delicate aroma that attracts bees

Flowering occurs at the end of spring - beginning of summer and is rated as abundant (4.7 points out of 5).

A tree grafted onto a seed rootstock begins to bear fruit in the 5-6th year after planting, which is considered to be of average early fruiting. Growing an apple tree on a dwarf rootstock allows you to get the first harvest a year earlier. The frequency of fruiting and the quality of the fruit depend on the growing conditions . With proper care and favorable weather conditions, from one mature tree you can harvest, according to various sources, from 70 to 145 kg of apples per season.

Growing an apple tree on a medium-sized rootstock (54-118 cm) allows you to increase the frost resistance of shoots and obtain regular abundant harvests

Pollination specifics

Self-fertility of "Red Delicious" is only 20%, so it needs to be in the vicinity of other pollinating apple trees that bloom at the same time. To increase productivity, professional gardeners recommend planting it near trees of the following varieties:

• "Gloucester";
• "Gala";
• "Jonathan";
• "Idared";
• Delicious Spur;
• "Empire";
• "Wagner Prize".

If it is not possible to plant a pollinator with a suitable flowering period in the garden plot, then its branch can be grafted into the crown of “Red Delicious”.

Reviews from gardeners

Victor Anatolyevich: “I’ve been gardening for a long time. I wanted to plant an American apple tree on the property; I chose the popular Red Delicious variety because of its late flowering. This is a painful problem: we have reverse frosts too often in the spring, so early-blooming apple trees often leave us without a harvest. The cutting was grafted onto a local variety and obtained good winter hardiness. In the fifth year, the first harvest was collected - about 20 kg. Overall, we are pleased with the apple tree. Every season we collect good harvests, the apples are very tasty. The only drawback, in my opinion, is that when stored for a long time, apples become “woolly.”

Growing in different areas

The Red Delicious apple tree prefers a dry climate, warm temperatures during the day and cool at night, so this variety is ideal for growing in the Moscow region and central Russia.

In these areas the tree will feel comfortable and produce a good harvest.

When growing a tree in Siberia, it is necessary to take proper care to protect it from gusty winds and cold weather; to do this, it is covered from autumn until the weather stabilizes.

This is due to the fact that spring frosts are more destructive for apple trees than stable cold weather.

Product and consumer characteristics of fruits

The apples are medium or large in size, round-conical in shape, slightly ribbed at the top. The deep funnel is painted light green. The medium-wide saucer is surrounded by four to five large tubercles. The calyx is large, closed, the subcalyx tube is conical in shape.

The skin of the fruit is characterized by a glossy shine and increased strength. It differs from the main variety in its carmine blush, spread over almost the entire surface.

A scattering of small light subcutaneous dots is clearly visible on the skin. Fruits growing on the sunny side have a red stalk. Appearance is rated 4.7-4.8 points out of 5.

Professional tasters rated the taste of the fruit at 4.5–4.6 points (out of 5). It has a pleasant sugar sweetness with a light refreshing sourness. The fruits of the Red Delicious variety can be consumed fresh as a healthy vitamin-rich dessert. However, it is not recommended to include intensely colored fruits in the diet of young children due to their potential allergenicity.

The pulp of ripe apples is cream-colored, fine-grained, very juicy and crispy, moderately hard. The aroma is medium

According to biochemical studies, the pulp of fruits grown in the Krasnodar region contains:

Apples of this variety are extremely tasty baked with honey and cinnamon.

Harvest and storage

The harvest begins at the end of September, and in the southern regions - in the last days of August. It is not so easy to determine the onset of technical ripeness of fruits by eye, because their skin acquires a bright color long before ripening. Therefore, some gardeners advise waiting until they begin to fall.

Apples reach consumer ripeness in mid-December. By this time, the fruit pulp becomes less hard and more aromatic. With properly organized storage, the taste and presentation of apples remain virtually unchanged until April. However, if temperature and other standards are not observed, they can be affected by subcutaneous spotting (bitter pitting).

The harvested crop tolerates transportation well over long distances, which is why the variety is one of the leaders in global apple exports.

Thanks to the strong, rough skin, which protects the fruits from mechanical damage, they do not lose their ideal presentation even after 20 days of transportation.

Use in cooking

Delicious Red apples are often characterized as fruits with a beautiful shell, but rather unpleasant taste. The skin of apples is quite thick and has a bitter taste; it is not easy to chew. However, the variety very quickly gained fans who note that this variety stands out among apple varieties with a standard taste.

The highest quality fruits have yellow and juicy flesh with a slight tartness and rich aroma, which makes apples attractive for use in snacks, as well as all kinds of fruit salads.

Red Chief apple tree variety

In America, as well as in Russia, apple trees are the leading fruit crop, to which considerable areas are allocated. American selection has given the world beautiful and recognizable varieties, such as Delicious, Red Delicious, Jonathan and many others. Moreover, most of them served as the basis for the creation of new, no less well-known varieties. For example, the Red Chief variety, beloved by Russians, is a clone of the Red Delicious apple tree. Different sources offer their own versions of the origin of this variety. Some claim that the Red Chief appeared in West Virginia as a result of accidental sowing of the seeds of a hybrid obtained from crossing Golden Rainette and Grim's Golden. Others name Jonathan and Wagner as the original forms, although they are known to be the parents of another celebrity - the Idared apple tree. Despite the fact that our hero has a long history, since he was introduced to the horticultural community back in 1914, he was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia only in 2016. Its applicant and originator was Agro LLC, located in the Krasnodar Territory. After variety testing, Red Chief was approved for cultivation in the Central Black Earth District and the North Caucasus region. Our hero, thanks to its unique characteristics, is used not only in private gardening, it is perfect for intensive cultivation. For example, in Ukraine it is cultivated almost everywhere. For many gardeners, the described variety is very reminiscent of the once widespread in the USSR, but now a half-forgotten variety of German selection, Richard.