The right choice of apple tree variety in combination with the necessary agricultural technology will allow you to get a decent and tasty harvest. Gardeners choose the dwarf variety of the frost-resistant Chudnoe apple tree, photos, reviews and descriptions of the variety below, for its unpretentiousness, juiciness of fruits and ease of harvesting. The tree is not afraid of close proximity to groundwater and can withstand cold winters. The fruits are formed 3 years after planting the seedling. An adult tree produces up to 20-25 kg of apples per season.
Description of appearance
Since the Chudnoe apple tree is a dwarf variety, the height of the tree does not exceed one and a half meters on dwarf rootstocks and two meters on vigorous ones.
The crown of the tree is wide and spread out, bending towards the ground so that it almost touches it. There is a feeling as if the foliage is spreading along the ground.
Breeders note the external similarity of the fruits of the Chudnoye variety with one of its parents, the Eliza Rathke variety. The advantage of Wonderful is that its fruits can reach an average weight of 200 grams. The apples are round, slightly flattened, sometimes with slight ribbing.
Apples of the Chudnoe variety can become covered with a light red blush, but sometimes remain yellow-green
The color of the fruit is yellow-green; during ripening, light red streaks of blush appear on the sunny side. Perhaps the absence of these very touches. The skin of the fruit is thin, you can see barely noticeable dots underneath it.
The pulp is juicy, crispy, and finely grained. The sweet and sour taste is classified as dessert, and after eating an apple, a pleasant aftertaste remains.
The fruits of the Chudnoe variety contain microelements in their chemical composition that are beneficial to the human body. In addition to eating fresh, apples can be used in the preparation of jams, juices, compotes and wine.
Reviews
Sergey. Krasnoyarsk In general, I was critical of dwarf apple trees. I thought that the apple tree should be huge and then it would be useful. But you will have to wait many years for a huge harvest. And then in the third year there is already a harvest, and there is a minimum of hassle. Now I think that dwarfs are the future.
Natalia. Moscow region. I'm impatient, give me everything at once. Waiting seven years for a harvest from a vigorous apple tree is not for me. It’s good that there are dwarf apple trees. Everything is fast and accessible. And Wonderful is a real miracle in the garden. It looks decorative, but the harvest is real.
Ivan. Khabarovsk region. Our climate is harsh and it is not easy to get a harvest. But Wonderful will ensure success even for beginners. Such a small, but such a strong tree. I recommend.
Advantages and disadvantages
Excellent frost resistance allows you to grow the Chudnoye variety in all regions of the country, and its wind resistance means choosing places for planting that are open not only to the sun, but also to the winds.
Apples of the Chudnoe variety are quite large; they not only have a good taste, but also leave a pleasant aftertaste.
The variety is classified as early-bearing - the apple tree begins to bear fruit already in the third year after planting. In addition, it produces a large harvest every year. You can pick up to 80 kg of apples from one tree, and the shape of its crown makes picking them very convenient.
The apples themselves have a wonderful taste, and eating them fresh will be beneficial not only for your health, but also for your mood. In addition, they are stored for another month after collection, which is a good period for summer varieties.
Another undoubted advantage of the variety is its resistance to diseases and pests. True, these data are based on reviews from gardeners expressing admiration for the Wonderful apple tree. The variety's resistance to scab has been officially confirmed.
The Chudnoye variety begins to bear fruit already in the third year after planting - an undeniable plus for any gardener
No serious shortcomings have been identified in this variety at the moment, which indicates the advantage of choosing the Chudnoe apple tree.
History of variety selection
The author of the variety of Russian selection is scientist A. Mazunin. While conducting tests on breeding frost-resistant trees, the researcher received positive results from crossing two species: Elisa Rathke and Ural Northern. The resulting seedlings confirmed their frost resistance and declared yield, having received approval for cultivation in the Ural and East Siberian regions since 2001. However, the Chudnoe Mazunin fruit tree is grown in many other economic regions of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.
Landing
In order for an apple tree to take root well in a summer cottage, you need to know the rules for planting it.
The best time for planting is early autumn (until mid-October) and spring (mid-April). Before planting, keep the roots of the seedling in a damp cloth. After purchasing, try to plant it as soon as possible, since the young tree is too sensitive to temperature changes. The sooner you plant it on the site, the faster it will get used to the weather conditions and adapt to the new place.
The Chudnoye variety has one important feature - to plant it you need to look for a place with high groundwater. The higher their level, the better, since the apple tree really needs moisture and cannot tolerate even a slight drought. This is so atypical for apple trees.
The distance between trees when planting is three meters. The hole for the seedling is dug 50 centimeters deep and 70 centimeters wide. For better survival of the apple tree, the top turf layer is mixed with humus. Before laying this mixture, 10 liters of water are poured into the hole.
The seedling is positioned so that the grafting site is at a height of two centimeters above the ground. After planting, the soil in the tree trunk circle is trampled down and a small hill is poured for future watering.
Harvest and storage
The main harvesting takes place in August. The main thing is to pick ripe fruits on time, because... they overripe and draw many useful substances from the tree.
The maximum storage period is 4 months, i.e. they can “lie” until the New Year. In this case, certain conditions must be adhered to:
- you need to choose dark rooms for this;
- the temperature should be no more than 12 °C, so it is ideal to store apples on balconies or in basements;
- humidity should not be higher than 70%, otherwise rotting will occur.
Apple tree care
The basic rule is regular watering throughout the season. In summer it is produced every week. Also, after each watering and rain, the soil must be loosened. Each apple tree should require ten liters of water. Fertilizing is carried out twice a season - chicken manure is used in a ratio of 1:20 or cow manure - 1:10.
In the first year, the apple tree must be pruned to form the lower tier of the crown. The next pruning will be done during the fruiting period in order to leave the size of the fruit the same and increase the life of the apple tree. Caring for an adult tree includes pruning damaged branches and those growing at an acute angle to the trunk. The procedure is carried out in early autumn.
At the age of two or three years, the apple tree is fed with complex mineral fertilizer. The optimal feeding is 30 grams of nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus.
Before winter, the apple tree is thoroughly watered to supply it with moisture. This will make it easier for her to withstand the cold.
Blooming apple tree of the Wonderful variety is a real decoration of the garden
Features of cultivation in the regions
Moscow region
The climatic conditions of the region are very favorable for growing varieties of the Chudnoe apple tree.
Apart from watering during the dry period, fertilizing and crown formation, no special agrotechnical measures are required.
Ural
In continental climates, young trees are insulated for the winter with covering material or spruce branches, and the soil is mulched with sawdust, leaves, and bark.
Siberia
The Chudnoye apple tree can withstand local winters, but it requires insulation of both the trunk circles and the trunks.
Protection of the trunk from frost.
Advice! In snowy Siberian winters, young apple trees can be completely covered with snow, which will protect them from freezing.
North-west Russia
The apple tree adapts quite successfully to the region and provides good productivity . Responds to feeding. To prevent the development of fungal diseases, it is recommended to carry out two spring treatments with chemicals.
Disease and pest control
Of all the pests, bark beetles and scale insects are considered the most dangerous for apple trees. They penetrate deep into the cortex, into hard-to-reach places, and it becomes very difficult to remove them from there. Caterpillars and beetles that attack leaves, buds and buds cause no less damage. Aphids cause enormous harm by drinking all the juices from the apple tree.
Description of popular pest control methods:
- The wood is treated with urea (also called urea) or copper sulfate. To get rid of pests that have settled in the bark, the tree is whitewashed twice a year. Sanitary cleaning of the bark reduces the number of insects.
- Insects that attack foliage are collected by hand and burned.
- When fighting the bark beetle, its minks are pierced with wire, and then these places are treated with a syringe with an insecticide.
- To protect the fruits of the apple tree from pests, the tree trunk circle is dug up before winter in order to disturb the insects hibernating in the upper layers. For preventive purposes, fallen leaves are collected and burned.
- Debris or rotting leaves under a tree are an undesirable phenomenon, so periodic cleaning is necessary, and insects will not have time to take root on the apple tree.
Prevention will save your time and nerves that are wasted when dealing with pests. Spray apple trees with copper sulfate, iron sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, whiten the tree bark and clean it, check the crown of the apple tree for pest nests.
Variants and subtypes
There are several types of the Wonderful apple tree. They all have both similarities and differences. Thanks to the wide range of subspecies, a gardener can choose the best option for himself. The difference lies not only in external characteristics, but also in growing conditions, so you should pay attention to their description:
- The peculiarity of the natural species is that it is resistant to most parasites and diseases. It does not require planting in specific soil. Due to its developed roots, the subspecies is unpretentious to the irrigation system, and has good frost resistance. Such cultural characteristics were developed in the natural environment and do not depend on genetics;
- superdwarf. This subspecies was formed as a result of the fact that a low-growing apple tree was grafted onto a dwarf rootstock. The culture is characterized by early fruiting periods. The roots of this subspecies are close to the surface, so it is better to plant in places where groundwater is close. Needs timely watering and is often subject to turf;
- large-fruited. A peculiarity of this subspecies is that it needs the correct formation of the crown. It should be thinned out to ensure sunlight reaches the flowers and fruits. It is necessary to shorten the shoots in time. If this is not done, the crown will grow greatly;
- many gardeners confuse the columnar and dwarf subspecies. The difference between them is big. A feature of the columnar version is that it has a dense trunk from which small shoots extend. Fruit formation occurs on the trunk. Due to this, the tree has the shape of a column;
- the description indicates that the mundane version is more reminiscent of a classic dwarf apple tree. The productivity of this subspecies is at a high level. The peculiarity of this option is that it is characterized by early ripening (the growing season lasts only 150 days). This condition allows the tree to be grown in cold regions.
Origin and zoning
Since the 1930s, in the nurseries of the Chelyabinsk fruit and vegetable station, domestic scientists have conducted research aimed at creating winter-hardy apple varieties suitable for cultivation in the Urals and Siberia. “Wonderful” was created by the outstanding breeder M.A. Mazunin as a result of crossing a complex hybrid (“Uralskoye Zimnee”x11-20-12) with the ancient German variety “Eliza Rathke,” better known as “Vydubetskaya weeping” - a carrier of the stunting gene. The resulting apple tree is capable of producing high yields of high-quality fruits in short, cool summers, and its dwarf size and crown, which bends low to the ground and practically creeps along it, provide the plant with the ability to withstand winter frosts and winds.
According to the State Register of the Russian Federation, “Wonderful” is recommended for cultivation in the Ural and East Siberian regions. But in fact, the variety is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of Siberia, the Urals, the Far East and North-West of Russia, where in the summer there is enough warmth for growth and fruiting, and in the winter there is a lot of snow to protect it from freezing.
