Apple tree "Sun": variety description and planting secrets
Few gardeners know about the apple tree variety "Solnyshko", and absolutely in vain. This variety is a very good choice. According to its general characteristics, it stands out among many of the most famous varieties and can be grown not only on personal plots and in personal subsidiary plots, but also on an industrial scale.
Apple trees "Sun" are autumn, ripening late. This variety was bred by Russian breeders in the twentieth century, and in 1993 was included in the list of the best varieties.
Characteristics
The variety of apple trees "Sun" has its own characteristics.
- The crown has a rounded shape.
- The tree is undersized.
- The bark on the trunk and branches extending from it have a dark brown color and a smooth structure.
- The shoots are thick, angular in shape, slightly curved, the edges are clearly visible on the cut.
- Lentils on the bark are prominent, but in small quantities.
- The buds are large, cone-shaped, slightly lowered, close to the stem.
- The leaves are medium in size, egg-shaped, the top is twisted, green and shiny in color, the edges of the leaves are serrated. It will not be possible to identify the "Sun" only by the leaves, but for many apple trees they are slightly different. Therefore, if we also take into account the shape of the shoots and the external appearance of the apples, the configuration of the leaves will be a fairly clear sign.
- The petiole is short and thick, with very pronounced pubescence.
- The inflorescence of the "Sun" is grouped in four to six pieces.
- The flowers are small in the form of a saucer.
- The petals are pinkish, the buds are painted white with pink color before they blossomed.
- The ends of the stamens and pistil are located on the same level.
Fruit
These apples growing in the shade may not be painted over the entire surface. They have an oblong shape, with slightly pronounced ribs, slightly sloping towards the base. On average, the weight of the fetus is about one hundred and forty grams, less often it reaches two hundred. The peel is smooth, medium density, oily in appearance. During the harvest period, the main color of the fruit is yellowish green, and when fully ripe, it is light yellow. The cover of color in the "Sun" covers almost the entire fruit and has the appearance of a kind of brown-red blush.
Other characteristics of this variety:
- many large spots under the peel;
- the stem bearing the fruit is straight and short, its location is curved relative to the apple;
- a saucer in latitude of medium size;
- the core has the shape of an onion;
- closed type seeds;
- seed color is light brown.
Pros and cons
The main advantages of the variety are:
- trees are not very tall;
- fruits are attractive in appearance;
- excellent resistance to frost;
- resistant to scab.
There are practically no cons. The variety is poorly studied, and therefore there is little information about it. Reviews about this variety are mostly positive.
How to grow?
Planting and caring for the "Sun" variety is basically identical to planting and caring for other apple trees.
Timing
If the autumn season turned out to be long and heavy rains, it is better to plant at this time. If such weather happened in the spring, then, accordingly, during this period.This is due to the fact that the apple tree needs a time when the temperature is relatively low, preferably about plus ten degrees, and as a result of prolonged rains, the soil moisture becomes increased.
Such conditions are necessary so that the roots that have suffered during digging can recover a little and have the opportunity to provide for the tree itself. Only when there are seedlings in separate containers, such root systems are protected. The only difference is that the "Sun" variety apple trees are planted in containers very rarely.
Selection of seedlings
Unknowing summer residents often buy large, almost up to two meters, seedlings on the market with many branches, often already with leaves, and the root system is in very poor condition. Basically, these are three- or four-year-old plants. Thin annual sprouts do not cause demand. This can be explained by the fact that many believe that large seedlings will begin to bear fruit three years earlier than one-year-olds, but this happens if they take root. And the older the apple tree, the worse it takes root, since the roots cannot cope with the supply of water and mineral salts that fall on the bottom of the trunk. As a result, a small one-year-old seedling most often develops faster than a three-year-old one, and bears fruit two years earlier.
It is better to buy a one- or two-year-old plant, while a two-year-old is lower in cost.
What you need to pay attention to when purchasing seedlings:
- necessarily on the health of the grafting area;
- for the absence of any damage;
- on the roots, it is better if they are larger.
Well preparation
A place for planting must be prepared in advance, about two weeks before planting, so that the soil has time to settle.The best option would be to carry out this work in August, since in the fall there is a lot of work on the land.
The hole is dug to a depth of at least eighty centimeters, with a diameter of about the same, preferably more. The root system of the undersized variety "Solnyshko" for two or even three years will produce its development mainly within the hole. If all the necessary substances are in the planting pit, then the tree will grow faster.
If clay is present in the soil, then it is advisable to add sand and a large amount of humus to the hole. In principle, clay for an apple tree is not bad when the groundwater is shallow. Conversely, when the soil is saturated with sand, the bottom of the hole must be covered with a clay layer about fifteen centimeters thick.
A hole for planting an apple tree is filled with a mixture of soil. When there is no sod land, you can use a mixture of soil from the garden and compost. Compost is better to add a four-year exposure, it does not have natural residues suitable for germination. In proportions one to one, about two hundred grams of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added there. Potassium chloride is not recommended; apple trees do not tolerate excessive amounts of chlorine in the ground. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are also undesirable.
How to plant?
The description of planting apple trees "Sunshine" includes several steps.
- Place a small block across the hole so that the zero point is visible.
- Set the seedling in a clear vertical line. If the pit is recently prepared, then the root neck should be placed at a distance of five centimeters above the bar. Otherwise, the root neck should be at the zero mark.
- It is necessary to take an assistant so that he holds the apple tree evenly, and in the meantime, fill the roots with soil in the hole.Moreover, the assistant should periodically shake the seedling, while someone rams the ground with their feet. Tamp the soil around the roots carefully.
- At the end of work with the hole, you need to tamp it down again, create something like a soil fence around the hole and water it abundantly. From careful watering, the earth will settle better. Then again it is necessary to add soil.
top dressing
The rate of adding dressings for apple trees depends on many factors:
- rootstock;
- age;
- soil composition, etc.
Fertilizers are best applied before rain to the area under the crown and the nearby area. Natural fertilizers are humus and compost. Such organics can be added about thirty kilograms per seedling and up to one hundred kilograms per adult tree.
The best period for this is spring, when loosening or digging of near-stem zones is performed.
pruning
This procedure is as important as feeding. Moreover, there are many ways to prune the same tree. However, there are also basic rules.
- Such a process is necessary.
- The best time for pruning is spring before adaptation to local conditions or autumn after the end of this phenomenon.
- It is necessary, if possible, to prevent the growth of a tree in height, since it is rather difficult to collect fruits and take care of branches at a height of more than three meters. Pruning this low tree variety also needs such a procedure - if its growth is not prevented, then about a meter will become difficult to harvest and care for the "Sun".
- The trunk must not split.
- It is necessary to remove all branches with damage and signs of illness.
- Be sure to remove what grows into the crown.
- Cut off branches that block light from reaching other branches.
Watering
You need to water the tree when there has been no heavy rain for three weeks. During the flowering period and when the ovary is formed, then two weeks. On loose soil, it is necessary to water abundantly, as moisture will quickly go into the depths. In areas with clay soil, watering should be done carefully: stagnant water for fruit trees is bad.
An important role is played by the charge of moisture in the fall. Since apple trees, including the “Sun” variety, suffer greatly from a lack of moisture in a cold cold. Therefore, in the autumn season, two weeks before frost, fruit trees should be watered abundantly.
Naturally, it is better when it rains, but in their absence you need to water yourself.
About diseases and pests
Like any plant, this apple variety can have diseases.
- Scab is a common disease of apple trees, but since the variety in question is resistant to it, you should not worry about it.
- Apples affected by moniliosis must be disposed of. To avoid this infection, it is necessary to treat the plant with fungicides in the spring.
- A disease such as powdery mildew does not cause much harm. However, it is better to get rid of it. To do this, you need to use fungicides. For example, "Kumulus" during the development period, "Delan" at the time of flowering, and again "Kumulus" when the ovary has reached a large size. Naturally, there are other ways.
- The black cancer infection is slowly spreading, but it is too dangerous. The best method of protection is the acquisition of healthy trees, but this does not exclude the possibility of infection. If this occurs, remove all disease-prone shoots, carefully clean affected areas on large branches, and treat cuts and trim areas with fungicides.
Apple flower beetle - an insect in the form of a beetle, while harming only the apple tree. With a small reproduction of it, it can even be beneficial, as it thins out the flowers, as a result, the tree has more strength to develop the ovary. It is very difficult to develop the entire ovary of an apple tree. But in the case when the population of beetles is large, they can significantly reduce the yield.
There are about five types of aphids on an apple tree. They suck the juice from the buds and fresh leaves, clog the sprouts with secretions saturated with sugar, and occasionally affect the ovary. In the case of a large population, aphids can cause great harm.
The codling moth is probably one of the most dangerous enemies of apple trees. An insect in the form of a butterfly that lays its eggs on the foliage near the ovary, then the born larva enters the ovary and feeds on it.
Before bud break, apple trees are sprayed with DNOC. For pest control, folk remedies are also used. For example, cultures are treated with green soap or tobacco decoction. You can fumigate the garden with tobacco smoke.
See below for details.