Winter varieties of apples
Winter varieties of apples are in great demand. They are able to retain their original appearance and taste until next summer and withstand the harsh Russian climate. In order to choose the right apple variety for your site, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of the sought-after varieties and selection criteria.
Features of winter apple trees
The moment of ripening of winter apples occurs in the autumn period. Most varieties of this type have a significant advantage - the fruits remain on the branches for a long time until frost. Apples fully ripen after assembly, during storage.
According to the shelf life, fruits can be divided into the following categories:
- Early winter apples can be stored until the New Year holidays or February.
- Winter varieties can be stored without losing their presentation until March.
- Late winter fruits of apples retain all their qualities until the next summer.
Each variety of apples will change its qualities in its own way during wintering. There will be changes in skin color and the flesh will take on a different flavor. However, all types have the same advantages:
- maintaining the attractiveness of the presentation;
- good portability of transportation;
- long shelf life;
- during storage, the fruits get a rich taste and great aroma.
Popular varieties
Breeders have developed a large number of types of apples, however, several varieties have become very popular. Before choosing an apple tree, you should familiarize yourself with each to find out the features and characteristics.
"Moscow winter"
This type of apple trees appeared by combining two types of apple trees: "Antonovka" and "Welsey". Apples are characterized by a high degree of resistance to frost and scab. The fruiting process begins early, each tree allows you to harvest a rich harvest.
The tree itself grows to medium size, is characterized by a good crown. "Moscow Winter" is valued for large fruits, weighing 200 g. A shape is provided in the form of a rounded cone, which is not characterized by the manifestation of ribbing. At the time of harvest, the skin is green, but after the fruit ripens, it acquires a yellowish tint, with red shading throughout the fruit.
A lot of yellow dots located under the skin are pronounced. The pulp is characterized by a creamy shade with a sweet and sour taste. Harvesting begins in the last days of September or early October. The final maturity occurs during storage of apples, in December. Fruits are able to lie in refrigeration equipment until spring.
"Winter beauty"
The variety was developed by domestic breeders. Its fruits are characterized by richness and attractive aroma. Fruit weight reaches 400 gr. They are characterized by a dessert taste, a long shelf life and resistance to cold weather.
The skin color is green, which in the future becomes yellow with a pink blush. The shape of the fruit is round and slightly elongated.
It is best to plant this variety in the central or northwestern climatic zone.
"Altai winter"
This variety of apples is known for its resistance to cold and its large size (when compared with other types created for Siberia). Apples reach 100 g. A flat-round shape with a slight degree of ribbing prevails. The skin is painted in a green-yellow hue, with red stripes. Under the skin there are many small dots that are noticeably pronounced.
The pulp has a creamy color, a small degree of granularity, high density, and juiciness. Sweet and sour taste is liked by many people.
"Altai winter" is suitable for use as fresh food, as well as for preparations. Fruits have shown themselves well for culinary treatments and do not lose their properties up to 5 months.
"Banana Winter"
This variety is of North American origin and was bred in Indiana. At the beginning of the last century, apple trees began to appear in France. The fruits have a large, calvile-shaped shape, on which there is a slight degree of ribbing.
This type of apple is securely fixed to the tree, due to which it does not fall off from the effects of strong gusts of wind. "Winter Banana" is not prone to fungal attacks, but may suffer from codling moth. The fruits have a smooth and slightly oily skin, the surface of which is shiny and thin. As a rule, the sunny part of the apple has a dark pink color with red dots.
The pulp is dense, yellow. If the fruits are ripe, it has a juicy, tender and slightly specific taste. Most people compare this taste to banana taste. Apples can be stored for a long time without losing their appearance.
"Eppulainen"
This one is related to Finnish breeding.Fruits can grow to medium or large size. The pulp has a pleasant taste. The skin of the apple is covered with a beautiful red bloom.
Many summer residents choose this type to create wine or jams. The variety is valued for rich yields and long storage.
"Winter Delight"
The variety is considered universal in its use, it is stored for a long time. The shape of the fruit is slightly flattened, with a striped skin and white flesh. Weight can be up to 200 g.
"Winter Saffron"
"Winter Saffron" is a universal type of apple trees, the creation of which belongs to Russian breeders. The variety is considered early winter, the fruit is harvested at the beginning of winter. Apples have rounded shapes, on which there is a slight degree of ribbing. The skin has a yellowish-green color scheme, on which there is a reddish blush. The pulp is distinguished by fine graininess, juiciness and pleasant taste. The mass of fruits reaches 130 g.
Most gardeners appreciate this variety for its good performance in transportation. If you observe the permissible temperature regime, the transportation time reaches 85 days. From one apple tree, you can collect about 155 kg of fruit.
"Winter Saffron" is grown in all regions of the country, but most often it can be found in the central part.
"Vologda winter"
The appearance of the fruit is similar to turnips, so the variety is described as onion. A light green color scheme prevails, where there is a little red blush. The variety is not common among gardeners, although it has many advantages.
Among them, it should be noted resistance to the winter climate, high preservation rates and good external characteristics.
"Orlovskoye striped"
Fruits are conical in shape with roundness. The maximum weight reaches 150 g. Harvesting occurs when the skin becomes greenish-yellow in color. At full maturity, the color becomes golden. The flesh may be white or cream. The structure is characterized by fine graininess, juiciness and pleasant aroma. The taste of apples is sweet and sour. Collections begin in the last decade of September.
Selection rules
The choice of apple variety should be approached responsibly. You need to take into account the region in which you plan to plant a fruit tree, as well as your requirements for apples. Significant importance is given to shelf life and good taste properties.
For regions of Russia
The planting region has a great influence on the choice of the desired variety. On the territory of Siberia, "Ranetki" are often planted. It is a fruit tree with small apples, which were bred by crossing the Siberian variety with the European one. Good yields are given in this climatic zone by the variety "Treasured", "Khakassky sinap".
For regions from the middle lane and for the northern regions, apple trees that are resistant to frost should be preferred. Breeders have created a large number of apple trees, they are able to survive harsh winters, they are distinguished by early fruit ripening. Similar seedlings can be planted in the Volga region.
The following varieties of winter apple trees are in demand:
- "Antey". Such an apple variety was created for regions that are located in the temperate climate zone, where there are sharp changes in temperature. Fruits reach large sizes, have rounded shapes. A large proportion of the crop is colored red. Apples are valued for their juiciness, sweetness and astringency.The variety is famous for its long storage and good external characteristics.
- "Auxis". Apples have standard sizes, but some gardeners note the collection of large fruits. When the apples ripen, they turn a pale yellow color with a slight red blush on the skin. Sweet taste, along with juicy pulp, add to the variety in demand among gardeners.
- "Baltic". This type of apple was purposefully created for the northwestern strip of Russia. The fruits are pale yellow with a striped blush. From one apple tree you can get up to 200 kg of crop. The shelf life is quite long. Apples do not lose their marketability and taste during maturation.
- "Bashkir handsome". Apples are round fruits with wide sides. You can find elongated specimens with a conical shape. The color scheme is yellow with greenish tints and red stripes. The variety was evaluated for juiciness, resistance to scab and an increased level of cold hardiness.
- "Gold autumn". This variety of apples is often found in the middle lane. It was created purposefully for the Russian cold weather. Apples have the shape of a rounded cone, large size. The color scheme is light yellow. By the end of the summer period, a pink blush begins to appear on it. Many appreciate Golden Autumn for its sweet and sour taste, spice and juiciness.
- "Cinnamon New". It is a conical-shaped fruit that grows to medium size. Coloring is yellowish-green. There is a reddish blush on the skin. The pulp is characterized by abundant juiciness, along with delicate and sweet and sour taste properties.The variety is appreciated by most people for its rich yield and resistance to cold winters. Apples have a long shelf life. Until spring, the fruits do not lose their marketability.
- "Lungwort". The fruits of this variety are small in size and flat-round in shape. The color of the fruit is yellow, with a greenish tinge. As they mature, a blush appears on them. To taste, apples are attracted by sweetness and a small amount of spice. The color of the pulp is creamy, the structure is dense and juicy, with a slight graininess. Many gardeners appreciate this variety, as its fruits do not rot.
- "North Synapse". This is a late-ripening variety of apple trees, the fruits of which do not deteriorate from long-term storage. Apples are oblong and medium in size. The skin has a smooth surface and a yellowish-green color. When ripe, a blush of a brownish-red hue begins to appear on it. This type of apple is characterized by juiciness, sour-sweet taste.
- "Sunshine". This variety was created for the Urals. The trees are highly frost tolerant but susceptible to scab. Fruits may have a rounded flat shape or a truncated oval. The taste of the fruit is sweet with a slight tart aftertaste. The color scheme is light cream with a scarlet pattern. The pulp is characterized by snow-white, on which there are reddish streaks.
- "Ural bulk". This view was created by combining the "Red Ranetki" and "White filling". The fruits are small in size, have a light yellow skin and snow-white flesh. There is a bluish coating on the surface of apples. Higher yields are achieved through mutual pollination with other varieties.
By storage time
Many gardeners believe that only imported varieties of apples are suitable for wintering. This opinion is erroneous, since domestic breeders have developed many varieties of winter apple trees, the fruits of which can be stored for a long time.
For wintering, apples are suitable, the fees of which fall in the last decade of autumn. This is due to the fact that late-ripening fruits last longer than summer and autumn varieties.
The most commonly used are the following varieties stored until spring:
- Welsey, Lobo. These varieties of the winter variety are stored until the second decade of winter.
- "Spartan". The fruits retain their taste until spring.
- "Knight". This is the best option for harvesting in the winter. Subject to all conditions, apples retain their properties until the end of spring.
- "Winter Banana" Apples are able to retain their taste and presentation until June.
- "Prikuban apple". The variety is marked by a long period of its storage. Many gardeners choose this type of apple because they are highly resistant to various diseases.
Reviews of gardeners
To choose the right apple tree for winter varieties, it is recommended to study the reviews of gardeners. With the help of customer comments, you can understand which type of fruit crop is most suitable for planting.
Gardeners leave only positive comments about the Moscow Winter variety. Most people report that they have been growing it for a long time and have not identified negative qualities in it. The variety brings a good harvest every year, does not require massive time costs when growing. Apples delight their owners with aroma and pleasant taste. Due to the taste, this apple tree occupies a leading position in the ranking of winter types of apples.
"Winter beauty" is often found in Russia. Gardeners appreciate apples for their large size and taste. Caring for apple trees is not difficult, because they do not require frequent watering. Some gardeners report that trees often suffer from rodent attacks despite being hardy in the winter cold.
"Altai winter" is valued for its good preservation and palatability. Many gardeners have noted that in the first years of life, the yield of a tree is rather low.
"Vologda winter" is planted by most gardeners to maintain an assortment in the backyard. The tree is not afraid of severe frosts, it is not subject to scab. These apples make delicious jams and preserves. Some users leave comments that this hybrid is already outdated and has been replaced by other hybrid varieties, the fruits of which grow to a larger size.
"Winter saffron" was appreciated by people for its resistance to the harsh Russian winters and for the fruits that can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator. Apple trees are unpretentious in their care and bring a rich harvest every year.
"Ranetka" is a sought-after type of apple in Siberia. Gardeners leave positive feedback about it, focusing on climate resistance, unpretentiousness of the tree and good fruitfulness. Apples grow small, which is quite typical for this climate.
For more information about winter varieties of apple trees, see the following video.