Apple treeis the most popular fruit tree in our country. It gives juicy and tasty fruit, blooms beautifully in spring and in summer it offers the desired shade.The richness of apple varietiesallows you to choose a tree suited to your home orchard and your own taste preferences. We presentapple varieties recommended for gardens , as well as the rules for their cultivation, care and pruning.
Home apple tree - Malus domestica
Fig. pixabay.com
Home apple tree - nutritional value of fruit
The domestic apple tree(Malus domestica) belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae). Its fruits are a source of vitamins C, B, E, K, antioxidants and minerals. The most valuable in apples, however, are pectins, which strengthen the immune system, regulate cholesterol levels and cleanse the body of toxins. Calcium and silicon in apples have a positive effect on hair and nails.
Appreciating thenutritional value of apples , it is worth noting that they improve digestion, regulate the bacterial flora, neutralize toxic substances, lower cholesterol and prevent constipation. There are approximately 52 kcal in 100 g of an apple. When consumed, these fruits give a feeling of satiety without fear of excess calories.
The nutrient content of applesis influenced not only by the variety, but also by the ripeness and freshness of the fruit.
Home apple tree - varieties
When looking for aapple variety for a home orchard , attention is drawn to several issues: the tree's resistance to diseases and pests, resistance to frost, fertility and growth strength.The taste of apples is also important. In search of the perfect, sometimes out of sentiment, you can also reach for old apple varieties that are returning to favor.
Apple trees are divided into summer, autumn and winter due to the date of fruit ripening
Summer apple varieties
Summer apple trees bear fruit in July and August , sometimes even in September. The apples ripen gradually on the trees and are usually tender and soft. They are best to eat right after you have picked them up from the tree. They are not suitable for longer storage and do not tolerate transport very well.
Ananas Berżenicki- a variety found in Berżeniki, Lithuania, the tree grows strongly, forming a spherical, slightly flattened crown. Summer variety, the fruit ripens in mid-August and due to its thick skin it is not susceptible to mechanical damage. Variety resistant to frost and apple diseases.
Discovery- summer variety, undemanding to amateur cultivation.A tree of medium growth strength. It has a tendency to alternate fruiting, but it is not prone to falling off the apples, so you can pick them as they ripen. Spherical-conical, medium-sized fruits are covered with a bright red, blurred blush. Delicate and juicy flesh has a sweetish taste. The fruits ripen in late August and early September. Not very susceptible to scab and fire blight. Pollinators: James Grieve, Golden Delicious, Orange Coke, Gloster, Elstar, Szamopion, Jonathan.
Apples of different varieties
Fig. pixabay.com
Katja- a Swedish variety with moderately vigorous growth and a loose, spherical crown. Small, spherical-conical apples ripen at the end of August, they can be stored in a cold store until October. Green-yellowish skin has a dark red blush. Juicy fruit with a creamy-white flesh slightly reminiscent of strawberries. The tree is not very sensitive to scab and mildew.Pollinators: Olive Yellow, James Grieve, Cortland, Lobo, Gala, Golden Delicious, Idared, Orange Coke, Spartan.
Inflancka olive (Papierówka)- a tree of medium growth strength. It starts fruiting early. The apples are medium to small and ripen in the second half of July. They overheat quickly, so they can be used quickly after harvesting. The fruits are green-yellow, often with a characteristic edge, the greenish-white flesh is juicy and sour in taste. The tree is resistant to frost, not very susceptible to scab and mildew, but very sensitive to fire blight. Pollinators: Antony, James Grieve, Jonathan, Coke Orange, McIntosh, Szampion, We althy.
Autumn apple varieties
Autumn apple trees usually ripen in September , sometimes this date may be moved to October. They are rarely consumed immediately after picking. They fully mature when kept cool for 2-3 weeks after harvest.They can handle both storage and transport better than summer apples.
Antonówka Normal- a tree of medium growth strength. It starts bearing fruit quite early, yielding profusely, but often every other year. Medium-sized, spherical or oval fruit, green to green-yellow in color, usually russet at the stalk. They ripen at the end of September. The flesh is firm, juicy and sour in taste. The variety is resistant to frost, quite resistant to apple scab and mildew, sensitive to fire blight. Pollinators: Olive Yellow, James Grieve, McIntosh, Lobo, We althy.
Delikates- grows relatively strongly, the crown takes a spherical shape with thick branches and lots of shoots. The variety was bred in Poland. Fruiting begins quite early, gives moderately abundant crops, often every other year. In the first half of September, large, spherical-conical, slightly flattened fruits ripen. They have a greenish-yellow color with a reddish, streaky blush and a waxy coating.Juicy and sour flesh is white. The fruit can be stored in cold stores until January. The variety is sensitive to fire blight, little susceptible to scab and mildew. Pollinators: James Grieve, We althy, Golden Delicious, Idared, Jonathan, Spartan.
Apple fruit
Fig. pixabay.com
Costela- a very old, vigorously growing variety of apple trees. The crown is dense, spherical with stiff limbs. It was brought to Wilanów under the name of 'Wierzbówka Zimowa'. It comes to fruiting quite late, bearing fruit alternately. Dessert fruit, unsuitable for preserves. They ripen in mid-September and are suitable for consumption in October. They tend to sink.
Fun fact!
Costela owes its name to King Jan III Sobieski. Apparently, when he saw a small collection, he exclaimed: "only a basket? ". Initially, they were called costly and only later costly.
Raspberry Oberlandia- a variety known in Poland since the 19th century, the tree grows strongly, forming a spherical crown. It starts bearing fruit early, often bearing fruit every other year. The fruits are medium to large, covered with an intense burgundy-red blush, ripen in the second half of September. Aromatic flesh, very tasty with a raspberry aftertaste. It is greenish white with a pink tinge under the skin. The variety is moderately resistant to frost and quite resistant to diseases.
Winter apple varieties
Winter apple trees ripen at the end of September and in OctoberThe full flavor is achieved a few weeks after harvesting, when stored in a cool place. Thanks to the thicker skin, they do not chip and endure transport well. They can be stored in cold rooms with controlled atmosphere for up to several months.
Bukówka- old, Polish, winter variety, growing moderately fast, forming a spherical crown. It starts fruiting quite late, it bears fruit very profusely, but alternately.Apples ripen in mid-October and can be stored for quite a long time. The variety is resistant to frost and diseases.
Cortland- a variety with strong growth, starts fruiting quite early, bred in the USA. It has a spherical crown and hanging shoots. The large, spherical, slightly flattened fruit near the stalk ripen in early October, and can be stored in cold stores until February. The green-yellow skin has a cherry blush and is covered with a waxy coating. The flesh is sweet, crisp and juicy, white in color. The variety is sensitive to scab and mildew, not very susceptible to fire blight. Pollinators: Antonówka, Yellow Olive, Lobo, Orange Coke, Golden Delicious, Idared, Merlose, Spartan.
Apples of different varieties
Fig. pixabay.com
Freedom- a cultivar bred in the USA with a strong growth. Forms a loose, conical crown with hanging shoots. It bears fruit quite abundantly, apples ripen at the end of September and they can be stored in a cold store until January.The fruit is medium-sized with a spherical-conical, slightly flattened shape. They have a thin, green-yellow skin with a red blush. The creamy flesh with a sweet and sour taste is tender and juicy. The variety is moderately susceptible to fire blight and mildew, but resistant to scab. Pollinators: Gala, Szampion, We althy.
Gloster- German variety with strong growth and a conical crown. The fruit has a spherical-conical shape and ripens in early October, and can be stored in a cold store until March. There is a dark red, blurred blush on the skin and the flesh has a characteristic, sour taste. The apple tree is moderately susceptible to mildew, fruit blight, fruit tree cancer and gray mold. Pollinators: Cortland, Gala, Golden Delicious, Idared, Merlose, Elstar, Szampion.
Golden Delicious- a tree that grows vigorously, produces abundant fruit, but often alternates. Requires thinning of the buds. Medium-sized fruit with a green peel at first and a yellow peel when ripe. They have a conical shape.They ripen in the first half of October. Tasty and juicy, the flesh is creamy-yellow in color. This variety is not very resistant to frost, it is susceptible to scab but resistant to mildew. Pollinators: Golden Delicious, Elstar, Gloster, Idared, Jonathan, Katja, Orange Coke, We althy, Merlose, Red Delicious.
Jonagold- a strongly growing variety that produces profusely fruit every year. Large, spherical-conical fruits are covered with spilled orange-red blush. They ripen in the first half of October. Tasty and juicy, the flesh has a sweet and sour taste. This variety is moderately sensitive to scab and mildew and moderately sensitive to frost. Pollinators: Gala, Gloster, Idared, Jonathan, Coke Orange, Champion.
Apples of different varieties
Fig. pixabay.com
Orange Coke- a tree that grows strongly, its growth weakens with age. The branches extend horizontally from the guide.It starts to fructify quite early, but it often bears fruit alternately. Small, spherical and slightly flattened apples ripen in late September and early October. They can be stored in cold stores even until March. The fruit is yellowish and covered with a marbled orange blush. Very tasty and juicy flesh is greenish-cream in color. The variety is not very resistant to frost, susceptible to mildew and moderately susceptible to scab and fire blight. Pollinators: Antonówka, Discovery, Delikates, Olive yellow, James Grieve, Lobo, Gloster, Elstar, Golden Delicious, Idared, Jonathan, McIntosh.
Ligol- Polish variety with strong growth, the crown has a conical shape and is not well dense. Large yellow fruit with a red blush ripen in the first ten days of October, and can be stored in a cold store until February. Resistance to frost is average. The variety is moderately susceptible to mildew and scab. Pollinators: Gloster, Idared, Szampion.
Apples of different varieties
Fig. pixabay.com
Reneta Landsberska- winter variety, found in the mid-nineteenth century in Lansberg, which is today's Gorzów Wielkopolski. A tree that grows quickly and starts fruiting early, which is abundant but alternating. Green apples with an orange blush ripen in early October, they can be stored in cold stores until February. In a sunny position and sandy but not too dry soil it will bear fruit well and grow he althily.
Spartan- grows relatively strongly and bears fruit abundantly. Requires thinning of the buds. Medium-sized apples are spherical, slightly flattened with a dark red blush. They ripen in the second decade of September. The white flesh is tasty and juicy. The tree is quite frost-resistant, not very sensitive to mildew and scab, but susceptible to cancer of fruit trees. Pollinators: Cortland, James Grieve, Lobo, Elstar, Gala, Gloster, Golden Delicious, Idared, Jonathan, Orange Coke, Merlose, We althty.
Szampion- Polish variety with moderate growth. The fruits are medium to large, spherical-conical in shape, covered with a reddish blush. They ripen in the second half of September, but can be stored in a cold store with a controlled atmosphere until the beginning of April. The tree is not resistant to frost, it is not very susceptible to scab and fire blight. Pollinators: Delikates, Discovery, Gloster, Golden Delicious, Idared, James Grieve, Lobo, McIntosh, Spartan.
Home apple tree - cultivation
The best place to grow apple treeswill be a sunny position, sheltered from the wind. Older apple trees withstand longer periods of drought better, freshly planted trees should be watered regularly. Although trees are often resistant to frost, spring frosts can damage flower buds.
The optimal soil for apple cultivation will befertile and moist soil with a slightly acidic pH (approx. 6.4 pH). In case of lower pH, the soil should be limed.Before planting an apple tree, the stand should be prepared with the use of composted manure or compost. They will improve the soil structure and provide the necessary nutrients. You can also use mineral fertilizers intended for fruit trees. Properly dosed, they will provide the plant with the necessary ingredients for its development.
Home apple tree - pruning
Properly performed pruning of the apple tree makes it easier to care for the tree and harvest the fruit, which thanks to the lighting will be more fertile. Apple trees bear fruit on two-, three- and four-year-old shoots, thereforeduring pruning, the excess of one-year-old shoots is removedand the older ones are replaced with new ones.
There are 2 apple pruning dates :
- winter cutting- performed at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. In young trees it is a shaping cut, in older trees it is translucent.
- Summer pruning- performed from July to August, removing young, vertically growing shoots, the so-called wolves.
Trim the newly planted apple trees in March or April , the first spring after planting. The tree is unbranched, with one main shoot is cut at a height of approx. 80 cm. In the case of a tree with several side shoots, leave 3-7 shoots and shorten them to 1/3 of the length, while removing the rest. We also shorten the main shoot. For the next 3-4 years, at the end of winter or early spring, apruning to form apple trees
In older trees, at a similar time, starting from the end of February until the beginning of vegetation (beginning of April), we make a pruning of the apple trees. It involves removing excess branches so that sunlight can illuminate all the fruit, which will make it larger. In the case of old, neglected apple trees, it is often necessary to cut from 1/3 to even half of all branches.
The summer pruning of apple trees involves the removal of vigorously growing wolves in July or August.The strongest ones should be removed and the weaker ones should be left for fruiting. The timing of this pruning should be adapted to the time the apples ripen, but it should not be done later than the beginning of September, as the tree must be dormant before winter.
Monika Glory
