Roman scholar Pliny the Elder back in the III. AD He wrote: "... The blush of the apple goes to the cheeks of the person who eats it." In England, there is a saying about the healing power of these fruits: "An apple a day, and a doctor is not needed." In the first Polish encyclopedia "New Athens", published in the middle of the XVIII century, the author shared with readers a recipe for longevity: "To live a long life, like Patriarch Mafusil, who died in 969 years of life, you need to eat walnuts and apples."
The value of apples h-Z -2L in the human diet is very high, it is an indispensable food product. Apples serve as a preventive measure against many diseases, and also have a healing effect on the human body, stimulate the functioning of internal organs and support immunity. They contain vitamins C, B1t B2, P, E, carotene, iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, sugars and organic acids.
Apples are a natural source of pectins, which are not digested in the stomach and are excreted naturally, “on the way” by absorbing the accumulated toxins. This is a kind of broom that gently cleanses the gastrointestinal tract.
Apple tree is one of the most ancient fruit species introduced into culture by man more than 3-4 thousand years ago.
Apple is the main fruit crop, which occupies the first place in the total production of fruits and berries. It is distributed everywhere, in all regions of the country, regardless of their soil and climatic features. A wide area of culture is associated with its plasticity, the ability to adapt to different growing conditions, a large variety of varieties of different ripening terms, with various economically valuable traits.
The best varieties, both summer and autumn and winter, have a high productivity, have a high winter resistance compared to other fruit breeds, are distinguished by marketability and consumer qualities of fruits. The harvest of the best varieties can be stored for a long time, preserving its taste and nutritional value, such fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and for different types of processing - making juices, mashed potatoes, jams, compotes, and also suitable for drying and freezing for the winter.
The apple tree assortment is constantly replenished with promising novelties of domestic and foreign selection - high-yielding, winter-hardy, resistant to pests and diseases. Of course, when laying a garden, every gardener chooses varieties at his own discretion, but still it is necessary to take into account the soil and climatic features of the region - depending on them, varieties with a certain winter resistance are selected (for example, more suitable for southern or northern regions), as well as resistance to the main Mushroom diseases - in regions with high humidity need immune or highly resistant to scab and powdery mildew varieties. Very important are the early growth of trees, the regularity of fruiting, the crown habit and many other economic and biological indicators.
In the collection and research plantations of our institution (at this time - the Experimental Station of Pomology named after L.P. Simirenko of the Institute of Horticulture NAAS) - a huge number of varieties (of both domestic and foreign selection) and hybrid forms of apple. We constantly study the needs of the market, the demands of gardeners, compare them with the characteristics of our "wards" varieties and create new items that, in their economic characteristics, more closely meet the requirements of modern agriculture.
Many samples taken in our gardens are attracted to breeding. Over the past decade at the Experimental Station. L. P. Simirenko bred 11 new apple varieties. They have already been entered into the State Register of Plant Varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine and recommended for cultivation in different soil-climatic zones.
WE OFFER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEST VARIETIES OF APPLE-TREE.
The pearl of our selection is the variety Renet Simirenko. Its origin is unknown. Back in the 60-80 years. In the 19th century, he was found in the Mlievsky Garden, and then propagated by Platon Fedorovich Simirenko. In 1880-1890, his son Lev Platonovich described this variety, cataloged it and named it in honor of his father - Renet Simirenko.
Variety late winter ripening. A tree of moderate vigor, with a sprawling, wide-round, rather dense crown with drooping branches.
Fruits of medium size and large, weight 150-200 g, round-conical, somewhat asymmetric. The main color is green or light green, sometimes with a moderate reddish blush on an insignificant part of the surface of the fruit, on the sunny side, and well visible large bright subcutaneous spots that become light green or greenish yellow as the fruit ripens; with a weak oily bluish bloom. The flesh is white with a greenish tint, dense, fragrant, juicy (tasting score of 8.4-8.8 points). In fruiting on the stock, the M9 enters on the 2nd year after planting, and on the middle rootstock - on the 3rd. Removable ripeness of the fruits comes in late September - early October, consumer - in December. In the refrigerator are stored 4-5 months.
Advantages: skoroplodnost, high yield, drought resistance; fruits are not showered prematurely, they are stored for a long time, they are transportable, they are distinguished by high taste.
Disadvantages: average winter hardiness, low resistance to fungal diseases, the frequency of fruiting.
It is widely used in breeding, it transmits to posterity the precocity, the keeping quality of fruits.
Mlyivchanka autumn - variety of autumn ripening. Tree of moderate vigor, with a compact, high columnar medium-thickened crown and spur-type fruit bearing.
Fruits are large and very large, weight 170-225 g, one-dimensional flat-rounded-conical, weakly ribbed. The main color is light green, when ripe greenish yellow, on most parts of the surface there is an intense diffuse crimson blush, sometimes with stripes of more intense color, with a bluish bloom, and lots of light gray well-marked subcutaneous spots. The skin is dense, smooth, slightly oily. The flesh is white, tender, aromatic, juicy, with an excellent sweet-sour taste (tasting score of 8.4-8.6 points). Removable and consumer ripeness begins in early September. In the storage of apples are until January.
Advantages: skoroplodnost, high winter hardiness, high yield without a pronounced periodicity, high taste qualities of the fruit.
Disadvantages: medium resistance to scab and powdery mildew, tendency to premature shedding of apples.
Fiery - variety of early winter ripening period. The tree is of medium vigor and vigorous, with a rounded, fully fruiting, flat-rounded, drooping (weeping), somewhat thickened crown.
Fruits of medium size, weight 125-160 g, one-dimensional, conical. The main color is greenish-yellow, with gray, slightly visible subcutaneous spots and thick bluish bloom, on 2/3 of the surface of the fetus - a diffuse crimson-red blush. The skin is thin, smooth, shiny. The flesh is yellowish-white, dense, juicy, aromatic, with a pleasant sweet-sour taste (tasting score of 7.8-8.3 points). Removable ripeness of fruits comes at the end of September. In the refrigerator stored for 5-6 months.
Advantages: precociousness, high yield, winter hardiness, resistance to powdery mildew.
Disadvantages: the average susceptibility to scab, the tendency of trees to overload the crop.
Used in breeding as a carrier of precociousness, regular and high yield.
Mavka - variety of winter ripening period. Tree of moderate vigor, with a compact round or wide oval medium dense crown.
Fruits of medium size and large, weight 145-170 g, fairly one-dimensional, elongated-conical. The main color is yellow-green, with an orange-red blurred blush on 1 / 3-1 / 2 surfaces, against which dark red strokes and light subcutaneous braid dots are clearly visible. The skin is medium density, smooth, dry. The flesh is yellow with greenish veins, dense, fragile, medium-grained, very juicy, with a harmonious sweet-sour taste (tasting score of 7.8-8.2 points). Removable ripeness of the fruits comes at the end of September, consumer - in December. In the refrigerator are stored 4-5 months. Transportability is high.
Advantages: precociousness, high and regular yield, high resistance to powdery mildew, medium resistance to scab, high taste of fruits.
Disadvantages: has an average winter hardiness, is affected by bark diseases, is unstable to brown spot.
Used in breeding as a carrier of precociousness, high regular yield.
Horodyshche - variety of winter ripening period. A tree of moderate vigor, with a flat-rounded, slightly thickened, slightly drooping crown.
Fruits are large, weight 150-180 g, one-dimensional, widely rounded-conical, slightly ribbed. The main color is greenish-yellow, with an intense bright red blush on most of the fruit, with white round noticeable subcutaneous spots. The skin is dense, oily, smooth. The flesh is greenish-white or creamy, dense, fine-grained, juicy, with an excellent wine-sweet dessert taste (tasting score of 8.4-8.6 points). Removable ripeness of the fruits comes in late September - early October, consumer - in December. In the refrigerator are stored until April-May. Transportability is high.
Advantages: skoroplodnost, high winter hardiness and productivity of trees, the average resistance to scab.
Disadvantages: unstable to powdery mildew.
Jubilee IIA - variety of winter ripening period. Low-growing tree, with a compact high medium thickened crown.
Fruits are large and very large, weight 160-205 g, fairly one-dimensional, rounded-conical, slightly flattened. The main color is yellow-green, with a moderate blur of dark pink blush on most of the fruit, inconspicuous small bright subcutaneous spots and intense bluish bloom. The skin is of medium thickness, dense, smooth, moderately oily. The flesh is yellowish-white, dense, fragile, fine-grained, juicy, aromatic, with a pleasant sweet-sour taste (tasting score of 8.0-8.4 points). Removable ripeness of fruits comes at the end of September. In the refrigerator stored for 6-7 months. Transportability is high.
Advantages: precociousness, high resistance to scab and powdery mildew, high taste and commodity qualities of the fruit.
Disadvantages: average winter hardiness.
Used in breeding as a carrier of compact trees and precociousness.
TERM OF CLEANING APPLES - TABLE
This year is quite a generous harvest of apples. But do you know how to properly collect it so that the apples are kept for a long time, while remaining tasty, juicy and fragrant? Terms of harvesting directly affect the taste and commodity qualities of the fruit. You can neither delay nor hurry!
Of course, keeping quality directly depends on the variety, but also the conditions of collection can also affect this indicator. This is especially important if the crop needs to be realized at different times - for example, part of the fruit immediately after harvesting, and some - after a while. For long-term storage, apples are harvested at an early stage of ripening, when the fruits are still firm, the flesh and main color of the skin are green, the surface color is not sufficiently developed, with no specific signs of ripeness of the variety - blush, subcutaneous spots, and bluish deposits. And in order to quickly sell apples on the market, they, on the contrary, are harvested in full ripeness, when the presentation and taste of the fruit are most fully revealed - in the best condition for this variety.
The fruits of many varieties after harvesting are affected by functional diseases that develop during storage. For their prevention, apples of different varieties are harvested at different stages of ripening, depending on the tolerance of a variety to certain diseases. So, apple varieties, the fruits of which quickly ripen, are prone to browning the flesh, are affected by Jonathan's spotting, are removed as soon as they begin to ripen, in the early stage of removable ripeness. Varieties that are unstable to "sunburn", subcutaneous spotting, wilt - at a late stage.
As a result of years of research at the Experimental Station of Pomology named after. L.P. Simirenko of the IS of NAAN established the sequence and timing of harvesting apples of various varieties grown in the soil and climatic conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. It has been established that each variety must be harvested to the degree of ripeness of the fruits, which ensures their best qualities and maximum keeping quality (shelf life after removal). Research also takes into account the important indicator described above - the instability of different apple varieties to functional diseases affecting the commercial quality and keeping quality of apples (see Table 1).
All over the world, specialists in industrial horticulture are in great demand of specialists who are developing new, more sophisticated methods for determining the optimal time for harvesting fruit crops.
On the occurrence of optimal removable ripeness signals a number of commodity, organoleptic, meteorological and biochemical characteristics. Gardeners analyze a set of indicators, such as the size of the fruit, the appearance of a top coat typical of a variety, and a good separation of the stem.
To determine the ripeness of the fruit of apples, you can use one of the most simple and technically available methods - iodine starch sample. Starch when interacting with iodine stains the tissues of the fruit in blue. The greener the apple, the more starch in it. As it ripens, in the process of hydrolysis, its amount decreases, and in fully ripe fruits, starch no longer exists.
For iodine starch samples, an aqueous solution of iodine is prepared (4 g of starch and 1 g of iodine per 1 l of distilled water). The garden is divided into conditional small areas and from each take at least 10 fruits of each variety, collecting them from different trees and from different branches (lower and upper). Immediately analyze: each fruit, cut with a sharp knife along through the seed chamber, immersed in iodine solution. After a minute, an assessment of the state of the slices on a scale of one to five points is carried out.
The scale of iodine starch ripeness of apples (in points)
Scale of iodine starch test
In Europe, horticulture consultants calculate the Streif index - the optimal harvest period for apples of different varieties. This figure is derived from the following formula:
(Streif index) = hardness (of the fruit (kg / cm 2) / sugar content x starch content (%)
The main parameters needed to determine the optimal time for harvesting:
- - fruit hardness, determined by penetrometer (kg / cm 2);
- - sugar content in fruits, measured with a refractometer (%, Brix scale):
- - starch content in freshly harvested fruits (reaction to iodine. The result is analyzed with the help of special test cards).
Table 1. Terms of harvesting the fruits of apples, taking into account their degree of ripeness and tendency of varieties to functional diseases
| Variety | Key features diseases | Optimal detachable ripeness | The time to start picking fruit |
| Glory to the winners | Browning pulp | Early | III decade of August |
| Calvil snow | "Tan", wet burn | Average | III decade of September |
| Fiery | "Tan", wet burn | Late | |
| Golden delishes | Withering | Late | III decade of September - 1st decade of October |
| Jonathan | Early | 11-111 decade of September | |
| Jonaveld | Jonath's spotting, withering | Average | III decade of September |
| Idared | Withering | Late | 1st decade of October |
| Rosavka | Withering | Late | 1st decade of October |
| Sapphire | "Tan", browning the pulp | Average | III decade of September |
| Renet Simirenko | "Tan", browning the pulp | Average | 1st decade of October |
| Simirenkovets | "Tan", browning the pulp | Average | 1st decade of October |
| Gagarin's age mate | Subcutaneous spotting | Early | II decade of September |
| Hetman | Wet burn | Average | 1st decade of October |
| Granddaughter | Wilt, weak browning of the skin | Late | III decade of September - 1st decade of October |
STORAGE APPLES - METHODS AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THEM
STORAGE APPLES
A rich crop demands from the gardeners of certain knowledge, skills and work, and it usually takes place normally as it is not easy. HOWEVER, GETTING A GOOD HARVEST IS IT DECLINED: IT IS NECESSARY TO SAVE IT
The quality of the fruit depends on a number of factors:
varieties (there are varieties that are beautiful only when picked from a branch: there are those that can lie for a long time without losing their taste);
agrotechnics of cultivation (doses and terms of application of fertilizers, a complex of chemical and other protective measures against diseases and pests, terms of harvesting, i.e. the state of fruit maturity);
room temperature and humidity. in which apples are stored (perhaps this factor can be called almost the most important).
Deterioration in the quality of fruits and vegetables during storage can be caused by many reasons. Among them may be both infectious diseases and physiological.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Infectious diseases of the fruit, which manifest themselves during storage, in some cases are the result of infection in the garden when they were hanging on a tree, in others they occur during transport or directly during storage.
Depending on the pathogen (or cause), some diseases develop slowly or do not progress at all during the storage period, while others develop very quickly within an already infected fetus and easily spread to neighboring ones (by direct contact or by air).
NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES
- Pouring, or vitreousness of the fruit, is found in years with a warm autumn, when the fruits overripe. The glassiness of the skin and pulp, then its browning, appears.
- Fruit freezing occurs with prolonged exposure to temperatures below -2 ‘C. When freezing, apples are thawed gradually at a temperature of +2 ‘С and normal relative humidity of the air, after which they must be implemented as soon as possible.
- Bitter pitting of the fruit - on the surface of the fruit appear slightly impressed rounded, brown in color, spots with a diameter of 2-5 mm. The reason is unbalanced nutrition (low content of calcium in fruits, excess nitrogen, high doses of potassium and magnesium).
The most common and harmful infectious diseases during apple storage are as follows.
Fruit rot, or monilioz, can develop both in the garden and during storage. Defeat begins with a small brown spot, which, growing extremely rapidly, can cover the entire fetus in a few days. The flesh becomes brownish-brown, friable, acquires a sweet-wine unpleasant taste.
Fruits still infected in the garden produce yellowish pads of fungal spores, which are arranged in even concentric circles.
During infection of the fruit during storage, sporulation on the surface of the fetus, as a rule, ns develops. The fruit is quickly mummified. The mummy of fruit rot on the surface is smooth, shiny, black with a bluish tinge.
Bitter gleosporioznaya rot, or anthracnose apples, occurs after harvesting the fruit, although they are still infected in the garden. The pulp is bitter, sharply limited from healthy tissue.
Gray rot is manifested in the form of gray rot of fruits with the formation of a gray fluffy spore deposit on them. Over time, on the rotted fruit, numerous black sclerotia (seals of the mycelium of the causative agent) are formed. The infection can get on the fruit still in the garden or during transportation, but the development of rot itself takes place during storage. Spores of the fungus easily spread through the air.
Below are other entries on the topic "Cottage and garden - do it yourself"
: To what time to harvest tomatoes Tomato ...The apple variety Antonovka is zoned for central Russia and Siberia; it combines yield with ease of care. This is one of the most popular varieties of apples from domestic gardeners, which allows you to get a good harvest. To date, there are several varieties of this variety, which differ in taste characteristics, the beginning of fruiting, yield indicators and features of agricultural technology.
Appearance history
Antonovka characterized by rapid growth and by three to five years it reaches a height of 2-2.5 meters. The gardener can get the first fruits by the fifth or sixth year after planting, and an apple tree usually reaches its maximum fruiting indicators in the tenth year of life.
Antonovka belongs to the late autumn varieties, harvest occurs in September and early October. it unpretentious and high-yielding varietywhich comes into fruition late. About ten pounds of delicious apples can be removed from ten-year-old trees. Up to the age of twenty years, the yield is stable, but in the subsequent period there can be marked seasonality.
These advantages Antonovka include the following:
- Unpretentious care.
- Excellent yield.
- Resistance to cold, disease and insect pests.
- Delicate taste of the harvest.
Of the disadvantages gardeners say only late onset of fruiting, and the summer farmer will receive the first harvest not earlier than six to seven years after planting. In the northern regions will require additional insulation for the winter and intensive feeding in the spring.
Gardener need harvest the whole crop before the first frost. Subsequently, the collected apples can ripen directly during their storage. The full maturation of Antonovka can be determined by the appearance on the skin of a yellowish tint.
Indicators of keeping quality at Antonovka are 3-4 months. The key to long-term storage of apples will be provision of fruit appropriate conditions. Store the harvest should be in a cold dark room with temperatures of 10-15 degrees. Humidity index - not more than 70%.
Antonovka and numerous hybrids based on this variety are notable for their excellent yield, unpretentious care, the harvest has an excellent delicate taste. Due to the simplicity of caring for apples of this variety, they can be recommended to novice gardeners.
By providing high-quality cross-pollination, regular watering, fertilization and other simple care to plantings, it will be possible to get a great harvest in the garden.
Summer resident only needs to remember about the obligatory presence in the immediate vicinity of the fruit tree of other pollinating varieties, which will be the key to obtaining tasty and healthy fruits on the household plot.
»Apple varieties
The Antonovka apple variety has been one of the most common on the territory of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine for a long time. AND it owes its appearance for the most part not to breeders, but to gardener-lovers. It belongs to the category of national selection. With the description and reviews of gardeners about this variety, you can find below.
Despite its popularity, Antonovka belongs to those varieties, the occurrence of which is not exactly known. It is believed that she is random hybrid of a cultivar with a wild-growing forest apple tree.
The variety Antonovka is not the result of the work of breeders. He owes his appearance to amateur gardeners.
It is believed that she came from the Kursk or Tula regions. This variety was first described in 1848 by N.I. Krasnoglazov in his work "Rules of fruit growing in open ground, greenhouses, greenhouses."
In 1896 S.V. Batov (living at that time in Tula) presented Antonovka Tula (in another “Spirit”) at the Nizhny Novgorod exhibition. According to him, the apple tree got its name Antonovka on behalf of gardener Anton, who for the first time brought it out in ancient times. And the name "brass" appeared because of the strong aroma ("spirit") of the fruit.
But at the same time, the Antonovka variety was not described in any of the registries A.T. Bolotov (there are only four), which contained more than 660 names of varieties of apple and pear. And in 1906 in his book “Atlas of the Fruits” A.S. Grebnitsky wrote that Antonovka was divorced for a very long time, but her place of origin is unknown.
To explain these two mismatched facts, there is a theory that antonovka in the register Bolotov still was, but under a different name. In those days it was difficult to understand the varieties, there was confusion in their names. The same plant in different regions could be called differently. And Bolotov himself did not rule out such a probability.
As a separate variety Antonovka was allocated in the 19th century.. In the book "Russian apples" pomolog M.V. Rytov identified and described 17 varieties. And already in 1929, I.V. Michurin mentioned 26 “varieties” of Antonovka. In 1981, in the publication of E.N. Sedov's "Catalog of Apple Varieties" emphasized that such a large number of varieties appeared due to the popularity of Antonovka among gardeners.
Antonovka varieties: gold, imrus, bogatyr and others
Currently based on Antonovka ordinary created 25 varieties. Among them are:
- Memory of a warrior
Memory of a warrior
Regions of apple
Today Antonovka can be found in Moscow, Bryansk, Ryazan, Orel, Kursk, Varonezhsky, Penza, Kaluga, Tula regions of Russia, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus.
Some varieties are grown even in the Altai, Urals, Siberia and the Far East.
Tree description
Antonovka tree is a vigorous, with an oval crown. Over time, it becomes spherical and sprawling. The main branches rise and over the years expand to the sides. This process begins simultaneously with fruiting. Branches and young shoots are covered with brown bark.
The leaves are bright green, oblong, serrated at the edges. During flowering inflorescences are large, white or pink tinged.
Fruiting
Antonovka belongs to early winter or late autumn varieties. Usually the fruits begin to collect in the second half of September.. Antonovka Ordinary refers to the most fruitful trees. The tree begins to bear fruit after 7-8 years (after budding). On dwarf rootstocks, the first crop can be harvested already 2 years after disembarkation.
Fruiting Antonovka begins on average 7-8 years after planting.
The fruits of Antonovka ordinary large with a rounded shape. In the lower part of the ribs are strongly pronounced. In the period of ripening have a green color with a yellow tinge. During storage completely yellow. The flesh itself is light, sweet, with a pronounced sour taste.
Antonovka gold for ripening can be attributed even to summer varieties. Her fruits are sweet and softer. Individual apples can reach a weight of 160 grams. And they begin to collect in the horse of August.
Yield and timing of fruit picking
The number of apples increases as the tree grows. Up to 200 kilograms of fruit can be harvested from a twenty-year-old tree. (200 kg / ha). There were cases when from one tree Antonovka collected up to 500-1000 kilograms of apples. At first, fruiting is regular. But over time, it becomes periodic (once every two years).
The harvest from one Antonovka tree per year reaches 150-200 kg.
Antonovka fruits ripen by the end of September - October. The main subtlety is to collect apples before the first frost, and they ripen in a cool place. Apples are ready to be harvested when a yellowish tint appears on their color, but the texture is still dense.
Harvesting To keep the fruits longer, they must be picked by hand.. If you shake the tree, the apples will fall and beat on the ground. And in these places in the future will begin to deteriorate. Gather the fruits in wooden boxes or baskets, and plastic buckets will do.
Apple storage
Three times the value of the variety - the duration of storagewhich term reaches 3 months. With proper care and treatment, this period may increase to 4 months.
The shelf life of Antonovka fruits is more than 90 days. And it depends on the growing area of the tree. Fruits collected in the southern regions are stored on average two to four weeks less.
The peculiarity is that the storage time depends on the region of growth. For example, apples collected in the northern regions are easily stored for four months. And over time, their taste only improves. But the fruits from the southern regions deteriorate faster.
The advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Among the main advantages of Antonovka are the following:
- Good adaptability to different regions
- High yield
- Disease resistance and frost
- High fruit marketability
- Unique taste and aroma
- Apples can be consumed fresh, soaked and after processing
- The fruits have a number of beneficial properties. are good antioxidants.
Like all plants, antonovka has its drawbacks:
- Fruiting is periodic
- Fruits are not all varieties stored for a long time.
Pollination
Antonovka is a self-infested tree, that is, it needs pollinators. Best suited for this purpose:
- Saffron Pepin
- Welsey
- Autumn striped
- Anise.
Landing
In the greater territory of Russia, Antonovka is planted until the end of October.. Planted later plants may not have time to settle down. If spring planting is planned, then the best time for it is the end of April. In this case, the place for the sapling is better to prepare in the fall.
For planting the most suitable loam and sandy loam. The water level should be at least 3 meters.
The hole is prepared with a size of approximately 1 meter in diameter and up to 80 cm in depth. This is done a few weeks before landing. This will help the seedling to take root more easily, so that the tree will start to bear fruit earlier.
During planting, the sod is laid on the bottom of the pit and is well watered. A peg is inserted, the length of which is above the level of the soil. A fertile layer of soil with fertilizers (mineral and organic) up to 20 cm high is poured on top. Next, the seedling is lowered and covered with earth. At the same time you need to be careful with the roots, so as not to damage them. To get all the nutrients to the roots, remove all the leaves from the seedling.
Under no circumstances should the root neck be buried. When the seedling is almost completely filled, it is necessary to pull it up a little. Due to this, the root neck will rise slightly above the ground level, and there will be no air between the roots. Seedling tied to a peg. Next, the soil is abundantly watered, mulched. In the first month or two watered weekly.
Antonovka saplings are planted at a distance of more than 1 meter from each other.
Care
Antonovka grows well even in scanty lands, where gardening problems usually arise. But naturally, they need the right care.
For better fruit bearing trees need moisture. But on soils with an excess of moisture or, on the contrary, on arid soils, Antonovka produces less yield.
After heavy rainfall, the soil near the tree needs to be aerated.. This can be done with ordinary forks or a metal bar, simply piercing the ground to a depth of 30 cm. During a period of drought and high temperatures, the Antonovka should be watered abundantly once a week.
In the first year of life, seedlings are especially important the right care. It includes some simple steps:
- Top dressing fertilizer
- Protection from diseases and pests
- Soil loosening pristvolny circle and removal of weeds
- Timely watering
- Correct trimming.
Another important process is mulching. For more mature plants can pristvolny circle sow green manure.
Fertilization
For better fruiting, the apple tree should be fed 4 times a year:
- 1 top dressing. In the spring, before flowering, Antonovka is fed with urea in the amount of 50-500 g, depending on the size and age of the tree. Fertilizers are spread on the soil under the crown of the tree.
- 2 dressing. With the advent of flowers, potash and phosphate fertilizers, slurry and urea are applied.
- 3 dressing It is carried out with nitrogen fertilizers during fruit ripening.
- 4 dressing after harvest. Bring in potassium and phosphorus.
Cropping and crown formation
Simultaneously with dressing in the spring it is necessary to trim the crown. Do it a couple of weeks before the growing season. At the same time, dry and damaged branches, wild shoots are harvested, thinning the crown.
Protection against diseases and pests
Antonovka, like all plants, requires protection from pests and diseases.
Kill up to 90% of pests on the tree can be treated with poisons in the period before the flowers appeared.
To do this, use karbofos 0.1% or rovikurt 0.1%. A little later, when the kidneys appear, they use Bordeaux liquid 3%. Her, only in a concentration of 1% is used to combat diseases during the shedding of petals. With the same purpose, copper oxychloride 0.4% is also used. All treatments with pesticides are best carried out in the evening, before sunset. Night treatment is allowed if there is no dew. Fallen leaves are harvested and burned.
Caterpillars and weevils appearing on trees are harvested by hand and destroyed. Wasp-riders will help from insect pests. Umbrella plants (for example, dill), planted next to the apple tree, will help to attract them to the tree.
Unique taste and aroma, resistance to frost, long shelf life - these are the main characteristics that attract gardeners. Despite the emergence of new breeding varieties of apples, Antonovka still remains one of the most popular and favorite varieties.
A rich harvest of apples will delight any gardener. But at the same time with joy the question arises: how can all this wealth be kept fresh until spring? What varieties are best stored, how to determine their degree of maturity, what are the ways of laying apples - read all this in our article.
Every gardener knows that to grow a crop is only half the battle, you need to be able to save it. Experienced gardeners of wisdom “apple longevity” have been mastered for a long time, they have been empirically developed the most effective ways of storing apples for storage, allowing them to preserve their benefits, aroma and freshness.
Choosing the right varieties, harvesting by all the rules, proper sorting, packing, optimum temperature and humidity - these are the main components of long-term storage.
Select the right varieties
Whether apples will be stored for a long time without deterioration in taste, depends on their variety. In varieties there is such a thing as keeping quality, that is, the ability to maintain nutritional and nutritional properties for a certain, quite a long time.
Late (winter) varieties of apples, which are harvested since mid-October, are characterized by excellent keeping quality. Today the most famous and popular are the following winter varieties:
- Aurora - variety resistant to low temperatures and fungal diseases. Fruits are large, round shape with a diffuse wide blush, characterized by pronounced aroma and juiciness. Harvesting begins in early October. This variety is beautifully stored until spring, even in the refrigerator.
- Jonathan - one of the most famous winter varieties. Fruits are small, have a pleasant aroma and wine-sweet taste, with optimal storage conditions do not lose nutritional qualities until mid-May.
- Golden delishes - American variety, fruits of medium size, golden color, juicy, valued for great taste and aroma. Apples of this variety have ripened by the end of September, they are kept well until mid-April.
- Calvil snow - Ukrainian variety of national selection. Fruits are medium sized, greenish-white. Well kept in the basement, without losing taste and aroma until mid-April.
- Renet Simirenko - the most common late variety of Russian breeding. The fruits are large, round shape, have a pronounced aroma and sweet-sour taste. Apples of this variety under favorable conditions can be stored until the summer.
- King David - American late variety, characterized by high yield. Medium-sized fruits have a flat-rounded shape, a dark red blush covers almost the entire surface. This variety of apples is distinguished by its spicy aroma, juiciness and excellent taste.
It is very difficult to describe the whole variety of varieties in a single article. You can find out more information by consulting with apple growers in your area.
How to harvest
By harvesting apples should be carefully prepared: pick up the tool, clean the container and storage, plan the order of work. In this case, it is very important to determine whether the apples ripen - not ripe and overripe will not lie.
Determine maturity
Determine that it is time to remove apples from a branch can be visually, on the crook. If among the fallen fruits have already appeared tasty large apples with characteristic varietal characteristics, then the rest are ready for harvest.
You can also determine the ideal maturity by the following criteria:
- press on the apple, if the dent has disappeared - the crop has not yet ripened;
- if the peel is cracked when pressed, the apples are considered to be ripe, they are not suitable for storage;
- about an ideal full maturity speaks not leveling, bending peel.
You can determine maturity "scientifically", in a special chemical way. To do this, in a liter of distilled water dissolve 4 grams of potassium iodide and 1 gram of iodine. Apple cut in half and immersed in the solution. Maturity in this case is defined as:
- if after two minutes the edges and middle of the apple turned blue, then there is a lot of starch in it, which indicates under-ripeness;
- if it is observed at the edges of the blue, and by the middle of the yellow color - maturity is ideal;
- the presence of only yellow color - the apple is overripe.
Experienced gardeners believe that let apples be better ripe than perespeyut and begin to rot.
Properly pick apples from trees
For harvesting winter apples, choose a warm, warm, dry day. It is better to do this after dinner, when the air is warm enough, and the fruits will be perfectly dry.
Fruits tear very carefully, so as not to damage. An apple is taken with all fingers, with the index finger pressing on the stem where it is attached to the fruit branch, and slightly lifting the fruit upwards. Do not unscrew, break off or pull the apple down. In the case of fruit intended for long-term storage, in no case does it need to tear off the stem, this significantly reduces the keeping quality of the crop.
When harvesting winter apples, do not wipe them off with a matte film, the so-called natural wax coating. Peeled apples must not be thrown, they must be carefully folded into a container prepared in advance.
Sort apples
Immediately after the harvest, it should be held in a cool room for 15–20 days, after which it should be sorted - during this time all signs of possible defects will appear. After that, you need to sort out the apples, selecting for storage fruits with stem without wormholes and mechanical damage.
Apples of different varieties are recommended to be stored in different containers, you should also sort them by size - small, medium and large. After that, the crop is stored for storage, using one or more of the following methods.
Putting apples for storage
For apples, it is better to allocate a separate pantry or cellar. The fact is that these fruits emit a lot of ethylene during storage - gas that contributes to the early ripening of other vegetables. The increased ethylene content in the cellar leads to the fact that root crops (potatoes, carrots, beets, celery) germinate and deteriorate more quickly. Therefore, it is not recommended to store apples with these vegetables.
Before laying apples room should be well cleaned and disinfected. The walls are whitewashed with a solution of freshly lime and copper sulphate in proportion: 10 liters of water, 150 g of vitriol, 1.5 kg of lime. Floors are sprayed with a solution of ferrous sulfate (450-500 g) per 10 liters of water.
Late apples, depending on the variety and temperature and humidity indicators, can maintain their nutritional value for 4-7 months. In this case, the ideal storage conditions are: air temperature from 0 to + 3 ... 4 degrees, relative humidity at the level of 85-90%. If the humidity is lower, the apples will quickly fade.
For winter storage, any container is suitable, the main requirements for which are purity and strength. It can be wicker baskets, wooden, cardboard or plastic boxes that must be thoroughly cleaned before use.
Store apples in the winter can be a variety of ways.
Easy styling
Apples are laid up in one, two or three layers of fruit stems, while not shifting anything. Thus, you can put a lot of apples, but this method is considered the most "short-lived", you should check the tabs regularly to prevent spreading to possible areas of rotting.
Wrapping paper
Each individually taken apple is wrapped in paper napkins or plain white paper and placed in the prepared container with the stalks up. If all fruits are healthy, this way apples can be stored for a long time.
Relocation (spilling)
The most optimal way of winter storage. The best material in this case will be well-washed and dried sand with the addition of ash in a ratio of 1:10. Sand with ash is poured on the bottom of the prepared container with a layer of 3-4 centimeters, then spread the apples so that they do not touch each other. Again fall asleep with sand. Thus it is possible to lay 3-4 layers.
Instead of sand with ash, you can use other materials: sawdust, leaves or shavings of trees (not coniferous), onion peels, sunflower husks, peat or moss.
Storage in the ground
If there is no cellar in the plot, you can preserve the harvest of apples in the ground. To do this, dig a trench in advance 50-60 cm deep, 30-40 cm wide. The bottom of the trench is carpeted with coniferous branches or juniper branches - this will protect the bookmark from rodents. Apples are packed in plastic bags of 4-5 kg each and laid on the bottom, then covered with earth from above. To protect against severe frosts, dry foliage can be piled on top.
Carbon dioxide or ultraviolet treatment
The apple harvest is remarkably stored in a cellar in plastic bags into which carbon dioxide is pumped through a small hole with the help of a siphon for soda water. Hole then quickly soldered.
Some summer residents process apples laid in a single layer with a bactericidal ultraviolet lamp for 30–40 minutes. The lamp is suspended at a distance of 1.5 meters, the apples are inverted once for uniform processing. This method allows you to destroy most of the harmful fungi and bacteria that cause the development of rot.
Having stored the apple harvest, you can enjoy the fragrant healthy fruit throughout the winter and be sure that your body will not suffer from chemicals that are often present in fruits sold in supermarkets in the winter.
With the arrival of autumn, the issue of harvest time comes to the fore. Not always a gardener, especially an inexperienced novice, can accurately determine when the apples have ripened. It is assumed that the autumn harvest of apples goes on. But not all apples will fit: overripe will not lie, underripe did not have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of sugars.
I have several varieties of apple trees with different ripening. With summer, everything is quite simple, since usually these apples are eaten right away, and what is not mastered - goes to. But with the autumn harvest, you have to be a little more courteous: you need to remove the apples in time so that they have excellent taste and survive as long as possible.
How to determine that it is time to remove the apples from the branch?
I define it by eye and by the valley. If among the fallen apples beautiful large ones have already appeared, it means that they are ready for harvest.
If among the fallen apples have already appeared beautiful large - then they are ready to collect
Additionally, you can check on other signs:
- You need to push on the apple. The dent has disappeared - the apple is not ready for gathering.
- When pressed, the skin broke - the crop overripe. Cook before it's too late!
- The sagging, non-leveling peel indicates the full ripeness of the apple. Feel free to start harvesting.
- Appearance and taste: medium fruit size, without wormholes, bright skin color: red, yellow-scarlet, yellow-green. Fruits should be juicy, with a sweet and sour taste. The exception is the varieties of sweet taste. Seeds of ripe apple brown.
- Pulp: white or cream, soft.
- The most scientific - chemical method for determining the maturity of the fruit:
- take 1 liter of distilled water and dissolve 4 g of potassium iodide in it, 1 g of iodine;
- we cut an apple into 2 parts and we lower it in solution;
- if after 2 minutes the apple at the edges and in the middle becomes blue, this indicates a large amount of starch, which is abundant in an unripe apple;
- color: blue at the edges, and by the middle yellow indicates a good ripeness of apples;
- the absence of blue and the presence of only yellow color indicates that the apple has ripened.
From my own experience I can say: Better, apples will be somewhat unripe than they will perespeyut and begin to rot.
When to start picking apples?
How well you determine the removable maturity of apples depends on how long they will be stored. By the time of ripening apples are divided into three groups.
1. Summer varieties
They begin to collect from the second half of August. There are already enough sugars in the fruits, but they are only about a month old. Therefore, they are more often used for the processing and consumption of fresh fruit containing vitamin.
2. Autumn varieties
Begin to collect from late August - early September. The shelf life of such apples reaches 4 months. Usually we harvest "Orlik": these delicious apples are stored for about 3 months, but the flesh eventually becomes loose.
3. Winter varieties
All known "" and "White filling". Winter varieties are the most deadly. Harvesting should start from the end of September - mid-October. In time and correctly shot will lie until spring (February - March).
Winter apples, ready to harvest, are not necessarily ready to eat immediately after removal from the tree. They must rest, accumulate sugar, and only then they become tasty. So, for example, “Antonovk” and with a yellowish skin color and bright flesh is ready to be torn off, but the apple that tastes it will curl is sour! But in the winter the same "Antonovka", extracted from the basement - you will lick your fingers! The longer these apples lie, the tastier they become.
How to harvest apples?
First you need to choose a clear, warm and dry day. Harvest preferably in the afternoon. This is especially true for winter varieties collected in late autumn - the air will warm up and the apples will be completely dry (the dew will evaporate). Summer, autumn varieties can be removed after rain, but before harvesting, let the fruit dry.
Collect fruit preferably in the afternoon
I always start to harvest from the lower branches, gradually moving to the top. On the south side, apples ripen a little earlier, so we start from there, and the next day (or in 2-3 days) we harvest the crops from the north side.
I pick apples carefully, carefully put them in a bucket. Sick, damaged and wormy ruthlessly reject. And I try not to put a drop in my hand. Do not tear the stalk from fruits intended for long-term storage, this affects keeping quality. It is necessary to carefully handle the harvest at the collection stage. Twisting, peeling and breaking off apples from branches will not bring anything good in the future.
How to store the harvest of apples?
The storage of apples in our family is given special attention. Even the autumn varieties are a little longer, if you follow simple, but such useful rules. So, we are preparing a place and a container.It is best to store the apple harvest in wooden boxes. I pre-process them with a solution of potassium permanganate, and then, over several days, I dry well in the sun. Then I cover the bottom with newspapers or thick paper.
Important: Do not keep apples in the sun and outdoors. Immediately harvest the harvested crop and store it.
My air is very humid, so around the boxes with apples, I put containers with lime-fluff, which helps absorb excess moisture. I am not a supporter of the idea of pouring lime on fruits directly (although many do this way), and you are free to choose any option. If, on the contrary, the air is too dry, put containers with sand near the apple boxes, water it regularly - as the sand dries, the air will be moistened. Remember that temperature also affects the quality of storage: the storage should be no higher than +2 .. + 5 ° С. Freezing is also unacceptable.
Argued that the apples in the boxes need to lay out one by one. I think it makes sense for summer varieties. Winter can be poured into boxes, gently lowering the bucket (basket) to the level of already poured apples, then they roll out amicably and evenly, without damage. Do not hamper the apples in their "winter apartment" - do not squeeze and do not tighten by hand, in order to squeeze into the box even one or two apples.
Of course, during storage, some fruits may deteriorate. Remove these apples immediately to protect others from infection.
What to collect apples?
Manual modeWith all the development of technology in gardening is still the best way to harvest - manual.
Apples need to be collected carefully, carefully putting them in boxes to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit.
Using various devices
Today, there are many devices on the market for picking apples from even the topmost branches: a loop, a basket (or bag) with a long handle.
