Description and characteristics of the columnar apple variety Malukha, planting and care
The compactness of the sizes of the columnar apple of Malukh attracts gardeners. But to this you can add the excellent taste of the fruits, their quantity, as well as the decorativeness of the tree. Columns of apple trees are preferred by those with little space allocated for the garden. The plantings are easy to care for, they quickly begin to bear fruit.
History and description of the variety
The homeland of all columnar apple trees can be considered Canada, where this type of garden culture first appeared. By crossing the Vazhak variety, the Malukha apple tree was also bred.
Its peculiarity is that the tree:
- reaches a height of 1.8 to 2 meters;
- winter hardy;
- gives fruits weighing 250 grams;
- high-yielding, up to 13-15 kilograms.
Apples are harvested from trees in September. They have a sweet and sour taste, juicy whitish pulp. The pronounced aroma of Malukha apples is noted.
Growing area
The plant is suitable for growing in the Central Black Earth Region. But the culture is successfully grown in the Urals and in the southern regions of Siberia.
External parameters
The columnar crown of the Malukha apple tree looks decorative. Plants planted along the border of the site can decorate the garden with the green of the pyramidal top.
Tree growth
The tree has a medium-sized trunk that grows up to 2 meters in an adult plant. If the conditions are unfavorable for the culture, then the height of the apple tree is less.
Crown size
The crown of the tree variety has an average foliage. It looks like a medium-sized pyramid, decorated with evenly spaced fruits.
Annual growth
The shoots of the tree grow by 10-15 centimeters annually. Therefore, the distance between seedlings should not be large.
Tree life
Although the Malyukha columnar apple tree can live for more than 15 years, its fruiting by this time decreases. The peak of high yields falls on an 8-10 year old tree.
Specifications
In fruit culture, it is not the decorativeness of the plant that is valued to a greater extent, but its fruits, their quality. They can appear with normal pollination of the flowers of the Malukha apple tree.
Pollination and yield
Columnar culture needs a number of pollinators.Among them, apple trees of the varieties Curvonets, Chervonets, Kitayka are chosen. Timely pollination allows you to get several fruits in the 1st year after planting the tree, then 4-5 kilograms. But in an adult tree, the number of apples increases and reaches 12-15 kilograms.
Taste qualities
Malyukha apples are very tasty. They are juicy, they have a lot of sugar, little starch, there is a little acid, but it is pleasant. When fresh fruits are eaten, the pulp breaks off. In addition, the apples are fragrant.
Frost and drought resistant
Horticultural crops endure winters with frost at minus 30 degrees. It is slightly damaged by spring frosts.
Malyukha can be grown in steppe and arid regions, providing timely planting with moisture.
Immunity to diseases and insects
The advantage of columnar varieties is their immunity to fungal diseases. And pests rarely attack the column.
We grow a columnar apple tree Malukha
There are many advantages in cultivating the variety. A short tree is easy to maintain. It is unpretentious. You just need to loosen the ground in the garden in time, apply fertilizers if you want high yields of apples.
Preparation of seedlings
For planting, you need to choose one-year or two-year apple tree seedlings. When buying, the tree is carefully examined for damage, rot. The roots are inspected to ensure they are intact. If seedlings are transported to the garden, then they put them in a chatterbox of clay or earth. It is impossible for the roots to dry out.
Optimal soil composition
Apple trees need nutritious soils with neutral acidity. Better they grow and bear fruit on chernozem, slightly podzolized soils. Swampy areas, rocky and saline in composition, are not suitable for culture.
Dates and scheme of disembarkation
In the northern regions, it is necessary to plant the column in the spring, when the buds have not yet begun to bloom. Autumn is also suitable for planting, but no later than the 1st decade of October. In warm areas, you can choose both autumn and spring planting. Apple trees should be planted where groundwater does not approach the surface closer than 2.5 meters. The culture prefers sunny garden slopes.
Pits are prepared in advance, placing them at a distance of 40-50 centimeters from each other. There is no need to dig them under the shady trees. In the depth of the hole they reach 40 centimeters, and in width - 50. The distance between the rows of the column is 2-3 meters.
Features of caring for young and adult trees
It is easy to care for a columnar culture. Here, the emphasis is on the purity of the soil, watering and feeding the plants.
Irrigation frequency
After planting, the apple trees are watered abundantly, trying not to dry out the root system. For an adult tree, irrigation is important during the period of ovary formation and before wintering.
Foliar and root feeding
Organic fertilizers are used for the Malukha apple tree. The mullein is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, kept in a barrel for 3-5 days, and then the solution is brought to a concentration of 1: 5 and the apple trees are watered. It is useful to add phosphorus-potassium fats after the flowering of the variety. A bucket of mineral fertilizers is used for 1 square meter of planting.
Root dressing is combined with foliar. A urea nutrient solution is being prepared for foliar feeding, which requires 2 tablespoons of the substance per 10 liters of water.
Loosening the soil
For the active growth and development of a columnar culture, it is important to loosen the soil of the trunk circle up to 3 times per summer. In the spring and autumn, they organize the digging of the soil, but so as not to damage the roots of the tree.
Crown pruning
Already from the 2nd year after planting the Malyukha variety, the crown of the tree is formed. For this, the lateral branches are shortened to the 2nd bud. Then every year the procedure for young growth is repeated. The branches that bear fruit are cut in the fall, leaving some of the young ones.This is how a stem is formed with a cone-shaped or cylindrical crown. In the spring, you need to remove diseased and damaged branches.
Preventive treatment
To protect the young tree from diseases and attacks of pests, seedlings are treated with fungicidal preparations. "Thunder" saves from ants, carriers of aphids. From rodents, it will not hurt to wrap the trunk of an apple tree with roofing paper, trample snow around trees in winter.
Preparing an apple tree for winter
Young apple trees of the Malyukha variety must be protected from frost and cold winds. They are whitened in the fall, and the trunk is wrapped in several layers of non-woven material. Adult plants need to be covered in the gardens of Siberia and the Urals.
