Characteristics and description of the apple variety Sokovo-3, disease resistance
Among the large number of fruit trees, the Sokovoe-3 apple tree stands out for its unpretentiousness, resistance to cold weather and other positive characteristics. Small, very beautiful-looking sweet and sour apples will ripen every September and delight their owner with a rich harvest. Without much effort, this variety allows you to get a large number of fruits for food, harvesting and for industrial purposes.
Description of the apple tree
Trees of this variety were bred by crossing at the Sverdlovsk Experimental Station thanks to the work of Leonid Andrianovich Kotov.
The fruits ripen in autumn, in September. The apples are small, light green-cream in color with pink ripples. It tastes sweet and sour, very aromatic. As the name suggests, you can get a lot of good quality apple juice with a pleasant taste from these fruits. At the same time, they are good in pies and pancakes, in compote, jam and fresh.
Flowering occurs in the second half of May, depending on temperature conditions. The tree itself perfectly tolerates severe frosts. One of the important features is that in order for a crop to start, pollinators are needed, for example, of Anise varieties.
Detailed descriptions of all the characteristics of Sokova-3 are given below, point by point.
What subspecies are there?
This variety has no subspecies. It is possible to graft the Sokova cuttings on the stock on other semi-cultivated species. In this case, fruiting begins in the 2nd or 3rd year after the grafting takes root.
Apples can be more acidic and smaller.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Sokovoe-3 apple tree has many advantages, since the hybrid took the best qualities from the original varieties. These include:
- rapid growth and fruiting;
- compact size of the tree;
- frost resistance;
- high productivity;
- disease and pest resistance;
- the ability to store fruits for a long time, dry, process for blanks.
There are practically no downsides, they include the small size of apples and - conventionally - taste. The fruits are sweet and sour, they are used fresh, but among the autumn varieties there are also more delicious, sweet representatives.
Characteristics of the Sokovoe-3 apple tree
Let us consider in detail the quality of the tree and fruits, the characteristics of growth and productivity.
Dimensions of the tree
Apple trees of the Sokovo-3 variety reach medium height, are strong, grow quickly, and have a spreading, rounded crown. The tree grows 1 meter in height per year. Adult specimens grow about 4-5 meters, the width of the branches is 3 m.
In the process of growth, the crown needs formative pruning, as well as thinning ones, since the branches may grow unnecessarily.
The frequency of fruiting
A rich harvest ripens every year in the fall. To obtain it, you need an apple pollinator. In the third, less often the 4th year after planting, the first harvest is obtained.
Productivity and fruit assessment
Up to 100 kg of apples can be harvested from one tree, 60-80 g each. Fruits are small, rarely their weight reaches 100 g. They have aromatic pulp, light shade and medium graininess.
Apples store well, up to 4 months, until the end of December. Keep fruits in a cool, dark place, periodically inspect and throw away fruits that start to deteriorate.
They are versatile in use - you can eat fresh, use them in preservation, baking. The main advantage of apples of this variety is that they make delicious juice, rich and rich in vitamins.
Winter hardiness of an apple tree
The hybrid winters well, easily tolerates severe frosts. In the fall, it is necessary to protect the tree trunk from rodents, and in the spring to feed it with humus and mineral fertilizers.
In the northernmost, coldest regions of Siberia and the Urals, it is recommended to additionally insulate the tree; in an average climate, it survives the winter without human help.
Disease resistance
Another advantage of the variety is that it is practically not susceptible to diseases typical of apple trees, does not suffer from scab and fungi. Fruit rot may appear.
Where is it better to grow
Apple-trees Sokovoe-3 are unpretentious, they grow well and bear fruit in most climatic regions. In cold winters, in Siberia and the Urals, the tree needs additional shelter during frosts, the size of the fruits will be less than average.
For the southern regions, it is better to choose other species specifically designed for hot summers.
The planting site and care is standard for most apple trees. The tree loves sunny places, well-moisturized, loose soil. The soil is not too dense and wet, places in lowlands with stagnant groundwater.
Experienced gardeners recommend this variety as hassle-free to grow and care for, regularly producing a bountiful apple harvest.