Description and characteristics of the columnar apple Currency, cultivation in the regions, planting and care
Columnar apple trees became a real find for those who have a small plot. On a small area, you can place several varieties of compact trees. Among the columnar apple trees, the currency should definitely be planted. Indeed, the best qualities of the parents are concentrated in the hybrid: the columnar elite KV 6 and the American variety OR38T17. The apple tree obtained by scientists has many advantages and has been cultivated for many years in various fields.
Content
Characteristics and description of the apple tree Columnar currency
Before making a choice, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main characteristics of the tree.
Dimensions of the tree
One of undersized varieties of apple trees The currency consists of a trunk without lateral skeletal branches. A tree can be about 2 meters high and a trunk diameter of 25 centimeters. Elongated leaves of a dark green color do not change color for a long time, by the end of autumn they fall off without turning yellow.
The frequency of fruiting
Apple tree Currency belongs to the winter species, since fruiting occurs in mid-autumn. For the first time, apples ripen on the branches of a tree that has reached 3 years of age. Then the fruits appear every year, increasing in number. But by the age of 15 years, the fruit becomes less fruitful.
Yield
If the first harvests of the apple tree are small, only a few fruits, then in the 4th year of the tree's life, they get up to 5-6 kilograms. The largest yield from a columnar specimen will be 10-12 kilograms. For apples of the variety, the weight is from 130 to 250 grams.
Tasting assessment
The apples of the variety differ:
- correct oval-conical shape;
- yellowish skin with grayish dots underneath;
- blush on the sides;
- pulp is white, granular, medium density;
- dessert taste;
- pronounced aroma.
Fruit taste corresponds to 4.5 points. A slight acidity is present, but it is in harmony with the sweetness of the fruit. The taste only improves as the apples are stored.
Self-fertility
Columnar Apple Currency does not need pollination, it is self-fertile. It is planted at a distance of 0.5 meters from other similar types of apple trees. You can leave a gap of up to 1 meter between the rows. Yields will increase if other varieties of fruit crops are placed next to the tree.
Winter hardiness
The hybrid obtained by scientists can withstand spring frosts. In winter, the tree does not freeze even at a temperature of -35 degrees. But it is better to shelter young fruit trees from frost, tie the trunk with matting.
Disease resistance
The hybrid has a scab resistance gene. The apple tree does not lend itself to fungal infection even under unfavorable climatic conditions. To prevent other diseases, preventive measures are needed.
Pros and cons of the variety
The positive features of the columnar apple variety Currency include:
- compactness of the crown, stunted trunk;
- high productivity;
- immunity to disease;
- frost resistance, medium drought resistance;
- long preservation of fruits;
- versatility of apples.
Among the minuses of the apple tree, one can single out the fact that the yield of the tree decreases with age. A 16-year-old apple tree will yield much less than a young specimen. Since the ringlets in an adult tree begin to dry out, it is necessary to rejuvenate the plantings.
How to plant apple trees correctly
The role of planting in the growth and productivity of a crop is high.
Landing dates
Apple cuttings should be planted in autumn or spring. After leaf fall, planting pits are prepared. Until October 15, the seedlings are assigned to the chosen place in the garden. If the culture is planted in the spring, then the pits are prepared in advance, preferably in September-October. If useful fertilizers are added to them, then until spring they will dissolve in the soil, nourishing it. Planting work is carried out immediately after the snow melts, before the start of sap flow.
Distance between trees
If several apple trees are planted, then the distance between them is maintained. The columnar variety does not have a wide crown, so it is enough to place them half a meter apart. Trees with a lush crown are placed 1-2 meters from the columnar culture so as not to shade it.
Landing technology
2-3 weeks before planting, the hole must be prepared in a well-lit area of the garden. Its diameter should be within 50 centimeters with the same depth.
It is necessary to apply fertilizers to the soil, mixing all the components thoroughly. A one- or two-year-old seedling with a strong root system is selected.
In the center of the pit, a mound of fertile soil is poured and a shoot is placed there, spreading the roots. After backfilling with soil, the layer around the trunk is slightly compacted, marking the boundaries of the near-trunk circle. Then the planted tree is abundantly watered and sprinkled with mulch to better retain moisture.
Apple tree care
For the type of column Currency, leaving is easy.
Watering the tree
Trees are watered 2-3 times per season, more often if the summer is dry. It is imperative to moisten the trunk circle during the flowering period, after harvesting, increasing the moisture capacity of the soil before winter. One tree needs up to 30-40 liters of water.
Top dressing and soil care
To increase the yield of apple Currency, fertilizers are needed:
- After flowering, 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and 5 grams of potassium salt are diluted in 10 liters of water.
- In July, phosphorus-potassium tuk is introduced, which is prepared from 15-20 grams of superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium salt per bucket of water.
- A bucket of top dressing is sufficient for 2-3 meters of furrow along the planting.
- Podzolic soils should be fertilized every 7-10 years with lime, 200 grams per 1 square meter.
- In fertile areas, fertilizers are applied every 3-4 years in the form of wood ash with humus.
The soil in the garden needs loosening and weeding. It is necessary to loosen it 4-5 times during the summer, fighting against soil compaction.
Crown formation
To form the crown, the shoots that appear on the sides of the trunk are trimmed. If the stem develops 2 tops, then the weak one is removed. When a tree is flowering in its first or second year of life, the buds must be cut off. As they grow older, 6 to 10 inflorescences are left on the shoot.
Shelter for the winter and protection from rodents
Although the variety tolerates low temperatures, young trees need protection. Therefore, in October-November, whitewashing of the trunk is required, as well as covering with spruce branches. It is advisable to wrap the trunk with several layers of non-woven material or roofing paper. If you dig in a sheet of roofing material and wrap the trunk, then you can protect the tree from rodents. Trampling down the fallen snow in the garden will prevent mice from gnawing the roots of the apple tree.
Breeding features
The column can be propagated by rooted cuttings, seedlings with a closed root system. Use the apple tree as a rootstock for vaccinations. Budding is carried out only by experienced gardeners, but for this cut off the top of the apple treeto get a cutting with 3-4 buds.
Prevention and protection against diseases and pests
The immunity gene in the Currency variety is present only for scab. But the column can get sick:
- powdery mildew;
- brown spot;
- anthracnose;
- monioliosis.
Spraying with Bordeaux liquid in spring and autumn will save the culture from pathogenic fungi. Of the pests, the tree is affected by the moth, aphids, and leaf rollers. Insects, their larvae are visible on the leaves of the tree. They must be fought with insecticide treatments.
Ripening and fruiting
Ripening of apples on a hybrid takes a long time and ends in mid-October. If the summer is cold, then the dates are shifted by 1-2 weeks. You need to pick apples in fine weather. Damaged fruits are immediately removed, and the rest are put in boxes. The harvest is stored until January-February.
Features in the regions
The columnar variety Currency is cultivated not only in the southern regions, it grows well in areas with a temperate and cold climate.
In outskirts of Moscow
In the Moscow region and the surrounding areas, the apple tree manages to reach technical maturity. Caring for it is simple, and ripe apples can be harvested in mid-October.
In Siberia and the Urals
In regions with short summers and unstable weather, apples ripen a little later. For the winter, the tree is covered with spruce branches, the trunk is tied with non-woven material in several layers. In the spring, so that the frosts do not beat the inflorescences, it is necessary to water the column abundantly. By moistening the soil in late April - early May, you can delay the flowering of the garden for 5-7 days.
