Apples are a world-famous fruit that has not only a pleasant taste, but also a lot of useful substances, vitamins and minerals. Therefore, apple trees can often be found in household plots, near houses and in summer cottages. Among the large number of species and varieties, winter options stand out especially. For example, the Red Chief apple tree.
Variety description
Apple tree is a fruit-bearing deciduous tree or shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is found in all regions of Europe and Asia, as well as in America and China. The Red Chief apple tree belongs to the selection varieties of the Delicious family. It was bred many years ago, but is still popular. The variety belongs to winter.
The apple tree of this variety is undersized. The height of the branches reaches only 5-7 meters. At the same time, it is distinguished by its precocity. The big advantage of this variety is that it is winter and the harvest is in October. The fruits reach full maturity in December, so in the cold season you can enjoy fresh juicy fruit.
Red Chief is an apple tree, the description of the fruits of which is similar to the Red Delicious variety, the variety has also become popular in the regions of Russia. This fruit has a bright red skin. In addition, these apples are very juicy, fragrant and tasty. They have a slightly elongated shape and greenish flesh. The weight of one apple can reach 280 grams.
Apple tree care
One of the beautiful and fertile trees is the Red Chief apple tree. Landing and care - quite simple. If you follow a few rules, you can get a beautiful and he althy tree as a result, which brings a bountiful harvest every year.
The Red Chief apple tree is demanding for watering, especially in the spring and during the hot dry summer months. After each procedure, it is recommended to loosen the soil near the trunk, along the crown area and simultaneously remove weeds. This will allow air to penetrate to the root system. Every year in the spring, fertilizer is applied under the tree. It is necessary to start this process from 3-4 years of plant life. And if the landing was carried out in the "empty" soil, then they begin to feed in a year. Fertilizers are also applied before wintering and, if necessary, during the season.
The Red Chief apple tree is resistant to many diseases: powdery mildew, scab and bacterial blight. But experts recommend treating it every spring before flowering with preparations that will protect the tree not only from diseases, but also from pests. Pruning is carried out annually in the autumn and spring. In this case, diseased and dead branches are removed. Cut off and extraformations that make the crown dense. Sections are treated with a special garden pitch.
Reproduction
Nurseries provide a large selection of seedlings of fruit trees, including Red Chief - an apple tree. The description of reproduction will allow the gardener to independently grow such a tree on his site. There are several ways: grafting a cutting and growing layering. In this case, both in the first and in the second case, the resulting tree will retain all maternal features.
Vaccination is a rather complicated process for a beginner. But reproduction with the help of layering will be mastered by anyone. To do this, plant an annual tree in such a way that it is strongly inclined to the ground. In the spring months, young branches are dug up, and shoots grown from buds are spudded and kept in constant moisture, without overflowing or swamping the soil.
By autumn, young branches should grow roots. So that in the winter cold they do not freeze, they are insulated. And in the spring, when warm weather sets in and the soil warms up, the shoots are separated from the mother tree with a sharp pruner and transferred to a permanent place of growth.
Planting seedlings
In order for the seedlings of the Red Chief apple tree to develop well and bear fruit already at 3-4 years of age, it is necessary to choose the right site for the permanent place where the tree grows. Preferably well-lit, warm and sunny areas. At the same time, the place of growth should be protected from northern winds and drafts. Plotyou can choose on a slope or on a hillock. Depressions and hollows are excluded, as stagnant water leads to diseases and rotting of the roots.
Having chosen a good place, you need to prepare a hole in advance. Its size should be such that the root system of the seedling lies freely along the perimeter of the bottom. Drainage and a substrate made of earth, river sand and peat are laid out in a dug hole. Next, a seedling is established, the roots are straightened. Everything is sprinkled with the same fertile mixture. The Red Chief apple tree, with the right place and timely planting, will begin to bear fruit as early as 3-4 years of age. Minimal care and compliance with all the rules will please the annual abundant flowering and autumn harvest.
