Apple orchards have been glorified by many poets in their works for thousands of years. And this is no coincidence. Ornamental apple trees are the most picturesque woody plants. They will decorate any garden with their luxurious flowering and bright colors of fallen leaves. Apple trees are beautiful trees: a lush crown, dwarf fruits, glowing among the lush green foliage.
Description of ornamental apple trees
This culture is a short tree. The top point of the crown reaches a height of ten meters. Certain types of ornamental apple trees take the form of shrubs. If you do not form a crown, it is an irregular oval or ball. There are fruit-bearing varieties, but their fruits do not have excellent taste, many of them are not edible at all. The bark of the trunk can be pastel or brown.
When choosing varieties of ornamental apple trees, special attention should be paid to the color and shape of the leaf plates. In some species, they have a red tint and do not fall for a long time in autumn,thanks to which designers are able to create magnificent landscapes, even if the composition of the soil is poor and the weather conditions are unfavorable. However, the main color of the foliage of ornamental apple trees is green. With the onset of autumn, it changes to yellow and red. The leaves are elliptical or plum-shaped, their length is 10 cm.
The crown during flowering is strewn with numerous flowers with a heady aroma, their diameter is four centimeters. The main color is white, but with peach, pink or ivory shades. Inflorescences are bouquets collected from single flowers. The fruits are formed immediately after flowering, first they are green, then yellow or red.
Features in cultivation
Ornamental apple trees have an amazing property: they do not react to adverse factors that the environment presents from time to time. The culture is frost-resistant, grows in regions with a cold climate, and is also not afraid of drought, grows on saline soils, in a polluted environment and in the conditions of modern cities.
Growing ornamental apple trees is carried out in places illuminated by the sun's rays. Here they will not lose their decorative effect and will decorate the garden at any time of the year. Apple trees do not grow well in areas even with light penumbra, and they do not tolerate shade at all. It is unlikely that in such conditions they will please with abundant flowering and fruiting.
What soils do they grow on?
Apple trees do not have special requirements for soil, but they have their own preferences: fertile, fresh soils. Grow in any conditionshowever, excessively moist, dry, sandy, swampy and rocky soils are not desirable for them. These ornamental plants are attractive even when growing in poor soils.
Landing
The procedure is almost the same as for most woody garden plants. It is better to plant decorative apple trees in the spring, before bud break. But this can also be done in the autumn, landing occurs in September or early October. Seedlings of four years of life are planted in the spring and autumn, adult plants - only before the onset of winter. It is especially important which plants will grow in the neighborhood. Apple trees need free space, so it is better not to plant them next to large specimens. For each, a place is left equal to the diameter of the crown of an adult tree, about five to six meters. The distance between apple trees and neighboring crops should be two to three meters.
Pits for planting need to be dug large, with a diameter of 80 cm and a depth of about one meter. This is done in advance, in the fall or 30 days before planting. The soil in the pit is replaced with another, prepared independently: leafy soil from the garden, sand and humus are mixed in a ratio of 1: 2: 3 parts. Mineral fertilizer is added to the resulting mixture in the amount of 250-300 g. Without improving the soil, apple trees take root for a long time. The root neck should not be covered with soil, it should be above its surface.
How is the crown formed?
This is usually done at the time of trimming. There are many types of crowns according to theirform: weeping, longline, improved, cordon, palmette and others. Regardless of the time of planting: spring or autumn, the formation is done next year, as soon as spring comes, but the buds have not yet blossomed. This time falls on April, its beginning.
In the spring, a strong shoot stands out on the seedling, growing in a vertical direction. Three or four branches are selected on it, evenly spaced along the trunk, and cut to the same height. When forming a crown, it is necessary to place branches at a sufficiently large distance from one another, and the central one should be higher than the rest. The following year, in March, the selected branches are shortened at the level of strong external buds. Shoots that can compete are removed. In subsequent years, several new branches are selected, which are formed in the same way.
Apple trees of some ornamental species are formed according to the type of weeping trees. To give the crown such a shape, an apple tree must be grafted onto a stem at a level of one and a half meters from the ground. After three or four years, the branches will hang to the surface of the ground. Subsequently, they need to be cut regularly so that the crown is beautiful and transparent.
How to care for a tree?
Adequate care is required for an ornamental apple tree. This crop grows best in fertile, well-drained soils, needs moderate watering, but does not tolerate stagnant water. The soil in the near-stem circles of trees should be mulched with crushed conifer bark, nut shells, sawdust, peat. This will retain moisture in the soil, relieveapple tree from weeds.
In the spring, preventive spraying of trees is carried out. If the fruits are not to be consumed, pest control can be carried out during the flowering of the apple tree, the formation and ripening of its fruits. But it is better to refrain from this, as appetizing apples attract, especially children. In addition, birds feed on them. So that no one gets poisoned, it is better to fight pests with chemicals before the onset of the vegetative period.
Apple trees are affected by diseases such as powdery mildew, scab. In addition, trees are affected by bacteria that cause burns. In this case, such specimens must be destroyed, as the disease can quickly spread to other trees.
Nedzwiecki's apple tree
In the climatic conditions of our country, this species is the most common. Experienced gardeners believe that the Nedzvetsky apple tree has no equal among other fruit representatives. This low tree reaches a height of three and a half meters. The crown has an oval shape, its width is two and a half meters. As you can see, the parameters of the two measurements are almost the same. From this, the crown looks even more rounded, which gives the whole tree a cozy look. During abundant flowering, the tree is covered with purple buds, and during the fruiting period, with raspberry apples four centimeters in diameter. The only disadvantage of Nedzwiecki's apple tree is damage in severe frosts.
Weeping apple tree
This variety has another name - "river". The place of distribution of the apple tree is inmostly North America, but it grows well with us. He is not afraid of severe frosts, he calmly withstands them due to the large thickness of his bark. If you provide good care, its height reaches 12 meters. The name was given because of the flexible branches, which, under the weight of numerous fruits and leaves, bend to the ground.
Red-leaved apple tree
This is a hybrid culture, therefore it is able to withstand conditions that are called unfavorable. Another advantage is resistance to diseases such as scab and other species-specific lesions.
Decorative red-leaved apple tree reaches a height of four meters. The crown is lush, wide. Its diameter is three meters. This is an amazing plant. The leaves at first have a purple color, and during the ripening of red fruits - emerald. Frost endures, not damaged.
Siberian
Today it is the most popular decorative culture. The homeland of the apple tree is China. In the wild, Siberia is the place of growth. It is grown everywhere to decorate the landscape. Flowering occurs in spring. At this time, the crown of the tree looks like a cloud of white and pink. Apples, like beads, ripen in autumn. The tree has an average height of about five meters. The crown has an umbrella-shaped or rounded shape. The leaves are elongated, the surface is smooth, the tip is pointed. Flowering lasts 14 days. The fruits ripen quickly, but are not suitable for eating.
Roy alties
This variety of apple treescharacterized by slow growth. It takes 8-10 years for a tree to become an adult. After that, its height reaches five meters. The crown is wide, four meters in diameter. The Roy alty apple tree has unusual leaves. They are narrow, glossy tint has a purple color. In autumn, the leaves turn red, but their brightness and attractiveness remain. The Roy alty apple tree is resistant to frost, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil.
robin
The apple tree grows in the form of a low oval-shaped bush. The crown of the plant is wide and dense. This variety is distinguished by the color of the buds: they are red, rich, attractive even before blooming. During the flowering period, the bush is covered with numerous flowers with a raspberry scent, hence the name.
Forest
The shy apple tree comes from Europe. The tree can grow up to three meters, but its height is also 10 m. The crown is sprawling, the leaves are wide, ovoid. Flowers with a diameter of four to five centimeters are white or pink. Fruits with a diameter of 4-5 cm have a spherical shape, a yellowish-green hue with a pink blush. Apples are edible, but sour.
Melba
The apple tree belongs to creeping varieties. The fruits are edible and ripen in summer. They are white in color with a hint of red. Sufficiently large for decorative fruit trees, the weight of one apple is 80-100 g. Storage is average in duration - one month.
Chinese
This type of apple tree has delicious fruits. They are used to make compotes and jams. Apple treeThe Chinese is adapted to growing in the Russian climate, including in the northern regions. Treats wild varieties with fast growth. For a year it adds 20-30 cm, it can reach a height of 10 meters. The Chinese apple tree is decorative: the twigs are hidden behind pleasant emerald leaves, and during the flowering period - behind snow-white flowers. It seems that the crown is covered with snow. This species has many varieties, some of them are presented below.
Golden Chinese
This is the most popular variety. It does not differ in high frost resistance, but it has other undeniable advantages: it ripens early, fruiting occurs quickly, there is no need to wait five to eight years. The crown is weeping, the fruits are formed mainly in the apical part of the branches, they are edible. Weight reaches 30 g, size - seven centimeters. The apples are yellow in color and sour in taste, but very pleasant. However, they are stored for a short time, only seven days, crumble when ripe. Fruits are high in vitamins, microelements, amino acids, so they are consumed fresh. In addition, they are used to make marmalade, jams, preserves, marshmallows, jelly. Juices and wine are made from them.
Chinese Bellefleur
A popular variety often found in gardens. The tree is tall, the crown is dense, so it needs to be shaped. The fruits are edible and large enough for a decorative breed, individual specimens weigh 500-600 g each. They are colored yellow with a pink tint in the form of stripes. They have a sweet and sour tastepleasant aroma, stored for a long time, two months. The apple tree begins to bear fruit after eight years of life, the yield is small.
