Today we'll talk about what the "Christmas" apple tree is. Description, photos, reviews of gardeners - this is the information that interests a novice summer resident. How not to make a mistake in choosing an apple tree? How to plant exactly the variety that will satisfy all the needs of the owner? To make the right choice, you need to carefully study the Christmas apple variety. It is quite popular among summer residents, and we will reveal the reason for this in the article.
Variety history
First, let's look at how this variety was born. More than thirty years ago, the breeder Sedov E. N. and his team crossed the hybrid and the variety "Velsey". As a result of this, the "Christmas" apple tree of interest to us was born, a description, selection, the planting of which will be discussed in the article.
Practice has shown that this experiment was successful, and the tree really became popular. For some time there were studies, experiments, observations, and only fifteen years later the tree was entered into the register and began its journey in the agricultural industry as a full-fledged apple tree.
"Christmas": description, photo, reviews
The first thing to mention when talking about this tree is its unique ability to endure severe frosts. Not every fruit tree can boast of such quality. We are well acquainted with "Antonovka", which is firmly entrenched first in the list of frost-resistant crops. So, our variety is no worse than this famous apple. Very favorably distinguishes the "Christmas" against the background of other types of excellent yield and the ability to bear fruit already four years after planting.
Studying the reviews of the owners of this tree, you can form several main advantages that the owners highlight:
- high yield;
- regular uninterrupted fruit ripening;
- the ability of apples to be stored for a long time;
- appearance and taste of fruits;
- great resistance to scab.
Among the shortcomings, people note the following: when apples ripen, they crumble. But this minus does not matter if you harvest on time. Another nuance is the softness of the fruit, which it acquires if it is stored for a very long time. Althoughusually apples are eaten long before this period.
Apple fruit
How do we usually choose a tree to plant? We are primarily interested in the taste of an apple. The variety "Christmas", the description of which is presented in the article, has all the necessary qualities that attract lovers of this fruit:
- Size: An apple can be described as large, but not huge.
- Weight: The average weight of a fetus is around 150 grams.
- Shape: the apple is slightly flattened, and you can guess the presence of large slices.
- Skin: The fruit glistens in the sun with a glossy surface, while the skin is moderately thick.
- Color: The standard color of the fruit is yellow-green with a beautiful red blush on which small burgundy dots can be seen.
- Pulp: when cut open, the fruit will reveal firm white flesh that has a sweet, dessert flavor with a slight sourness. The juiciness and flavor of the fruit make it even more popular.
What good does the apple tree give us
"Christmas" (description, photo, reviews of which you see here) has not only excellent taste indicators. The tree can rightly be considered beneficial due to the substances contained in the apple.
Specialists who assess the composition of the fruit, gave the following data on the chemical composition of the fruit:
- Sugar-acid index - 16-22 (depending on the area where the tree is grown).
- Pectinsubstances - 14%.
- Sugar – 10%.
- Titrated substances - 0.5%.
Such data will tell knowledgeable people about the quality of the fruit better than any photo of an apple. For those who are little versed in chemistry, it is enough to see and try an apple to make a choice in favor of this variety.
Description of the tree
While driving around the expanses of the country, in many gardens one can observe the presence of such a tree as an apple tree. "Christmas", a full description of the variety of which is given in the article, is found no less than the same "Antonovka". If we talk about the tree itself, then each variety differs in crown size, tree height, and the nature of the roots. This is important for those people who calculate the territory of the garden by meters and want to plant it as densely as possible.
What you need to know about this type of tree:
- They feature a medium-sized stem, with a young one-year-old tree growing about seventy centimeters annually.
- The crown has the shape of a cone, does not differ in abundant foliage, has good strength indicators.
- The main stem has a powerful appearance, and side branches diverge from it at an angle.
- All branches are covered with rough gray bark.
- The leaves strongly resemble the shape of an egg, with wavy edges and a pointed tip. In principle, the type of leaves is of more interest to those who want not to make a mistake in choosing a seedling. To calculate the fit, the crown characteristic has more weight.
Yields
Gardeners really appreciate this variety of apple trees. "Christmas" has gained such popularity primarily because its yields are higher than those of many other species. As already noted, 4 years after planting, the tree can bear the first fruits.
Agricultural enterprises that grow trees for industrial purposes give the following average figure: about one hundred and fifty centners of apples are removed from a hectare of land. At the same time, the trees bear fruit regularly every year and do not fail. Fruit ripening occurs around the beginning of autumn. In the middle of the autumn period, you can already see this variety on the shelves of markets and supermarkets. Due to the fact that ripening takes a long time, the fruits do not disappear from the windows until the beginning of winter.
Apple trees: varieties, cultivation features
As for care, given all the advantages of this tree, they do not cause any particular difficulties for the owner. There are several basic recommendations that you should follow in your care:
- You need to plant a tree in late spring, when warm weather has already set in and the earth has warmed up. If necessary, you can plant a tree in the fall, but in this case, you need to do this long before the first frost. It is also necessary to mulch the ground, which will protect the seedling at first.
- When choosing a landing site, give preference to an open sunny area.
- The land in the selected area should be light and loose. If the soil is clayey, then add to itsand and fertilizers. Otherwise, the tree has no requirements.
- When digging a hole, make it a little more than half a meter in diameter. Its depth does not need to be made more than a meter. Place peat and ash at the bottom, and pour earth on top where you want to place the roots of the seedling. Next, you should fill the entire hole and, having rammed it, water it.
- It is necessary to adhere to a moderate watering regimen. You do not need to water too often, but it is not recommended to overdry the earth. In order not to make these mistakes, you can make special grooves for the outflow of excess water, and after watering it is recommended to loosen the ground well.
- In the spring it is necessary to inspect the crown for formation.
- It is recommended to fertilize the soil around the tree only after it begins to bear fruit. Until then, feeding is not required. The exception is when the tree grows in clay soil. It is appropriate to use a complex of fertilizers that are designed for a fruit tree.
All this indicates the advantages of such a fruit tree as the "Christmas" apple tree, description, photo, reviews of which we have presented to you in the article. This plant is a profitable acquisition from all sides. Any gardener, having studied this information, will confirm our conclusion.
Possible problems
And in the end we will discuss the problems that this variety of apple tree - "Christmas" can have. Caring for it does not cause much effort, but the tree can still be attacked by some insects. Thanks toits ability to resist almost all types of scab, the plant is able to suffer from pests such as:
- mite;
- bark beetle;
- shield.
Against these insects, "Karbofos" will perfectly help. Also, sometimes a tree can become a victim of moths, suckers, leafworms or aphids. Here it would be appropriate to apply "Chlorophos". It is recommended to spray the tree before the first flowers bloom on it. This will prevent the appearance of the pest and prevent harmful substances from getting on ripe fruits.
