Skala apple tree produces wonderful fruits that have excellent taste and appearance. This variety is equally popular among amateur gardeners and entrepreneurs.
History of selection and region of growth
Apple tree Skala was bred in 2001 by crossing varieties Bessemyanka Michurinskaya and Prima. The breeder Savelyev N. I. is considered the author of this species, whose work was carried out on the territory of the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Crops named after Michurin.
The rock is adapted to the conditions of central Russia, so it has become actively spread in this region. In other areas with an unsuitable climate, trees do not fully show all their varietal characteristics.
Apple tree description
Apple Rock, the photo of which can be seen below, is a standard tree of medium height, which cannot boast of fast and active growth. The crown is spreading and powerful, but not very dense.
The branches are quite thick, in relation to the trunk are located at an acute angle. The bark is painted in an unusual gray hue. pubescent shoots of smallsizes have a green-brown color.
Leaves are medium in size, oblong with pointed ends. The surface of the leaf plate is light green, glossy. The inflorescences are painted in a delicate pink color.
Apple cultivar Skala belongs to the late-ripening group with high yields and good winter hardiness. Pollination of this tree is cross-pollinated, occurs due to the pollen of other apple trees with the same flowering period.
Fruit characteristics
Usually the Skala apple tree bears its first fruits already in 5-6 years, but in some cases this period is delayed up to 7-8 years. Ripe apples ripen in mid-September and retain their freshness for 3 months. The yield of this variety is very high and regular.
The fruits have a regular, symmetrical, slightly elongated shape without pronounced ribs. Apples of the same size ripen on the same tree, on average their weight is 230-250 grams, but with proper care and favorable conditions, this figure can be increased to 320 grams.
The skin is thin, glossy, greenish-yellow with a red tint. There is no wax coating. The pulp is of medium density and granular texture, very juicy, cream colored. The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, the aroma is not very pronounced.
100 grams of these apples include:
- 12% fructose;
- 15% solids;
- 30 milligrams of ascorbic acid;
- 200 milligrams P-Actives.
Apple Rock gives very useful and tasty fruitshigh degree of keeping quality.
Planting an apple tree
The first step to getting a rich harvest will be to choose a he althy and strong seedling that must meet the following criteria:
- The root system must be developed and branched.
- The roots and bark of the seedling should be free of external damage and signs of decay.
- It is best to buy a tree in the climate zone in which it will be grown. This is necessary in order to avoid unsuccessful acclimatization.
- Young seedlings take root much better, the optimal age for planting an apple tree is 1 or 2 years.
Apple Tree Rock, acquired in an earthen coma, perfectly tolerates both spring and autumn planting. Seedlings with an open root system are planted exclusively in spring.
In order for the fruits to be large and juicy, you need to choose the right place that will meet all the requirements:
- Be sure to have plenty of sunlight.
- No drafts and threat of gusty winds.
- The soil should be light and pass air and moisture well, usually loamy or sandy soil is used for such purposes.
- Drainage is welcome, which can be made from pebbles, expanded clay or broken bricks.
- To avoid rotting of the root system, the Skala apple tree should not be planted in places with high groundwater.
2-4 weeks before planting prepare planting pits with a diameter70 and a depth of 60 centimeters. The distance between individual trees should be at least 3 meters. The top fertile soil layer is mixed with the following fertilizers:
- 2 buckets of rotted cow or horse manure;
- 1 bucket of humus;
- 250 grams of wood ash;
- 250 grams of superphosphate;
- 100 grams of potassium sulfide.
The 2/3 hole is filled with a fertile mixture and a mound is built, on which the seedling is placed and the roots are carefully straightened. The tree is buried and carefully tamped. It is then tied to a stake and watered abundantly.
Apple tree care
Reviews about the Rock apple tree say that it does not require special care and is unpretentious.
Water the tree as it dries, in cloudy weather once a week, and in the dry period daily. After each watering, the trunk circle is mulched with sawdust, humus, leaves or other materials at hand.
In the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are scattered around the tree, and in the fall, humus or rotted manure is introduced for digging. It is also worth noting that top dressing of apple trees begins from 3 years after planting.
In the spring, all frozen and diseased branches are cut off the tree. In autumn, diseased branches and shoots that grow inside the crown or thicken it are removed.
The first 4-5 years you can not let the apple tree set fruit. To do this, all the formed flowers are plucked.
In the Central region, the Skala apple tree does not need additional shelter onwinter period.
Prevention of diseases and pests
Description of the Skala apple tree would be incomplete if not to say that it is immune to scab and other fungal diseases. Preventive measures to protect a tree from pests and diseases are as follows:
- With the appearance of the first buds and before the buds bloom, the crown of the tree is treated with insecticides.
- During the growing season, the tree is sprayed with calcium chloride.
- It is also necessary to follow all the rules for tree care: timely watering, fertilization and sanitary pruning.
- Doing simple things can prevent diseases and insects.
Skala apple tree is notable for its unpretentiousness and adaptability to the conditions of the Central region of Russia. The resulting fruits have a pleasant taste and beautiful appearance.
