Apple-tree Berkutovskoe

Apple tree Berkutovskoe belongs to the products of the Volga breeding school. Growing it can be a very attractive solution for most gardeners. But to be successful, you need to become familiar with the real features of such a culture.

The plant was created at an experimental station in the Saratov region. Prominent breeders OD Berkut and GV Kondratyeva were involved in the project, so we can say that this is actually a "personalized" apple tree. To obtain it, the dominant variety Kortland was used. It was hybridized with pink-striped Anis and ordinary Antonovka. The culture has been listed in the state register since 1987, and for the Volgograd and Saratov regions it was zoned in 1988.

The main botanical features are as follows:

• tree height up to 3 m;

• moderately dense rounded crown;

• large leaves in the form of an ellipse, with a characteristic wrinkle, with a matte surface;

• straight branches;

• straight, moderately thick and pubescent shoots;

• saucer-shaped flowers with pink-white petals.

Berkutovsky's weakness is susceptibility to powdery mildew infection. However, this circumstance is not very pronounced. The positive properties are much more significant. Among them are:

• decent quality of the crop and a significant amount;

• excellent gastronomic and commercial characteristics of apples;

• ease of transportation;

• excellent drought resistance.

Apple-tree Berkutovskoe is one of the winter varieties. The first fruits of the season appear towards the end of September or early October. You can wait for the harvest for 3 or 4 years. A pleasant feature of the plant is that in the future, annual fluctuations in fruiting are not characteristic of it. They can be feared only in case of severely unfavorable weather or a significant violation of agrotechnical standards.

Fruit picking from one tree can reach 70 kg per season. For the Volga region, where this variety is zoned, this indicator is quite worthy. It is worth noting that in some sources they write about the collection of at least 50 kg of fruits. The most likely explanation for this discrepancy is the dissimilarity of the growing conditions and the approach used.

Berkutovsky's apples have a universal purpose. They are typically yellow or greenish-yellow in color. Round shaped fruits look very good. Their mass can vary from 0.15 to 0.25 kg. Also worth emphasizing:

• smooth, shiny skin;

• sweet and sour taste;

• white juicy pulp with a fine-grained structure;

• tasting score from 4.5 to 4.8 points;

• guaranteed shelf life up to 200 days.

Landing pits for Berkutovsky are being prepared in advance.They must be completed 14 days before the start of work. If there is a spring planting, it is better to prepare the holes for the apple tree before the beginning of winter. The distance between the landing points in a row is 4 m. The diameter of the pit is approximately 2 m, its depth is determined by the size of the plant's root system.

The bottom must be equipped with a drainage layer. To create it, use crushed stone or brick fight. Additionally, the laying of garden soil, mixed in equal proportions, is applied:

• with wood ash;

• humus (option - compost);

• superphosphate.

Be sure to form an earthen mound. The root collar should be raised 5 cm above the ground. Doing without a garter peg is unlikely to work. A newly planted tree should be watered abundantly. Usually 30 liters of water are poured out. The site itself should be well lit and consist of light soils.

Additional pollination is necessary for everyone who wants to get good harvests from Berkutovsky. In theory, any cultivars with an identical development schedule are suitable. North Sinap is a very good choice. An even better option is to arrange an apiary directly in the garden.

In the first year of development, the addition of useful components is not required. In summer, root dressing is applied at a distance of 0.5 m from the trunk. Manure is applied both in spring and summer. Nitrogen fertilizers are used only until the beginning of autumn; they cannot be laid before winter. It is useful to add manure or compost after each harvest.

Apple-tree Berkutovskoe is quite winter-hardy. In the Moscow region, however, special insulation is required for it. In the Urals, climatic conditions are already unfavorable, and one cannot count on a good result. The same applies to growing in Siberia. Much more favorable prospects are opening up in the middle zone and especially in the southern regions of Russia.

The danger for the apple tree is:

• aphid;

• scab;

• other fungal diseases.

Powdery mildew is at particular risk. It develops actively during the hot humid period.Preventive spraying with formulations containing sulfur helps to avoid such a problem. Bordeaux liquid is used to protect against scab.

Those who have grown the Berkutovskoye apple tree evaluate it definitely positively. And they even note that the potential of this culture is still underestimated. This variety is great for individual cultivation and for sale. The maximum ease of maintenance also testifies in its favor. The description of the tree is fully consistent with reality.