- Authors: USA, Geneva Experimental Station
- Taste: sweet and sour
- Scent: pronounced
- Fruit weight, g: 140-150
- Fruit size: average
- Frequency of fruiting: regular
- The beginning of fruiting varieties: 1 year after planting
- Ripening terms: summer
- Removable maturity: late July - early August
- Keeping quality: in the refrigerator for several weeks
Early Geneva is a folk variety that, with good care, gives a large harvest. The main thing is to provide the tree with proper watering and pruning, since the variety is vigorous.
Breeding history of the variety
Earley Geneva was bred in the United States. This result was achieved by crossing the varieties Quinti and Julired.
Description of the variety
The early-growing variety has a spreading crown. The foliage density can be characterized as medium. The maximum tree height is 5 meters. The foliage is formed in a large, dark shade.
Features, pros and cons
This variety has many characteristics. Early Geneva, although it belongs to the winter-hardy varieties, does not tolerate spring frosts, therefore the Safjenians are planted in open ground only at the end of spring.
The variety is early ripening, so it needs regular watering and feeding while the fruits ripen on the tree. It is best to plant a crop on black soil, loam or sandy loam soil.
Another feature of Airlie Geneva is the need for aeration.
Fruit ripening occurs unevenly, therefore, apples are harvested from the tree in several approaches.
The described variety has another useful feature - it quickly begins to bear fruit. A year after planting a tree, you can get a harvest.
Speaking specifically about the benefits of Airlie Geneva, these are:
pleasant taste and appearance of the fruit;
wonderful apple aroma;
early maturation;
high yield of the variety.
Of the shortcomings, short storage can be distinguished. The fruits of this variety will not lie in the warehouse. After a couple of weeks, they will start to deteriorate.
Ripening and fruiting
Earley Geneva belongs to the summer ripening varieties. You can start harvesting the fruits from the end of July. Fruiting continues until August. Trees bear fruit regularly.
Yield
This apple tree shows high yields.
Fruits and their taste
From the fruits of this variety, you can cook delicious compotes and make jam with jams.
The apples are greenish-yellow in color, with a pleasant pink blush.
The shape is characterized simply - spherical, flattened and one-dimensional.
The weight of one apple can reach 140-150 grams.
The apples have a pleasant, sweet and sour taste. The aroma is strong.
Inside the fruit is a creamy flesh.
Growing features
Any variety, and this one is no exception, grows best in full sun and in areas with good drainage. Of course, Geneva will not die from a slight shadow, but the fruits will lose their attractive appearance, sweetness. Such areas dry out worse after rains, therefore, the likelihood of infection with a fungus increases.
Quality care requires pruning on time.Any shoots that appear to be diseased should be removed in early spring to prevent fungal spores from spreading from them.
Pruning and destroying infected areas is one of the main methods of fighting infections. Pruning allows you to thin out the tree quite well so that air can circulate in the crown. The pruner must be disinfected if several trees are cut at once. Chlorine solution or bleach is suitable.
Infected parts of plants are destroyed, namely: they are burned so that the disease does not spread throughout the site.
Experts advise when growing Earley Geneva to avoid overuse of fertilizers, especially in late summer.
Pollination
As with any apple tree, pollination plays an important role in the formation of fruits in this variety. To get a high-quality harvest, you need to plant several trees of a different variety in the garden, or be grafted on Airlie Geneva. The issue of pollinators is so easily and simply resolved, because in bad weather and constant rains at the flowering stage, insects cannot always do their job.
Top dressing
It is necessary to feed the young apple trees of the Airlie Geneva variety, and it is better to dilute the mineral complexes in water and introduce them into the soil with drip irrigation.
An early spring nitrogen application is usually required before young trees produce their first harvest. Ammonium nitrogen (containing 34% actual N) is often used. The amount of this fertilizer should be clearly regulated, if its excess begins, then the foliage of the apple tree will begin to draw out all the juices. The scheme for introducing it with the described variety by year:
1 - 30 g;
2 - 60 g;
3 - 90 g;
4 - 120 g;
5 years - 150 g.
In addition to nitrogen, potassium also plays an important role in the formation of fruits. Experts recommend using potassium chloride (containing 60% K20). Usually 80 g of this substance per 2.5 cm of trunk diameter is recommended. Avoid excessive consumption of the mineral, as this can lead to calcium and magnesium deficiencies.
Near young trees, fertilizer is scattered under the branches at a distance of at least 15 cm from the trunk. It is not recommended to put manure around newly planted trees.
Frost resistance
The frost resistance of the described variety is assessed as medium.
Diseases and pests
Despite the fact that Earley Geneva has a high resistance to the most common disease - scab, this does not mean that it should not be protected from pests and other fungi.
Most of the fungi that cause apple diseases overwinter in the branches. Spores spread to apples during the rainy season, they also fly in the air. Fungicides are used as the main treatment from mid to late July.
Often, a gardener who decides to grow Airlie Geneva on his plot is faced with a disease such as rust. For treatment and prevention, it is recommended to use a fungicide containing fenarimol or miclobutanil. In order not to infect the seedlings, you should also not plant them close to junipers and cedars. This disease usually spreads from April to mid-June, which is when the treatment should be carried out.
The apple tree is a popular fruit crop among gardeners. It can be found in many summer cottages. But at the same time, such trees are often affected by various diseases. It is very important to recognize the disease in time and carry out the necessary procedures for a speedy recovery. Otherwise, the fruits will be spoiled, and the tree itself may die altogether.