- Authors: Canada
- Taste: sweet and sour
- Fruit weight, g: 100-180
- Fruit size: large, rarely medium
- Yield: high, up to 200 kg per tree
- Frequency of fruiting: annual
- Ripening terms: winter
- Removable maturity: in September
- Keeping quality: 2-3 months
- Appointment: universal
The Lobo variety has many advantages, and even a beginner can easily cope with it with proper care. To get the maximum yield from trees, you will need to better understand the requirements of agricultural technology.
Breeding history of the variety
The variety was bred in Canada. It appeared thanks to the seeds of Mekintosh from free pollination.
Description of the variety
The tree grows small, maximum 3 meters. While it is young, its crown has a vertical-oval shape; in adulthood, it changes to a wide-round one.
Large and medium-sized green leaves are formed on the branches. Some of them are oval in shape, others are similar to an egg. The tip is strongly curled.
Shoots grow thin, rather medium in diameter. They are slightly curved, dark brown with a cherry tint. There is slight pubescence.
Features, pros and cons
Of the advantages of the Lobo variety, it is necessary to highlight the following:
smooth fruits with an attractive presentation;
apples can lie for a long time after picking;
there is a possibility of transportation of fruits;
Lobo apple trees bear fruit regularly.
The disadvantages are not only low frost resistance, but also the lack of immunity to scab and other diseases.
Ripening and fruiting
The variety belongs to the winter in terms of ripening. In September, apples come to maturity. Trees bear fruit every year.
Growing regions
Well Lobo takes root in the Central Black Earth Region. The apple tree can often be found in the Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions. The geography of distribution extends to the Lipetsk, Oryol and Tambov regions. The tree grows well in the Lower Volga region.
Yield
Productivity cannot but please the gardener. Several years after planting, one tree is capable of producing up to 200 kg of apples annually.
Fruits and their taste
In the refrigerator, Lobo fruits can lie for up to three months. They are used fresh, blanks are made. The weight of one apple can reach 100-180 grams.
The fruits of this tree have a thin skin, she herself is yellowish-green with a raspberry-red blush, which covers the entire surface of the apple. The shape can be either flattened round or round conical. There is a slight ribbing.
The pulp under the skin is tender, juicy, slightly grainy, has a sweet and sour taste.
Growing features
When planting trees of this variety, it is imperative to maintain a distance of at least 4 meters between seedlings. The described variety loves the sun and, if you plant it in the shade, then not only the quality of the fruit will suffer, but also the yield in general.
This apple tree variety will thrive in soil with a pH close to 7, provided the soil is well-drained and free of stagnant water. However, the maximum yields are observed on fertile sandy soils and loams with a pH of 6 to 7.
They start by plowing the area to a depth of at least 50 cm and removing weeds.You can add manure and then re-plow the soil to the surface. Many apple farmers also add lime before planting to correct the pH.
Then a hole is dug with a diameter and depth of 63 cm. Lobo is carefully placed in the hole and covered with earth. Keep in mind that the attachment point of the scion must be at least 7.5 cm above ground level. Adding fertilizer at this time is likely to damage the young roots of the tree, so no fertilizing is used when planting. But watering is required for the seedling to take root better.
For the commercial cultivation of Lobo apple trees, cover crops are used (which in most cases are short grasses). They are especially beneficial, reduce soil erosion during heavy rains or storms, improve soil aeration, and fix nitrogen. Finally, they act as a filter and regulate the temperature of the earth's surface.
A young Lobo apple tree needs a lot of water. Only in this way will she be able to develop a strong root system. As practice shows, seedlings need to be watered more often than adult trees, which are able to wait for rain or reach the groundwater with their roots. In regions with arid climates, it is beneficial to water, especially young trees, every seven days from late spring to autumn.
In regions where there is little rainfall, it is recommended to use mulch. It will not only prevent the growth of weeds, but will also retain water in the soil.
Pollination
Lobo is not a self-fertile variety and requires pollinators. So that there are no problems with the harvest, it is advised to plant the following varieties of apple trees on the site:
Orlik;
Spartacus;
March.
Top dressing
Nitrogen and potassium are necessary for the apple tree for normal leaf formation, flowering and fruit setting. Phosphorus is responsible for the development of a strong root system, especially in the early stages of Lobo development. Calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and boron are elements that wood cannot do without. Their deficiency will lead to a decrease in yield and a deterioration in the quality of apples.
Adult Lobo apple trees need more micronutrients, since they are already considered fruitful. One tree of this variety consumes 270 g of nitrogen per year, while a young non-bearing seedling only 68 g of nitrogen over the same period.
The general Lobo fertilization scheme used by many gardeners is to add once a year 0.5-2 kg of NPK 12-12-12 or 11-15-15 fertilizer per young tree and 3-5 kg of NPK 12-12-12 or 11-15-15 on a mature tree.
Most dressings are used between March and July. If there is a deficiency of such an element as phosphorus, it is better to use a fertilizer such as N-P-K 0-25-0. Moreover, it is very important that it does not come into contact with the roots.
Frost resistance
Frost resistance is –36 ° С.
Diseases and pests
An apple is a delicious fruit that, unfortunately, attracts not only people. Aphids, larvae, beetles, grasshoppers, ticks and thrips often attack Lobo. The main helpers are insecticidal soap and garden oil.
Powdery mildew is the main fungal disease causing serious economic damage to commercial apple producers. In addition to her, problems are caused by scab, late blight, rust.
All these diseases can be successfully treated with fungicides. But the gardener is required not to lead to defeat and it is better to use prevention methods, which consist in treating trees in early spring, until the buds open, and then several more times before harvesting.
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.