All about apple trees

The apple tree is one of the oldest trees. It is now common in most countries of the world. Apples are grown not only on an industrial scale, but also in ordinary gardens and parks. This is quite reasonable, because such fruit trees are unpretentious and do not need special care.

The apple tree, according to the existing classification, belongs to the pink family, the dicotyledonous class. The life form of this angiosperm plant is a tree. Its structure is quite simple. It consists of an underground part and an aboveground one. The place of their junction is called the root collar. An apple tree can grow up to 10-15 meters in height. The trunk of a plant throughout its life reaches 30-40 centimeters in diameter.

An adult plant looks very beautiful. He has a voluminous and dense crown. Short branches are covered with leaves in spring. In the first half of spring, buds appear on them, in the second - inflorescences. Apple blossoms do not last long. Usually, the period of time during which the flowers bloom and fall is no more than 10 days. After that, fruits begin to form on the tree. Their size, shape, color and taste depend on the plant variety. In general, rosaceous apple trees can live for about 200 years. But the average lifespan of trees is much shorter.

These representatives of the deciduous genus appeared in nature for a very long time. It is believed that it was the apple tree that became the first plant that humans cultivated. It happened several thousand years ago. It is also believed that the first domestic apple trees appeared in the territory where Kazakhstan is now located. It was from there that fruit trees came to Europe, and then to other parts of the world. These plants were especially appreciated in Ancient Greece.

On the territory of modern Russia, apple trees first appeared in the second half of the 11th century. Since that time, apple trees began to be grown in gardens, and their fruits were eaten and used for preparing various dishes and drinks. Over time, breeders became interested in the issue of growing apple trees. Thus, various tree varieties began to appear in the world, differing from each other in many respects.

In Europe and Asia, apple trees grow almost everywhere. They can be found both in warm countries and in places with cold climates. A large number of wild-growing apple trees are found in the forests. For growing in their gardens and plots, people usually choose plants that are best adapted to the local climate.

In Russia, the following types of trees are most often found:

• Eastern apple tree in the Caucasus;
• Berry apple tree in Siberia;
• White filling in the suburbs.

It is quite easy to find seedlings of the corresponding plants in the selected area.

It is worth talking about popular types and varieties of apples in more detail.

• "Orlovskoe striped". These apples ripen in the fall. As a rule, they are collected and sent to the cellar for storage. They survive the winter well, remain tasty and juicy for a long time.
• Idared. This variety also belongs to the autumn. Trees don't grow too tall. They usually reach 3-4 meters in height. At the same time, there are always a lot of fruits on them.Apples are smooth, round and small in size. Their taste is slightly sour. "Idared" begins to bear fruit 5 years after planting. Apples also keep well.
• "Antonovka ordinary". This is one of the most common homemade apples. You can harvest from such a tree only 9-10 years after planting. After picking, the fruits seem sour and not very tasty. They usually ripen during storage.
• Melba. This variety was obtained in the process of breeding in Canada. It has a high yield. The tree begins to bear fruit within 3 years after planting the seedlings.
• "Little bush". Dwarf trees can be planted in many household plots. This type of apple is not suitable for long-term storage. They should be eaten or used for canning immediately after collection.

In order for young apple trees to take root well and quickly begin to bear fruit, you need to be attentive to the process of planting seedlings. You can plant trees either in the spring or in the fall. In any case, the site for planting is being prepared in October. This process consists of several main stages.

• Soil selection. Apple trees love soil of normal acidity. If the soil is too acidic, it is recommended to lime it. This should be done 2-3 weeks before the start of the main work.
• Pit preparation. The planting hole must be made deep enough. Its depth is usually between 85-90 centimeters. It is recommended to make the pit walls rounded. The planting mixture is placed on its bottom. To create it, high-quality soil is mixed with fertilizers. Usually gardeners use wood ash, humus, compost, and superphosphate. The mixture is placed on the bottom of the pit, and then sprinkled with a small amount of fertile soil.
• Planting a seedling. This process should be continued after soil shrinkage. If the plants are planted in the fall, this should be done a month after the preparation of the pit. In the spring, this procedure should be postponed until the temperature outside becomes high enough. Place the seedling in the hole carefully. The root collar should be above the ground. After planting, the seedling must be well sprinkled with earth, and then tamped down.

After planting an apple tree growing at home, proper care must be provided.

For plants to thrive, they need to be watered regularly. This is especially important in the first season after planting. Adult plants do not need special care. They need to be watered only if the summer is dry. In the heat, plants are watered every 7-10 days. In this case, it is important not to flood the plants. In the process of watering, you must carefully monitor the condition of the soil.

The process of pruning trees also has its own characteristics. In the first 2-4 years, the gardener usually deals with the formation of the crown. Its diameter should not be too large. Otherwise, it will be difficult to care for the tree.

In the future, formative pruning should be carried out annually. In the process, branches that grow inward, as well as tops are removed. Damaged or dry shoots are also cut off. If individual branches begin to dry out or become infected with diseases, they must also be removed. It is always recommended to lubricate the cut points with garden varnish. Sanitary pruning keeps the tree healthy at all times.

The feeding of apple trees also plays an important role. In the first year after planting, the seedling does not need fertilizers. He has enough top dressing, which was used when planting. As a rule, apple trees begin to be fed after the first fruiting. This is especially important if the tree grows in poor soil. Apple trees are most often fed with a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers.After feeding, the plants are immediately watered.

In order for young apple trees to survive the winter, it is important to properly protect them from the cold. The preparation process for the winter season consists of several main stages. To begin with, plant trunks are whitewashed. Copper sulfate is often added to ordinary lime mortar. After that, tree trunks are covered with spruce branches or any other similar material. Apple trees can be additionally protected from rodents. Next to the tree, it is worth spreading the poison, and wrapping the tree trunk with a net.

If there are already several apple trees on the site, they can be easily propagated. This can be done in different ways.

This method can be used to obtain several varietal apple trees from one plant. In the fall, a healthy one-year-old seedling should be planted on the site at an angle. In the spring, it must be carefully bent to the ground, and then fixed, and covered with fertile soil. Further, the selected area must be regularly moistened.

This should be done until autumn. Immediately before planting, the roots of this plant must be thoroughly mulched. In spring, young shoots can be separated and then transplanted to a new site. You need to take care of these sprouts in the same way as for ordinary seedlings.

This method of breeding apple trees is also popular. Vaccination methods vary. The most popular are the following two methods.

• Copulation. This simple process of plant propagation does not take long. For a new shoot to take root well, it is important to choose a rootstock and a scion with the same diameter. On these branches, you need to make the same oblique cuts. Further, these two parts must be combined with each other. After this, the joint must be treated with garden pitch, and then fixed with a rope. In a few years this area will be almost invisible from the outside.
• Side cut grafting. This breeding method is different from the previous one. First you need to choose a suitable branch, and then make a neat cut on it with a sharp knife. After that, inside the incision, you need to fix the previously prepared branch. The rootstock and scion should also bond well with each other. The place of the cut is required to be lubricated with garden var, and then wrap with cling film. After a while, when the branch grows, its upper part must be carefully cut off with a sharp knife. The place of the cut must be lubricated again with garden var. In the future, it remains only to observe the growth process of the selected branch.

In order for the plant to develop and bear fruit normally, it is important to protect it from common diseases and pests. The apple tree suffers from several major diseases. Most often it is affected by fruit rot, mosaic disease, cancer, scab, rust and powdery mildew. These ailments are dangerous because they can quickly spread to a group of other plants. Because of this, the whole garden will be sick. Most diseases are fungal. If you notice signs of the appearance of these diseases in time, you can get rid of them using conventional fungicides. The most popular option is Bordeaux liquid. You can prevent infection of apple trees by taking proper care of them, as well as by timely preventive treatment. It is necessary to treat trees with chemicals before pollination of trees.

There are also quite a few pests that can reduce the yield of an apple tree. Usually these trees are attacked by the following insects:

• fruit moth;
• hawthorn moth;
• fruit mite;
• color beetle;
• apple moth;
• tube wrench;
• apple tick;
• copperhead.

If left unchecked, these pests can destroy a significant portion of the crop. To cope with them, the site needs to be looked after. Preventive treatment of trees should be carried out regularly.

As a rule, a young apple tree begins to bear fruit 5-6 years after planting. The fruits usually ripen in autumn. The average fruiting period of a tree takes 1-2 weeks. If the apple tree is pollinated well and in a timely manner, it will definitely delight its owners with a good harvest.

In order for the plant to bear fruit regularly, you must adhere to simple rules.

• Form the crown. This will make the tree stronger and healthier.
• Normalize the number of fruits. In order for young apples to have enough nutrients for normal development, unripe fruits with defects should be removed by hand. Usually it is enough to just shake the tree well. Small apples then crumble by themselves.
• Timely watering. Young trees need abundant watering. 2-3 buckets of water are usually poured under the root.
• Foliar dressing. Regular foliar feeding also helps to improve the fruiting process. Apple trees are sprayed on the leaf with weak solutions of iodine, boric acid and urea. It is recommended to carry out these procedures in the early morning or late evening.

If the plant is strong and healthy, it will have a positive effect on its fruiting.

Lovers of apples and the trees on which they grow will find it useful to know some interesting facts about them.

• Scientists believe that people began to grow apple trees more than 8 thousand years ago.
• Eating apples regularly helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.
• Apples are so popular all over the world that images of these sweet fruits can be seen on several dozen coats of arms.
• Eating these fruits helps to quickly awaken the body. It is believed that they tone it up no worse than coffee.
• The oldest tree grows in America. It was planted in 1647. Even now, it continues to bear fruit.