You can find different varieties of apple trees in almost any garden. In the CIS countries, the cultivation of these trees is very common.
Good care and good varieties, every year they bring an excellent harvest of these beautiful fruits.
In this article, we let's talk about the Bogatyr variety, we will consider the history of breeding, the rules of planting and caring for a tree, and also talk about tree diseases.
Description of the Bogatyr variety
Apple tree breeding history
This variety was obtained by one of the Soviet scientists Semyon Fedorovich Chernenko, he was a breeder and fruit grower. The variety was personally approved by V.M. Michurin.
At the moment, Bogatyr is growing and flourishing in almost every corner of Russia, those who have planted this tree at least once fall in love with him forever.
It was created as a late winter variety, so apples ripen, gain aroma almost until the end of spring. Bogatyr is the most productive of the late winter varieties.
The variety was bred when the Antonovka and Renet Landsberg varieties were crossed, it was the latter that gave the apples huge size and wonderful taste.
Characteristics of the tree and fruit
This variety grows quite tall, up to 5 meters, more or less thick branches are fixed to the trunk, the color of the bark is olive. Twigs almost do not grow in the inner part of the crown; it is practically naked.
The shape of the leaves is oval, serrated at the edges, pooled at the bottom. Attached to the branches with reddish petioles.
Flowers are pinkish-white, slightly smaller than normal flowers. The anthers are about 2 cm below the stigmas.
Fruit formation occurs on ringlets more often than on crown twigs. Several apples can be formed on such pods, but no more than 3.
They have a rounded shape, towards the calyx they become narrower in a cone. Fairly large smooth apples, light green when removed, but during storage, the color changes to yellow.
From the south side to them in sunny time, a red blush appears... The apples are sweet and sour to taste, with a gorgeous aroma, unlike the Antonovka variety, they are sweeter.
Advantages:
- bear fruit early;
- stable good harvest;
- perfectly tolerate transportation;
- good marketability;
- excellent taste;
- good scab resistance;
- winter hardy.
disadvantages: The color when picking ripe apples is greenish.
Apple ripening time, when to pick, storage
Usually apples hang on pads until picking. Maturity for harvesting occurs around the beginning of October, but it is advised not to collect them too early, because they will shrink with long storage.
Apples ripen for the consumer at about the end of December, while Antonovka no longer has its qualities, loosen and darken.
If the Heroes are removed on time, they can be stored throughout the spring, and even more, without losing either aroma or crunch.
The marketability of apples when harvested is estimated at almost 90%, of which 60% are of the highest grade. By weight, apples average 160 g, maximum 390 g.
The variety begins to bear fruit after budding for 7 years, after planting in gardens for 4 years. The harvest will be pretty good when the tree is about 9 years old., in the flesh up to 50 kg, and from older 15-year-old trees you can get up to 80 kg.
The crop is harvested annually, unlike the Antonovka variety, although its weight may decrease.
Tree planting rules
You can plant an apple tree both in autumn and spring., it is better to do this before the onset of cold weather. In fact, planting a tree is not difficult, but for a quality planting, you need to consider some aspects.
For good growth of the seedling, so that nothing can interfere with it, need a place on a hill... If there is groundwater nearby or the site may be flooded, it is best not to plant trees at all.
For a seedling, you need to dig a large hole. Its depth should be about 80 cm, the width of the hole is 1 m. Do not forget that the variety is very tall and spreading, trees must be planted at a sufficient distance from each other.
As long as the seedlings grow, you can use the distance between them for any purpose. For example, you can grow vegetables, but you cannot plant sunflowers or corn, as they will absorb all the nutrients.
In cases where the soil is poorly permeable to oxygen, it is recommended to add peat, humus and sand to it... Such fertilization will improve the permeability of oxygen, the roots will breathe well, and there will be no stagnation of moisture.
In the spring, when the tree has already dissolved its leaves, you need to spray it from pests with an insecticidewhich is suitable for apple trees. It is better to dig a hole for a seedling in advance and fill it with compost, humus and sand.
Care features
High-quality care for the Bogatyr variety is divided into stages. Each of them needs a special approach and special procedures.
In the year of planting, you need to pluck about 80% of the flowers... This helps the tree to settle down better. Later, it will be necessary to cut off half of the crop when the fruits have just begun to ripen up to 2 centimeters in diameter.
Such actions are called rationing.... Now, when forming a crop, your fruits will be much larger and tastier, in addition to this, it is easier for the tree to prepare for winter.
You need to water the tree 4 times a month, according to the type: one bucket per tree twice a day. Watering is especially important at the end of summer when the tree is bearing fruit, and planting nearly that will form the next harvest.
The irrigation regime must be controlled, paying attention to the weather conditions. We recommend finishing watering in August.otherwise the shoots will grow too large and the tree will find it harder to survive the winter.
Of course apple-tree culture is frost-resistant, but to help the tree survive the winter, you can mulch the trunk circle with horse humus.
How to prune apple trees? High-quality pruning regulates yield, fruit size, and also helps to rid the tree of various diseases:
- If you are planting a branch of a young seedling, you need to cut off a third part. This will speed up the laying of the crown.
- You should prune trees every year in early spring before the buds bloom.
- If you cut a branch completely, you need to do it at the base so that no hemp remains.
- It is necessary to remove the branches with fruits that reach the ground and lie on it.
- In order to increase the yield, you need to thin out the apple trees every year.
- Of the new shoots, only the most straight and strong should be left, while the weak ones need to be cut off. But don't confuse a strong shoot with a spinning top.
- You can cut off more than 4 of the shoots from the total mass.
Diseases and pests
Scab disease harms the fruits and leaves of the tree. You can observe the very first signs of the disease in early spring.
Greenish-brown spots will appear on the leaves of the apple tree and the leaves will fall off. Many small brown spots will form on the fruit.
The Bogatyr apple variety is resistant to scab, but instead he suffers from powdery mildew. It resembles flour grains, with white spores.
With this disease, flowers, ovaries and leaves are affected, they simply crumble. The twisting of the tree shoots also occurs.
How to deal with this disease:
- fallen leaves need to be instilled or processed;
- infected shoots must be cut and burned;
- it is required to spray the tree with a manganese solution - 7%;
- repeat after a week - with 5% solution;
- spray again after harvest.
Fruit rot - brown spots are formed on the fruits, their number is constantly growing. After that, white mushroom spores appear on them. As a result, the fruits either fall off, or the dried ones remain visible on the tree.
Control measures: all fallen and infected fruits must be removed from the garden, treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid. After harvesting, it is required to spray the trees with a solution of copper sulfate.
Major pests:
- moth;
- aphid;
- hawthorn.
It is necessary to take timely measures to destroy them, otherwise the tree will die.
Aphids eat up the kidneys from the inside, sucks the juice from leaves and flowers, while multiplying rapidly.
Control methods:
- burn out the damaged areas of the tree;
- treat the damaged parts with a solution: 40 g of soap with garlic broth or yarrow;
- processing with special means.
Hawthorn - gray-brown caterpillar and dark stripes. It attacks trees in early spring, eats leaves and buds.
Way to fight:
- attract birds that feed on them;
- spray with special means: wormwood broth, tomato, and yarrow.
Peduncle also eats leaves and almost, and also because of it, worms are formed in the fruits.
Method of struggle:
- burn the damaged parts of the tree, also dig up the soil next to the tree;
- hang naphthalene or wormwood on the branches, their smell will scare away pests;
- process with biological products.
The Bogatyr apple variety is the dignity of any garden... The quality of the fruit leaves no one indifferent.