Pros and cons of Semerenko apple trees, planting and care

Juicy and fragrant apples of Semerenko variety are ready for harvest by the end of September. Many people like to enjoy fruits with a delicious apple-wine taste, although the origin of the variety remains a mystery today. L.P. Simirenko, a Ukrainian breeder, first described this variety and named it after his father.

The full name of the variety is “Rennet Plato Simirenko,” but over time it transformed into the well-known and beloved Semenka many gardeners.

Apples "Semerenko" are unique also because they can not be seen in any European horticultural collection.This variety attracts early ripening, high yield and high quality fruit.

Characteristics of apple varieties "Semerenko"

To learn how to distinguish Semerenko apple trees from others, it is necessary to get acquainted with a detailed description of this variety. It should be noted that all the characteristics of Semerenko apple trees are more than perfect.

Such trees are quite tall, and their thick spreading crown in shape slightly resembles a cauldron. The bark of the trunk and branches has a dark gray tint, and when it hits the sun's rays it becomes dark orange.

Apple trees have straight or slightly curved shoots of medium thickness with rare lentils necessary for gas exchange in the branches. The branches are covered with rounded leaves with a slightly elongated tip, they are weakly thick in the middle part and have a double-sided or single-toothed edge. Light green leaves are covered with a light down and curved at an angle of about 90 °.

During the flowering period, trees are covered with white flowers of a saucer-shaped shape, and the columns of their pistils are devoid of characteristic omission.

The main advantage of Semerenko variety apple-trees is that they produce large fruits with a light green color and a slightly asymmetric shape. Most often, apples have rare bright subcutaneous spots.A distinctive feature of the variety is the formation of warty formations that can reach up to 7 mm in diameter.

Gardeners note that the fruit "Semerenko" have a pleasant rich flavor and juicy white flesh. Their composition contains the vitamins C, A, PP, E, H and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and sodium.

Interesting information for those who want to lose weight is that the calorie content of one Semerenko apple reaches 85 Kcal, which is much higher than, for example, the caloric content of one apple of the Golden variety is 45 Kcal.

Pros and cons varieties

Those who are going to start growing this variety just need to familiarize themselves with all the advantages and disadvantages of Semerenko apple trees.

Grade advantages:

• drought tolerance of trees ensures excellent yield even in the absence of watering in dry summer conditions;
• high performance;
• earlier entry into fruiting;
• high quality fruit;
• wind resistance of trees;
• the possibility of long-term storage of fruits.

The disadvantages of the variety:

• trees do not tolerate a decrease in temperature to negative values;
• have low resistance to scab and powdery mildew;
• possessing a thick crown, require systematic pruning.

Pollination of apple varieties "Semerenko"

Trees of the Semerenko variety are self-productive, and therefore need close proximity to apple pollinators. Most suitable for these purposes are apple varieties "Idared", "Memory Sergeyev", "Korey", "Kuban spur" and "Golden Delicious". In some cases, it is also possible for the Semerenko apple trees to be self-pollinated, but only in this case only 11% of the entire ovary will form.

Features of planting young seedlings of apple variety "Semerenko"

Many amateur gardeners mistakenly believe that an apple tree is an unpretentious plant, and therefore it can do without any care.However, despite not capricious temper, for a normal and stable fruiting, apple varieties of "Semerenko" need proper planting and quality care.

The main feature of the variety is that the pit for planting seedlings is prepared in advance, which ensures good soil saturation with oxygen. To plant an apple you will need to dig a hole at least 90 centimeters deep and 100 centimeters wide. If the site is dominated by poor soil, the depth of the pit should be increased so that it can be filled with fertile soil.

Apple seedlings "Semerenko" are very delicate, and therefore, after the purchase should not be stored planting material for too long, ideally it is better to immediately plant the shoots in the ground. In exceptional cases, you can hold the seedlings for several days in the basement or in the prikope. When storing the germ in prikop, it is placed in trenches at an angle of 45 ° and sprinkled with soil a little.

When is it better to plant

Planting cuttings of apple trees of the Semerenko variety is carried out twice a year: in the autumn after the leaf fall and in the spring, while the buds on the sprouts have not yet blossomed. When choosing seedlings, preference should be given to intact trees, where there are no traces of infectious diseases and which have a healthy root system.

Where better to plant

If you plan to plant Semerenko apple trees on your plot, then you need to start preparing the pits in advance. The whole secret is that the pits for seedlings of this variety are prepared for 6, or better 12 months, and well-lit places are chosen for their creation.

It is also very important that the soil in the area is not over-wetted and not eroded by groundwater. If the ground waters are located very close to the surface in the place where the cuttings are planted, then it is necessary to properly equip the drainage layer.

Stepwise landing process

Planting Semerenko variety apple trees is a simple event, and the following will help the newcomers to cope with this task correctly. step-by-step instruction:

• we prepare in advance a pit of 1 or 1.5 meters in width and at least 90 centimeters deep;
• we arrange a drainage hill in the center of the pit, consisting of broken bricks or rubble;
• soak for 24 hours the roots of the stalk in the water;
• Immediately before disembarking, we dip them into a clay talker, which will improve their contact with the ground;
• set the root system of the cutting on the hill and sprinkle it with earth;
• in the forest zone, the soil must necessarily be compacted and a circle formed from it, which will not allow water to be poured during irrigation;
• after planting the plant is well watered, which will contribute to a better and faster rooting of seedlings;
• It is mandatory to carry out mulching of the trunk circle with peat, which will reduce the intensity of evaporation of moisture.

Performing these simple steps will help you get healthy and strong plants that will surprise you with generous fruiting.

Features care for apple varieties "Semerenko"

Experienced gardeners know that they can achieve good yields only with regular and proper tree care.

After you plant the seedlings, tree care should consist of The following activities:

• regular feed;
• systematic watering;
• trimming and crown formation;
• preparing for winter.

In general, the care of Semerenko apple trees is no different from the care of all other apple crops.

How to conduct watering

When watering Semerenko apple trees, one simple rule is observed: how old a tree is, how many buckets of water it should receive. It is equally important during watering to pour water not under the trunk, but around the crown perimeter.

Trees of this variety may well do three times a day:

• the first time the apple trees are watered in early summer;
• the second - in June or July, during the filling of the fruit;
• the third - before the first frosts.

When and how to feed

In the first year of life, Semerenko saplings do not need additional feeding. During this period, it is wiser to send forces to weeding, podpushivanie and watering cuttings, which will contribute to the most rapid root formation.

But the plants that have reached two or three years old need to be fed.

In the spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are used to enhance the growth of trees, and for apples during this period they are more preferable, as they will contribute to an active increase in green mass and more generous flowering.

In the autumn period, it is recommended to give apples to potash and organic feed, as they will give the trees strength for wintering. Whatever fertilizer you choose to feed your apple trees, it is very important to follow the dosage when they are applied, thus avoiding chemical burns in the plant.

When and how to do pruning

Pruning apple "Semerenko" - is an important manipulation, which is the key to the generous performance of trees.

Summer pruning promotes faster ripening of fruits, reduces the likelihood of pest infestation and promotes rejuvenation of trees.

During pruning, all diseased, dry, and crowns that cause excessive thickening of the crown are removed from the tree, so that the sun's rays can penetrate even to the fruits located on the lower branches.

Do not neglect the pruning of Semerenko apple trees, since this manipulation not only increases the light transmission of the crown, but also improves its aeration characteristics, which makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of infection of the tree with fungal infections.

Terms of ripening and storage of the harvest of apple varieties "Semerenko"

With all the rules of cultivation, the yield of apple varieties "Semerenko" can reach record levels. Harvesting from apple trees is carried out at the end of September or beginning of October, after which some novice gardeners naturally ask themselves: “How do you need to store Semerenko apples so that you can enjoy their fragrant fruits longer?”.

To preserve the integrity of the fruits and their high taste, you must follow the basic rules of storage. You need to store apples in the basement, but before sending fruit there, each apple is wrapped in paper and put in cardboard boxes or in wooden boxes.

In addition, apples can be protected in dry sand, and some experienced gardeners put them in wood chips. However, it is better not to use shavings from coniferous trees, as its smell can greatly change the flavor of the fruit.Apples of this variety can be stored for up to 8 months.

Preparation of apple varieties "Semerenko" for winter

To protect the trees from hare and rodent attacks, during the preparation for the wintering, their trunk is whitened with lime and tied with needles or sacking. To protect the roots carry out mulching of the stalk territory with peat, compost or humus. Such events help Apple Semerenko varieties survive even the most severe frosts.

Resistance of apple varieties "Semerenko" to diseases and pests

Apple Seeds "Semerenko" suffer from invasion haws, weevils, leaf wrenches and fruit mites. Hawthorn eats leaves, buds and flowers of apple. Apple weevils - love to feast on the buds of the plant.

Fruit mites suck the juices from the apple tree, and moth caterpillars so voracious that if you do not offer them resistance, they can easily destroy the whole plant.

Measures aimed at protecting Semerenko apple trees from pests are recommended to start in early spring, before the start of the sap flow.

For prophylaxis, Trees are sprayed with a solution of urea, although spraying apples with biological agents, such as Healthy Garden, Agrovertin or Zircon, is equally effective.Also, do not neglect the mechanical methods of removing pests, which consist in the collection of insects and the removal of damaged leaves or flowers.

Apple trees, like all other trees, are susceptible to infection with various diseases, and in order to prevent the death of the plant, it is necessary to react in a timely manner to the first symptoms of the disease.

If a powdery mildew appears on the leaves and buds, this indicates plant infection. powdery mildew. To prevent the spread of infection should carefully inspect the tree and remove all infected shoots, and in addition, be sure to treat the plant with sulfur and lime decoction.

If brown spots appear on the leaves of a tree, it can be suspected that it is infected. scab.

In this case, it is recommended to remove all damaged leaves, and treat the ground area with a 10% solution of ammonium nitrate.

On the shoots and leaves appeared black bloom? Also, do not delay the treatment of the plant, because black fungus it develops very quickly and if the tree is not protected in time, the infection can quickly kill it. To prevent the spread of the fungus, it is necessary to remove all damaged shoots and leaves, and the tree itself should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or soap-copper solution.

Independent cultivation of Semerenko apple trees does not take much time and effort from you, but in return, you will have the opportunity to feast on juicy, tasty and ecologically safe fruits.