Secrets of the successful cultivation of apple "Asterisk"

Every day, an asterisk is becoming an increasingly popular variety of apple trees among gardeners in our country. In this article we will describe in detail about the characteristics of this variety and how to plant a young sapling and grow a large fruit tree.

Breeding history

The apple variety "Asterisk" was bred at the Michurin Institute of Breeding and Genetics. Plant applies to winter varieties and was obtained by crossing varieties "Anis" and "Pepinka Lithuanian". The employee of the above-mentioned institute, Professor S.F. Chernenko, developed, cultivated and cultivated this apple variety.

The asterisk is often used as a starting material for breeding new varieties of fruit trees.This variety of apples is most widely distributed in the Middle Volga, North-West and Central regions of Russia.

Characteristic variety

Before you engage in planting seedlings, you need to carefully familiarize yourself with all the subtleties in the characteristics of the variety.

Tree description

At the initial stage of growth, the tree has a beautiful rounded crown. After some time, the crown may become slightly wilted or sprawling. When the asterisk reaches the age of twenty, its crown reaches diameter of about 6 meters (if not pruning), and in height rises by 5 meters or more.

The trees are characterized by long, strongly pubescent brown-reddish shoots. The leaves on them have the shape of an oval with notched edges. Petioles have a usual form, but a little smaller than most other varieties of apple trees.

Fruit Description

Fruits "Asterisks" have a slightly irregular spherical shape with slightly noticeable ribbing. The flesh has a light green or more often a white color.The peel is colored crimson, dark red, sometimes bright light spots may be observed on the fruit. The crown of the apple has a wax coating and glitters strongly when reflecting light rays. The flesh of the fruit has a pleasant sweet-sour taste and honey aroma. Differs characteristic juiciness and fine grain.

Pollination

In order for bees to pollinate the Asterisk apple tree, similar varieties of fruit trees should be planted next to it. Among them may be: "Antonovka", "Zhigulevskoe", "Bogatyr", "Memory of a Soldier", etc. But remember: if you have a whole garden of apple trees in your area, then consider that a third of all the plants must be varieties of apple pollinators for Asterisks.

Gestation period

Fruits are harvested in early to mid-September (in the southern regions). In the northern areas, harvesting may begin 2-3 weeks earlier. An "asterisk" is an apple tree that has a maturation period of about 3-4 weeks. That is, after you have harvested, he needs to be given time for ripening, and only then the fruits can be consumed. In general, the longer the “Asterisk” ripens, the juicier and tastier its fruits will be.

Yield

The variety is interesting because the seedlings on dwarf rootstocks come into fruiting 1-2 years earlier. The tree begins to bear fruit after 5-7 years after planting. If the seedling is not properly cut, it can start to bear fruit even later.

Productivity "Stars", many experts believe is quite high. On average, a tree, with proper care, should produce about 70-110 kg of apples. Sometimes this indicator can be slightly increased, but for this you need to apply the technique of proper and timely feeding.

Transportability and storage

Apples of the "Asterisk" variety are kept for 5-6 months. With proper storage, the general appearance and commercial quality of apples will remain unchanged. It is recommended to keep such fruits in small and low wooden boxes that you need to preliminarily clean well (disinfection of the fungus is carried out, which infects the wood, and may later affect the fruit). Apples need to be put in boxes in one row (as a last resort - in 2-3 rows), so they will last longer.The best place to store will be the basement or cellar. In the refrigerator, the shelf life will be no more than two months.

When transporting "Asterisks" it should be borne in mind that the fruits may bump against each other, and this adversely affects their safety. In places where apples strike each other, the flesh will turn brown-yellow, and the presentation will deteriorate.

Frost resistance

Frost resistance in "Stars" is not very high. Many experts do not recommend growing it in the northern regions of our country, otherwise there is a risk of frostbite.

However, many large companies that specialize in the cultivation and sale of apples, grow "Star" in the northern regions. But they have special greenhouses for this. In addition, they have their own plant care technology and an experienced staff.

Disease and Pest Resistance

Apple "Star" is immune only to scab. The remaining diseases and pests tend to hit the tree.But with the right care, almost any disease or pest can be avoided. On the methods of combating diseases, we will talk a little lower.

Application

Apply the fruit "Stars" in cooking for various purposes. These apples make very tasty sweet and sour vitamin juices, rich jams or fragrant compotes. In addition, the apples are very tasty and fresh, especially in winter.

Many housewives use "Star" in baking - its fruits are very harmoniously combined with any kinds of desserts. Still apples can be dried, and then cook very tasty and useful compotes from dried fruits.

Rules for planting apple seedlings

In order for the fruit tree to bear fruit for many years, it must be properly planted.

Optimal timing

It is necessary to plant a young tree in the open ground in the spring, after the end of the night frosts. Wait until the snow has completely melted, the air temperature rises a little and more or less stabilizes. The optimal dates for landing "Stars" are considered April 20 - May 15. But you should not plant the seedlings in the fall, even if you live in the southern regions of the country.Sometimes winter comes much faster than we expect. In such cases, the sapling may not have time to settle down and eventually die during strong night frosts.

Location selection

Planted "Star" should be in a place well-lit by sunlight. If an apple tree is planted in the shade, then the yield may decrease by one and a half to two times. In addition, in shady places, the growth rate of the tree is significantly reduced.

The best area for planting in the country will be open terrain from the south, southeast or southwest side. Consider also that in 10-15 years the tree will grow significantly, and the crown will give a large shade, so planting an asterisk near the beds is not recommended. In addition, any old trees next to a young seedling will become undesirable neighbors. They will take away most of the nutrients from the soil. The acidity of the soil at the landing site should be weak, in the range of 5.7-6.0 pH. The best type of soil is considered to be loamy, sod-podzolic or sandy.

Site preparation

Place planting seedlings need to carefully prepare. To begin with, the land needs to be thoroughly dug up and plowed. Next, dig a hole with a diameter of about 40-45 cm and a depth of 50 cm. The excavated earth should be mixed with 7-9 kg of peat and 100-150 g of wood ash. Near the landing fossa need to dig a large and long stake. It should protrude at least 1.5 meters above the ground. It will take such a number for the garter of a young sapling.

Seedlings preparation

Before planting, the seedling is preferably cut a little. This should be done very carefully, shortening only long shoots (1 / 3-1 / 4 part). In no case it is impossible to shorten the roots of a young tree, otherwise it may not take root in a new place. And pay attention to the sapling before buying: its root system should be without growths and blisters, well branched.

Process and scheme

The seedling is inserted into a previously dug hole and sprinkled with a fertile layer of earth (the ground that you dug and mixed with peat and wood ash). Next, the ground need a little trample. As a result, near the trunk of the sapling there should be a small depression into which you will periodically pour warm water in the future.

The distance between seedlings should be 3-4 meters (in case you will often prune a tree and form a crown). The distance between rows should be at least 5 m, otherwise adult plants will have little room for development. If you are not going to rejuvenate your apple trees every year, then increase the distance between seedlings and rows by 2-3 meters.

The root neck of the tree should be located 5-7 cm above the ground. Small grooves can be made around or near the sapling. They will contribute to the removal of excess moisture from the root of the young tree.

Do not forget to tie the seedling to the cola. For the garter, use an elastic bandage, one end of which fasten the center of the trunk, and the other - stake.

Seasonal care features

Apple "Star" after proper planting requires special care.

Soil care

The asterisk does not tolerate the increased soil moisture, so one should not get too carried away with watering, especially during periods of rain (then no water is needed at all). An adult tree is recommended to water no more than 2-3 times a month. A young seedling needs to be watered only once a month.In dry periods of summer, the frequency of irrigation can be doubled. But in early August, watering should be stopped altogether, otherwise it will have a bad effect on the frost resistance of the plant. During the period of abundant watering, the soil around the tree needs to be loosened regularly, otherwise a crust may form.

Weeding this plant, as well as loosening, you need to be very careful not to touch the root system. If it is cut with sap, the tree may begin to dry out. We need to weed only the topmost layer of soil. Try using weeding to cut off all unnecessary vegetation around the "Asterisk", as the weeds take away many useful substances from the apple tree.

Since the variety does not have good frost resistance, the soil around such plants should be mulched. In the middle-end of October, it is necessary to cover with mulch (a layer of 10-15 cm) the soil around the plant. The diameter of the mulching area should be equal to the diameter of the crown of the tree. Straw, sawdust, leaf humus or peat are excellent as mulch.

Top dressing

It is necessary to fertilize the soil twice a season.The first time fertilizers are applied in the spring, immediately after the snow melts. You can make both mineral and organic fertilizers. If you are going to add peat, then add it at the rate of 6-7 kg / m², if humus or rotted mullein - 5-10 kg / m². The second time fertilizers are applied in the autumn, during the ripening period of the fruit. In September, the tree responds particularly well to fertilizing with potash or superphosphate fertilizers.

Granulated superphosphate (2 tablespoons) is diluted in 10 liters of water and poured over the resulting mixture "Star". 10 liters of this solution should go to 1 square meter of soil.

Fight against diseases and pests

As we have said, the apple "Star" at the genetic level is protected from scab. But in very rare cases, this disease can still affect this fruit plant. In such cases, it must be sprayed twice: before and after flowering. Experienced gardeners are advised to use the drug "Horus". Dissolve it in water according to the instructions. One ampoule of this drug should be enough for two sprays of one tree.

If your plant is struck with powdery mildew, you can use the drug "Topaz".With the defeat of "Asterisks" rot, it is recommended to use "Fundazol", which is very effective in this disease.

To combat the codling moth, a solution of karbofos and chlorophos is used. Spray the plant three times throughout the growing season. The intervals between spraying should be approximately equal in time. The mixture for spraying is prepared in approximately the following proportions: 30 g of malathion (0.3%) is diluted in 10 l of water; 20 g of chlorophos (0.2%) is also diluted in 10 l of water.

Fumigation of the garden helps very well in the fight against the apple sucker. This procedure is best done on a warm and calm summer evening. To do this, use straw and tobacco dust. The straw must be laid out in small piles between rows of apple trees and in each pile add 1.5-2 g of tobacco dust. The straw should be moisturized so that when it is set on fire, it does not immediately ignite, but smolder slowly. Fumigating the garden will not allow the nurseries to debug eggs and multiply.

For the winter, the tree stabs can be wrapped in tight nylon pantyhose.They will help in the fight against mice and hares, which in the hungry cold months can nibble the bark of your "Asterisk".

Cropping and crown formation

The best time to rejuvenate a tree and form its crown will be the beginning - the middle of April. You need to cut long shoots to 1/3 of their length. In places where there are too many shoots, you can completely remove some of them. All young branches, the growth of which is directed inward, must also be removed, otherwise they will create a shadow in the middle of the crown and the yield will fall sharply.

Crop and form the crown of an apple tree about once every 1-2 years. Try not to let the tree grow to a height of more than 3 meters. Large trees need more water and fertilizer. If all this is not provided to them, the size of the fruit can be reduced by one and a half, or even twice.

Preparing for the winter

Many experts say that the wintering of apple trees passes safely, if the soil was sufficiently well moistened in the summer-autumn period, and this statement has already been tested and proved more than once. In addition, you need to regularly feed "Stars". Mulching is also one of the main elements of plant care and helps the root system of the tree not to freeze during the winter frost.

For the winter, the shtambu wood can be covered with blackberries, raspberries, sunflower stalks or wormwood. All these plants are tightly tied around the trunk. The harness should be carried out in late autumn, otherwise you can inadvertently prolong the growing season artificially, and this will have a bad effect on the hardiness of the plant.

After the leaves fall, do not forget to process the trees with urea or copper sulfate solution. In late autumn, remove all rotten and mummified fruits from the tree. You can hang a bird feeder on the tree.

In winter, the birds will destroy all the pests on the tree. By the way, nobody also forbade whitewashing trunks for the winter. In addition, the whitewash helps the plant to tolerate sudden changes in temperature. Apple-tree "Zvezdochka" according to the botanical description is almost universal variety of winter apple tree, which even looks very nice and harmonious in the photo, and this apple tree has very good reviews from gardeners. Therefore, planting such a fruit tree on the site will undoubtedly bring you only joy.