Very often, gardeners have to make a difficult choice from a wide variety of apple varieties, but still they often stop at universal ones, because they are picky in their care and have an abundant quality crop.
It is this sort of apple tree is considered "Orlinka".
- Breeding history
- Biological features
- Tree description
- Fruit Description
- Pollination
- Gestation period
- Yield
- Transportability and storage
- Winter hardiness
- Disease and Pest Resistance
- Application
- Rules for planting apple seedlings
- Optimal timing
- Location selection
- Site preparation
- Seedlings preparation
- Process and scheme
- Features of seasonal care for apple trees
- Soil care
- Fertilization
- Fight against diseases and pests
- Cropping and crown formation
- Protection against cold and rodents
Breeding history
This variety appeared in 1978 thanks to breeders NG Krasovoi, Z. M. Serova, E. N. Sedov, working in the Scientific Research Institute for Breeding Fruit Crops. For breeding "Orlinki", the varieties "First Salute" and "Stark Erliest Prekos" were crossed. The state test of the apple tree occurred 16 years after the creation of the variety.
Biological features
Apple tree "Orlinka" has a special description that will help to distinguish it from other similar varieties - it can be seen in the photo and read in the numerous reviews of experienced gardeners.
Tree description
Apple trees are vigorous, have a dense and rounded crown. The branches depart from the main trunk at a right angle and are placed quite compactly. The bark of the trees has a gray color and a rather smooth structure.
The shoots are brown in color, fairly thick, weakly mined and large. Large buds have a conical elongated shape, they are densely planted on the shoots.
Fruit Description
The fruits of the tree are one-dimensional, rounded in shape, medium in size - weigh about 150 g, but often reach 200 g. The skin of the apples is quite dense and glossy, has a light green color with a yellow color at harvest.
After full maturation, in the process of maturation, the fruits become yellow in color, and one side is covered with a pink blush. The flesh of the fruit is juicy, cream-colored, sweet with a slight acidity, the seeds of apples are brown and small.
Pollination
The apple tree "Orlinka" is self-fertile and can be a good pollinator for varieties such as "Melba", "Papirovka", "Pear".
Gestation period
"Orlinka" refers to summer varieties of apples, and the fruits ripen in the middle - end of August.
Yield
The yield of apple trees is quite high for the summer variety: it is about 170 kg per tree per season.
Transportability and storage
The transportability of apples of this variety is average, because the shelf life of apples is short - up to 1 month, provided that the temperature is correct from + 1 ° C to + 8 ° C. It is recommended to keep the harvest in a cool place in wooden boxes.
In order to improve transportability and extend the shelf life, fruits are treated with special chemicals, but it is important to understand that it is not always that these products are harmless to human health. To extend the storage time of fruits at home, you can use vermiculite, soaked with acetic acid, which is sprinkled on top of apples in boxes.
Winter hardiness
The apple tree is distinguished by its winter-hardiness. It may not survive very low temperatures if the winter is not snowy, and in the middle latitudes of winter, the “Orlinka” is not terrible.
Disease and Pest Resistance
The apple tree is considered to be moderately resistant to pests such as leafworms, green aphids. The main pest, which often affects this variety, is scab.
For the prevention of diseases and pests, it is recommended to whitewash the stems with lime, dig up near-trunk circles, remove weeds and shoots in the near-stem circle, and destroy fallen leaves, where the aphids are most often stored during the wintering period.
Application
Fruit varieties of apple "Orlinka" suitable for use as a fresh or canned.Apples are often used to squeeze out juice, which can be drunk immediately, and poured into cans for storage after canning.
Jam or jam, which can also be made from "Orlinka", will also be a delicious dessert. But fresh consumption of fruits is considered the most beneficial for the organism, because they retain their beneficial substances, which are lost after heat treatment.
These apples are often used for avitaminosis, atherosclerosis, flu viruses of group A, and are also recommended for people who have had a heart attack.
Rules for planting apple seedlings
In order for the apple tree to feel comfortable in the new place, to grow and bear fruit, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances when choosing a place, planting seedlings and caring for the plant.
Optimal timing
The apple tree of this variety should be planted in the spring, when the snow has completely melted, and the possibility of frost will be excluded, and the air temperature will be within + 15 ° C during the daytime, and the earth will warm up a little.
You can also carry out the process of planting in the autumn.To do this, you need to choose the right time in early September, so that the tree has time to settle down and get stronger before the start of frost.
Location selection
When choosing a place for planting an apple you need to pay special attention to good air permeability and moisture content of the soil. This variety prefers to grow on loamy, sandy, leached chernozem.
If annual fertilization occurs, the apple tree will also take root well on sandy soils. Also, the apple tree does not tolerate acidic soils, the acidity should be in the range of pH 5.5-6.0. The tree prefers to grow in a well-lit place, because in the shade there is a chance of reducing the yield and sugar content of apples.
Also, the apple tree does not tolerate stagnant water, therefore, with the threat of flooding, it is necessary to provide for good drainage or landing on elevations. The groundwater level should be within 2.5 meters.
Site preparation
If planting of seedlings is planned in the spring, then preparation of the pit should take place in 2 weeks, and if in the fall, preparation should begin in a month. To do this, dig a hole 100x70 cm. The earth is dug out and gradually scattered on two sides - on the prepared plastic film in such a way that part of the upper layer of the earth goes to one side,and the second - the bottom layer.
Inspect the prepared pit: if there are perennial roots, they must be removed. At the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to dig up the ground or loosen it well with scrap.
Seedlings preparation
Saplings before planting recommend soaking in water so that they recover the lost moisture. To do this, the root of the plant is kept in water for a day.
Inspect the roots of the plant: if there are damages or dry affected parts of the roots, they must be removed with a sharp knife or pruner so that only healthy and whole roots remain.
Process and scheme
The process of planting an apple is as follows:
- To begin with, organic fertilizers should be applied to the bottom of the pit, such as re-ripened manure or chicken droppings in an amount of 1 bucket mixed with ½ of the ground from the bottom layer.
- Then pour the rest of the soil in the center in the form of a hill on which to place the seedling so that the roots are freely located along the contour of the hill.
- Fill the planting pit with the top layer of earth, and compact it with your feet.
- Care must be taken that the root neck is 4 cm above the ground.
- Then it is necessary to tie the seedling to a support, which is fixed in the ground to a depth of about 1 meter.
- After the performed manipulations, the near-stem circle is watered with 2-3 buckets of water gradually so that the water is well absorbed.
Features of seasonal care for apple trees
Apple "Orlinka" has some features not only in the process of planting, but also in the care of the plant, so this fact must be taken into account in order to organize suitable conditions for this variety.
Soil care
The first two or three years, young seedlings need to be watered regularly. In the summer, watering is carried out once a month, using up to 4 buckets at a time.
When the apple tree grows up, each year the amount of water is increased - up to 3 years old, 3-4 cups of water are watered, then, starting from 4 years, there is an increase in the amount of liquid by 1 bucket.
Mature apple trees require regular watering:
- before the buds bloom;
- when the tree has faded;
- one month before harvest;
- one month after picking apples;
- in the period of falling foliage.
In order for an apple tree to develop well, it is necessary to keep the okolostvolny circle constantly clean, that is, to remove weeds.
Given that the root system of a young apple tree is deep, we can remove weeds with a hoe or simply pull it out with our hands.
To ensure the soil, in which the root system of the apple tree is located, with good air permeability, it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil. To do this, it is recommended to dig the ground near the apple in spring and autumn.
Mulching is recommended to carry out 2 times a year after loosening the soil. To do this, use straw, humus, leaves, peat. The layer of mulch should be 5 cm. Mulching helps to avoid drying out of the soil and the formation of a crust, retains the necessary moisture and contributes to a better breathability.
Fertilization
Carrying out the characteristic of caring for the apple "Orlink", it is important to pay special attention to the consideration of dressings. Young apple trees are given top dressing in early spring with urea (for 10 liters of water, 2 tablespoons).
At the end of spring, it is recommended to apply foliar fertilizers, such as “Ideal” or sodium humate (for 1 bucket of water 1 tbsp. Of fertilizer). In early autumn, root-fertilizing of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is carried out (1 tablespoon of top-dressing for 1 bucket of water).
When the tree enters the fruiting period, it is necessary to feed 4 times a year:
- In April, during the spring digging period, 0.5 kg of urea is poured into each tree.
- When the apple tree begins to bloom, it is necessary to add liquid superphosphate - 100 g, urea - 50 g and potassium sulphate - 80 g, which are infused for 7 days in 20 liters of water and are placed under each tree.
- The next fertilizer application occurs when the apple tree fades. During this period, 100 g of nitrophoska and 2 g of potassium humate are infused in 20 liters of water.
- The last feeding is done when the entire crop is harvested. For fertilizers, a bucket of humus is used for each tree, 300 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
Fight against diseases and pests
To prevent pests and diseases from affecting the apple tree, preventive measures must be taken: a variety of chemicals are used for this purpose.
The most common pests "Orlinki" are:
- moth;
- aphid;
- flower eater;
- sawfly;
- schitovka.
The most common diseases of the apple are:
- scab - a fungus that affects the plant due to excessive soil moisture and lack of oxygen in the soil. Bordeaux liquid and copper oxychloride are used to control scab;
- powdery mildew is a fungal disease that often affects a plant. To combat this disease, use drugs such as Scor or Topaz.
Cropping and crown formation
After a year after planting, the apple seedlings (in the second year) begin to form a crown. It is necessary to inspect the plants in the shtambe zone: in the presence of branches and strongly growing branches, part of the last year's growth is removed by a third.
It is also necessary to cut dry and diseased branches and shoots that grow vertically or inside the crown of a tree. After removing a part of the branches, it is necessary to close the cuts with a garden pitch.
Due to proper and regular pruning, trees bear fruit well, and the duration of their life is greatly extended.
Protection against cold and rodents
A frequent problem during the wintering of apple trees are raids of rodents, which in the process of searching for food gnaw the bark of trees. It is necessary to take appropriate measures at the end of November, when the air temperature drops below zero.
In order to insulate the plant and protect the trunk from rodents, it is recommended to wrap the bottom of the trunk with a fir grove. It is necessary to bind well the white branches of kapron threads to the trunk to a height of about 1 meter.
You can use a metal grid, which is installed around the tree to a height of 1 meter, and bury it in the ground at 30 cm.For wood insulation and protection against frost, you can use roofing felt or burlap, which is wrapped with a trunk. Thus, to grow an Orlinka apple tree will not be difficult. The main thing is to make the right planting and to provide high-quality regular plant care in order to get a bountiful harvest of tasty and healthy apples.