Among gardeners with small gardens, dwarf varieties of apples that grow up to 2-3 meters are valued. These varieties of plants include the Alyonushka apple tree. Such trees are considered one of the best hybrids bred for cultivation in the northern regions.
Before planting Alenka in the garden, you need to familiarize yourself with its description in more detail.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The main feature of the variety is the height of the trees, which grow up to 2-2.5 meters. In the first few years, apple trees develop quite quickly.However, after the first harvest, the rate of tree development decreases by 2-3 times. The crown and branches are covered with brown bark, which has a slight olive tint.
Over time, the trees become overgrown with rounded shoots with a brownish color. They form small ovoid leaves with denticles on the edges and a pointed end. The leaves are colored greenish with a dark, matte tint. The peculiarities of Alyonushka include the flowers that appear during flowering. They are quite large and stand out against the small leaves.
After flowering, apple fruits are formed on the plants, the weight of which after ripening reaches 40-50 grams. These sizes are considered normal for most dwarf varieties. The entire crop is round in shape with a slight taper near the tip. The surface of the apples is slightly ridged and rough.
The peel of ripe fruit is yellow with small and blurred pinkish spots.
Gardeners value Alyonushka for its taste, as it has a light sweetish taste with aromatic sourness. The harvested crop is used not only for fresh consumption, but also to create jam, fresh juice, compote or preserves.
Breeding history
This hybrid was bred in the second half of the 20th century by Krasnodar breeders A.S. Tolmachev and N.N. Tikhonov. To obtain this variety of apples, they used Papirovka, which is common in the Baltic countries. It is thanks to this variety that Alenka is distinguished by early harvest ripening, aromatic fruits and a high level of productivity.
The first few years after breeding, the variety was actively used in industry and grown in the fields.However, today Alyonushka is also grown by ordinary gardeners in their summer cottages.
Pros and cons of the Alyonushka apple tree
It is known that many varieties of apples have their own advantages and disadvantages. Among the main advantages of this early-ripening fruit are the following:
- Rapid ripening of the first harvest. Some varieties of apple trees do not bear fruit for a long time after seedlings are planted in the garden. However, Alenka is not one of these plants, since it begins to bear fruit after 2-3 years.
- Productivity. From an adult tree it is possible to collect more than 75 kilograms of ripe fruit.
- Resilience to climate change. The trees are distinguished by a strong root system that copes with a sharp decrease in temperature and freezing of the soil.
- Restorative functions. This is the main advantage of the variety, since thanks to it the plant quickly recovers from mechanical damage or disease.
- Compactness. By growing Alyonushka, you can save a lot of free space in the garden.
- Easy to harvest. Due to the fact that the trees grow up to only two meters, it is much easier to collect fruits from the tops.
The disadvantages of the plant include its poor resistance to apple pathologies. For example, trees become infected with scab and are attacked by pests. This often leads to deterioration in yield and death of apple trees.
Productivity and frequency of fruiting
Apples begin to form on young trees a few years after planting. In the first harvest year, apple trees bear few fruits, since the plant is still young. In this case, 20-40 kilograms of apples are collected from the tree.However, in subsequent years, the amount of harvest increases significantly and at least 80 kilograms of sweet apples are obtained from each tree.
With proper care, Alenka will delight you with good yields every summer. However, if you do not take care of the plant, the fruit set will be worse and the number of apples will decrease.
Winter hardiness and disease resistance
Many residents of northern regions with a changeable and harsh climate who plan to grow Alyonushka are interested in the winter hardiness of the variety. Experienced breeders and gardeners are confident that this variety can be considered one of the most frost-resistant. Apple trees can survive even serious temperature drops down to 45 degrees below zero. The trees also have average resistance to high temperatures and droughts.
However, Alenka copes much worse with illnesses. Most often, immature apple tree seedlings suffer from diseases, which can die from scab or pests.
Where is the best place to grow?
This variety can be grown at high and low temperatures, as it is resistant to almost any climate. However, high yields can only be achieved when grown in the most suitable conditions.
Gardeners advise planting apples in the central region of the country, where there is no drought and sudden temperature changes. Alyonushka also grows well in the northern part, but due to the cold climate the yield will be low.
Conclusion
For gardeners with small summer cottages, Alyonushka is the best choice. This compact plant does not take up much space in the garden, grows quickly and bears fruit well.
