Description and characteristics of the Alesya apple tree variety, planting, cultivation and care

Late-ripening varieties of apple trees are not given much space in the garden, especially in the regions of Siberia and the Urals. There they simply do not have time to ripen during the summer season. But it is necessary to have 1-2 apple trees of the Alesya variety in the garden, as they will provide fragrant fruits for the whole winter. And these are useful substances and vitamins for the human body.

Description and characteristics of the Alesya apple tree

It was not without reason that Belarusian breeders worked hard to create an apple tree variety that has a lot of positive characteristics. The result was a late-ripening species by crossing such popular varieties of fruit crops as Banana and Belarusian Raspberry. The apple tree received everything positive from its parents, which concerns the taste, quality of the fruit, and resistance to the adverse effects of climate and pathogenic microorganisms.

Dimensions of an adult tree

A distinctive feature of the fruit tree is its short stature. Developing slowly, it reaches 3, less often 4 meters in adulthood. The trunk of the apple tree is covered with brownish bark, and the young shoots are brownish. The crown of the variety is compact and spherical. Due to its medium foliage, it is not thickened and is well ventilated.

Annual growth

The openwork type spur crown is weakly replenished with new shoots. Growth appears slowly. Only by the first year of life does it increase by 80-90 centimeters, and in an adult tree by 1 meter.

Frequency of fruiting

The hybrid fruit crop begins to bear fruit in the 4th year of life. With good care, it produces high yields of delicious apples every year.

Productivity

To get high yields, it is necessary to graft the variety. It is believed that it is better to use medium-sized crop species for the Alesya apple tree variety. Then you can pick 20 kilograms of apples per tree.

Tasting assessment

The description of the fruits of the variety contains such qualities as:

• roundness of shape with slight flattening;
• medium-thick skin, glossy, yellow in color with a bright blush spread over the entire surface of the apple;
• pulp, slightly dense, fine-grained structure;
• the taste is sour-sweet.

Tasters give the fruit a score of 4.3 points. Over time, the apple becomes tastier, sweeter, and the pulp becomes looser.

Winter hardiness

The apple tree variety is resistant to low temperatures, so it has become widespread in areas with temperate climates.

If the temperature in winter drops below 30 degrees Celsius, then it is necessary to cover the plantings with spruce branches or layers of non-woven material.

Disease resistance

The fruit crop has a gene for immunity to scab and powdery mildew, received from its “parents”. Infection with other pathogenic fungi and bacteria is possible if the plant is weakened and the crop is carried out incorrectly.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantage of choosing the Alesya apple tree variety is that the late-ripening crop:

• not damaged by frosts and spring frosts;
• it is decorative due to the beautiful crown and low growth of the tree;
• consistently bears fruit with apples of excellent taste and aroma;
• resistant to weather disasters and diseases.

The positive properties of the variety include the fact that the fruits last well and for a long time with improved taste and aroma until spring. Also, apples do not fall off the tree as they ripen. The variety has no obvious disadvantages, but if not properly cared for, the apple tree can be damaged by pests and diseases.

How to choose the right seedling

The selection of a seedling of the Alesya varietal apple tree is carried out taking into account that it is:

• one or two years old without branches or with 2-3 branches protruding at an angle of 45-90 degrees;
• no damage or rot on the bark;
• with a strong root system, elastic, moist, without rot.

A medium-sized tree is suitable for areas where groundwater lies at a depth of 2-2.5 meters from the surface. If the soil in the garden is waterlogged, the apple tree may die. It is better to purchase an Alesya apple tree seedling from a nursery. This method of purchasing is more reliable than buying it from an unknown gardener.

Features of Alesya's landing

When an apple tree variety is selected for cultivation, a place in the garden is selected for the seedling. The site must be suitable for the specific tree. Here, both the crown parameters and the soil characteristics that the fruit crop prefers are taken into account.

Dates and place for landing

It is recommended to plant apple trees both in autumn and spring. It all depends on the region and climate. The spring procedure takes place early, when buds have not yet begun to bloom. In this case, the planting hole is prepared in advance, preferably in the fall. By October 10, the planting of apple trees in the autumn period is completed.

If you don’t have time, you will have to place the apple tree seedlings in the ground or basement and leave them until spring.

Thanks to the compactness of the crown and slow growth, the Alesya apple tree does not need much space. The planting area should be well lit by the sun and not blown by cold winds. But the soil must be neutral in acidity, without swampiness and salinity.

Distance between trees

Planting pits for apple trees of the Alesya variety are prepared at a distance of 4-5 meters from each other. The gap between the rows is 2.5-3 meters.

Landing technique

Digging of the hole is carried out no later than 2-3 weeks before planting. The removed top fertile layer is folded separately so that it can later be used to fill the hole. And this is where humus and mineral fertilizers come in handy. After mixing the components of the soil mixture, fill a hole 50 centimeters deep by 2 thirds.

Then a mound of humus is poured in the middle of the bucket.An apple tree seedling is placed in the middle, with its roots straightened. Holding the tree by the top, they begin to fill the hole. At the same time, constantly shake the apple tree so that the soil lies evenly between the roots. Do not forget about the root collar, which is located 1-2 centimeters above the ground level. When dense - at the same level with the surface of the earth. The peg is stuck next to the seedling.

The next step is to compact the soil around the tree. Then they make a roller, marking the boundaries of the tree trunk circle. At the end, irrigate the hole with 3-5 buckets of water for each.

Tree care

After planting, the gardener's attention is directed to creating a strong skeleton of the apple tree. In addition, caring for the soil in the garden plays an important role.

Trimming and shaping

Although the apple tree variety Alesya has a spur-type crown, pruning will still have to be done. For a young tree, surgery is needed to form the main skeleton of the tree and subsequently regulate fruiting. The main method of pruning a young apple tree is by shortening. By lightly cutting off part of the length of annual shoots, the crown is branched and rounded. It is necessary to shorten the annual growth if it is more than 30 centimeters. If you prune heavily, the fruiting period will also be delayed.

In an adult Alesya apple tree, the crown is only thinned out, removing broken, diseased branches, as well as hanging and crossing ones. The purpose of thinning will be to transform growth shoots into fruit-bearing ones and prevent the death of fruit branches.

Pollinators

For better fruit set, apple trees need pollination. It can be carried out by insects. For this you will need bees and wasps. But apple trees planted nearby with late ripening periods will also help out.

Watering and fertilizing

After planting the apple tree, it is necessary to mulch the tree trunk circle. This keeps the soil moist and the area free of weeds.

Trees should be watered 4 to 5 times during the summer, adjusting the frequency of irrigation depending on weather conditions. In dry summers, garden crops are watered an additional 3 weeks before harvest, approximately in the first half of September. Each time use up to 60-100 liters per square meter.

When changing mulching, peat or humus is embedded with a shovel to a depth of no more than 5-8 centimeters. In addition, you need to fertilize the grooves next to the apple tree with mullein and bird droppings, dissolving them in water. As for mineral fertilizers, the use of phosphorus-potassium compounds is suitable. They are replaced with wood ash, diluting 50 grams in 10 liters of water.

If furrows are not made, then fertilizer is applied to the entire area of ​​the tree trunk circle.

It is necessary to add nitrogen and potassium fertilizers after the apple tree blooms. This helps to enhance vegetative growth and fruit development. In July, take 15 grams of superphosphate and 7 grams of potassium salt per bucket of water. This fertilizing leads to better crop formation, accelerated ripening of wood and the formation of fruit buds. The fertilizer application rate is a bucket of fertilizer per 2-3 linear meters of the furrow.

Diseases and pests

Scab and powdery mildew are rarely found on the Alesya apple tree variety. But it is possible for the tree to become infected:

• bacterial burn;
• fruit rot;
• rust.

The fruit rot fungus causes apples to spoil and their flesh to harden. To preserve the plant, you need to collect damaged fruits and cut out diseased branches. It is better to spray the tree with fungicides.

Darkening of foliage and shoots at the beginning of summer is associated with bacterial burn.The fight against the disease is carried out by cutting out branches and treating with a solution of copper sulfate. Antibiotics such as Fitolavin are also used.

Among the pests, aphids can be found on apple tree leaves. If there are a lot of ladybugs in the garden, then they themselves will cope with the parasitic insect. Solutions of dandelion roots and laundry soap are effective against aphids.

Codling moth caterpillars cause enormous damage to apple trees. You can save your garden from them with insecticides. To kill butterflies, use containers filled with a mixture of water and kerosene. In the evening, a light bulb is lit above the jars, then the butterflies fly towards the fire and die when they fall into the liquid. To repel butterflies, you can use mothballs, which are hung in bags on trees.

Growing in different regions

The Alesya apple tree variety is distributed throughout Russia, except for the northern regions. Depending on the zoning, it is necessary to organize crop care.

In outskirts of Moscow

In the Moscow region, the variety is grown without problems. The fruits have time to reach technical ripeness. And the apples are successfully stored all winter.

In the middle lane

Central Russia, with its humid summers and snowy winters, is suitable for planting late-ripening apple trees. No special care is required for the crop.

In Altai, Urals and Siberia

It is more difficult to get apples to fully ripen in these areas. Therefore, you need to choose this apple tree for growing with this in mind. Careful preparation of trees for wintering is also necessary. This includes shelter and whitewashing of the trunk.

Harvesting and storage

Harvests of fragrant apples of the Alesya variety are harvested in late September - mid-October. At this point they reach technical maturity, but it takes time to eat them.After a month or two of storage, the taste of the apples will improve.

Store the harvest in wooden boxes at a temperature of 1-3 degrees above 0. You need to regularly inspect the fruits, removing rotten and damaged ones.