Description and appearance of Berkutovskoye apple trees, cultivation and care

Many varieties of apples, bred in the last century, remain popular among gardeners today. These include the Berkutovskoe apple tree, named after one of the creators, breeders of the Saratov Experimental Station. Obtained by crossing Antonovka, Golden-striped Anise and Cortland, she has received recognition for her high qualities.

Description of the variety

Not only the appearance of the tree is remarkable, but also the fruits. No wonder the variety was awarded a gold medal at one of the All-Russian exhibitions in 1991.

Wood appearance

The tree trunk is covered with smooth gray bark. The shoots are red-brown in color, slightly pubescent and form a pyramidal crown. The branches are medium-sized and located sparsely, perpendicular to the trunk.

Trunk height

The trees reach a height of 3 meters with an average crown density. In areas with cold winters, it is better to choose an apple tree 2 meters tall.

Foliage Appearance

The leaves are elliptical in shape with a pointed tip and serrated edges. The foliage color is dark green.

Apples

The tree blooms in May, covered with a white and pink cloud of flowers. The fruits of the variety are medium-sized and round in shape. The average weight of apples reaches 150 grams. The color of the skin is bright, with red streaks over the entire surface, turning into a solid blush. There are subcutaneous points, there are few of them, and they are almost invisible. Fruits with a deep funnel, slightly rusty. The seeds are in open chambers; they are large and conical in shape. The apples hang on stalks of medium length and thickness.

Root

The root system of the apple tree consists of skeletal, fibrous roots.Skeletal ones are thicker and more durable; they form the skeleton of the root system. The skeletal roots contain fibrous roots that are highly branched. The root system lies at a depth of 25-30 centimeters.

Subspecies

If you graft a Berkutovskoe apple tree onto rootstocks, the taste of the fruit will not change, but the structure of the tree will change. You can change the crown, its compactness, and the timing of fruit ripening by grafting.

On a dwarf rootstock

If you choose a dwarf type rootstock, you get a tree that takes up little space in the garden. This is convenient for summer residents with a small plot area. And caring for the apple tree will be much easier.

Late

Late types of apple trees are suitable for growing in harsh conditions. But the taste of apples does not change, but gets better. After harvesting, it can be stored for a long time, until spring.

Characteristics of an apple tree

In order to cultivate a fruit crop on your site and care for it properly, you need to know the basic characteristics of the tree. These include crown growth, how the plant blooms and is pollinated. Only with properly organized care, based on the characteristics of the plant, will Berkutovka bring rich harvests of apples.

Crown formation

The crown of an apple tree can have a round shape, wider at the base. Towards the top the sizes decrease. The crown is formed from the average size of branches of the first and second order. The branches are straight. The crown is not thickened, so it is easy to trim.

Pollination and flowering

For high-quality fruit set, the Berkutovskoye variety requires cross-pollination. The Sinap Northern apple tree, which is most suitable as a pollinator, should be planted nearby.

Flowering begins in May, when small white-pink inflorescences with flat petals appear on the shoots.

Description of fruits

The diameter of the apples reaches 7 centimeters, and the weight is from 100 to 150, less often 200 grams. The surface of the fruit is greenish-yellowish with bright red shading, covered with small tubercles. The pulp under the smooth skin is juicy, fine-grained, cream-colored. If the funnel of the fruit is deep, then the calyx is closed. The saucer of apples has slight ribbing, and the large heart is bulb-shaped.

Productivity

Fruiting of the Berkutovskoe variety begins from the 3-4th year of life. Up to 70 kilograms of fruits, uniform in size, are collected from one tree.

Low temperature resistance

The apple tree can withstand frosts, but within 25-30 degrees below zero. Resistance to lower temperatures is average. After freezing, the tree quickly recovers.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The variety has average immunity to scab, but is susceptible to other fungal infections, especially powdery mildew. Pests can be found codling moth caterpillars on an apple tree, leafrollers. It affects the tree and aphids.

Tasting qualities

Apple fruits receive a high score for taste, at least 4.8 points. Apples are classified as varieties that do not cause allergies. Therefore, they use the Berkutov apple harvest to prepare baby food.

Growing apple trees Berkutovskoe

The growth of fruit trees and their longevity depend on the planting of the garden. Everything is important in these activities: the composition of the soil, the location of the site, and the occurrence of groundwater. A larger percentage of garden land is allocated for apple trees. Plantings must be protected from cold winds.

Disembarkation

Before planting apple trees, the area is laid out and holes are dug. Compliance with the correct planting dates will ensure that the tree and its root system will be strong. And you can expect fruits from such apple trees quickly.

Selection of seedlings

Fruit crop seedlings are selected when they are 1 or 2 years old. Before planting, seedlings are kept in moist soil. If they are transported, the roots need to be dipped in earthen mixture so that they do not dry out.

How to choose a landing site

The Berkutovskoye apple tree needs a sunny, open place. If groundwater lies close to the soil surface in the garden, then trees are planted on the hills. On salt cellars, the pits need to be made deeper by placing a layer of humus on the bottom. It will prevent salts from penetrating the roots of the apple tree.

Distances between seedlings

The gap between seedlings is 2-3 meters. And between the rows there is a 1 meter retreat. You can fill the ground with plantings of herbs and vegetables. Corn and sunflowers should not be planted next to the apple tree.

The right time to plant

Gardeners believe that the best time to plant an apple tree is in the spring. As soon as the snow melts, the buds have not yet begun to wake up, you can start planting fruit crops. Autumn planting is also possible. But you can’t delay with her. If apple trees are not planted in time before frost, then you need to dig them into the ground and leave them until spring.

Planting step by step

Planting is carried out sequentially:

1. Humus and mineral fertilizers are added to the holes prepared in advance. This is done after mixing fertilizers with the soil.
2. Having filled the hole to 3 quarters, a layer of fertile soil is poured into the middle with a mound.
3. The seedling is lowered onto the mound, checking the position of the root system. The tree is placed on the north side of the peg. The stem is placed 2-3 centimeters from it.
4. The root collar is installed so that it is level with the ground surface.
5. The hole is filled with nutritious soil by shaking the seedling. The soil will then settle between the roots.
6. Compact the soil around the trunk with your foot from the edge of the hole to the seedling.
7. All that remains is to make a roller to mark the boundaries of the hole.
8. Water the planted tree abundantly, 30-50 liters per hole.
9. Apply a layer of mulch from manure or humus.

Proper planting will allow the fruit crop to develop better.

Growing a Healthy Tree

Each stage of planting is approached carefully. For the first 2 years, the tree needs to be tied to a stake. Depending on the timing of planting, they protect the young crop from diseases and pests. In spring, treat the soil with Bordeaux mixture. In the fall, after planting, cover the stems of the apple tree with non-woven material or brushwood.

Fruiting periods

The Berkutovskoye apple tree begins to produce its first fruits in the 3-4th year of life. Then they are received regularly, every year. And productivity only increases with proper care and comfortable conditions for crop development.

Selection

The Berkutovskoye variety is considered an achievement of breeders. The apple tree is approved for cultivation in the Saratov and Volgograd regions, although you can try cultivating it in areas with a more severe climate.

Apple tree care

It is necessary to care for apple trees so that the tree acquires a powerful and durable skeleton and correctly positioned branches in the crown. Don't forget about the condition of the soil in the garden. It requires watering, fertilizing, loosening.

Crown formation by pruning

You can create a shape for a tree using forming trimmings. The crown of this variety can be represented as:

• sparse longline;
• cup-shaped;
• fusiform;
• bushy.

The operation is carried out with pruning shears before the start of sap flow in the spring. The variety also requires regular sanitary pruning with the removal of dry, diseased branches.

How to care during flowering

During the flowering period, the apple tree needs protection from frost. If they often return in the spring, then you can save the flowering apple trees by lighting smoke piles in the garden. The smoke covers the plants, and the heat is retained.You can delay the flowering of trees for several days if you water them at the end of April.

During the flowering period, the crop needs fertilizing in the form of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Irrigation

Water the apple trees in furrows; 4-5 procedures per summer are enough. If the summer is dry, then irrigate more often. Moisturizing is especially necessary 3 weeks before picking apples. From 60 to 100 buckets of water per square meter is enough.

Pest protection

Of the pests on the apple tree, the codling moth in its caterpillar stage causes great damage. They overwinter in dense cocoons in cracks in the bark, under lumps of earth. Bags of mothballs are used to repel butterflies. Belts made of burlap on the lower part of the trunk will protect against pests.

Aphids are dangerous for the crop. She sucks the juice from the leaves, they dry out and fall off. After detecting aphids, you need to spray with a decoction of tobacco dust or shag.

Spray the trees with an infusion of onion peels when spider mites appear. It is necessary to carry out 3 treatments with a break of 10 days.

Disease Control

The Berkutovskoye apple tree has an immunity gene to scab, but is often affected by the powdery mildew fungus. The disease manifests itself as a whitish coating on leaves, fruits, and shoots. After some time, the coating turns brown, becoming like felt. You can get rid of the infection by pruning damaged branches and burning them.

For preventive and therapeutic purposes, it is necessary to spray the trees with a solution of iron sulfate, and after the leaves bloom, with soda. A manure solution, which is prepared from 3 parts water and 1 part manure, will also help. Infuse the medicine for 3-4 days. Dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3 and treat in the evening every 7 days after the leaves bloom. During flowering, spraying is not carried out.

Fertilizing the soil

Every year, the apple tree needs organic and mineral fertilizers. Mullein and bird droppings are first diluted with water in a barrel in a ratio of 1:3, and then after 5 days they are brought to the desired concentration and the trees are watered. The first time it is needed is in mid-May, when the buds begin to bloom, then in June, when the tree has finished blooming.

Mineral fertilizers are used in August. They are replaced with a solution of wood ash, taking 50 grams per bucket of water.

Harvest and related work

At the end of September - beginning of October, the Berkutovskoye apple harvest is ready for harvest. It is better to harvest in time so that the fruits are preserved until spring.

Harvesting

The important thing in removing apples from their branches is to leave the fruit branches intact. Therefore, they carefully unscrew the fruits, separating them. Pulling and picking apples is not recommended.

Apple storage

To store apples for the winter, wooden boxes made from slats are used. First, damaged, bruised fruits are rejected, and then 15-20 kilograms are poured into each container. Boxes of fruit are placed in basements with an air temperature of +2 degrees.

Application of fruits

In addition to fresh use, apples of this variety are used for preparing preparations for the winter. The juice turns out delicious. The fruits are suitable for jams, jams, jams.

To help the gardener

Deciding to plant a new variety of apple tree is always difficult. Often, summer residents do not know how to care for fruit crops and whether they will take root in the region. You also need to know about the nuances of caring for an apple tree.

Regions suitable for growing the variety

The best area for cultivating the Berkutovskoye apple tree is in areas with a temperate continental climate. These are areas of the Volga region and Moscow region. Although in the Moscow region winters are the least suitable for apple trees.The warmer it is, the better the quality of the fruit from this variety will be. In harsh conditions, the tree may not survive the winter and may freeze.

Where can I buy seedlings

You can purchase seedlings of the Berkutovskoe variety in nurseries. Two-year-old apple trees with open and closed root systems are sold. It is better not to purchase varietal crops by hand, as more often than not they do not correspond to the declared planting material.