The Lingonberry apple tree is a tree that can be grown at home. Also suitable for large-scale plantings over large areas. The plant is unpretentious and easy to care for. But, besides the advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Nevertheless, the variety has become widespread in all regions of Russia.
Description and features
The Lingonberry variety blooms in mid-May and ripens in late summer, in mid- or late August. Was bred in Moscow by pollination apple trees Glory to the Winners unknown variety. The description of this variety was first put forward by A.V. Petrov in the 70s of the XX century.
It was bred for cultivation in the Central regions of Russia. However, the variety has excellent taste, is unpretentious, and resistant to temperature changes. Therefore, they began to grow it in other regions.
The plant produces large, oblong-shaped fruits. The average weight of one apple is 100 g. The apples are light cream with bright red splashes. The pulp is very dense, sweet and juicy. Suitable for fresh consumption or for making compote.
Main characteristics
Before planting a plant at home, it is recommended to study its characteristics. This will allow you to find out what yield, size, and winter hardiness the plant has.
Dimensions
Apple trees of this variety are low-growing, dwarf. Therefore, their height is small - 2-3 m, the trees develop at a slow pace. The crown is medium thick and requires pruning. The branches are thin, but stable.
Productivity
The plant is quite productive. But in the first years of its life, the tree produces a small amount of fruit. The tree produces its first fruits already at 2-3 years of age. Peak yield is observed at 7-8 years. Gardeners harvest up to 150 kg of apples from one apple tree.
Frequency of fruiting
The fruits ripen unevenly, gradually. Therefore, they have to be collected in 2-3 steps. Harvesting begins at the end of August and continues until mid-September. Ripe apples should have a red-yellow color. Ripe fruits often fall off on their own, so they are quite easy to collect.
Winter hardiness
The plant is characterized by high frost resistance. It does not freeze and does not die even in severe frosts.But to protect the roots, it is recommended to mulch them. And it is better to cover young branches with burlap.
Disease resistance
This variety is susceptible to scab development. It is especially often affected during the rainy season. Black dots appear on diseased fruits protruding above the surface of the skin.
To avoid the appearance of this fungal disease, it is necessary to spray the trees in the spring with special antiseptic compounds.
Also, in the absence of proper care, fruit rot and cytosporosis can develop. The plant is also often affected by pests. It is often parasitized by snails, caterpillars, and aphids. Therefore, apples become wormy and their appearance deteriorates. To avoid this, you need to properly care for your plants.
Advantages and disadvantages
The plant has the following advantages compared to other varieties:
- It gives the first harvest very quickly. After 2-3 years, the first apples appear on the tree.
- High yields. From one apple tree you can collect up to 150 kg of fruit.
- Obtaining harvests regardless of weather conditions. The plant produces the same amount of fruit in both dry and rainy summers.
- Winter hardiness. Apple trees do not freeze. Even if some branches freeze, they will need to be removed in the spring, after which the tree will quickly recover.
- Beautiful fruits. They have a good presentation, are solid, and attract buyers.
- Low trees. The advantage of dwarf varieties is that they are easy to prune, making their care much easier.
- Versatility. The fruits can be used to prepare preparations for the winter or eaten fresh.
The most significant drawback is weak immunity, which is why the plant is susceptible to frequent diseases.Lingonberry also has poor shelf life, so it is recommended to eat apples before December-January. They are difficult to transport and are seriously injured on the road.
What are the subspecies?
The Lingonberry apple tree is a dwarf plant. However, it can also be grown as a columnar plant. To do this, grafting is carried out on super-dwarf rootstocks, after which a crown is formed in the form of a column.
Dwarf
On a dwarf rootstock, the tree has a top-lying arrangement of horses; the height of apple trees of this type does not exceed 2 meters. It is recommended to form the crown of this species in tiers, then the culture will develop well.
Columnar
The advantages of this subspecies include:
- Small trees, which makes it easy to cover them for the winter.
- Rapid fruiting - already in the second, and sometimes in the first year of planting.
- An excellent solution for small areas, as you can plant as many trees as possible.
One of the disadvantages is that the fruiting period is very short - after 15 years the crop should be changed.
Regions of distribution
The plant is widespread in the South-Central regions of Russia. It is grown in the Tver, Vladimir, Yaroslavl regions. Recently, the variety has become widespread in the Volga-Vyatka region.
