Description and characteristics of the variety and varieties of Fuji apples, fruiting and cultivation

Japanese selection of fruit crops led to the appearance of Fuji apples on our market. They have earned recognition for their excellent taste and long shelf life. The culture is distinguished by late flowering and abundant fruiting. The popular apple tree in China and Japan gave impetus to the creation of hybrids and spread throughout the world. The variety can be grown by anyone in their summer cottage.

Description of the Fuji variety

Many people know the description of Fuji fruits. But not everyone knows what a tree looks like, the features of its structure.

Historical data on the creation of the variety

The qualities of the Fuji variety are based on the best characteristics apple trees Red Delicious and Rolls Janet. The apple tree was named after the Fujisaki district where it was born. The culture quickly spread throughout the world, and is now cultivated in the gardens of Europe, Asia and America.

Beneficial properties of fruits

Red Fuji apples are beneficial for humans. It is especially necessary to include more fruits in the menu for those who want to lose weight. To boost immunity and stabilize blood cholesterol levels, there is nothing better than apples. The fruits help cope with anemia, gout, improve the condition of bones and heart muscle. They are useful for strengthening the nervous system and stabilizing sleep.

Calorie content of the product

Fuji fruits contain the most carbohydrates. The calorie content per 100 grams of apples reaches 70 kcal. Most of all fiber in fruits is pectin.

Chemical composition

The benefits of apples are associated with the vitamins they contain:

• retinol;
• ascorbic acid;
• pyridoxine;
• pantothenic acid;
• folic acid.

The fruits contain a lot of iodine, iron, enough magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus.

Taste qualities

The taste of Fuji apples is unique. The crisp white flesh reveals hints of real apple flavor. There are very sweet fruits where the sugar is diluted with a small amount of acid. There are specimens with a high acid content. But the taste is harmonious in any fruit of the variety. And the aroma of apples is indescribable.

Similar products

There are products similar to Fuji apples. They are the fruits of varieties of the variety. These are Kiku and Fuji Aztec. Many consider these apples to be a clone of the main variety.

Negative consequences of use

Rarely eating apples is contraindicated. This only happens when a person has gastritis. Fruit fiber will have a negative effect on the gastric mucosa, causing heaviness and nausea. It is harmful for diabetics to eat a lot of apples due to their high carbohydrate content. Fruit juice negatively affects tooth enamel, destroying it.

Culinary dishes from Fuji

You can make desserts from this variety of apples. The fruit goes well with other fruits. They are added to salads and baked goods are made from them. Delicious and healthy juice and puree for baby food are obtained from apples.

Characteristic

In addition to the excellent quality of the fruit, Fuji has an interesting tree structure. It can become a garden decoration thanks to its original crown, bright green foliage, and bright fruits.

Features of the variety

The main feature of Fuji is apples. They:

• round-cylindrical shape;
• covered with thin elastic skin;
• with subcutaneous light dots;
• pale yellow or greenish base color;
• completely covered with blush;
• weighing from 140 to 210 grams.

The seeds inside the apples are light brown, medium in size, and are located in narrow cavities.

Tree height

In height, this tree reaches impressive sizes, from 6 to 9 meters.The main shoots extend from the trunk at right angles. They are covered with brownish bark with grayish fluff. The bark of the trunk is slightly wrinkled, covered with small lentils.

Crown width

The shoots form a dense crown. It can take the shape of a ball or a pyramid, depending on the formation of the crown by pruning. Every year the growth of shoots is up to 60 centimeters in width and height.

Growing areas

Although the variety is zoned for Asian countries, it is successfully grown by gardeners in Ukraine and Belarus. In the south, apples are harvested sweeter than in the northern regions. For temperate climates, it is best to choose Fuji hybrids that will have time to ripen in the Central region and the Volga region.

Productivity

An apple tree may produce abundant fruit one year, but much less the next year. After all, a high harvest exhausts the apple tree, and it needs rest. It is best to switch the tree to medium yield. This is done by thinning the ovaries. Then the fruits are received annually. These apples have excellent taste and last longer in winter.

Winter hardiness

Apple trees of Japanese selection are classified as winter-hardy crops. The tree tolerates frosts within 20-25 degrees below zero. But the crop will not survive extreme cold. But Fuji hybrids are more resistant to low temperatures.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The Fuji apple tree has average immunity to scab. Therefore, most often crop plantings cannot resist infection with powdery mildew. There is also such a pathology as a bacterial burn. Apple tree pests include aphids, codling moths, and leaf rollers. Needed to prevent the treatment of plants with Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate solution. Pests are controlled by spraying with insecticidal preparations.

Lifespan

A culture is characterized by a life span of half a century. But the tree actively bears fruit for 30 years. As apples age, apple yields decline.

Planting and care

Fruit crops need careful care for a full growing season. The timing of planting the apple tree and preparation for the event play a big role.

Planting seedlings

Fuji apple tree seedlings for the garden are selected as 1- or 2-year-old. They must have a root system, a trunk without damage, and 2-3 branches. Prepare a planting site with loose soil in advance. Apple trees love sun and open places. But exposure to cold winds is dangerous for them.

Deadlines

In autumn, apple trees should be planted in the first ten days of October. If planted later, they may not survive the winter due to weakening.

In spring, planting occurs when the snow melts and warm weather sets in. But the buds should not yet bloom at this time.

Technology

Dig planting holes in the selected area in advance, no later than 3-4 weeks before planting. The diameter of the hole should be between 80-90 centimeters, the depth - 50-60 centimeters. Before the procedure, fertilizers are added to the pit, mixed with soil: manure, superphosphate, potassium salt, ammonium nitrate.

If the soil is heavy or clayey, add sand or drainage.

A mound of humus is poured in the middle. An apple tree is planted in it. Place in the middle, spreading out the roots. Then soil is poured. After filling the hole, make sure that the root collar is 4-5 centimeters above the ground surface.

Distance

The gap between plants must be maintained, otherwise they will begin to shade each other, and the roots will not have enough nutrition. Depending on the height of the tree, the distance between honey apple trees is also selected. An ordinary tree 6 meters high requires a distance of 4 meters from its neighbor. For dwarfs and semi-dwarfs, 2-3 meters is enough.

Pollination and pollinators

For Fuji to pollinate, it is necessary to have more insects in the garden during flowering. The variety needs neighbors who will help pollinate the apple tree. These include granny smith apple trees, Red Delicious, Idared, Gala. Crops begin to bloom at the same time. And Fuji also participates in the pollination of nearby trees.

Growing

Apple trees planted on fertile, loose soils grow successfully if they are properly cared for immediately after planting. In addition to watering, you need to mulch the tree trunk with peat, humus or compost. Then, digging it up in the spring, they feed the apple trees. Tree pruning also affects fruiting. It can be formative, sanitary, rejuvenating.

Agrotechnical measures

When comfortable conditions are created for a tree, it will soon turn into a tree with a powerful trunk and a strong root system. And the fruiting of the variety will be annual and high. Apple tree agricultural technology includes activities for:

• irrigation;
• fertilizer;
• pruning;
• treatment against diseases and pests;
• preparation for winter.

Every season, agrotechnical measures are carried out aimed at improving the growing season of the crop.

Tree pruning

The main methods of pruning a young tree include shortening and thinning. Annual shoots need to be shortened so that the crown becomes more branched and has a rounded shape. It is necessary to remove part of the branches to a third of the length of the annual growth. Every year the degree of pruning decreases, and if the growth has reached only 30 centimeters, then they do not touch it.

As soon as the tree begins to bear fruit, they only thin out the crown, lightening it. The procedure is also carried out in order to turn growth shoots into fruit-bearing shoots.

Features of ripening and fruiting

In order to properly care for the tree, you need to know about the characteristics of the ripening and fruiting of the Fuji apple tree. All varieties have different growing seasons; they bloom at different times. This is taken into account when caring for plants.

Beginning of fruiting

Typically, a varietal fruit crop begins to bear fruit in the 4th year of life. If it is grown on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks, then the fruits appear 1-2 years earlier. The maximum yield is obtained from an apple tree that is 10 years old. This condition is maintained by carrying out agrotechnical measures and rejuvenating plantings.

Bloom

Fuji's snow-white flowers usually appear in late April to mid-May. The timing varies depending on the growing climatic conditions and weather. Flowering will begin en masse when the air temperature is between 15-20 degrees Celsius for several days. The flowering period of Fuji lasts 1-2 weeks. If the weather becomes cool, it will drag on for several days.

Vegetation

The duration of the growing season for a variety of Japanese selection is noted. After all, starting to come to life in early spring, the tree undergoes development completely in October-November, when the leaves fall. And again weather conditions may interfere. When the summer is hot and dry, apples ripen faster. In cool weather, plant development and the final growing cycle will last until mid-November. At the same time, the growth of wood is delayed, the root system begins to strengthen, preparing for winter.

Fruit ripening time

The Fuji apple tree is classified as a late-winter species. The plant's fruits reach ripeness only in October. The degree of readiness of apples is determined by the intense coloring of the fruit. After harvesting, apples taste best after they sit indoors. They become sweeter and the sourness disappears from the pulp.

Varieties of Fuji

Since the variety is a vigorous crop, not everyone will be able to allocate space for such a powerful tree. Hence the emergence of subspecies of the variety. It is best to choose Fuji on dwarf and columnar rootstocks.

Dwarf

To create trees of a medium-sized type, rootstocks of dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees are taken. This work leads to the fact that the tree:

• reaches a height of 2-3 meters;
• occupies a small area of ​​the garden;
• begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting;
• produces abundant harvests at 10 years of age.

The apple tree is easier to care for, and the compactness of the crown allows you to plant more trees, increasing the productivity of the variety.

Columnar

The columns of Fuji apple trees, hung with bright red fruits, look interesting. The subspecies also begins to bear fruit at the 2-3rd year of life, and already at 7 years it consistently produces fruit crops. Columnar apple trees are planted at a distance of half a meter from each other, which is important for gardeners with small plots.

Hybrids

Breeders work with the Fuji apple tree to preserve the taste and quality of the fruits unchanged, as well as to shorten the growing season and increase the winter hardiness of the crop. Now you can select for cultivation the apple tree hybrid that is suitable for a specific area.

Aztec

The apple tree was developed in New Zealand. She begins to bear fruit a little earlier than the “parent”. Apples are harvested in September. They are red in color with juicy, sweet and sour flesh.

Kiku

One of the best Fuji clones also ripens earlier by 2-3 weeks. Apples with a pink blush reach a weight of 200-250 grams. The fruits are valued for their aroma and excellent taste. The tree is a medium-sized, early-bearing tree.

Yataka

The apple tree also bears fruit 2-3 weeks earlier than the main variety.It is distinguished by large, 250-300 grams, fruits. The vigorous-growing species is often overloaded, so it requires thinning of the ovaries. It is better to grow on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks. The plant suffers from weak immunity to fungal infections.

Red (Nagafu)

At the end of September, apples reach technical maturity. The tree is famous for its bright red fruits weighing 300 grams. Apples can be used fresh; they are suitable for preparations. The fruits tolerate transportation well and are stored for a long time. The subspecies is distinguished by its resistance to frost.

Toshiro

One of the vigorous tree species can withstand low temperatures. The apple tree bears fruit with fragrant and tasty fruits. They are also beautiful in appearance: pink-red, decorated with light subcutaneous dots.

Raku-Raku

The variety is close to Golden Delicious in terms of fruiting time. Large apples are valued for their tender juicy pulp, sweet taste with a slight sourness. The only drawback of the variety is the lack of self-fertility. Without pollinators, there will be no ovaries on the tree. The apple tree is resistant to scab, but often suffers from powdery mildew.

Benny Shogun

A hybrid was obtained from the Yataka apple tree by Japanese breeders. The main color of the fruit is green, but with a bright blush over the entire surface. The fruit weighs up to 350 grams. They note not only that they have an excellent taste, but also do not crack. The tree withstands winter cold.

Storage and transportation of fruits

The late winter Fuji variety is famous for its long shelf life. If stored properly, they can last for a year. In winter, they are transported over long distances, supplying the population of the northern regions with fresh fruit.This is one of the best varieties, characterized by excellent keeping quality and transportability.