Each season of the year pleases with its own characteristics. With the onset of autumn, the owners of the Katerina apple tree are waiting for the harvest. These fruits, so sweet and juicy, are excellent representatives of their “parents”: the Golden Delicious and Mekintosh Vazhek varieties. The cultivar is one of the late ones, so you will be able to transfer a piece of autumn into the cold and frosts without loss of quality. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics.
Description of the variety
The variety was bred by Ukrainian selection in 1978.The apples of this variety have a flattened cone shape, with a slightly ribbed surface at the top. The weight of one fruit fluctuates around 200 grams, more often – a little less, from 160 to 190 grams. The flesh is a delicate cream color, with green veins, very juicy, dense and crispy.
On the outside, Katerina’s apples are ruddy, yellow-green, red, with an orange tint on the sunny side. The skin is medium thick, dry, dense. The taste is sweet, with pleasant sourness, and slightly spicy notes. The shape of the apple tree is pyramidal, the branches are spreading, the shoots are strong.
The tree is distinguished by its powerful growth force, the crown is large and decomposed.
The foliage is a standard green color, with medium density. When describing the cultivar, it should be mentioned that there are many fruits on the tree, they grow as if in clusters. The fruits are most often consumed fresh, but they are also used in the preparation of juices.
Characteristics
Below is a detailed description of the Katerina apple tree variety.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
First of all, let's talk about the advantages:
- Precociousness. The Katerina variety is a donor of early fruiting in breeding.
- High yield. This fact will please both the owner of a modest garden of several trees and a large planter. A large number of fruits grow and ripen on one tree. It should be noted that there are no special requirements for caring for the plant. Therefore, with the same labor and time investments, you will get a much larger harvest than from other varieties of apple trees.
- Excellent transportability. Thanks to this indicator, Katerina apples are often exported to other countries, where they are also very popular.
- Excellent taste. On a five-point scale, Katerina received a score from 4.5 to 4.9. These are amazing numbers.
- The seedlings are well fixed in the ground, so they do not need to be further strengthened. You will also be pleased with the fact that the tree does not form root shoots.
- The period of operation of the garden is quite long - from 28 to 35 years.
If we talk about disadvantages, we should mention the average resistance to drought. The southern regions of Ukraine are characterized by excessive summer heat and low precipitation. At this temperature, the fruits do not receive enough moisture from the soil. The consequence of this is insufficient juiciness of the fruit.
Due to the fact that there are a lot of fruits on one tree, this creates a threat of branches that are not thick and strong enough to break off (which happens if the season is rich in rain). Therefore, rationing of flowers and ovaries is required.
Productivity
An adult tree that has reached the age of eight years produces a harvest of 35-40 kilograms of apples. This is an excellent indicator that not all cultivars can boast of.
Frequency of fruiting
The seedling begins to bear fruit, as a rule, in the second, third (maximum fourth) year after planting. From this moment on, the harvest ripens every year.
Frost resistance
The indicator is excellent. From December to June next year, apples of the Katerina cultivar can be consumed fresh. You just need to remember that the nine-month period must be supported by the correct storage conditions: provide high-quality ventilation in the room, with a cool temperature.
Disease resistance
The variety has strong immunity to diseases and is rarely susceptible to them. Breeders noted a good protective reaction against scab and powdery mildew.
Timing of flowering and fruit ripening
The apple tree cultivar Katerina blooms in the middle period. The whole tree is strewn with flowers. The fruits become ready for harvest by early October. However, keep in mind that by this time the fruits that are already ripe will fall off. Therefore, if the gardener sets out to preserve the apples for as long as possible, start harvesting by the end of September. The fruits will ripen in the basement or refrigerator.
Favorable regions for cultivation
This cultivar was introduced by Ukrainian selection and became most widespread in Ukraine. In 2001, the species was included in the Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine for Polesie and Forest-Steppe. Outside the territory of Ukraine, for successful fruiting, a seedling requires a temperate climate, fertile soil (chernozem), and a sufficient amount of solar energy and heat.
