The best and new varieties of columnar apple trees for the Moscow region with a description

Columnar apple trees save space on the site, reduce the time until the first harvest, and simplify care. They are a real boon for gardening farms, but not all varieties are suitable for growing in the Moscow region. Varieties of columnar apple trees for the Moscow region must meet the following requirements - resistance to frost, humidity, disease, and high adaptability.

Climatic characteristics of the Moscow region

The temperate continental climate of central Russia, which includes the Moscow region, is characterized by harsh winters, hot summers, and long rainy seasons. In different directions from the capital city, average annual seasonal temperatures can vary by several degrees.

The climate of the Moscow region has some differences in different directions:

• In the northwest it is closer to Tverskoye.
• In the northeast to Yaroslavl.
• In the east to Vladimirsky.
• In the southeast to Ryazansky.
• In the south - Tula.
• In the southwest - Kaluga.
• In the west - Smolensk.

The capital is located in the center of the Moscow region, where climatic conditions can be considered average, but when planting and caring for fruit trees, you will have to focus on the climate of a particular area. The southeast of the region has the harshest winters and the highest summer temperatures.

The landscape of the region is flat, only in the western direction there are hills that rise to a maximum of 160 m. Accordingly, the soils in different areas of the Moscow region are also strikingly different from each other, which must be taken into account at the stage of preparing the site for planting apple trees, as well as the fact that Moscow lands are fertile they do not differ.

What is the advantage of columnar apple trees for this region?

Considering that partly cloudy weather and cloudy summer weather are typical for areas of the region, apple trees with thickened crowns do not always have enough sunlight for apples to gain sugar. Columnar apple trees do not hide the fruits with foliage; each apple receives its full portion of warmth and light.

Despite the relatively short period of fruiting, the best Moscow region columnar-type varieties begin to bear fruit the very next season after planting; by the fifth season they already produce the maximum possible yield for a particular variety.

In a relatively small area, columnar apple trees can be placed at a distance of 80 cm from each other; they will not shade neighboring plants, because this type of plant does not have skeletal branches.

Columnar apple trees have high immunity to many diseases, but not the highest frost resistance, which is compensated by their small height, which allows them to completely cover the plants by winter.

The small size of the plant also makes it easy to harvest and carry out preventive and therapeutic spraying.

Types and characteristics of varieties

Every year, thanks to folk and professional selection, new varieties of columnar apple trees appear for cultivation in the Moscow region.

When breeding varieties, scientists set themselves different tasks:

• increasing productivity;
• resistance to disease and frost;
• acceleration of maturation;
• obtaining shelf-stable fruits that are not afraid of transportation;
• improvement of taste.

Each variety has its own characteristics, including the timing of the growing season and harvest. Conventionally, all columnar apple trees can be divided into three large categories - summer, autumn and winter.

Summer

This category includes varieties with ripening periods from mid-July to August 19. Fruits of this category are not intended for long-term storage; their flesh is loose or medium-loose, and has a high sugar content.

Nectar

The height of the tree is 2 m, the trunk with foliage and fruits does not exceed 30 cm in diameter.Before reaching its maximum height, the seedling is annually extended by 10-15 cm. Alternating fruit-bearing areas ensures regularity of harvest from year to year. From an adult plant, up to 15 kg of marketable fruits with a high tasting rating, obtained for a pleasant honey aroma and taste, are removed.

The disease resistance of this variety is equal to that of tall apple trees.

Malyukha

The apple tree, bred in Canada, rarely exceeds 180 cm in height. The fruits are large (up to 250 g), green with a pinkish blush. At the age of 5 years, the tree reaches maximum endurance and produces 13-15 kg of juicy, aromatic, sweet and sour apples annually. The variety requires proper care. If it is absent, you will not get fruit from this variety of apple trees.

Vasyugan

The variety was bred in 1987 in Russia; its ringlets are quite hardy, as is the trunk, literally entwined with fruits. The size of the fruit cannot be called uniform; the weight of apples varies from 100 to 200 g. The dense, granular, sweet and sour pulp and the high aesthetic characteristics of the plant make the frost-resistant Vasyugan apple tree a desirable planting on a site in the Moscow region.

Slightly elongated pink fruits with blurred red stripes decorate the garden and fill it with aroma. The maximum height of the plant is 3 m; the columnar structure of the crown is achieved using standard pruning.

Autumn

Autumn varieties include columnar apple trees with medium ripening periods - from the last ten days of August to mid-September.

Titania

During the planting season, up to 1 kg of apples can be removed from a young tree, but the apple tree most often begins to bear fruit in the 3rd season. 8-10 kg of fruits are removed from one adult plant. It has a high degree of regeneration after frostbite.

Gin

A typical columnar variety with bright apples that appear in the first season.The main advantage of this variety among its peers is its high frost resistance.

Winter

Winter ripening apple varieties in the Moscow region falls on the last ten days of September - mid-October. They are collected at the stage of technical maturity for storage. Fruits of winter varieties often decorate the New Year's table, delighting hosts with the unrivaled taste of summer.

Currency

Apples of this variety vary in size and weight (from 100 to 250 g). The frost resistance of the variety is such that it can be grown even in Siberia. In the Moscow region, fruit ripening occurs in the last ten days of October.

Moscow necklace

The fruits are smooth, red, of medium size with a weight of 110-120 g. Harvesting occurs in mid-September, but marketability and taste are maintained until the end of February.

The president

In terms of frost resistance, this variety is not inferior to Antonovka, despite the fact that its fruits are harvested about a month earlier.

Amber necklace

The variability in the size of the tree depends on the type of rootstock chosen - dwarf, semi-dwarf, vigorous. The minimum height is 1.5 m, the maximum is 3.5. Columnar apple trees are grown on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks. By the age of 5, the plant reaches its growth limit and gains strength for full fruiting. Until the age of 17, you can remove 15-20 kg of crispy, juicy apples from it annually.

How to plant and grow an apple tree

Planting apple trees in the Moscow region falls in the second half of October and the end of April. Regardless of the time of year chosen for planting, the planting hole is prepared for the seedling in the fall. Growing an apple tree, crown formation, and fruiting depend on the rooting of the plant and its adaptability. Given the close location of the roots to the soil surface, it is better to choose spring planting for columnar varieties.Over the summer, the seedling will take root and gain strength for a not so mild winter.

Landing dates

Planting work in the north-west and south-east of the region may differ by 1-2 weeks from the average time in the Moscow region.

Spring

The guidelines for planting an apple tree will be the following factors:

• complete melting of snow;
• establishing positive air temperatures day and night for at least a week;
• melt water draining, soil drying out.

Autumn

When planting in autumn, it is necessary to focus on average statistical indicators. It is necessary to plant a seedling 2 weeks before the onset of frost, no later!

Preparation of seedlings

After purchasing, the seedling must be buried on the site so that it gets used to new conditions - climate, soil characteristics. Before planting, it is recommended to soak the rhizomes of seedlings with a not very branched open root system for 12 hours in water with a growth activator dissolved in it. This will help the plant take root and grow faster.

Required soil composition

The soil should be saturated with minerals, which provide organic fertilizers - manure, humus, humus. For autumn planting, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are not used, but the soil can be improved with potassium and phosphorus complex foliar fertilizers hidden under a layer of regular soil.

Seating scheme and pit depth

A distance of 80-100 cm is maintained between columnar apple trees, and the same distance should be between the rows. The recommended width and depth of the planting hole is 80 cm. One third of it is filled with broken bricks or other material that creates a drainage layer. Another third of the space will be needed for soil enriched with mineral and organic composition.

Caring for young animals

Before the plant reaches 5 years of age, scheduled pruning is carried out in spring and autumn, necessary to form the crown and plan the next year's harvest.

Watering

The soil is moistened at least 4 times a season:

1. Before flowering.
2. During the formation of ovaries.
3. At the moment the apples collect juice.
4. At the stage of preparing the tree for winter.

For most plants this is enough. Abundant watering is necessary on soils that retain moisture, but it is useless on sandstones, which allow water to pass through a sieve. On such soils, apple trees need to be watered in small doses, but regularly, about once a week.

Fertilizer

At the initial stage of the growing season, the apple tree needs nitrogen; it is applied twice - before flowering and at the stage of ovary formation. When fruits ripen, the tree requires phosphorus and potassium; they are applied as root and foliar fertilizers.

Treatment against pests and infections

Universal insecticides will help prevent fungal infections of the apple tree and protect the garden from the invasion of insect pests of fruit trees. The first treatment is carried out on the bare trunk, before the buds open, the second (with a less saturated solution) at the moment of fruit set.

Formation of the correct crown

During planned autumn pruning, the growths are shortened so that no more than 2 fruit buds remain on each ringlet. Spring pruning will help adjust the crown; at this stage, weak and frozen shoots are removed from the tree.

Shelter for the winter

It is not difficult to pack short trees in a plastic sleeve and tie it so that the air layer inside it protects the plant from contact with the frosty air of the environment. If necessary, burlap and a second layer of polyethylene are put on top of the sleeve.The root system is protected by a 10-15 cm layer of mulch mixed with peat.