Every year new varieties of apple trees appear on the horticultural market. Among them there are those that attract with their unusual name and force attention. One of these is the Warrior Memory apple tree, bred several decades ago and managed to win the love of Russian gardeners.
Description of the variety
The apple tree variety appeared as a result of breeding work in 1959 and, after passing successful tests, was included in the state list of achievements of the Central Black Earth region in 1997. The winter-hardy hybrid Memory of the Warrior was obtained by crossing Antonovka and Welsey. The variety has surpassed its parents in terms of fruit taste, while losing its demands on growing conditions.
The description and characteristics of the variety indicate the average size of apples, the weight of which can reach 165 g. The weight of the fruit ranges from 110 to 130 g. The fruits have a regular shape, a strong dry peel, rough to the touch. The color of the apples is golden yellow, the surface has blotches and stripes of red. The tender white flesh has a juicy sweet and sour taste.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The benefits of Memory Warrior include the excellent appearance and taste of the fruit. The strengths of fruit trees are the following:
- high stable yields;
- resistance to scab;
- lack of tendency to thicken;
- resistance to difficult transportation conditions;
- ability to withstand low temperatures;
- long consumer period.
Apples are able to retain their quality until February, which makes it possible to obtain a valuable source of nutrients in the winter. Due to its low maintenance requirements, the variety is in demand for growing in private plots and on farms. The fruits are considered universal, as they are suitable for long-term fresh consumption, for preparing preserves and drying.
Disadvantages include insufficient winter hardiness, which is rated as average.Some gardeners consider the late entry of trees into the fruiting stage as a disadvantage. The trees form their first fruits only in the 7th year after planting.
Characteristics
Memory to the Warrior is considered a tall type of apple tree; the growth of trees on seed rootstocks can reach 6 m, on dwarf rootstocks - 4 m. At the age of up to 7 years, they have a crown in the shape of a pyramid, fruit-bearing plants take on the appearance of a ball. They are quite thick, so they are not prone to bending and are able to withstand a significant weight of fruit.
The winter-hardy variety has medium-sized leaf blades with a wrinkled surface. In young trees they are glossy, but later this quality is lost. A feature of the variety is the formation of large inflorescences, the color of which can vary from pink to purple.
Tasting assessment
The sweet and sour taste of apples is rated as 4.7 on a 5-point scale. The fruit contains 11% sugar and less than 0.5% acids. The advantage of the fruit is a large amount of vitamin C, since 100 g of product contains about 8.5 mg. Due to their richness in pectin, apples of this variety are recommended for dietary nutrition in order to remove waste and toxins.
Productivity
The quality of early fruiting of the apple tree is assessed as average. The first fruits are obtained when using a seed rootstock in the 7th year, when using a dwarf rootstock - in the 5th year. Yields are increasing gradually. At the age of 8 years, the tree is capable of producing up to 40 kg of apples; by 10 years, the yield value increases to 50 kg. When growing dwarf apples, it can reach 65 kg in an adult tree.
For planting, it is recommended to choose annual plants and purchase them from specialized nurseries.
This recommendation is due to the fact that the apple tree of the Pamyat Voina variety has a developed root system, and when digging up older plants, it is injured, which subsequently negatively affects the survival rate and growth of the tree. Plants can be planted in autumn and spring, but the first option is considered recommended and more preferable.
For proper fruiting, it is important to carry out work on the formation of the crown, which begins to be done already in the 2nd year of planting. It is important not to spare the plant and trim the ends of the branches in a timely manner. To obtain a good yield, it is enough to carry out 1 fertilizing per year and timely treatment of trees with pest control drugs.
Frequency of fruiting
The variety belongs to the category of consistently yielding horticultural crops. A distinctive property of the apple tree is its self-sterility. For proper pollination of flowers, it is necessary to plant other varieties of apple trees at a distance of 5 meters from the tree. The most suitable for these purposes are:
- Antonovka;
- Strefling;
- Welsey.
Gardeners note the possibility of a complete absence of fruits or a decrease in their quantity after a year of super-abundant harvest.
Winter hardiness and disease resistance
The variety belongs to the category of winter-hardy, so the trees are able to withstand low temperatures. For better plant growth, it is recommended to choose sunny, illuminated places with sufficiently loose and nutritious soil.
The advantage of the garden crop is its resistance to scab. The greatest susceptibility is observed to the following types of diseases:
- codling moths;
- fruit sapwood;
- silkworms;
- mining moth.
For control and prevention purposes, targeted drugs are used. In some cases, diseases occur due to improper care of apple trees.For example, bitter pitting can develop due to excess nitrogen in the soil, lack of calcium or high humidity.
Features of ripening and fruiting
The first fruits of the Memory of the Warrior variety begin to ripen by mid-September. The recommended time for collection is the last days of the month. Apples retain their consumer qualities until February, and under specialized conditions until March. To ensure proper quality of storage, it is necessary to monitor the safety of the fruits and the absence of damage to them.
The peculiarity of fruiting of apple trees is that it is observed mainly on the ringlets. The variety does not demonstrate sharp periodicity in yield, but after significant fruit formation, a rest period is possible. As the tree matures, the formation of apples increases.
In what regions can it be grown?
Apple trees Memory of the Warrior were initially positioned as a winter-hardy variety that demonstrated good yields when grown in the Central regions of Russia. The highest values and best results of growing the variety were recorded in the following areas:
- Tula;
- Moscow;
- Orlovskaya.
The variety is able to tolerate low temperatures, but the average qualities of a garden crop limit its planting in areas with difficult climatic conditions.
