Before how to plant an apple tree seedling, a lot of time is spent choosing the right variety. Each has its own positive and negative sides, and it is recommended to grow them in the regions in which they were bred. First of all, it is better to take a closer look at new varieties of fruit trees. Breeders are trying to create varieties that are resistant to diseases, have high harvest rates and excellent taste. The Riga Dove apple tree is native to the Baltic states. It is suitable for growing in Russia and even in the Scandinavian countries.
Description of the Riga Golubok apple tree
The variety appeared thanks to the efforts of breeders from Estonia. It is summer, the harvest is harvested before the onset of autumn. The trees grow to medium size with dense, rounded crowns and many branches. The leaf blade also corresponds to the average, the shape is elliptical or round, the color is light green.
The weight of apples rarely exceeds 110 grams. Mostly they turn out light yellow, without outer shades. But sometimes, when the fruit has been growing for a long time under the sun's rays, small gaps of pink color appear on the sides.
The fruit pulp is pale with a yellow color, characterized by juiciness and aroma. The taste is sweet and sour. The composition contains sugar - 12.9% and acid - 0.53%.
The yield of each apple tree reaches moderate levels. The fruits are well attached to the stalks, which allows them to hang on the tree for a long time without being afraid of gusts of wind.
Riga Dove is noted for its resistance to frost, as well as to infections, diseases and pests.
History of the variety's creation
Descriptions of the variety begin with data on the breeding of the apple tree. The Riga Dove was created thanks to the well-coordinated work of professionals at the breeding station in Estonia. As a result, they have a variety that is suitable for planting on the territory of the Russian Federation and even in some regions of the Scandinavian countries, which indicates the good winter hardiness of the variety.
What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The advantages of the Riga Dove are as follows:
- Resistance to cold, excellent health of the apple tree throughout the winter period. Not every fruit tree can boast of this.In practice, this variety has proven itself to be the best among others.
- The harvest from one mature apple tree reaches 160 kg.
- There is no tendency to self-defeat. In other words, the apples are so well attached to the branches that you don’t have to worry at all if the day of picking the fruit is delayed in time.
- Trees are endowed with strong immunity to various diseases, lesions and pests. Breeders instilled in the variety the ability to resist scab and powdery mildew.
Riga Dove has no negative sides.
Main characteristics
To make a choice, it is worth considering the main characteristics of the variety.
Tree dimensions
Apple trees are characterized by medium height. Their crowns are spreading, lush, rounded. There are a lot of branches.
Ripening time
The average flowering time for the Riga Dove is the end of April - the second ten days of May. If the weather is bad during this period, due to strong winds and rains, the flowers are damaged, which then leads to a decrease in yield.
The fruits reach a ripe state in the summer. In mid-to-late August, apples are consumed; there is no need to put them away and wait for some more time.
Fruit evaluation
The fruits are light yellow in color and have a thin peel. The presence of a delicate pinkish blush depends on the exposure of the fruit to sunlight. The weight of one copy is about 110 g.
Apples have a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Tasters give it a solid score of 4.5 points. They are great for direct use in food, making jam, jam, compote.
If you comply with the required storage conditions, the Riga Dove can be stored until December.
Fruiting
The apple tree begins to produce a harvest in the fourth year after planting the seedling.The first harvest of fruit is often very small. But from next season the figure increases.
The Riga Dove has interruptions in fruiting - once every 3-4 years.
Due to the fact that apples stick well to the branches and are not prone to falling, they retain their wonderful appearance. Fruits are ideal for transportation over long distances.
Winter hardiness
The tree tolerates winter well. Gardeners from regions where strong winds blow should know that the apple tree must be thoroughly wrapped. It is better to use special covering material. It needs to be covered with snow on top. These manipulations will help keep the tree from freezing and not damage its immune system.
Diseases
As noted above, the Riga Dove has vaccinated immunity. If you properly care for apple trees, you can forget about diseases. Scab and powdery mildew cause little harm during a particularly rainy season, but timely measures to treat trees will help avoid these misfortunes. Damaged tissues can quickly recover.
Regions of distribution
The variety is recommended for planting in the Northwestern, Southwestern and Southeastern parts of our country. It grows well on loamy and podzolic soil, which predominates in the Leningrad region.
The seedlings are placed on areas well lit by the sun, at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from each other.
