Description and characteristics of the decorative apple tree variety Royalty, planting and care

The Royalty apple tree variety is classified as decorative. Widely used in landscape design of private gardens. The tree has small fruits, the size of cherries. The harvest ripens in the fall. The plant pleases the eye with its unusual leaf color and amazing flowering, which resembles sakura in appearance. Royalty is easy to care for and suitable for various climate zones.

Description of the variety

The variety adapts well to drought and gusty winds. Easily adapts to air dust and gas pollution. The decorative apple tree Royal Beauty is very similar to Royalty. This is one hybrid species descended from the purple apple tree. Fruit trees are used for decoration:

• park areas;
• local area;
• squares.

Plants look spectacular not only when planted individually, but also when planted in alleys or in groups. Also used as a hedge.

The red-leaved beauty has not yet become widespread in our country, but due to its spectacular appearance it is increasingly appearing as a decoration on personal plots and in the courtyards of high-rise buildings.

The advantages include:

• regular yield;
• precociousness;
• exquisite crown shape;
• high winter hardiness.

Apples are inedible, taste tart and very bitter. When consumed even in small quantities, they cause an eating disorder.

Characteristics of the apple tree Royalty

It is necessary to artificially form the crown, otherwise lateral growth will quickly form on the plant, which turns the Royalty apple tree into a shrub.

Tree height

The plant grows slowly. At 10 years of age, the height rarely exceeds 4 meters. Maximum grows up to 6 meters.

Crown width

In the first few years, the crown grows slightly, so it is very compact in appearance. There are varieties:

1. Crying. The branches are neatly arranged downward and create a harmonious shape without human intervention. Pruning makes minor adjustments to which the variety responds well.
2. Vertically growing. In an adult plant, the crown reaches 4-5 meters in width. At first it is compact and grows slightly.Most often spherical in shape, but also oval. In an adult tree it becomes wide and spreading.

Annual growth

In the first years the growth is insignificant, so the plant is compact. After 3 years, the tree builds up a strong root mass and begins to grow the above-ground part. The annual growth of Royalty is a maximum of 40 centimeters. Depends on growing conditions and plant variety. A slight increase helps to maintain the unity of the compositions for a long time.

Leaves

Key Features:

• have a glossy surface;
• leaf blades are oblong, elliptical in shape, slightly narrowed, about 10 centimeters long;
• in autumn they turn a rich crimson color;
• In spring, the color of the foliage is purple, bright, and at the end of summer it acquires red hues.

The foliage does not fall off for a long time. Therefore, the plant continuously stands out with its bright color among the gray autumn garden.

Frost resistance

If the groundwater is deep, the tree can withstand severe frosts down to -35 °C. In a particularly windy winter, flower buds may freeze.

Disease resistance

The Royalty apple tree has good disease resistance. If there are foci of fungal infections in the garden on fruit trees, it is necessary to carry out prevention in order to prevent the spread of the disease and not spoil the appearance of the apple tree. The crop is treated prophylactically at the same time as other apple trees.

How to choose the right seedlings when purchasing

In order for the plant to please with a beautiful, healthy appearance, special attention is paid when choosing a seedling:

• must be strong, healthy, without visible damage;
• height 1.5 meters;
• bark color is bright green;
• there should be no scratches on the stem;
• with a lush root system.

Two-year-old seedlings are selected for planting.A plant with overdried roots has little chance of taking root. During transportation, the root system is covered with a wet cloth. For transportation over long distances, a seedling is purchased in a container.

When planting in spring, living buds should be closed. In autumn, the crop should have leaves.

Basic requirements for proper tree planting

In order for a tree to delight with a beautiful crown and healthy appearance, it is necessary to pay close attention to planting rules.

Optimal timing

In spring, it is recommended to plant before buds open. In autumn - in October, there should be at least a month left before frost.

Selection and preparation of a landing site

The culture prefers areas with abundant sunlight. Depending on the light, the color of the foliage will change. With minimal lighting, the leaves have a less saturated color. The variety is sensitive to excess moisture. If groundwater is located closer than 2 meters from the surface, the apple tree may die.

It is preferable to plant the plant on soils:

• breathable;
• fertile;
• slightly acidic;
• neutral.

The soil should not contain crushed stone or limestone.

Preparation of seedlings

Before planting, it is recommended to prepare the plant:

• the roots are carefully straightened;
• Place in water for at least 2 hours.

Broken branches are cut off during transportation.

Scheme of planting seedlings

The planting hole is dug twice as large as the root ball. A distance of 2.5 meters is maintained between plantings, and 4 meters between rows.

In autumn it is forbidden to apply fertilizers. They can provoke bud break for the winter. The seedling is immersed in the hole so that the graft remains above the surface.

Apple tree care

The variety has a positive attitude towards mulching. Use:

• pine bark;
• peat;
• nut shell;
• wood chips.

Mulch will help protect the soil from drying out and reduce the amount of weeding.

Watering

Water the plant as needed:

• during drought;
• at high temperatures;
• when the soil dries out.

Excess moisture negatively affects the condition of the apple tree. Lack of fluid also has a bad effect on the decorative appearance of the plant and flowering. Mulch retains the required amount of moisture well. In its absence, after each watering, loosen the tree trunk circle and immediately remove the weeds.

Top dressing

It is enough to fertilize once a year. To do this, purchase a complex fertilizer intended for ornamental plants. In late autumn, the soil around the trunk is covered with rotted humus. After the snow melts, the ground is dug up.

Trimming

The apple tree variety has a beautiful and compact crown. The plant is pruned rarely and carefully, since the apple tree does not like this procedure. The variety is not intended for decorative crown formation. During pruning, damaged, dry, diseased and incorrectly growing branches are removed. Parts growing inside the crown must be completely pruned.

To prevent infections from penetrating through the cuts, after the procedure they are coated with garden varnish.

Protection from diseases and pests

The plant has average resistance to scab. It is also slightly susceptible to fungal diseases.

The variety is decorative, and the fruits are not used for food, therefore, at any stage of fruiting, it is allowed, if necessary, to treat the apple tree with the following preparations:

• "Topaz";
• "Skor";
• Bordeaux mixture.

Weeds and grass create favorable conditions for the spread of pests and diseases. Therefore, they must be removed around the trunk in a timely manner.Also, the tree trunk circle is regularly loosened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen. This will allow the plant to grow strong, which will help resist disease.

Flowering and fruiting

It blooms magnificently and abundantly for 2 weeks. In hot weather it fades faster. There are so many flowers on the branches that you can’t even see the branches. Therefore, the tree looks like a flowering ball. Thanks to this feature, landscape designers often use apple trees to decorate the area. During the fruiting period, the fruits become a decoration of the tree. Small in size, they look elegant on the branches and decorate the plant even after the foliage has completely fallen.

Varieties and subspecies

Most often, Royalty is grown on a standard. Varieties:

1. Royalty pendula is a plant with a columnar crown and weeping branches. Green leaves, pink flowers.
2. Niedzvetsky apple tree. The shoots are dark pink and the leaves are purple. The flowers are pink.
3. Royalty Beauty is a weeping one. The branches fall down and form a waterfall of fruits and foliage.

The subspecies are frost-resistant and suitable for cultivation in various climatic zones. The unpretentiousness of the variety allows you to grow apple trees in places that are not suitable for other fruit trees.