Gardening art is a complex thing, requiring a lot of work and effort. But in the end it pays off with interest as soon as a person harvests the harvest. If you have your own garden or vegetable garden, you can independently choose what will grow there: some plant vegetables, fruits, berries, others are content with only flowers and a couple of trees. But there is something that can be found in any garden, regardless of its size - this is an apple tree. The Solntsedar apple tree is one of the favorite crops not only of gardeners, but also of consumers.
Description of the variety
However, before choosing this type of apple, it is worth reading the description to make sure that these fruits are really suitable. Apples of the Solntsedar variety have a round, slightly flattened shape. The taste is sweet and sour, with a tart aftertaste. The skin is thin, glossy, with a light waxy coating of a soft cream color. At the same time, most of the surface of the apple has a bright red blush, making the fruit visually attractive. The consistency of the pulp is slightly porous, white, with light red streaks.
The tree itself is not tall, usually no more than 3 meters. The crown is spreading. Solntsedar apple trees are classified as a summer species - fruit ripening begins in early August. You need to pick fruits in a timely manner - they fall quickly.
Pros and cons of apple trees
Apples of this variety have a number of advantages:
- taste qualities;
- easily survives low temperatures;
- brings a large amount of harvest;
- tree size for easy maintenance.
But as with all other types, there are some drawbacks:
- inability to self-pollinate;
- susceptibility to many diseases;
- short shelf life of fruits;
- frequency of fruiting in adult crops.
Characteristics of the Solntsedar variety
To finally decide whether this type of apple is suitable for growing in the garden, you need to familiarize yourself with the main characteristics.
Dimensions
As mentioned above, it is a medium-sized tree with a wide crown. The height is rarely more than three meters. If tree branches are not formed, the crown span can also reach 3 meters. If necessary, apple trees of this type can also be grown in bush form.
The fruits are small in size, on average the weight of one apple is from 80 to 110 grams.This volume is ideal for eating whole fruits.
Productivity
For such a modest size, the yield is high - about 100 kilograms of apples can be harvested from one mature tree (from 7 years old). Apples begin to ripen at the beginning of August, and the main thing here is not to be late, as the fruits quickly fall off. And the shelf life of such fruits is shorter.
Frequency of fruiting
If you decide to plant a Solntsedar apple tree, then to get results you need to be patient. The first fruits are obtained only in the 4-5th year of the tree’s life, and a bountiful harvest no earlier than after 7 years. Old trees may produce crops irregularly.
Winter hardiness
Solntsedar has excellent winter hardiness - trees can withstand temperatures down to minus 40 degrees. Even young apple trees of this variety do not need additional insulation. The main condition is to try to plant the tree in a place that is as sunny as possible.
Disease resistance
Unfortunately, Solntsedar apple trees have poor resistance to diseases and pests. The most common diseases:
- scab;
- mealy wasp;
- fruit rot;
- milky shine.
To protect the tree, it is necessary to spray it with a special solution in time. Whitewashing the trunk of an apple tree will help resist pests.
Fruit evaluation
Ripe fruits contain:
- sugar from 10% to 12.5%;
- titratable acids 0.86%;
- dry matter from 12% to 16%;
- ascorbic acid from 11.5 to 24 milligrams;
- P-active substances from 170 to 270 milligrams.
Best Growing Regions
A continental climate is suitable for growing these apples. The variety was bred in the Urals, which made it possible to achieve excellent winter hardiness, so Solntsedar can be planted almost anywhere.The main thing is to provide the tree with maximum sunlight and water it in dry weather.
Subspecies of the variety
There are 2 options for growing this variety of apple trees:
- The seedling is more resistant to scab and begins to bear fruit abundantly already in the 4th year of life.
- Creeping along the ground. It can be obtained by planting the seedling at an angle or bending the branches to the ground.
Apple tree reviews
Vasily, Yekaterinburg: “Several years ago we planted the Solntsedar apple tree - we are happy. It bears fruit regularly, there were no problems with wintering. The taste is amazing. “We ended up planting a few more trees.”
Valentina, Moscow: “We read the reviews and decided to plant this variety of apple tree, but it didn’t suit us. We don’t go to the dacha often, but once we arrived, all the apples were on the ground. This species is for those who can regularly monitor the harvest.”
Yuri, St. Petersburg: “We really like apples both in taste and size. The only negative is that you have to make efforts to prevent the trees from getting sick. But the work pays off - the apples are juicy and beautiful. And the fact that the shelf life is short is not a problem. What we didn’t eat, we put into recycling.”
