A new promising variety - Black Prince - is considered one of the best, therefore, when choosing an apple tree for your garden, you should pay attention to this hybrid. Since ancient times, apple trees have been given primary attention in gardening. When planting an area with fruit, it can sometimes be difficult to decide, but having planted at least one Black Prince, the garden owner will be pleasantly surprised by the harvest.
History of the variety
When purchasing new seedlings for a garden or summer cottage, you should give preference to a hybrid such as Red Johnprince. It appeared on the territory of the Russian Federation recently, but managed to win love among gardeners in a short period of time. The seductive fruits of the Black Prince variety of red apples attract a lot of attention and look appetizing on the tree, so it’s hard to resist them.
The variety originated from American Jonagold apples in the middle XX century. Due to the yield and taste of the fruit, this hybrid conquered the United States and then Europe in a short time.
It’s worth knowing: thanks to Jonagold’s popularity, breeders have created many apples similar to it (more than 100 species).
Clones differ from the original fruits in taste and skin color. The best copy of Jonagold is considered to be the Black Prince, bred in Belgium. It appeared on the European market at the end of the twentieth century.
Description and main characteristics of the variety
According to the main characteristics, the variety of red, appetizing apples, Black Prince, belongs to the autumn mid-early hybrids. It is considered winter-hardy and can survive even sudden, severe cold snaps. Thanks to the ancestor Red Johnprince, he absorbed only the best apple qualities - productivity, disease resistance, and taste of the fruit.
According to the description and reliable characteristics, the apple tree produces a harvest already 3-4 years after planting in open ground. Six years later, the harvest promises to be generous. The fruits are collected from trees from late September to early October.
Harvesting occurs in one stage, since the apples ripen at the same time. The apples reach their bright taste by November, after lying for 2 weeks after picking.
Flowering and pollination
The buds on Black Prince trees bloom several days earlier than its parent variety.Blooming flowers have a white tint with pinkish splashes. The most relevant pollinators for the variety are Golden, Gala, Elstar, Junami, Braeburn. Also, when planting, it is worth knowing a feature - Red Jonagold is a triploid hybrid. This means that it has:
- increased productivity;
- resistance to cold;
- good quality fruits;
- rarely gets sick, especially with scab.
Beneficial features
This variety is considered a godsend for those who want to harvest vitamin apples for the winter. Black Prince contains a large amount of trace elements and antioxidants. It is also worth recalling the rich content of potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus in apples. If you consume the fruits on a regular basis, you can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Nutritionists recommend the Red Johnprince variety to people who are overweight due to the large amount of carbohydrates. It turns out that 100 grams of apples contain 42 kilocalories. Therefore, while on a diet, you can safely eat the fruits of the Black Prince.
Frequency of fruiting
Black Prince is a winter apple variety. The tree bears fruit from late September to early October. When planted, the seedling is characterized by active growth, but with age the tree begins to grow more slowly.
Mature trees are considered medium-sized. They are most successfully grown on dwarf rootstocks. After the seedling has been planted in the ground, it is unlikely to produce a harvest in the first year of its life. The Black Prince bears fruit only from the third year of life. A large harvest of apples can be expected in the sixth year of the tree's life.
Tasting assessment
The apples are sweet and sour in taste and have juicy, cream-colored flesh.According to the tasting assessment, we can say that the Black Prince has high-quality taste standards - 4.8 points on a five-point scale.
Black Prince is often used in cooking, in the making of baked goods, compotes, jams, and confitures. Many connoisseurs of the variety prefer to consume it fresh. This variety surpasses even Jonagold in terms of the amount of sucrose and glucose.
Winter hardiness and disease resistance
Despite its resistance to winter frosts, to be on the safe side, it is worth insulating the apple tree. For successful wintering, the last moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out at the end of October. On average, one tree uses 80 liters of water. Young seedlings require less liquid - 60 liters.
- Before the onset of the first frost, the tree trunk is insulated 1 meter from the ground with special insulation materials. Agrofabric, reeds, and paper are used as insulating materials. To protect the roots of the tree, mulch is poured under its trunk. The layer of sawdust and other materials should be at least 25 centimeters.
- When snow falls, you can additionally insulate the trunk with it - just shovel the snow mass towards the apple tree, the layer height should be 30-40 centimeters. When spring comes, the mulch and snow are removed.
- In rare cases, the Black Prince may become infected with scab, aphids, powdery mildew or bitter rot. If the weather has been too humid, the tree may become infected with scab fungus. Fruits with this disease lose their taste and external characteristics. As a preventative measure, the soil around the tree should be kept clean.
- If an apple tree is sick with powdery mildew, then a gray coating appears on its leaves and stems. As a preventative measure, trees are sprayed three times in one season with Bordeaux concentrate.
Productivity
Red Johnprince has a high yield, and its fruits are well preserved. An apple tree produces a harvest every year if the seedling is more than three years old. The amount of harvest directly depends on pollination. From one mature tree you can collect more than 70 kilograms of apples.
Fruit sizes
The fruits of the Black Prince have a rounded cone shape. Apples – up to 200 grams. The diameter can be about 10 centimeters. The skin has a smooth, smooth surface of dark red color. In bright light, apples take on a bright black and red color.
After ripening, the fruits begin to acquire a red tint as early as June. The pulp inside the fruit is soft, fine-grained and creamy. The fruit itself is sweet and slightly sour. According to experts, the taste of the Black Prince is highly rated.
Collection, storage and use of crops
Proper storage of representatives of the Black Prince variety of red apples plays an important role - after all, they can be preserved throughout the winter.
Attention: apples can be stored in a special storage facility for up to 9 months.
- The fruits need to be collected at the end of September or in the first ten days of October. If you do this earlier, the fruits may lose almost 40% of their taste.
- Thanks to their hard skin and strong pulp, apples can withstand transportation.
- The harvest can be preserved for 3 months if kept at room temperature. The fruits will keep in the refrigerator for six months.
- It is advisable to store apples at home in wooden boxes with a small layer of hay or paper at the bottom.
- Red Johnprince can be eaten fresh, and fruit and vitamin salads can be prepared with its addition. It is also used to make compotes, jams and confitures for the winter.
Conclusion
The Black Prince variety is superior to other apple varieties.By planting them in the garden, you can expect a high yield, winter hardiness and ease of care. Experienced gardeners and beginners alike can grow such a tree.
