The Lyubava variety apple tree is a good winter type of apple tree in Russian selection. Tender, white and juicy pulp with a sweet and sour taste will not leave family members indifferent. The tree cannot be called whimsical to grow. We propose to consider in more detail what an apple tree is.
Description and features
The second name of the variety is Swan Song, which is a winter variety. Their beautiful appearance makes them a real decoration of gardens. The trees grow tall with a rounded crown.
The shoots are small, red-brown in color, without much pubescence.The leaf is oval and medium-sized with jagged edges, and the surface of the plate is wrinkled and green in color.
In spring, the flowers are large, white, small-cupped, emitting a bright aroma, and pink in color.
Apple fruits are round in shape. Mostly the same size and color - green. The weight of one apple reaches up to 100 grams. Cutting the fruit open reveals white flesh, juicy and sweet and sour. The peel is dense, not thin.
History of creation
The Swan Song variety was developed at the Krasnoyarsk breeding development station in 1997. N.N. took an active part. Tikhonov and P.A. Zhavoronkov.
For breeding, the hybridization method was used, which is considered popular for obtaining new tree species. The crossing took place between the Golden Delicious and Winter Aport varieties. The process took place in 4 stages:
- Pollination 2 times. Then they made sure to take care of the mother trees. As a result, we waited for the appearance of hybrid fruits.
- Extracting seeds from apples.
- Planting in prepared soil. The seeds are first stratified from January to March.
- Caring procedures for new seedlings.
For cultivation, a mentor’s technique was used, which was the Aport winter variety. Hybrid plants were placed in harsh conditions. The soil was poor. All this was done for the frost resistance of apple trees.
Fruiting of the Lyubava apple tree
This type of apple tree is considered high-yielding. Up to 45 kilograms of fruit are harvested from 1 tree. After planting in open ground, the apple tree begins to bear fruit after 5 years.
Harvesting begins in the middle of the first month of autumn. Apples have time to fully ripen. It is recommended to store in a cool place for no more than six months. You can make jam, jam, compote from the fruits.
Diseases and pests
Improper tree care leads to damage to pathogenic microflora. The apple tree begins to hurt and if you ignore the signs, all the work in growing will be in vain.
Let's look at the most popular diseases and pests:
- Powdery mildew or fungus that affects all parts of the apple tree. The first manifestation (in the form of a white coating) is in early spring during the appearance of buds and the first leaves. To eliminate fungus, it is recommended to use sulfur-containing preparations.
- Bacterial burn is an infectious disease. Branches and young shoots acquire a dark brown tint. In appearance they resemble charred branches. It spreads rapidly to other fruit trees. First of all, it is necessary to remove the affected area and treat all trees in the area with disinfectants.
- Black cancer. The disease manifests itself in spring in the form of spots on the leaves. Their color is purple. Over time they increase in size. The fruiting bodies of the infecting fungus are visible on the crown. In the absence of treatment, apple tree sheds leaves and fruits. To eliminate the fungus, you need to remove the infected branches, treat and begin to treat the wounds that appear.
- Fruit rot. It appears in 2 stages: in spring (it has a detrimental effect on peduncles and branches) and in autumn (it affects fruits, reducing the yield and shelf life of apples). Treatment is removal of the lesion. Rotten fruits are immediately removed from the tree.
- Apple moth - silver-white butterfly. Suspends the development of the tree until the pest is completely eliminated. The chlorophos solution has a detrimental effect on it.
- Green aphids are small insect pests, reaching a length of up to 7 mm. The plant is infected quickly.To eliminate the pest, it is necessary to remove the old bark under which the insect reproduces.
Where is the best place to grow?
The apple tree grows and develops well in harsh conditions. The main area for cultivation is the Altai Territory.
Trees do not freeze and have an excellent ability to recover after winter hibernation. During active growth, do not forget to fertilize the tree during spring and autumn.
In hot and dry areas, acclimatization is more difficult. For “Lyubava” it is recommended to use moist and loose soil. It is worth remembering that the apple tree feeds on nutrients supplied to the soil through the root system of the fruiting tree.
If the area is dry, then you need to regularly and abundantly water the Lyubava apple tree as the soil dries out. Under normal climatic conditions, watering is carried out up to 2 times every 7 days.
