Description and characteristics of a columnar apple tree Currency, cultivation in regions, planting and care

Columnar apple trees have become a real find for those who have a small plot. In a small area you can place several varieties of compact trees. Among the columnar apple trees, Currency is definitely worth planting. After all, the hybrid concentrates the best qualities of its parents: the columnar elite KV 6 and the American variety OR38T17. The apple tree obtained by scientists has many advantages and has been grown for many years in various areas.

Characteristics and description of the apple tree Currency columnar

Before making a choice, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main characteristics of the tree.

Tree dimensions

One of low-growing varieties of apple trees The currency consists of a trunk without lateral skeletal branches. The height of the tree can be about 2 meters, and the diameter of the trunk is 25 centimeters. The elongated dark green leaves do not change color for a long time; by the end of autumn they fall off without turning yellow.

Frequency of fruiting

The Currency apple tree is a winter species, since fruiting occurs in mid-autumn. Apples ripen for the first time on the branches of a tree that has reached 3 years of age. Then the fruits appear every year, increasing in number. But by the 15th year of a tree’s life, there are fewer fruits.

Productivity

If the first harvests of the apple tree are small, just a few fruits, then in the 4th year of the tree’s life they get up to 5-6 kilograms. The largest harvest from a columnar specimen will be 10-12 kilograms. The apple variety typically weighs from 130 to 250 grams.

Tasting assessment

The apples of this variety are different:

• regular oval-conical shape;
• yellowish skin with grayish dots underneath;
• blush on the sides;
• white, grainy, medium-density pulp;
• dessert taste;
• pronounced aroma.

The taste of the fruit corresponds to 4.5 points. There is a slight sourness, but it is harmonious with the sweetness of the fruit. The taste only improves as the apples are stored.

Self-fertility

Columnar apple tree Currency does not need pollination, it is self-fertile. It is planted at a distance of 0.5 meters from other apple trees of a similar type. You can leave a gap of up to 1 meter between the rows. Yields will increase if other varieties of fruit crops are placed next to the tree.

Winter hardiness

The hybrid obtained by scientists withstands spring frosts. In winter, the tree does not freeze even at temperatures of -35 degrees. But it is better to protect young fruit trees from frost by tying the trunk with matting.

Disease resistance

The hybrid has a scab resistance gene. The apple tree is not susceptible to fungal infection even under unfavorable climatic conditions. To prevent other diseases, preventive measures are needed.

Pros and cons of the variety

The positive features of the columnar apple variety Valyuta include:

• compactness of the crown, short stature of the trunk;
• high productivity;
• immunity to disease;
• frost resistance, average drought resistance;
• long preservation of fruits;
• versatility of apples.

Among the disadvantages of an apple tree is that the tree’s yield decreases with age. A 16-year-old apple tree will have a much smaller harvest than a young apple. Since the ringlets of an adult tree begin to dry out, it is necessary to rejuvenate the plantings.

How to plant apple trees correctly

The role of planting in the growth and productivity of a crop is high.

Landing dates

Apple tree cuttings should be planted in autumn or spring. After leaf fall, planting holes are prepared. Until October 15, the seedlings are assigned to the chosen place in the garden. If the crop is planted in the spring, then the pits are prepared in advance, preferably in September-October. If useful fertilizers are added to them, then before spring they will dissolve in the soil, nourishing it. Planting work is carried out immediately after the snow melts, before the sap begins to flow.

Distance between trees

If several apple trees are planted, then maintain a distance between them. The columnar variety does not have a wide crown, so it is enough to place them half a meter from each other. Trees with a lush crown are placed 1-2 meters from the columnar crop so as not to shade it.

Landing technology

2-3 weeks before planting, the hole must be prepared in a well-lit area of ​​the garden. Its diameter should be within 50 centimeters with the same depth.

Fertilizers must be applied to the soil, mixing all components thoroughly. A one- or two-year-old seedling with a strong root system is selected.

A mound of fertile soil is poured in the center of the hole and a shoot is placed there, spreading the roots. After backfilling with soil, the layer around the trunk is slightly compacted, marking the boundaries of the trunk circle. Then the planted tree is watered abundantly and sprinkled with mulch to better retain moisture.

Apple tree care

For the Currency column variety, maintenance is easy.

Watering a tree

Trees are watered 2-3 times per season, more often if the summer is dry. It is imperative to moisten the tree trunk during the flowering period, after harvesting, increasing the moisture capacity of the soil before winter. For 1 tree you need up to 30-40 liters of water.

Fertilizing and soil care

To increase the yield of the Valya apple tree, fertilizers are needed:

1. After flowering, dilute 10 grams of ammonium nitrate and 5 grams of potassium salt in 10 liters of water.
2. In July, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added, which are prepared from 15-20 grams of superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium salt per bucket of water.
3. A bucket of fertilizing is enough for 2-3 meters of furrow along the plantings.
4. Podzolic soils must be fertilized every 7-10 years with lime, 200 grams per 1 square meter.
5. In fertile areas, fertilizers are applied every 3-4 years in the form of wood ash with humus.

The soil in the garden needs loosening and weeding. It is necessary to loosen 4-5 times during the summer, combating soil compaction.

Crown formation

To form the crown, shoots appearing on the sides of the trunk are pruned. If the trunk develops 2 tops, then the weak one is removed. When a tree blooms in its first or second year of life, it is necessary to tear off the buds. As they grow older, they leave from 6 to 10 inflorescences on the shoot.

Shelter for the winter and protection from rodents

Although the variety can withstand low temperatures, young trees require protection. Therefore, in October-November, whitewashing the trunk is required, as well as covering it with spruce branches. It is advisable to wrap the trunk with several layers of non-woven material or roofing felt. If you dig a sheet of roofing material and wrap it around the trunk, you can protect the tree from rodents. Trampling fallen snow in the garden will prevent mice from gnawing on the roots of the apple tree.

Features of reproduction

The column can be propagated by rooted cuttings, seedlings with a closed root system. The apple tree is used as a rootstock for grafting. Budding is carried out only by experienced gardeners, but for this trim the top of the apple treeto get a cutting with 3-4 buds.

Prevention and protection from diseases and pests

The immunity gene in the Valyuta variety is present only for scab. But the column can get sick:

• powdery mildew;
• brown spotting;
• anthracnose;
• monioliosis.

Spraying with Bordeaux mixture in spring and autumn will save the crop from pathogenic fungi. Among the pests, the tree is affected by codling moth, aphids, and leaf rollers. Insects and their larvae are visible on the leaves of the tree. They must be combated by treating with insecticides.

Ripening and fruiting

The ripening of apples on a hybrid takes a long time and ends in mid-October. If the summer is cold, the dates are shifted by 1-2 weeks. Apples should be picked in good weather. Damaged fruits are immediately removed, and the rest are put in boxes. The harvest is stored until January-February.

Features in regions

The columnar variety Currency is cultivated not only in the southern regions; it grows well in areas with temperate and cold climates.

In outskirts of Moscow

In the Moscow region and nearby areas, the apple tree manages to reach technical maturity. Caring for it is simple, and ripe apples can be harvested in mid-October.

In Siberia and the Urals

In regions with short summers and unstable weather, apples ripen a little later. For the winter, the tree is covered with spruce branches, the trunk is tied with non-woven material in several layers. In the spring, to prevent frost from killing the inflorescences, the column must be watered abundantly. By moistening the soil at the end of April - beginning of May, you can delay the flowering of the garden for 5-7 days.