When choosing apple trees for their own garden, owners pay attention, first of all, to the taste of their fruits. For lovers of sweet fruits that are perfectly stored until the end of spring, apple trees of the Zarya Alatau variety are recommended. They tolerate frost well and can grow in most regions of central Russia, Belarus and the Baltic states. With proper care, these trees produce a rich harvest every fall!
Description of the variety
This variety is native to Kazakhstan, where many popular varieties of apples originate.Zarya Alatau appeared as a result of free pollination from the Ranet Orleans variety.
The apple tree has average winter hardiness and loves long warm periods, so it is not suitable for growing in areas with cold springs and short summers, but will easily survive frosts down to -30. Apple trees of the Zarya Alatau species are of medium height, compact, and require pruning of branches and formation of the crown. They begin to bear fruit 5-7 years after planting. The variety has good resistance to many tree diseases, but often suffers from scab and rot.
To get healthy fruits that are sweet, smooth and above average in size, you need to care for the tree, protect it from diseases, and control the number of ovaries. Quality is also important soil where apple trees grow.
The fruits of Zari Alatau are small, medium or below average size. They have aromatic, dense, fine-grained pulp. The taste of apples is very pleasant, sweet, with minimal sourness. As the tree grows, the size of the fruit becomes smaller, but their excellent taste remains the same.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages of Zari Alatau include:
- frost resistance;
- taste and appearance of fruits;
- their long shelf life;
- high yield.
Flaws:
- requires a long period of heat;
- needs care and special crown formation;
- susceptible to scab and diseases in general.
Dimensions of an adult tree
The apple tree of this variety is not tall, with a crown of medium density and branching. The average height of a tree is 4.5 meters. The crown is symmetrical, has the shape of an oval or pyramid. Weights are hung on the branches of young seedlings so that they grow at the correct angle relative to the trunk.
Productivity and taste of fruits
The main advantage of apples is their taste, aroma and chemical composition.The variety produces medium-sized (100-140 g), sweet and juicy fruits. They have a slightly flattened shape, greenish-yellow color with an orange blush on the sunny side. The pulp is light cream in color, with a strong aroma, juicy and sweet.
It contains little ascorbic acid, unlike most other varieties. They are great for baby food and making purees. Growing Zari Alatau is recommended for those who love dessert apples. It is best to eat them fresh. This is also facilitated by the fact that the fruits are stored for a long time - from December to May. It is important to monitor the humidity level in the room where they are located. If the temperature is too high, the apples begin to wilt.
The advantages of the variety also include high yield - if all growing conditions are met, the crown is formed correctly and there is a sufficient amount of heat, up to 150 kg of fruit grows on one tree.
It will set a lot of fruit initially and the amount may need to be adjusted to ensure ripe apples have good size and flavor. Fruiting begins 5-7 years after planting. Harvest in September - early October, depending on climatic conditions.
Apple tree winter hardiness
The Zarya Alatau variety is winter-hardy. Normally tolerates frosts down to -30, requires shelter from rodents.
Disease resistance
The species is susceptible to scab; this is a significant disadvantage of the apple tree. Less likely to suffer from cancer and fungal diseases. Resistant to powdery mildew. Scab eliminates the possibility of getting a high-quality harvest without harming the tree itself. Therefore, it is important to take timely measures that will protect apple trees from this scourge.
Preventive treatment is carried out in early spring, when the buds have not yet bloomed.You cannot treat a blooming apple tree for scab! During fruiting, you can use natural remedies, herbal medicine and potassium permanganate solution. In preparation for winter, trees are re-treated with chemicals.
Timing of flowering and fruit ripening
The tree begins to bloom in mid-May, the timing may vary depending on how warm the spring has been. The fruits ripen at the end of September.
Zarya Alatau is partially capable of self-pollination; Welsey, Shreifling and Antonovka Obyknovennaya are suitable as additional pollinating varieties.
Regions of growth
Zarya Alatau has performed well in regions with temperate climates. The most important thing for good fruiting is the presence of heat from April-May to September. It is not recommended to grow the variety in regions with very frosty (more than -35 degrees) winters.
For cold regions, in particular Siberia, it is possible to grow these sweet fruits on a dwarf rootstock. Such apple trees are more frost-resistant and begin to bear fruit earlier.
Planting and care
Young trees can be planted from April to October in loose, moist, but not too wet soil. The optimal places are with a groundwater depth of 2-2.5 m. In this case, a hole of about 80-100 cm is dug for the seedling. A peg is driven into the middle, which will support the young apple tree. The hole is filled with soil dug out from it, mixed with peat and humus. If the soil is clayey, you need to add sand to this mixture. If several seedlings are planted at the same time, there should be a distance of 4-5 meters or more between them.
At first, the tree is watered every two weeks; in spring, summer and autumn it is treated against diseases and harmful insects.Next spring, Zarya Alatau needs formative pruning; weights are hung from the lower branches. Thinning of the tree crown is carried out every year.
An apple tree does not need to enrich the soil with nutrients; the main thing is to properly fertilize the seedling when planting and choose a suitable plot of land.
To protect against insects, bird feeders are hung in the crown of the tree. In addition to food offered by humans, they collect pests from branches. In addition, preventive spraying is carried out twice a year - before flowering and at the moment the ovaries appear.
It is important to carefully select chemicals for fruit crops and follow the proportions and application times specified in the instructions. An incorrectly used product can not only burn the ovaries, but also negatively affect the health of people who eat apples.
Zarya Alatau requires compliance with the agricultural technology of fruit trees so that the gardener has the opportunity to regularly receive a good harvest. The variety can be confidently recommended to those who want to have fresh apples from their own garden on the table during winter and spring.
