Pepin saffron apple tree

The apple variety "Pepin saffron" is the most famous and popular in our country and the CIS countries. The variety was developed by the great breeder Michurin IV in the early years of the 20th century, crossing the variety “Renet Orleansky” and the hybrid “Kitayka” with “Pepinka Lithuanian”. Pepin's saffron apple tree became a favorite among summer residents and made experimental cultivators think.

Apple tree Pepin saffron perfectly combines quality and taste properties and adaptability, so it took a leading position in demand for private garden plots.

Since the Pepin saffron apple tree has ideal qualities, more than twenty subspecies have already been bred on the basis of it, which are grown almost everywhere in the Russian territory and in the CIS countries, therefore the apple tree is popular.

You can also cultivate this apple variety in your garden. You just need to learn the basic agrotechnical techniques and characteristic features of "Pepin saffron". You will just learn this information from the material below.

Pepin saffron apple tree: variety description

Photo of the apple variety "Pepin saffron"

The variety mainly grows in private garden plots, it has established itself on the good side. This is a type of winter, late ripeness. It is cultivated in Eastern and Western Siberia, in the Middle Volga region, in the North Caucasus, in the Volgo-Vyatka region, in the Central and Central Black Earth region, in the CIS countries, namely, in Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the Baltic states.

The variety is so widespread because it is popular. And they had to zoning, since most of the summer residents, even in their dreams, dreamed of seeing Pepin's saffron apples in their house.

Pros and cons

Advantages:

• Quickly begins to bear fruit.
• High yield rate.
• High-quality apples, excellently transported, have a presentation.
• The variety is immune to harmful insects.

Minuses:

• Weak immunity to scab.
• Whimsical to the ground.
• The fruits are heterogeneous.

Description of the apple tree

The tree is of medium stature, grows up to 3 meters. The crown is in the shape of a ball, form its drooping branches, painted in bright green colors and having a bloom of gray color. Shoots are heavily pubescent.

The leaves are bright emerald in color, they are covered with a grayish bloom. Presented in the form of an ellipse, sharp at the tip, have strong pubescence and wrinkles.

Flowers are painted in a snow-white shade, small in size, cover the apple tree in large numbers in June days.

Apples of medium and small size, weight - 90-130 grams, in the form of a circle, slightly flattened in the central part. The peel is thin, but firm, smooth, yellow-green in color. A crimson blush covers the entire surface of the apple. The fruit is attached to the twigs and lances with a thin long stalk.

The inner content is creamy, firm, sweet-sour, and emits a subtle spicy aroma. Tasters appreciate the taste highly. Apples contain large amounts of ascorbic acid and sugar.

Pollination

The apple tree Pepin saffron is self-fertile, which means it can pollinate on its own, helpers are not needed. Still, it is better to plant pollinators. Because as a result of cross-pollination, the yield rate rises sharply. Pollinators: Antonovka, Slavyanka, Welsey,Calvil snow».

Winter season resistance and disease immunity.

The variety is highly resistant to the winter season and adapts well to conditions. Has poor immune defense against diseases such as scab. This is required to take into account and spray the plants for prophylaxis with agents that prevent diseases.

If you carefully and regularly examine the apple tree and identify the first symptoms of ailments or harmful insects that have come to visit, then this will save your beloved apple tree. Visual assessment is very important.

Apple-tree Pepin saffron: reviews of gardeners

Pepin saffron apple tree: photo

Alexey, Luhansk region:

“This variety is my favorite. Never let down. The best part is that apples can be stored for a long time. We accept fresh fruits throughout the winter and spring season, the taste is only improving. I prepare juices, freeze fruits. The variety is universal in purpose, it grows without any problems and hassle at all. I advise everyone!"

Olga Yurievna, Kemerovo region:

“Two years ago I bought a seedling and planted it in my summer cottage. Waiting for the first apples in a couple of years. It is easy to look after, planted traditionally, tolerates wintering well. In the autumn season, I cover the trunk with lime until I cut off the tree. Growth is fast, flowers were picked in that season so that the tree was not exhausted. I'm happy enough for now. "

Mikhail Alexandrovich, Kaluga region:

“I like this variety because it is versatile in its intended purpose. Apples can be eaten fresh. They lend themselves to cooking, drying, storage, juices can be prepared. While stored, gaining taste and aroma, internal the content ceases to be cottony, remains crispy and dense. An excellent variety. The best result of Michurin, undoubtedly. "

How to plant and care for the apple variety Pepin saffron

Photo of the apple variety "Pepin saffron"

Planting time and methods.

You can plant the plant in September days, until the frost sets in, so that the seedling can adapt to new conditions.

In the spring season, it is allowed to cultivate seedlings from April 15th, after repeated frosts have ended.

The planting site should be with good illumination, it should be warmed up by the sun. Groundwater should not run close to the surface soil layer.

Before planting, the root system is soaked in water at room temperature. At this time, a pit is being prepared for planting, its depth is 0.5-0.6 m, width is 1 meter.

The top layer of soil must be mixed with humus or organic fertilizer in the form of manure in order to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the soil and saturate it with nutrients.

In the center of the planting pit, there is a peg-support and a seedling. It is necessary to carefully cover the plant with soil mixture prepared in advance.

Further watering is carried out.

A small soil roller is constructed around the circumference of the trunk circle so that moisture is retained.

Immediately, you should plant an apple tree for permanent residence, because it may respond badly to the fact that one day it can be transplanted.

If you plan to plant a creeping variety, then from the very beginning you need to take care of such a plant in a special way.

The seedling is placed in a planting hole at an angle of 45 degrees, the root collar is deepened by 3-5 cm. The soil is filled up in the form of a cone.

In the future, skeletal branches are formed by attaching them to the ground with special hooks. If you are planting in the fall season, do it right away. If in spring, then in July days. Preparing the seedlings for the winter season, hilling them, sprinkle the trunk 8-10 cm.

Agrotechnical techniques

How it is required to properly care for the seedlings: water, feed, loosen the soil, remove weeds.

Watering apple trees are dosed as follows: an adult tree needs 10-15 liters of water from spring to autumn, they begin to water from the budding stage. Watering is adjusted depending on the mood of the weather. Basically, watering is carried out 1-2 times / 7 days.

Top dressing are produced both by organic matter introduced in the autumn season and by minerals. They are brought in during the spring season. Fertilizers with nitrogen content are applied on frozen ground. Phosphorus and potassium are fertilized from the budding stage to fruiting, 1 time / 14 days.

Spraying with solutions of trace elements, which are prepared according to the recipe, has a good effect on the plant.

It is also necessary to loosen the soil and remove weeds. Loosening of the trunk circle is carried out a day after watering, the weeds are removed when necessary.

Agricultural technology in the autumn season.

Sanitary circumcision is being carried out. The trunk must be whitewashed, damaged fragments must be treated. Processing is carried out with garden varnish, which prevents the passage of pests into the wound.

The procedure for cutting and shaping the crown.

Pruning is done in the fall and spring. In the autumn season, pruning is required to remove diseased and weak shoots, which can become carriers of diseases carried by viruses, fungi and bacteria in the winter season.

Formative pruning is carried out in the spring season. They start from 3-4 years after planting a tree. Cropped:

• old shoots that will no longer form ovaries;
• twigs damaged in winter by snow covers;
• branches that grow inside the crown, shading apples from sunlight.

You need to cut off no more than ¼ of the mass of the crown, otherwise, the apple tree is in danger of death.

Yield indicator and storage of apples

Photo of the apple variety "Pepin saffron"

The variety gives excellent yields. The average is 220-250 kg. When it bears at its maximum, the yield can reach 280 kg of fruit. Apples delight not only with excellent taste, but also emit a fresh apple aroma, which is distinguished by a light hint of wine. Apples are small and medium-sized, the average weight is 140 grams.

Fruiting begins from 4-5 years, when cultivated on a dwarf rootstock, the tree begins to bear fruit from 2-3 years. The harvest pleases every year, in large quantities and at the same time. Harvesting begins in September days. But they fully ripen 40-60 days after they were removed. Fruit storage lasts 220 days. The variety is unique in this quality, for which most gardeners appreciate it.

Varietal varieties of apple Pepin saffron

"Cultural winter"... Recommended for cultivation in such regions as: Middle and Central strip, Volga region, Moscow region. The variety is whimsical to the type of soil, it cannot tolerate high acidity. For this reason, add lime to the soil before planting to neutralize the acid.

"Creeping"... This variety has good tolerance to the winter season, and is highly resistant to frost. To grow this type of apple, you need to take special care of it, shape the crown so that the skeletal branches spread horizontally to the soil surface.

Regional cultivation

Moscow region.

Here the variety is cultivated without special agricultural technology, since the climate and soil are suitable for growing the variety "Pepin Saffron". Just make sure that the earth is not over-acidified. If the acidity is increased, then add lime to the soil.

Ural and Siberian regions.

For territories with harsh climatic conditions, a special zoned variety of "Pepin saffron" has been developed, endowed with frost resistance, adaptability to abrupt changes in temperature regimes and harsh winter conditions.

Apple tree Pepin saffron: where to buy seedlings

Photo of the apple variety "Pepin saffron"

It is recommended to buy seedlings in specialty stores, nurseries or experimental stations, where you will not be deceived and ensure that the planting material meets the descriptive characteristics of the variety.

Nurseries in Ukraine.

There are a lot of nurseries in Ukraine where you can easily acquire seedlings of this variety. For example, you can buy in Green Market, in the intensive nursery of the Matsenko family, in the garden center "Dachny Mir".

Summary

It is not so difficult to cultivate the Pepin saffron apple variety. There will be no problems if you are competent in agricultural technology and take care of the tree in time. Delicious and high-quality fruits, long-term storage and universal for their purpose - this is a godsend for any gardener.