Apple tree Alyonushka

The apple tree Alyonushka is considered very adaptable, so the frost is terrible for him. It is for this that Siberian gardeners love to grow this culture. However, one should not forget that the Alyonushka apple variety needs pollinators. In today's article, we will tell you how to properly grow this apple tree, share with you a description of the variety, the pros and cons of the culture, and at the end we will tell you about when the fruits ripen and how best to grow this apple tree in Siberia.

Apple tree Alyonushka: variety description and characteristics

Apple tree Alyonushka: photo of the variety

Domestic breeders bred the apple tree Alyonushka in the last century through crossing Papirovka and ranetka. From 1960 to the present, this apple tree has been very popular in Russia. It is ideal for cultivation in the Siberian Federal District, it is not surprising that this variety is considered practically the most famous in this region of Russia. This tree has a fairly dense crown, a lot of foliage. The bark of the Alyonushka apple variety is brown, but if the crown is poorly illuminated by the sun, it will become olive green. The shoots of the plant are penetrating. Apples usually form on fruit twigs, annual shoots. The branches are the same brown color, they are slightly drooping, not very large in size. Lentils are also medium-sized, it should be noted that there are relatively few of them. In these trees, the foliage is short-pointed, ovoid, the leaf plates are serrate at the edges, the leaves have a beautiful light green color with a blue tint, they are usually dull, quite strongly omitted. The flowers of the plant are snow-white, quite voluminous, and the buds themselves are slightly pinkish. On each flower, five petals are formed, which are also ovoid. Despite the fact that apples are lightweight, they are not only rounded, but also very even, therefore, the fruit's presentation is excellent. Closer to the calyx, the apples begin to taper, a slight ribbing is noticeable on the sides, most of the fruits have a small seam, sometimes the apples become flattened. If we talk about the color of the fruit, then the fruits are red-pink, with a blush, it is interesting that the longer the apple lies, the brighter these strokes will become. The color of the fruit is integumentary. A small waxy coating can be seen on the skin, so the surface of the apples is shiny, fairly even, the stalks are thin, but the stalks at the bases are thick enough, so the product always adheres well to the branches. Fruit pulp is juicy, dense, snow-white. To the taste, the fruits are sweet with pleasant sourness and spice, the grain is large, as we noted earlier, the apples are well attached to the branches, quite tightly.

Apple tree Alyonushka: advantages and disadvantages

Each variety has its own advantages and disadvantages, the Alyonushka apple tree is no exception. Of the advantages of the culture, it must be said about good frost resistance, so trees can be grown in harsh climatic conditions, even in Siberia. If the trees freeze, then they recover quickly enough. The crop begins to bear fruit at the age of three, the yield is always abundantly high, this is also considered an advantage of the variety. An indisputable advantage is the fact that the trees are very compact, since apple trees are classified as semi-dwarfs. The fruits of the Alyonushka apple tree are always very tasty, from which you can make both fresh fruit salad and wonderful apple juice, these fruits contain many useful vitamins and microelements.The fruits can be easily transported, apples do not deteriorate for a very long time and do not lose their beautiful appearance. Of the minuses, gardeners note a weak resistance to some diseases, for example, to scab. Also, the disadvantage of the variety is that the fruits are not very large, and they are not stored so long, however, like other summer varieties of apples.

Apple tree Alyonushka: variety features

Apple tree Alyonushka: photo of the variety

As we noted earlier, these trees are classified as semi-dwarf trees, the Alyonushka apple tree grows quite quickly, all the seedlings take root well. The trees reach a height of three meters in height, the crown does not usually grow more than 2 m wide. When apples begin to set, the tree grows less intensively. The culture begins to bear fruit at the age of three, so you can eat the first apple quickly enough. The tree has a very high yield, from one plant you can harvest about 80 kg of ripe fruits. Farmers also love to grow this crop, they harvest more than 20 tons of fruits from one hectare. The tasting score is high, apples contain sucrose, fructose, glucose, acids, tannins, rutin and vitamin C. As we noted earlier, the Alyonushka apple variety has almost the best winter hardiness among the main Siberian apple varieties. The culture is able to withstand minus 48 degrees, these are the results that the variety showed in state tests. The plant is perfectly restored after frostbite. But the drought resistance of the culture is average. If we talk about disease resistance, then apple trees are susceptible to the influence of scab. Therefore, it is simply imperative to process and inspect trees in time. This variety is fast-growing, so the fruits ripen early enough, by the end of summer. Usually the branches of a tree bend from the abundance of fruits, it happens that even the leaves are not visible because of the apples. The trees are unpretentious in care, however, the variety is not resistant to burns and fungal infections. The crown is always compactly located, so the trees do not take up much space in the garden, the fruits are very tasty and fragrant, and the trees are frost-resistant. As gardeners note, the taste of the fruits is simply excellent.

Apple tree Alyonushka: planting and care

Apple tree Alyonushka: photo of the variety

These seedlings are recommended to be planted in the fall, so that the root system gets stronger during the winter period, and in the spring the apple tree begins to grow and develop intensively. If you plant an apple tree in the spring, then it is best to do this before the buds swell, if you neglect this rule, then your tree may dry out altogether. The landing pit is prepared in advance, in depth and in width it should be half a meter. When digging, fold the top and bottom layers of the earth in different directions. Humus, nitrophoska, turf soil are usually poured to the bottom, and then everything is thoroughly mixed. The seedling is placed in the middle of the planting pit, while the root system must be well straightened. Do not forget to drive a peg from the north side, you need to fill the hole with earth one by one, half with the top layer of soil, and half with the bottom. After that, the trunk circle will need to be tamped well, the grafting should be located above the ground, do not forget to water the plants well, and tie the seedling to a peg. It is believed that one tree needs at least 2 buckets of water. If you notice that the root system of the seedling has dried up, then it is recommended to soak it with water before planting in the roots, and cut off the broken roots. Due to the fact that this variety belongs to semi-dwarf, the root system of the tree is located in the upper layer of the soil, not very deep, therefore it is necessary to feed and water the plant intensively, it is imperative to tie a seedling to a peg, since fragile branches can break during a strong wind. You can start feeding the culture after 2 years if you fertilized the soil well during planting.It is best to add rotted manure to the soil at the end of spring, in the summer they feed the plants first with nitrogen, and then with complex mineral fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus, nitrophoska and ash. But the plant is watered throughout the season, the tree must be watered in early spring before the buds bloom. The next time, it is necessary to intensively water the plants at the beginning of summer, and then before the fruit ripens. Before wintering, it is also recommended to carry out moisture-charging watering, this is necessary in order for the plant to withstand frosts better. Pour at least 3 buckets of water under one apple tree. After planting the seedling, you will need to prune the shoots right away. The next time, pruning is carried out at the age of three. However, in the spring, one should not forget about sanitary measures, extinct shoots, deformed branches must be removed, so the yield will increase. And do not forget to thin out the crown, as it is quite thick in this variety. It is advisable to treat the cuts with garden pitch or crushed coal, the cut shoots should not have open wounds. So, pruning this variety is no different from pruning other crops. Next to this tree, it is imperative to plant a pollinator apple tree; for this, varieties such as, for example, Yunost or lada are suitable. Make sure that the flowering period of the planted varieties coincides. Before winter, the apple tree must be properly prepared. In late autumn, potassium and phosphorus are embedded in the soil in order to strengthen the apple tree and increase its frost resistance. Sometimes gardeners for the same spray the trunks with a solution of potassium monophosphate. In order to prevent pests from settling in the bark, you need to clean out all the cracks with a knife. In this case, the instrument must be sterile. It is recommended to whitewash the trunks in late autumn. Moisture-charging irrigation must be carried out in mid-October. When the foliage from the plant completely falls off, you can spray the apple tree trunk with a solution from fungal infections, copper sulfate. It is advisable to insulate the trunk circle with spruce branches, dry tree branches.

Fruiting and ripening

Apple tree Alyonushka: photo of the variety

As we noted earlier, the Alyonushka apple tree bears fruit, starting at the age of three. The apple tree always blooms very luxuriantly, so a lot of ovaries are formed. Given the fact that this apple variety is classified as a summer one, fruits begin to ripen by mid-August. Unfortunately, fruits are not stored for so long, usually no more than 2 months. Over time, apples begin to rot and soften. However, you can always process the fruit. In Siberia, they love to grow the apple variety Alyonushka, since, firstly, this tree is very compact, secondly, the apple tree is unpretentious in care, and thirdly, the variety is very frost-resistant.

Conclusion

The apple tree Alyonushka belongs to semi-dwarfs. In care, it is unpretentious, the taste and marketability of the fruits are excellent. Gardeners love Alyonushka very much for its frost resistance and high yield. But do not forget to water and feed the plants in time, since the root system of the tree is superficial. And despite the fact that apples are not stored for long, they can be transported over long distances, neither taste nor marketability will deteriorate. And for Siberia, this is the real salvation, the trees are able to endure even minus 48 degrees. Therefore, with proper care, the Alyonushka apple tree will certainly delight you with ripe and aromatic fruits.