Apple Wellsey
Content:
Apple tree Welsey: description of the variety
Apple trees are trees that produce incredibly rich fruit when given the right care. Today there are a huge number of varieties and, perhaps, every gardener can find exactly the variety that suits his taste. Also, the choice is always based on agrotechnical characteristics, on how whimsical this plant is, how much attention and care it requires. In this article, we will dwell in more detail on the description of such an apple variety as Welsey. The Wellsey apple tree is a favorite and respected variety of modern gardeners.
Welsey forgives some mistakes, is unpretentious and has high yields. Also, gardeners really like the fact that this variety is resistant to disease and attacks from pests. And also, in general, it is quite frost-resistant, which cannot but please gardeners in various regions, especially in the middle zone of our country.
The variety was zoned on the territory of our country in the 19th century, then breeders and scientists examined it for a long time in order to identify all the possibilities, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of this variety. After these procedures were carried out, the variety became widespread in the central, as well as in the northwestern parts of our country. Today Welsey is also incredibly popular in Ukraine, Belarus and some European countries, which are distinguished by a rather unstable climate.
The variety has several characteristics that we will list. This is its average winter hardiness, early maturity. It is quite high-yielding, which is also its advantage. Scab is a disease that very often affects apple crops, but, unlike other varieties, Welsey is resistant to such lesions, so when choosing a variety, you should pay attention to this factor, it acts as one of the significant ones. Scab on an apple tree - This is a complex disease that is rather difficult to eliminate, you can only take some preventive measures so that the disease does not touch the tree. The resistance of the variety will allow you not to worry about the incidence.
Appearance
The tree, as we noted, is rather low, the crown is wide, has a pyramidal shape. In the first years of development, it remains so, but the older the plant becomes, the more round its crown becomes. The branches usually grow upward, but their tips are slightly lowered. Fruiting is mixed, in one season it can be incredibly abundant, and in the next it is noticeably reduced, but this does not depend on the gardener himself: most likely, natural conditions affect the plant in this way. The fruits themselves are pinkish-white in color, their size is medium. Fruiting can be obtained about the fifth year after the seedling has been planted in open ground.
Apples of this variety can be grown in different regions, so the fruits ripen in different ways everywhere. In warm regions, you can harvest around September, in the middle lane, fruiting can be noted by mid-October, the same applies to the ripening of fruits. It is recommended to remove almost ripe fruits of a yellow-green color from the branches, but use it when they become more golden. The color just speaks of the degree of ripening of the fruit. The peel on the fruit is very thin, the flesh is white, sometimes flesh with pinkish veins can be found. The taste of the fruit is usually sweet and sour, the aroma comes out fresh, it is characterized as amazing. It is for the taste that gardeners highly value this variety.
Apple Wellsey: Pros and Cons
Of course, considering the variety as potential for planting, the gardener needs to understand all the pros and cons of the variety. They certainly are. The positive aspects of this variety include the fact that it is high-yielding, has excellent taste qualities that can appeal to both adult apple lovers and the smallest. Some other advantages are that apples are quite easy to transport, they can be stored for a long time in a cool dark place. In addition, we have already mentioned earlier that the variety is very resistant to such a disease as scab, and this, of course, is another plus for this variety.
There are also some disadvantages of the variety. Firstly, the fruits can crumble during their ripening period, and this leads to the loss of some part of the crop. Secondly, if you grow trees of this variety in northern latitudes, then, most likely, the tree simply will not endure this, since it does not differ in particular winter hardiness in such conditions. The third aspect is when there is a period of high harvest levels, the fruits may become smaller in size. This means that all the power was spent on blooming more and producing more fruits, but not on their quality and size characteristics. The taste of the fruit can directly depend on the climatic conditions in which this tree grows. In unfavorable conditions, the fruits can be very sour, with a bitter taste, which will not please any gardener at all.
We have listed the most basic characteristics of the Wellsey apple tree. In the next part of this article, we will dwell a little more on some additional characteristics, since they also affect the tree and its capabilities, and every gardener needs to know about this.
Additional characteristics of the variety
The first additional characteristic we will consider is the height of the tree. As we have already noted, this is a short tree, its maximum height is about four meters. The tree grows especially when it enters the stage of abundant and active fruiting. The second parameter is the crown width. If we talk about the stage of active fruiting of an apple tree, then the crown can be about two meters in diameter.
Welsey belongs to the high-yielding varieties, his record is 270 kilograms of apples from one tree. But, as a rule, under ordinary conditions, a gardener can collect about 200 kilograms of apples from a tree, and this, you see, is a rather high figure, and it cannot be ignored as a plus for this variety of apple trees. The weight of one fruit can vary from 80 to 150 grams, it all depends on the conditions and period of fruiting.
Self-fertility is a very important factor that can affect not only the quality of the crop, but also its quantity. This plant does not in any way depend on weather conditions, and also does not depend on the activity of bees, which are usually engaged in pollination of some varieties of apple trees. Thus, the tree is completely independent, and its condition, as well as the condition of the crop and its quantity, depends solely on the gardener and the conditions he can create for the tree.
Benefit
Apples turn out to be very tasty, even despite the sourness characteristic of this variety. The fruits contain not only sugar, but also many vitamins and minerals, in large quantities. They are very useful for the human body, have a great effect on the state of his health, the development of the muscular and skeletal systems. Apples are safe for those who have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, as well as for those who just decided to go on a diet. An apple is great for preparing countless dishes and drinks that are loved not only by adults, but also by the youngest gourmets.
Apple Welsey and disease
Despite the fact that the variety is resistant to the main disease that usually affects apple trees - scab, it can still be susceptible to diseases such as fruit rot, mealy growth and cytoporosis. To get rid of them or prevent them, you should periodically carry out preventive treatment of the plant, as well as monitor the condition of the bark, branches and deciduous parts. Some diseases can concentrate on the fruit, therefore, if the gardener noticed any signs, appropriate control measures must be taken immediately.
Features of growing and care
Of course, the characteristic of apple trees is an important part, because the gardener should know which plant he has to deal with. But there is also such a part as the peculiarities of planting and grooming, and in this chapter we will just go into more detail about these aspects.
Apple trees can be planted in autumn or spring, and this procedure is completely standard for many seedlings of fruit trees. If we have territories in which there is a deep occurrence of groundwater, then the pit should be about 70 centimeters deep and about one meter in diameter. A lit place where there are no drafts is best suited, and the tree will be protected from gusty winds, this is very important, because due to the wind, fruits can crumble, and, accordingly, a certain part of the crop will be lost. It is best to choose loamy or sandy soils for planting, they are ideal for the plant.
It is impossible to deepen the root collar, in any case it should be about 5-7 centimeters from the soil surface, this is the main rule when planting seedlings of apple trees and other garden fruit and berry plants. Watering is an important part, as apple trees are quite demanding on this process, and the Welsey apple tree is no exception. However, you should also be guided by the weather conditions. If the weather is rainy, then you can water a little less often, and if there is no rain, then the optimal frequency of watering is once every ten. Days. At the same time, it is worth organizing plentiful watering, after which the soil in the near-stem circle is loosened in order to ventilate the root system and allow the water to penetrate deeper, to the roots.
Pruning and feeding
Pruning is an extremely important procedure and should be performed every year, preferably from the very first year of planting, so that the plant adapts to this procedure and that the crown grows in accordance with the shape that gardeners cut the tree for. Rejuvenating pruning is also done to maintain the plant's high yields. To do this, remove all old, dry or broken branches, and this allows new ones to grow and develop. Shortening the branches will prevent them from breaking.
Despite the fact that the plants are generally unpretentious, the Welsey apple tree also needs feeding. Usually, manure mixed with water is used for this; bird droppings or a solution that contains wood ash and some trace elements that stimulate the growth of the tree and also regulate the level of its fruiting. Top dressing must be done several times a year, focusing on the general condition of the tree.
Grafting and fruiting
The Welsey variety can be grafted onto other apple varieties. Perfect for this Candy tree, Seedlings of purple ranetka, as well as maple rootstocks of several forms. As pollinators, you can choose varieties such as Macintosh or Antonovka, Borovinka or Delicious. They bloom and bear fruit at the same time, so they are ideal for such synchronous pollination and further development. In addition, pollinators allow bilaterally to increase the level of the crop, and this is only a noticeable plus, from which it is necessary to build on when deciding to pollinate an apple tree.
The beginning of fruiting occurs approximately in the fifth year after planting, in favorable regions and under favorable climatic conditions, this becomes possible already in the fourth year. Flowering usually begins in May, the fruits ripen by September. Fruiting is very abundant, so this should be attributed to the positive characteristic of this variety. The fruits are stored for several months, are loyal if transported from one territory to another.
Finally
In various regions of our country, gardeners are making attempts to grow this variety. It is also known under other names - Targu rose, Fertile apple, Abundant, Harvest. All these names reflect the essence of the variety and its most important characteristic even better. Due to the fact that the apple has many positive qualities and properties, it can be grown in various regions of our country. At the same time, there are no special differences in planting and care depending on the region; agricultural technology is the same in all parameters. In some cases, in the northern parts, it is better to cover the seedling during wintering, and, of course, to objectively assess the condition of the soil in which the variety will be grown, since a lot depends on this, including survival rate, stress resistance and, of course, the yield of the tree.
Thus, the Welsea apple variety is one of the most common today. The Welsey apple tree can beautify any garden, it gives a wonderful harvest that is excellent in storage, is suitable for eating and raw, and for preparing a huge number of dishes and drinks. The apple tree during spring flowering has incredible decorative properties, albeit so fleeting. In the fall, you can see how large and beautiful fruits are showered on the crown.