Apple tree Elena: variety description and characteristics, planting and care rules

Breeders have bred varieties of apple trees with different ripening periods. By planting them on the site, the gardener can consume he althy fruits throughout the year. Elena is an apple tree of summer ripening. Its fruits can be harvested as early as mid-July. Juicy sweet apples received a high tasting score. Further information about the origin of the crop, growing in the garden, care, ripening period and picking apples.

Culture Origins

Apple tree Elena was bred by Belarusian breeders at the end of the 20th century. They crossed the domestic variety Early Sweet and English Discovery.Elena took the best qualities from her "parents". The tree has good immunity, frost resistance, with good care it increases a bountiful harvest.

Variety description

Culture is characterized by a summer ripening period. After abundant flowering, fruits of a flat-round shape are formed. For their sweet taste and fragrant aroma, apples have earned high praise from tasters.

External parameters

Elena belongs to low varieties of apples. Due to this quality, a gardener can harvest crops without special tools.

Tree height and crown size

Apple tree Elena reaches a height of 2.5-3 meters. The crown is pyramidal, of medium density. The branches are located at an acute angle to the trunk. They are abundantly strewn with foliage, the lower part of which is covered with a grayish bloom.

Root system

The underground part of the apple tree consists of skeletal and overgrowing roots. The first go deep into the ground. The latter are formed on skeletal roots and are located almost horizontally on the surface of the earth.

Flowering

Buds open in late April or early May. They densely cover the shoots of the tree. The petals are painted white. During flowering, the apple tree exudes a delicate aroma.

Fruits and their taste

The peel of the fruit is light green. Most of the surface is covered with a bright blush. Elena apple is flat-round, sweet in taste, juicy. Fruit weight - 120-150 grams. Tasting score - 4.8 points on a 5-point scale.

Characteristic features of the hybrid

Fruits begin to set already in the second year after planting. They should be removed, because the tree needs strength to form the root system and green mass. Elena bears fruit abundantly from the 5th year.

Pest and disease resistance

Culture has good immunity. But under adverse conditions, it can be affected by fungal diseases. The apple tree has poor resistance to powdery mildew. The variety is moderately resistant to scab.

Pollination

Since the flowers of the Elena apple tree are bisexual, it is able to self-pollinate. Insects help. For this reason, it is not necessary to plant pollinating varieties nearby.

Pay attention! Apple tree Elena can serve as a pollinator for other crop varieties.

Self-fertility and productivity

Hybrid is self-fertile, insects carry pollen from flower to flower. Flowering occurs in April-May, fruiting - in mid-July. Harvest from the apple tree gradually, within a month. Fruiting annual, stable.

Winter hardiness

Winter-hardy variety. It tolerates cold in the southern regions and in areas with a temperate climate. Only young seedlings need shelter for the winter.

Which regions can be grown

Elena, bred in Belarus, is intended primarily for cultivation in areas with a temperate climate. It can be cultivated in Ukraine, in the Central and Northwestern regions of Russia. When growing trees in the southern regions, abundant watering will be required.

Growing an apple tree in the garden

The development and fruiting of the Elena apple tree depends on the correct and timely implementation of agrotechnical measures.

Landing

Trees are planted on the site in spring or autumn. Acquire 1-2-year-old seedlings in plant nurseries or garden centers. Seed propagation of the apple tree is not practiced as it is labor intensive.

Choosing a seat

The culture does not tolerate transplantation well, so the place for it is chosen carefully. The area should be well lit by the sun. In this case, the sides of the apples will be a rich red color, the taste will be sweet. Groundwater at the landing site should not come close to the surface of the soil.

Preparation of seedlings

In order for the root system of trees to be saturated with moisture, it is placed in a container with water for 1-2 hours. For disinfection, you can add a few crystals of potassium permanganate. Too long roots are shortened just before planting.

Required soil composition

The apple tree will develop best in loamy chernozem. For looseness, you can add peat, to increase fertility - compost or humus. To improve the soil, green manure can be sown before planting trees.

Plant pattern

The distance between the trees is 3-4 meters. The depth of the landing pit is 1 meter, the width is 60 centimeters. Planting an apple tree is done as follows:

• humus, potash-phosphorus top dressing is laid at the bottom;
• the roots of the seedling are well straightened, covered with earth;
• the basal circle is lightly tamped, watered abundantly with water.

To preserve moisture, the soil is mulched with cut grass, sawdust, peat.

Care

Seedling care consists of watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil, seasonal treatment for diseases and pests.

Water Regularity

Immediately after planting, the apple tree is watered frequently. In the future, irrigation of the soil depends on the weather. Both overdrying and waterlogging of the soil are unacceptable. As a rule, in temperate latitudes, rainfall is enough to saturate the earth with moisture.

Foliar and root fertilizer

In early spring, trees are fed with nitrogen. When the plants have faded, foliar top dressing can be made. After fruiting, potassium and phosphorus are added. Nutrients will help the apple tree to form fruits for the next year, as well as safely overwinter.

Loosening the soil

The basal circle is gently loosened after watering. The procedure promotes air access to the root system. In addition, weeds are removed during loosening, which contribute to the transfer of harmful insects and pathogens to trees.

Pruning and crown shaping

Sanitary pruning is done in the spring. Remove diseased, dry, broken, frozen branches. In addition, shoots growing inward are cut off. Special shaping of the crown of the Elena apple tree is not required.

Seasonal treatment for infections and insects

In the middle of autumn, the bark of trees is treated with a solution of lime. In the spring, before bud break, the plants are sprayed with copper-containing preparations. Against harmful insects, the apple tree is sprayed with insecticides.

Important! Chemicals should not be used during the flowering of the apple tree.

When to wait for the first harvest

The first fruits may form as early as the next year after planting. But it is better to remove the ovaries, as they significantly weaken the plants. Forces during this period are needed for the growth of the vegetative mass.

Ripening dates and picking apples

Elena is a summer variety of apples. Flowers form in late April or early May. Fruit is harvested from mid-July to mid-August. The peculiarity of summer varieties of culture is that the fruits have poor keeping quality. Elena apples can be stored in cool conditions for no more than 3 weeks.

Where the fruits of the tree are used

Apples are rich in nutrients. They are consumed mostly fresh. They can also be used to make compote, juice, jam, and can be used for stuffing in confectionery.

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