Columnar apple tree Vasyugan: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care

Due to its peculiar appearance, early maturity and high yield, the columnar apple tree of the Vasyugan variety is in great demand among amateur gardeners. This variety is unpretentious in care, has good taste and decorative properties. In order for an apple tree to produce a crop every year, it is necessary to follow all the rules of agrotechnical work and provide the tree with the necessary care.

Benefits of Vasyugan columnar apple tree

The advantages of the Vasyugan apple tree include:

• good presentation and high palatability;
• compactness and decorative properties;
• abundance and early fruiting;
• winter hardiness;
• no spreading crown;
• affordable care;
• harvest stability;
• disease resistance.

External parameters

Replenishing the garden with new specimens of fruit trees, first of all, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics and description of the culture.

Trunk height

The Vasyugan apple tree has a single trunk (column), the height of which depends on the rootstock and does not exceed 2.5 meters. The trunk is strong, thickened, covered with fruit shoots (ringlets).

Tree crown diameter

Despite the power of the trunk, the crown of the tree is very compact, has a vertical arrangement. Due to genetic features, lateral shoots are practically absent, a few branches are formed parallel to the trunk. Crown width - about 0.5 meters.

Root system

The superficial root system of the Vasyugan apple tree is fibrous, resistant to various diseases. Shallow roots in the ground require regular and thorough watering.

Leaves and flowers

Vasyugan's foliage is dense, large, dark green. It has an elongated shape with small notches at the tip. Flowers - large, white-pink.

The fruit and its palatability

Apples grow elongated and conical in shape with a fairly thin skin of a red-striped hue. The pulp is juicy, with a pleasant dessert taste. The size of the fruits reaches medium-large sizes, and the weight of one apple is about 150 g. The shelf life of the fruits does not exceed one month.

Characteristic variety

The medium-sized variety of Vasyugan apples was bred artificially - by grafting an ordinary variety onto a super-dwarf clonal stock followed by shaping pruning.

Winter hardiness

The genotypic feature of the Vasyugan variety lies in its ability to withstand frost, sudden temperature changes and spring night frosts, which allows the tree to withstand harsh climate conditions.

Susceptibility to diseases and pests

The predisposition of the Vasyugan apple tree to diseases is less pronounced than in other varieties. However, pest attacks, various infections, natural disasters or improper care cause the risk of various diseases.

Yields

A full-fledged harvest can be expected in 5 years, on average, up to 6-8 kg per tree. Under favorable conditions, the yield of an apple tree annually increases to high rates, it is possible to collect up to 12-15 kg of quality fruits from one tree.

Life span

The effective fruiting period of the Vasyugan apple tree lasts about 12 years, and then the productivity gradually decreases.

Features of fruiting culture

In an apple tree, the development of fruits occurs on annuli, which abundantly cover the column. As soon as the tree begins to bear fruit, its growth is inhibited, and in subsequent years all its forces are concentrated on fruiting, thereby ensuring regular fruiting.

What year after planting does it bear fruit

The tree is able to bear fruit in the second year after planting. It will be possible to collect several apples from each tree, however, in order to prevent nutrient depletion, it is recommended to remove the inflorescences.

Flower period

The apple tree begins to bloom in early May. At this time, the tree is abundantly covered with large fragrant inflorescences.

Fruit ripening and harvesting dates

Mass ripening of apples occurs in August or early September. Depending on the location and weather conditions, the term of full maturity may be shifted both to July and to the second half of September.

How landing and care should be done

Landing events require serious organization. For this, the site, the planting pit and the seedling itself are being prepared.

Growth area

Vasyugan variety is intended for cultivation in the regions of the Far East and the Urals. Due to its high winter hardiness, the apple tree is no less common in Siberia, the Urals and the Trans-Urals.

Planting season

Early spring is the best time to plant trees. In the southern regions, the Vasyugan apple tree is planted in September or in the first half of October. So the tree will have time to take root before frost and prepare for the upcoming winter.

Preparation of seedlings and planting pit

When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to the condition of the bark and roots. If there are growths, dark spots or any damage, it is better to refuse to buy such a seedling.

Before planting, to select a site, an inspection of the site is carried out, during which the distance between the trees (40-50 cm) and the row spacing (1 m) should be taken into account. The location should be chosen in a well-lit and draft-free area. Chernozem, sandy loam or loam are ideal as soil for an apple tree.

Before planting annual seedlings, do the following:

1. The open roots of the seedlings are abundantly nourished with water.
2. Soak roots for 2 hours in clay mash.
3. Cut the roots to 4-5 cm.
4. Dig a planting hole 50x70 cm in size, the depth of the hole depends on the length of the root, about 0.5-0.7 cm.
5. Fill the pit with a drainage layer, soil mixtures and fertilizer.

After the earth settles in the hole, you can start planting a seedling.

Technology for disembarkation

In the side of the pit for support, install a peg. Place the seedling directly in the center of the pit, while the root neck should be located above the level of the site. Spread the roots, sprinkle with soil, compact and tie to the support for reliability. Then arrange a near-trunk circle and pour 10-20 liters of water. After soaking up water, mulch the soil.

Water Regularity

The first watering is carried out a week after planting the seedling, with a large water supply (30 l). Young seedlings are recommended to be watered rarely, but plentifully (10-20 l). An excess of moisture or stagnant water in the root hole can lead to root rot.During active growth, the apple tree is watered at least 3 times a week. In rainy weather, the amount of watering is reduced to a minimum.

Mature trees are watered 1-2 times a week. From the end of June, watering is gradually reduced, and by mid-August it is finally stopped, as the trees must have time to complete the formation of flower buds and prepare for wintering.

Seasonal prevention

In order to protect trees from temperature extremes, diseases, pests, as well as to prepare the garden for winter, preventive work is carried out:

• cropping;
• fertilizing and fungicide treatment;
• whitewashing, carried out seasonally 2-3 times a year;
• leaf cleaning;
• weed and carrion removal;
• mulching tree trunks.

When and how to feed a young and mature tree

Foliar top dressing of a tree is carried out seasonally, 3 times a year. Leaf feeding is carried out during the growing season, for this urea is used (15 g per 10 l). Root top dressing is carried out once a year, for this purpose ammonium nitrate is used (35 g per tree).

In the spring for young trees, a good dressing will be an infusion of liquid bird droppings, diluted 1:8. As a surface fertilizer, humus is used, which is scattered before digging. In summer and autumn, the best top dressing is a solution (1: 3) of mullein and nitrophoska (50 g: 10 l of water). Fertilization improves yields and protects the crop from disease.

Formation of the correct crown

A year later, when the tree is formed into a column, the lateral processes are removed, leaving 2 buds. The following year, two shoots form on the abandoned buds.One that grows horizontally is left, and the other is shortened by 2 buds. The crown is cut only if it is damaged.

In addition to shaping, trees need sanitary pruning, which consists in removing dry and diseased branches on the crown. Held once a year before the start of sap flow.

Do I need to cover the tree for winter

The surface location of the roots can threaten the crop with freezing, so the gardener must take care of frost protection measures. To do this, the branches of the tree are tied, and the lower part of the trunk and the top are insulated.

Varieties

Depending on the scion, these apple trees are divided into types: super-dwarfs, dwarfs, semi-dwarfs, medium-sized, vigorous.

Dwarf

Apple trees of this species are obtained by grafting clonal grafts with the Co gene onto dwarf rootstocks.The tree is characterized by particular fragility, slow growth and a unique ability to form fruits throughout the trunk from the first year. It has moderate winter hardiness and disease resistance.

This group includes the most popular varieties: Dialog, Arbat, Currency.

Early

The cultivar variety differs not only in the height of the tree, but also in terms of ripening. Technical ripeness of apples of summer varieties occurs from mid-July to the first half of August. The shelf life of such fruits is small, no more than 4 weeks. The most common varieties are: Medoc, President.

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