Cherished apple tree: variety description and characteristics, planting, growing and care with photo

All gardeners want to have an apple tree on the plot that does not take up much space, but with a high yield. It is also desirable that the requirements for the necessary care be minimal. It was with the aim of creating such a variety 60 years ago that a new type of apple tree, Zavetnoe, was bred in a hybrid way. And since then, he tirelessly pleases professional gardeners and amateur gardeners.

Description and characteristics of the Cherished apple tree

Cherished - a variety of early ripe fruits with straight and thin branches and a fluffy rounded crown. The foliage is small pointed leaves with a slightly rippled texture and a rich green hue. The ripening of an apple is marked on fruit twigs.

Tree height

Very convenient for gardeners is the height of the Treasured tree, which reaches only 3-4 meters. The average growth rate of an apple tree is 2-2.5 meters. During the harvest, these figures are pleasing in that even a ladder will be superfluous. The whole tree is easy to cut while standing on a small chair.

Crown width

The crown of the Cherished apple tree is sprawling and grows almost perpendicular to the trunk. And due to the weak thickening of the foliage, the plant is protected from the manifestation of scab. This is due to good ventilation and uniform penetration of sunlight. These factors have a beneficial effect on the friendly ripening of fruits.

Yields

The yield of an apple tree does not depend on the age of the tree. The number of fruits is stable, both in young seedlings and in adult plants. And the average yield per year is up to 75 kilograms of apples from one Cherished.

Disease resistance

Due to the unique structure of the crown, the Cherished apple tree is resistant to various diseases and pests. The main disease of such plants is scab, however, the uniform effect of sunlight relieves the variety from the disease. As a preventive measure during flowering, it is recommended to spray the tree with a fungicide solution.

Winter hardiness

Apple tree tolerates winter frosts down to -40 degrees. When the temperature drops below the perennial bark is damaged and covered with deep cracks. For the northern regions, it is recommended to select more resistant varieties or take care of tree insulation.

Tasting evaluation

The pulp of apples is dense, but famous for its tenderness and juiciness of taste. Connoisseurs note a slight taste of strawberries.

Cherished is famous for its biochemical composition, which includes an extensive complex of vitamins. In winter, eating fruits helps to boost immunity and successfully fight seasonal diseases.

Average fruit weight

The mass of an apple of the Cherished variety directly depends on the age of the seedling. So:

• the first three years the fruits are slightly larger, and reach 80 grams;
• the older the tree, the smaller the fruits; from the fourth year, the average weight of an apple is only 45-60 grams.

It has to do with the number of apples. If the total weight remains unchanged, then over time the number of fruits increases, but their size decreases. However, this fact does not affect the taste in any way.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The Cherished Apple Tree has a number of advantages:

• the tree is not prone to scab and other diseases;
• high yield (up to 75 kilograms);
• same fruiting as a young seedling as an adult;
• simultaneous fruit ripening;
• good transportability;
• fruits do not spoil for a long time (up to six months).

Important! The only drawback of the plant is instability before severe frosts.

How to plant?

For planting the Cherished apple tree, no special agricultural techniques are required. It is only recommended to take into account the climatic conditions of the region, especially in winter.

Important! It is required to carefully consider the choice of young seedlings, so as not to be confused with Kazakhstani hybrids that cannot stand low temperatures. Minimum values for this variety: -30 degrees.

Date of planting

Seedlings of this apple tree are recommended to be planted in mid-March, and in colder areas even in April. The temperature regime must be stable. Sudden frosts will destroy young trees. The soil should already warm up to at least +10 degrees.

Seedlings

When choosing seedlings of the Cherished apple tree, it is recommended to pay special attention to the following points:

• safety and quality of the root system; should not have dry shoots;
• no damage to the bark;
• the trunk must be he althy, without growths and cracks;
• the twig of a seedling must certainly be moist and resilient.

Choosing a seat

This is a thermophilic apple variety, so it is recommended to choose a sunny and calm location.

Important! The place is required open so that the snow falls freely and does not melt. This provides additional warming of seedlings. It is recommended to avoid sites with artificial soil heating (next to the bathhouse, heating pipes), as the "natural insulation" will quickly melt, and the external one is not enough to preserve the roots.

Preparation of seedlings

Apple-tree saplings Treasured prepare in advance. In autumn, it is necessary to plant a young tree in open ground at an angle of 45 degrees. You can warm the soil a little with foliage and humus.

Preparing the pit

Pits for trees are also recommended to prepare in advance. On average, a depression of 70-100 centimeters is suitable for the Cherished apple tree. When excavating, you need to pay attention to:

• groundwater level - no more than 1.5 meters;
• land for burying must be mixed with ready-made compost in advance;
• the bottom of the pit needs to be additionally loosened with a crowbar;
• fill the earth in layers, in reverse order from digging.

Plant pattern

The planting pattern, as you know, depends entirely on the root system and on the crown. The first of this apple tree is not very sprawling, but it grows rather in breadth than up. Therefore, it is recommended to calculate the distance from the parameters of 2.5 meters in diameter for each tree plus a meter for free space.

Rules of care

Apple variety Cherished is unpretentious and does not need additional care, except for standard top dressing and warming.

How to water

In rainy years there is no need for additional watering. However, in dry summers, it is recommended to water the apple tree 2-3 times abundantly. This does not require filling the entire garden completely, it is enough to fill the recess around the tree.

How to trim

Pruning the apple tree Cherished is recommended in the spring, before the buds appear, and the cuts must be treated with garden pitch to avoid the onset of infections.

Important! You should not get rid of horizontal branches, as they are where most of the fruits are most often located!

Fertilization

It is advisable to feed the seedlings every year. It is recommended to cover the soil with compost only in spring. However, it is allowed to fertilize with infusion of chicken manure or liquid mullein at any time - even in spring, even in autumn.

Pest control

The main enemy of the apple tree among pests is the codling moth. However, the fight against it is not difficult. It is enough to treat the Cherished solution with Inta-vir, Decis or Kinmiks at the beginning of June.

Protection against rodents

There are a number of rodent control measures:

• garden clean the trunk of an apple tree;
• loosen the soil around the seedling;
• cover the barrel with a special protective material.

If there is no material, it is recommended to fix spruce branches on the trunk (needles down), and additionally treat the edges with rodent protection.

Pollination

An important step in successful pollination is the selection of a second variety of apples, which will serve as a catalyst. Perfect for this role:

• Firebird;
• Altai Blush;
• Purple.

Features of ripening in different regions

Features of ripening are concluded only in the time of ripening of fruits. So, if you plant trees from Moscow to the Urals, Siberian seedlings will give the first fruits in early September. And then - as the temperature regime changes.

Subspecies and variants

"Parents" of the Cherished in 1958 were two varieties of apples:

• Melba;
• Autumn joy.

This is why the trees are similar in appearance and have similar care practices.

Harvest and storage of crops

Harvesting the Treasure is taken in September. A large space should be prepared in advance for numerous fruits. The collection is stored for a long time, almost until the end of the winter season.

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