Asterisk apple tree: variety description and characteristics, cultivation, planting and care

A feature of the Asterisk apple tree is its vigorous growth. Also, the advantage of the variety is its unpretentiousness in care, the taste of fruits and the duration of their storage. You can get the maximum yield if you follow all the nuances of planting and caring for a tree.

History of breeding the Asterisk apple tree

This variety was bred thanks to the efforts of breeders of the Michurinsk Research Institute. The plant was obtained after crossing Anis with Pepinka Lithuanian. Thanks to this crossing, the fruits of the plant have excellent commercial qualities. But due to instability to low temperatures, planting such a variety is required in areas with moderate climatic conditions, where non-cold winters are observed.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Among the positive qualities of the variety are the regularity of fruiting, the taste of apples, their shelf life, resistance to scab. Zvezdochka also has disadvantages: lack of resistance to frost, lower yields every year. Direct relationship between yield and regular crown formation.

Tree characteristics

Asterisk has a lot of individual features. They concern not only the external features of the plant, but also its growth characteristics.

External parameters

Description of the variety says that the tree is characterized by an attractive rounded crown. Moreover, the plant is quite tall and requires formative and sanitary pruning.

Tree height

The tree is characterized by active growth. By the age of 20, the plant can grow to more than 5 meters in height.

Crown width

At the beginning of growth and development, the plant has a beautiful rounded crown. With active growth, it can change and become sprawling, drooping. At the age of 20, the diameter of the crown reaches 6 meters in width, if the gardener does not carry out shaping pruning.

Annual growth

According to statistics, the annual growth of the plant is set at around 0.1 meter. A similar characteristic describes the tree as an actively growing crop.

Culture sustainability

Before planting the Zvezdochka variety on your site, you need to know about its resistance to various environmental factors. Most often, gardeners pay attention to the resistance of a tree to temperature changes, attacks by pests and diseases.

To frost and drought

The apple tree is characterized by average winter hardiness. If you do not provide it with the necessary care, when the temperature indicator is set at -25 degrees, the plant begins to freeze over. In a dry climate, the tree needs good watering, otherwise the plant will grow slowly and bear fruit poorly.

To infections and pests

This variety is highly resistant to scab. But he is able to be affected by fruit rot, powdery mildew.

This variety is occasionally affected by pests. If you follow all the technology of planting and care, the apple tree will grow and develop well.

Crop features

Asterisk bears fruit with medium apples, the weight characteristics of which are set within 80-150 grams. The yield is high and regular. Every year, 90-170 kilograms of fruit can be harvested from 1 tree.Under favorable conditions and good care from the plant, 230 kilograms of fruits can be harvested per year.

Pollinator varieties

In order for a tree to be pollinated, it is required to plant pollinating varieties nearby. The best option are:

Antonovka;
Zhigulevskoe;
Memory to the Warrior;
Bogatyr.

If Starlet is planted in a grown apple orchard, it is required to check that one third of all planted plants are a pollinator for this variety.

First fruiting period

If the seedlings were planted on a dwarf rootstock, they begin to bear fruit 1-2 years earlier than standard plants, which form apples 5-7 years after planting. If pruned incorrectly, the tree may also begin to bear fruit later.

Terms of flowering and fruit ripening

Apples begin to be harvested in early September, if the trees were grown in the southern regions. In northern conditions, ripening begins 2-3 weeks later. The harvested crop should ripen within 3-4 weeks.

Yields

The yield of this variety is high. With proper care, the tree produces 70-110 kilograms of fruit.

Taste of apples

Ripened apples have a sweet taste. The flesh has an attractive sweet-sour aroma.

Collecting and using fruits

You can store the harvested crop for 5-6 months. Fruit should be placed in wooden boxes disinfected with antifungal solutions. You need to lay apples in 1 row. Boxes need to be placed in the basement or cellar. If you put the apples in the refrigerator, they will be stored there for 2 months.

Apples can be transported. However, they should not be transported over long distances, as they begin to darken at the points of impact with each other.

Planting and Care Technology

To get a he althy plant, you must follow all the nuances of planting and caring for it. This approach will help to get the maximum yield, protect the plant from pests and diseases.

Preparation of seedlings

You need to buy a seedling from trusted sellers. It is desirable that it be grown in the region where the planting is planned. The branches should be free of signs of diseases and pests. Before planting, the root system of the plant should be soaked in water for a day. All broken roots are removed.

Choosing the best seat

Apple tree needs to be planted in a lighted area. The soil on the site should be fertile, loose with deep groundwater. South or southwest locations in the garden are best for growing.

Date and disembarkation scheme

It is best to plant a plant in the spring. The optimal period for this: the last days of April, May.

If the seedling cannot be planted in the spring, it must be planted in the fall, 1.5 months before the onset of cold weather. This time is necessary for the adaptation of the tree.

Agrotechnology

Before planting, the site must be carefully dug up, cleared of weeds. Next, a hole with a diameter of 0.4 meters is prepared. At 30%, the pit is filled with a mixture made from humus, earth, ash, 35 grams of superphosphate. Next, a seedling is placed, the roots are straightened, covered with soil. The root collar should be 5-6 centimeters above the ground.

After planting, the soil is compacted and watered. Thorough watering is provided to the tree for 1.5 months after planting.

Pruning and crown shaping

Since this variety actively shoots, they need to be cut off in a timely manner. It is best to perform the procedure in early spring. When late autumn comes, it is impossible to carry out formative pruning.

Sanitary pruning is required when traces of diseases and pests appear. To protect the plant, after the procedure, it is required to treat it with a special agent.

Preparing for winter

In order for the plant not to freeze, to tolerate frost well, it must be prepared in advance for winter. To do this, reduce the frequency of watering. Before the onset of the first frost, it is recommended to cover the trunk circle with mulch. Spruce paws are best suited for this.