Apple tree Arkad: description and characteristics of the variety, varieties, cultivation and care

Not all Russians grow apricots or peaches in their dachas or gardens, but almost everyone plants apple trees. These fruit trees are less whimsical, their fruits are well transported, stored for a long time, have a universal use, are rich in pectin, organic acids, vitamin C. The Arkad apple tree is grown to produce an early harvest of large and sweet apples. Fruits of a white-green color with a thin skin and juicy pulp ripen by early August.

History of breeding apple trees

Arcade summer has been planted for a very long time, but who created this early variety is unknown.Such a tree grew even in the estate of Leo Tolstoy, and the writer liked sweet apples with a delicate aroma. There is no evidence that apple trees with this name were first planted in Bashkiria, as indicated in old sources.

Arcade varieties and description

Yearly, breeders create hybrids of fruit trees that have improved qualities. The Arkad apple tree boasts ease of care, resistance to frost and disease. The variety has several subspecies that differ from each other:

• weight and color of fruit;
• shades of flavor;
• ripening time;

Besides, the trees have different crown shapes and different heights. Arcade seedlings of Sugar, Summer, Smoky varieties are sold in nurseries and on the market.

Biryukova

Exceptional winter hardiness is characterized by an apple tree that grows up to 4 meters high, has a dense crown, which is formed from rounded shoots. The variety was named after the name of the breeder who pollinated winter Arkad with pollen from a seedling he created.

The tree blooms in May, and in early August, apples ripen, different:

• sweet and sour;
• green skin;
• gentle blush;
• delicate fragrance.

The fruit weighs about 90 g, the weight of the largest specimens reaches 120 grams. Up to 7 buckets of fruit are harvested from one plant. The apple tree tolerates temperature changes and frosts, but suffers from bacterial diseases, is affected by fungi.

Sugar

The trees of this early-ripening Arkad variety are very powerful, withstand harsh winters, and produce an annual harvest.Large apples have an excellent taste, thin green skin, granular flesh, weigh about 160 g. Fruits begin to pick at the end of July, they are stored for up to a month, do not lose their presentation during transportation.

Yellow

Arkad summer variety has an average yield, but bears fruit every year. About 6 buckets of apples are harvested from the tree, covered with a shiny golden peel and having a slightly tart flesh. Arkad yellow does not die in frosts up to 35 degrees, but is not grown on an industrial scale, since the fruits quickly deteriorate, lose their presentation during transportation. Jams are made from apples, juices are made, compotes are closed for the winter.

Pink

Apple tree of this variety has a compact crown formed by thin branches, grows well on loam and loose sandy soils. Fruits weighing up to 70 g ripen in July, have a rounded shape, are distinguished by a beautiful light yellow color, decorated with raspberry stripes.

Columnar

Compact trees with no lateral branches are easy to form, require little pruning, and bloom very beautifully. Such apple trees, which are a variety of Arcade, inherit from it winter hardiness, taste, and begin to bear fruit the next year. A columnar tree takes up less space on the site, does not differ too much from the variety in agricultural technology.

On a dwarf rootstock

The tree of this species of Arcade is slightly more than 2 meters high, but it tolerates more severe frosts than its closest relatives. Apple trees on dwarf rootstocks take root in cold climates.

What is characteristic of this culture

All subspecies of the Arkad variety are distinguished by early ripening, good yield, ease of care, resistance to adverse conditions, universal use of fruits.

Growth area

Arkad apple trees take root in temperate climates, cultivated in the middle latitudes of the European part of Russia, in the Urals, in Siberia and in the southern regions, bear fruit in the Volga-Vyatka region.

Resistant to frost, insects and diseases

Trees withstand temperatures below 30 ° C, but apple trees are not immune to fruit rot and powdery mildew, they are affected by scab. Harm to culture delivered:

• scutes and pincers;
• hawthorn and aphids;
• flower beetles and weevils.

Prevent the appearance of insects by spraying with urea, to prevent diseases, trees are treated with a solution of potassium chloride.

Harvest

Apples of all Arcade subspecies ripen in late July - early August. They need to be harvested on time, as the fruits quickly fall off and deteriorate. On average, one low tree produces no more than 7 buckets of fruit.

Beginning of fruiting

First apples on columnar varieties ripen next July or August, harvest weight can reach 3 kg. On the other subspecies of the Arkad variety, fruiting begins in the second, and the peak occurs in the 5th or 6th year.

Self-fertility and pollinating varieties

Every spring the trees bloom magnificently, but so that the ovary does not crumble, a large number of fruits ripen, it is necessary to place nearby apple trees of early varieties that act as pollinators.

The period of tree flowering and fruit ripening

Arcade is planted in regions with a cool climate, where there is snow in March or even April, apple trees release buds when the weather is warm, and bloom in May. The fruits are plucked in the last decade of July or in the first half of August.

Tasting evaluation

Apples Arkad Pink, Sugar, Biryukova have a pleasant sweet and sour taste, have juicy pulp, delicate aroma and deserve the highest tasting rating. The fruits of the yellow variety of the variety are not suitable for transportation, have a tart aftertaste, lack of sourness and earn 4.1 points.

Collecting and storing apples

Ripe fruits are plucked by hand using the twisting method until they begin to crumble. Arkad trees are not tall, so getting apples is not difficult. Fruits of early varieties should not be stored for more than a month, even in the refrigerator, as they begin to rot or dry. It is better to immediately roll compotes, cook jams or just eat them fresh.

The nuances of landing

The roots of adult Arkad apple trees are at a depth of 60 to 70 cm and take up much more space than a compact crown. Before buying a tree for cultivation, it is worth studying the requirements for agricultural technology.

Preparing seedlings

So that the roots of a young apple tree do not dry out, they are dipped in a mash, which is prepared from clay, earth and mullein, the ends are shortened with a pruner before being placed in the ground.

Choosing the best seat

Experts advise planting apple trees in a plot where crops that deplete the soil have not grown before. The tree will not bear fruit in the shade, it needs to be chosen in the sun and where the water is not located close to the surface.

Required soil composition and planting hole dimensions

A pit for an apple tree is dug in advance, its width should be at least a meter and a depth of 80 cm. A nut shell is placed at the bottom, the earth is mixed with humus, ash, superphosphate is added. The holes are half covered with the top layer of soil.

Scheme and technology of disembarkation

Compact undersized apple trees are placed every 4 meters, columnar - every 2. A peg is hammered into the prepared hole, the roots of the tree are dried, planted in the ground and straightened. The vaccination site is not covered, but left 10 centimeters above the soil surface, the soil is compacted, watered.

Care instructions

Young apple trees need to be protected from sunburn and frost, mulched, fed, cut.

Water frequency

Seedlings are moistened as soon as the soil dries out in the near-trunk circle. If the weather is dry, adult trees need moisture at least 2 times a month. The first watering is done when the buds appear, the last - in late autumn.

Foliar and root top dressing

In order for an apple tree to please with a large number of juicy and large fruits, in addition to moisture, it must receive minerals and organic matter.In early spring, the plant needs nitrogen, which is present in ammonium nitrate. Fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium are applied during the formation of buds and in the fall.

The tree reacts positively to foliar feeding with these microelements. Spraying foliage allows not only to increase productivity, but also to strengthen the immunity of the apple tree to diseases.

Crown pruning

In late autumn, dried and weak branches are removed, mummified remains of fruits are collected and burned. In the spring, gardeners thin out the crown, getting rid of diseased, old and inward-growing shoots that do not form an ovary.

Disease and insect prevention

Apple Arkad variety suffers from scab caused by the fungus Venturia, affected by bacteria. Spraying the ground part with 3% solutions of ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride helps protect the tree from harmful microorganisms.

To prevent insect invasion, plants are treated with preparations containing copper and urea, and insecticides are used when they appear.

Preparing apple trees for winter in gardens and farmsteads

To prevent fruit trees from being affected by severe cold, which is typical for mid-latitudes, all work on the site is stopped until the ground freezes. Preparing an apple tree for winter includes:

1. Cleaning from the remnants of fruits and weeds.
2. Removing dead and diseased branches.
3. Heavy watering to conserve moisture.
4. Spraying solutions against pests.
5. Fertilization.

Tree trunks should be whitewashed with lime, which protects against freezing of the bark, wrapped with roofing felt or other material so that hares do not gnaw on the shoots. The roots of young seedlings are covered for the winter with needles, dry leaves or straw.

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