Columnar apple tree: planting and care in Siberia, growing and the best varieties with photos

Due to the harsh climate in Siberia, not all varieties of fruit crops are able to adequately endure sub-zero temperatures and cold spells. But thanks to breeders, frost-resistant plants were bred, which not only have a high degree of resistance to adverse environmental factors, but also give a bountiful harvest. The main thing is to choose the right columnar apple trees for Siberia.

Characteristics of apple trees for Siberia

A distinctive feature of columnar apple trees is the absence of lateral branches, which is explained by the presence of a special Co gene. In such trees, branches grow from the central conductor at an acute angle, almost along it. Outwardly, they resemble pyramidal poplars.

The trunk of columnar apple trees is quite thickened, small branches are formed on it, on the tops of which flower buds are placed. Often, instead of lateral branches, fruitlets, spears or ringlets are formed. On thick shoots there are shortened internodes.

In dwarf varieties, the tendency to branch is less, when compared with medium-sized plants, it is 1.5-3 times, and with tall plants - 4 times.

After the third or fourth year, the growth of side branches in columnar apple trees stops. In case of injury to the apical bud, the growth of the tree stops and the active formation of lateral branches begins. Therefore, it is recommended to protect the growing point of the apple tree at least in the first 2-3 years.

Columnar apple trees attract the attention of gardeners with their precocity, the collection of the first fruits is possible as early as 2-3 years of the tree's life. After the fifth year, the harvest becomes more and more abundant, and from the seventh - consistently high, but this is subject to proper agricultural technology and care.

The duration of the ability to actively bear fruit in such apple trees is 15-20 years, after which most of the annelids die. Extending the life of a tree is possible only in the case of growing strong or medium-sized varieties on seed stocks through the grafting procedure.

How to choose a variety?

To choose the right variety for difficult Siberian conditions, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Indicator of frost resistance. For the cultivation of apple trees in Siberia, plants with a high level of endurance and winter hardiness are suitable, which are not afraid of minus temperatures of -50 degrees. In addition, they must be distinguished by the ability to bear fruit even with a lack of sunlight and moisture.
Productivity indicator. The best option is high-yielding varieties that bear fruit 2-3 years after grafting.
Ripening dates for apples. For planting in the northern regions, it is recommended to choose varieties with early and medium ripening, the fruits of which can already be harvested at the beginning of the summer or autumn season. It is not advisable to purchase winter varieties, otherwise, at the end of August, due to night frosts, the crop may deteriorate and not be stored for a long time.

For cultivation in Siberia, varieties with a high level of frost resistance, excellent immunity and the ability to produce a bountiful harvest with minimal care are suitable.

For information! Varieties with early ripening are not intended for long-term storage. Fruit picking occurs in July and lasts until August, the keeping quality of such fruits is low.

Planting and care

To grow a quantitative crop in Siberia, you need to know all the details of planting and caring for columns.

Selection of seedlings

Properly selected planting material will allow you to get rid of troubles with a young apple tree in the future. Annual plants purchased at specialized retail outlets and nurseries are best rooted. When choosing seedlings of columnar apple trees, you should pay attention to:

the presence of tags explaining the age and rootstock of the tree;
root system, it must be of a closed type. The seedling will more easily endure a further transplant, and will quickly adapt to a new place;
the presence of several buds on a tree. One-year-old seedlings do not have lateral shoots, they are replaced by buds;
state of the open type root system. It should not contain traces of disease lesions, as well as mechanical damage. During transportation, the roots of such seedlings must be in a moist substrate.

For information! For successful cultivation in Siberia, it is more efficient to choose zoned varieties that are distinguished by their ability to quickly adapt to harsh climatic conditions.

Date of planting

In order for a young plant to take root better, it should be planted in the spring, when the soil is warm enough. The main thing is to be in time before the start of intensive sap flow.

Growing Technology

The landing pit is prepared in advance, 14 days in advance. The soil extracted from the pit is mixed with 3-4 buckets of organic composition, superphosphate (100 g), potash fertilizer (100 g) and a handful of dolomite flour. Then, drainage is laid at the bottom of the pit in the form of fine gravel, brick battle. Part of the prepared soil mixture is laid on top.

On the day of disembarkation, the root system of a young apple tree should be examined again. If it is slightly s alted, then the seedling is placed for 10 hours in a container of water. Trees in containers are watered abundantly with water, so it will be easier to get them out of them.

For better survival in the harsh Siberian conditions, experienced gardeners advise cutting the roots of a columnar apple tree. When planting plants, they need to be slightly tilted, which will allow them to be bent down when sheltering them for the winter. When landing in Siberia with a mild climate, you can do without this technique, it is enough to do everything according to the traditional scheme.

Placing the seedling in the hole, straighten its roots and gently sprinkle with earth. The root neck should be above ground level. Having compacted the soil, it is plentifully moistened and mulched with foliage, peat, sawdust. To support a young plant, a support is installed nearby.

Agrotechnology

Unlike other regions, columnar apple trees in Siberia require somewhat different care, especially when it comes to preparing plants for winter. To get tasty and juicy apples, you need to regularly moisten the trees. To improve the quality of moisture supply to the roots of the plant, it is necessary to make borders along the edge of the near-stem circle.Water consumption per apple tree is 1-2 buckets.

You should not strongly moisten the trees, the signal for watering will be the drying of the top layer of soil by 4-5 cm. In the dry summer season, the frequency of watering is increased, the moisturizing procedure is performed every day. The sprinkling method has a particularly beneficial effect on plants.

When grown in Siberia, columnar apple trees are fed three times. The first feeding procedure is performed in the spring during the active vegetation period (nitrogen compositions), the second after 3-4 weeks in the bud formation phase (phosphorus and potassium mixtures) and the third - after 3-4 weeks during the fruit setting period (potassium and nitrogen). There is no need to apply fertilizer compositions in autumn.

Preparing for the winter

Even when planting frost-resistant trees, there is no guarantee that they will be able to withstand severe Siberian frosts. It is recommended to protect columnar apple trees with covering material, wrapping the trunk with a chain-link net or spruce branches.

Shaping and trimming

In the first year after planting on trees, all ovaries should be removed, except for 1-2 pieces for fruit sampling. For 2-3 years, half of the ovaries are cut off, leaving more and more flowers every year. Pruning is performed in order to free the tree from deformed and weak branches. In Siberia, the top of an apple tree is often shortened to the first strong shoot.

Apple varieties by regions of Siberia

Given that Siberia has a rather large territory, where climatic features differ somewhat, it is worth choosing the best variety for a particular area correctly.

Eastern Siberia

For planting use varieties with winter hardiness above 40 degrees. Iksha and Vasyugan have proven themselves well.

Western Siberia

The recommended option for columnar apple trees is semi-dwarf varieties, no more than 2 m high. President and Medoc are especially popular.

Reviews

Columnar apple trees, according to reviews of Siberian gardeners, are quite suitable for growing in harsh climates. The main thing is to choose the right variety and provide the plant with proper conditions and care.