Geneva apple tree: description and characteristics of the variety, planting dates and cultivation

Almost all summer residents grow fruit trees on their plot, including apple trees. Apple trees are popular among most summer residents in all regions due to the unpretentiousness and winter hardiness of most varieties. One of these varieties of apple trees is Geneva.

Description and characteristics of the apple tree Earley Geneva

In order not to make a mistake in choosing, you need to study all the characteristics of the selected variety before buying a seedling. First of all, they pay attention to the pros and cons of an apple tree, tree size, crown width, yield and some other characteristics.

Tree dimensions

The tree trunk reaches a height of at least 5 m. The crown is spherical, wide. Branches are often crooked. The number of branches depends on the trunk. If it is tall, then the branches are straight and grow in large numbers. If the tree is stunted, there will be fewer branches. To control the height of the tree, it is pruned every year.

Yields

Inflorescences are light pink with a rich pleasant aroma. The yield does not depend on the region of cultivation, and the Geneva apple tree bears fruit equally in any region. The more inflorescences formed, the higher the yield.

Pollinator varieties are planted near Geneva. These include:

James Grieve;
apple hybrid Delicatessen;
Idared.

Apples ripen early, at the end of July. Until winter, the fruits do not persist. The yield is high. Up to 100-140 kg of fruits are harvested from one tree.

Tasting qualities

Apples are small in size, average weight is 200g. Pulp with rich apple aroma, fine-grained and juicy. The taste is sweet with a slight sourness. The peel is bright red, with green veins. The tasting score is 4.6 points out of 5.

Winter hardiness

Geneva apple tree is one of those varieties that perfectly tolerate frosty winters. Therefore, this variety is planted even in northern latitudes.

If you mulch the soil around the trunk before the onset of winter, then the tree will not be afraid of frost.

Disease resistance

Another advantage of the Geneva hybrid is immunity to most diseases of fruit trees. The exception is scab, without proper care, the apple tree often suffers from this disease.

Pros and cons of the variety

Each variety has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the Geneva variety include:

Early fruiting.
Winter hardiness.
Versatile use in cooking.
Disease and insect resistance.
Delicious apples.
Annual fruiting.

Geneva has few shortcomings. The main disadvantages include the duration of storage of apples. After harvesting, apples do not have a long shelf life. Therefore, they are immediately eaten or cooked from them. In addition, lack of immunity to scab, powdery mildew and poor transportability over long distances due to thin skin.

How to plant a tree the right way

When planting apple seedlings, attention is paid to preparing the soil for planting. First of all, it depends on how prepared the soil is for planting a tree, how quickly the apple tree will get used to a new place, and after how many years fruiting will begin.

When to plant

As a rule, the timing of planting a tree is spring or autumn. Summer is not suitable for planting a tree. The advantage of autumn planting is that the seedling will have time to take root in a new place during the winter and will begin to grow actively in the spring.

In autumn, the first decade of October is considered the most favorable period for planting. It is recommended to plant seedlings in autumn only in regions with fertile soil.

Spring planting begins after the soil has thawed. Plants are planted in late April - early March. Spring seedlings need abundant watering. The advantage of spring planting is that during the summer the apple tree will have time to get stronger and survive the frosts.

Selecting a site and preparing for planting

Only fertile soil is suitable for the Geneva apple tree. It is recommended to plant plants on light, loose soils rich in nutrients.It is undesirable to plant an apple tree in the shade, it is recommended to choose open sunny areas. In the dark, the tree does not grow well and gives a poor harvest. Prepare the ground before planting. Mineral fertilizers and organic matter are added to the soil. If the soil is high in acidity, then wood ash and dolomite flour are added.

Plant pattern

The Geneva variety is planted in the same way as any other apple hybrids. Stages of planting seedlings:

Dig a hole up to 1 m deep, the width of the hole should be up to 70-80 cm.
Pour nitrogen-containing fertilizers, manure and wood ash into the bottom of the pit.
Leave the hole like this for 2-4 weeks.
Drive a stake into the center of the pit, to which the trunk is tied after planting.
Place the apple tree in a growth-activating solution for a few hours before planting.
Immediately before planting, the rhizome is dipped into a liquid clay solution.
Put the tree in a hole and cover it with soil.
Tamp the soil around the trunk.
Plentifully water the tree with warm water and tie it to a stake.

If the seedling was planted in the spring, it is watered every week with plenty of water. Autumn seedlings are not watered after planting.

Features of plant care

Care for an apple tree includes watering, adding nutrients, loosening the soil, whitewashing the trunk, and preventing diseases of fruit trees. Particular attention is paid to the formation of the crown. Pruning a tree allows not only to form the crown of an apple tree, but also helps to fight diseases. After all, diseased branches cut in time do not spread the disease further throughout the tree.

Irrigation

Although Geneva is a drought tolerant variety, attention should be paid to watering. Thanks to regular watering, apples grow larger and juicier.

One tree takes 10 liters of water. Water the plants four times a season:

The first watering is carried out during the growing season, when the leaves are just beginning to bloom and shoots are formed.
The second time Geneva is watered during the flowering period.
The third watering is carried out at the time when the fruits ripen (the trees are watered 1-2 times a week until the apples ripen).
The last time the plant is watered after the harvest and in October, before the onset of cold weather.

The trees are watered only with warm water. Cold water encourages fungus and other diseases.

Feeding

During the growing season, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied to the soil. During flowering and fruit formation, potassium and phosphorus are added to the soil. It is also useful to add organic top dressings.

Shaping and thinning

In the spring, the lower branches and shoots are removed at a distance of 50-60 cm. 3-4 strongest branches are left in each tier, the rest is cut off. In autumn, dry and diseased branches are removed.

Caring for the trunk circle, preparing for winter

Several times a month, the soil around the trunk is loosened and all weeds are removed. After warming up the soil, the area around the trunk is mulched. With the onset of autumn, the ground near the tree is loosened to a depth of 20-30 cm. In addition, the trunk is treated with lime or garden paint.

Disease and pest control

Geneva has low resistance to scab and powdery mildew, so these diseases should be prevented right away. In addition, it is important to regularly inspect plants for the presence of harmful insects.

Trees are sprayed before bud break, then during flowering and after this period, the last time the apple tree is sprayed after it is harvested.For spraying use Bordeaux liquid, the drug "Skor" or "Hom". From insects, spraying with "Karbofos" or "Aktara" helps. These drugs help to destroy mites, aphids and codling moth.

Apple subspecies

Since the Geneva apple variety is tall and reaches a height of more than 5 m, the cultivation of dwarf and columnar varieties is not practiced. There are no other subspecies of the hybrid.

Maturation and fruiting

Geneva variety does not ripen immediately, so you will have to pick apples as they ripen. Ripe apples appear in late July and August. By the end of August, there are no ripe apples left on the tree. Those apples that have been damaged by birds or insects are used to make jams, jams, compotes or for baking. He althy fruits are consumed fresh.

Because of early fruiting and fruit ripening, apples are not stored for a long time after harvest. Apples of this variety are eaten immediately after being harvested from the tree or used for the preparation of processed products.