Apple Lemonka: variety description and characteristics, cultivation with photo

Apple fruits Lemons are one of the delicious and appetizing. They have a rich lemon color and an amazing aroma. What is the variety of winter Lemon apples, what are the pros and cons of it, as well as other useful information about it further.

Description and features

In any gardening guide Lemonka refers to winter and autumn varieties. Its detailed description contains information that Limonka belongs to a well-known variety included in the state register of many Russian regions as the leading early summer variety.

It is of interest to garden farms that are located directly near cities or industrial areas, as well as for plots and garden associations. The variety was widely used in order to participate in the selection of apple trees. Thanks to him, more than 20 new types of apple trees were created.

Apple trees of this species belong to autumn-winter trees, since the harvested crop can be stored in winter, and it will not lose its taste, presentation and useful qualities. At the same time, with proper care, you can reap a rich harvest.

History of selection

The history of this variety of apples is not fully known. There is information that the origin of this species occurred with the help of a random crossing of two apple trees: Renet Semirenko and Granny Smith.

It was entered in the national register of Russia in the middle of the last century. Since these two apple trees contain citric acid, and the fruit looks like a lemon, the new variety was named citric or Limonka. Sometimes the name Winter Limonka occurs.

In Russia today, the variety is popular in the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea, North Ossetia and other areas.

What are the pros and cons of the variety?

Apples Lemonka, like all types, has its own list of positive and negative qualities.

The advantages of the Limonka variety, thanks to which it has become popular both in Russian regions and abroad, include the following:

Long-term storage of the harvested crop.
Unpretentiousness while growing a tree.
Excellent heat and cold tolerance (can withstand temperatures down to -35 degrees).
Relatively early fruiting.
Unique lemon flavor and color.
Demand from consumers due to low calorie content.

The main disadvantages include:

Low resistance to diseases such as scab.
Need frequent pruning due to strong overgrowth.

Characteristics of the Lemonka apple tree

Limonka is one of the best varieties of apples for growing in central Russia. These apple trees rarely get sick and bear fruit after the age of three. The fruits are large, truncated-conical and slightly ribbed.

The skin has a brilliant yellowish color. Apples of this species contain a large amount of citric acid and useful trace elements that are necessary for the functioning of the vascular system and digestion. They contain a lot of iron with potassium and calcium.

Tree size

If we talk about the size of the tree, then the Limonka apple tree has an average size and density. It has a spherical crown with a size of 30-40 cm, characterized by late flowering and excellent winter hardiness.

On average, at the age of three, it reaches one and a half meters in height, and at the age of 5 it grows another 1.5 meters. In ten years it can reach 6 meters with normal development. In windy weather, a young tree needs support. The root system of the tree is compact.

Fruit evaluation

Lemon fruits have an average size, reaching one hundred grams. The color of unripe fruits is yellow-green. When ripe, they become golden yellow. The pulp of the fruit has a creamy, dense, fine-grained and juicy texture. It has an excellent dessert taste and characteristic lemon sourness.

When overripe, the flesh becomes mealy. When you press the fruit, a pleasant aroma is felt. The skin has a smooth, thin, shiny texture, slightly waxy.

Lemonka apples ripen early, in the first decade of the last summer month. Perfectly stored in a cold place until spring, without losing its aroma and characteristic taste.

The stalk of the fruit has an average length, the funnel has an average width and depth. The saucer is small and narrow, and the cup is closed. The seed nest is large, bulb-shaped. The seeds have an irregular short shape and a rich brown color. The subcup tube has a short, conical shape.

Winter hardiness

Apple trees tolerate the winter cold relatively well. Flower buds are also characterized by high winter hardiness. Resistance to fruit and leaf scab is low. In the country, lemons in the middle lane are best tolerated in the winter.

Resistant to diseases and pests

The variety is resistant to various diseases and pests. Severe frosts, as well as prolonged drought, can reduce the immunity of an apple tree, but this will not affect its he alth in general. But when next to an affected tree, it can get sick.

How often it bears fruit

The tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 2-6 years It bears fruit on kolchatka and fruit twigs every year. Refers to fast-growing fruit trees. Apple trees of this species are self-fertile, incapable of high-quality self-pollination. Therefore, for a high yield, it is required to plant them directly next to other apple trees.

Apple yield

Harvest brings rich in the absence of diseases and with proper care. A good yield of a tree, in addition to depending on the weather and general he alth, also depends on the load on the tree.

The greater the load on the branches of a tree, the less yield it brings. On average, at the age of two years, an apple tree of the Limonka variety can bring from 6 kg of crop. The number increases with each year of the tree's life. Peak fruiting occurs at 6-40 years.

Regions of distribution

Most often, apple trees of the Limonka variety take root in the steppe, forest-steppe zones and in woodlands, on lands with fertile soil. Therefore, most often it can be found and grown in the south and in the middle part of Russia.