Apple Eliza: variety description and selection history, advantages and disadvantages with a photo

Everything new that appears in gardening invariably arouses interest. So it happened with the Eliza apple tree. Its intriguing characteristics make gardeners experiment. The apple tree of the Dutch variety Elisa conquered the European market more than 40 years ago and even received the title of elite. Its fruits have an incomparable taste.

Variety description

This old variety, at the end of the 19th century, was bred by A. Dühring in Elbing, Germany, then sold to the owner of the nursery, Franz Rathke, and the latter gave him the name Eliza and let him go around the world.

It was obtained by crossing varieties of apple trees Cox Orange Pepin and Septer, it is considered a club in Europe.

Eliza is characterized by a medium-sized tree, with an unthickened, wide crown. It is also winter-hardy, and begins to bear fruit early. Differs in very high rates of productivity, even an overload by a crop. And therefore, he needs normalizing pruning - so the apples remain firm.

Judging by the description of the fruits, their shape is round-conical, the size is rather large, and the color is brownish-brown. By the beginning of October, they are fully ripe, and ready to be harvested. And they will retain all their taste even after 7-8 months of storage in the refrigerator.

Pros and cons

The undoubted advantages of this variety contributed to the popularity of the apple tree with the female name Eliza:

precocity;
winter hardiness (only in recommended growing regions);
consistently high yields;
beautiful and large apples;
resistance to scab, powdery mildew and fire blight.

Eliza has almost no flaws, except that for someone rare cases of scab and powdery mildew seem to be.

Features

Eliza apple trees have excellent characteristics, although for some this species may seem typical.

Mature tree size and annual growth

The apple tree is considered medium-sized. In adulthood, it rarely grows above 4 meters. Shoots reach a length of 40 centimeters. And its not too dense crown with its drooping branches makes it look like a mulberry or a weeping Japanese sophora.

Frequency of fruiting

Apple trees of this variety are found even in industrial gardens. And in such farms, varieties with constant fruiting are planted so that they bring a lot of apples every year.

Yields

Elise's apple trees are naturally high yielding. This is said by all gardeners who plant them on their plots. But you will have to adjust it by doing normalizing cropping. This will improve the commercial quality and attractiveness of apples.

If the trees are properly looked after, then on average, more than five buckets can be removed from one apple tree.

This apple tree will not keep you waiting for the first harvest for 6-8 years. Only 3-4 years, and the trees begin to bear fruit. At 6-7 years old, they produce up to 30 kilograms of fruits (12 tons per hectare), and at 10-13 years old - already up to 90 kilograms (20-33 tons per hectare).

In the conditions of the South, on average, they collect 300-400 centners per hectare, sometimes up to 500.

Tasting evaluation

You can safely put 4.8 points, even 5. Out of five!

Frost resistance

In areas that are recommended for growing Elisa, the winter hardiness of the apple tree is quite high.

Resistant to diseases and pests

The fact that the tree is resistant to the most serious diseases of apple trees, such as scab, powdery mildew and bacterial canker, is recognized as one of the most important advantages of this variety. And by processing apple trees for the purpose of prevention, the gardener will help protect them from other diseases characteristic of these fruit crops.

Terms of flowering and fruit ripening

You will easily remember the period when the Eliza apple tree blooms - the second half of May.And they ripen from the end of September. The first half of October is suitable for harvesting. Then they are placed in storage. Some gardeners note that apples can hold out on a tree until the New Year holidays. But don't wait that long. Better take them off in time.

Which regions can be grown?

Elise is an excellent apple tree not only for European gardeners and farmers. It can grow and bear fruit well in our lane as well.

Moscow region and Volga region.

The climatic conditions of the regions must be kept in mind. Frosts here can reach -30 ℃, even lower, and remain so for a long time. It is not uncommon for temperatures to change from minus to plus and vice versa. You will have to provide reliable and permanent protection against frost. That is why it is not too often possible to hear about success in growing this variety.

Ukraine.

There was a time when the Eliza apple variety became widespread in the Vydubitsky Monastery in Kyiv. And after that, many literary sources call it "Vedubec weeping".

Today, Ukrainian farmers show considerable interest in this crop.