Apple tree Zarya Alatau: description and characteristics of the variety, yield and winter hardiness

When choosing apple trees for their own garden, the owners pay attention, first of all, to the taste of their fruits. Lovers of sweet fruits, which are perfectly stored until the end of spring, are recommended apple trees of the Zarya Alatau variety. They tolerate frost well and can grow in most regions of central Russia, in Belarus and the B altic states. With proper care, these trees produce a rich harvest every autumn!

Variety description

The birthplace of this variety is Kazakhstan, where many popular varieties of apples come from. Zarya Alatau appeared as a result of free pollination from the Ranet Orleans variety.

The apple tree has an average winter hardiness and loves a long warm period, so it will not go for growing in areas with cold springs and short summers, while it will easily survive frosts down to -30. Apple trees of the Zarya Alatau species are of medium height, compact, need pruning and crown formation. They begin to bear fruit in the 5-7th year after planting. The variety has good resistance to many tree diseases, but often suffers from scab and rot.

To get he althy fruits, sweet, even and larger than average, you need to take care of the tree, protect it from diseases, control the number of ovaries. The quality of the soil where apple trees grow is also important.

The fruits of Dawn Alatau are small, medium or below average size. They have a fragrant, dense, fine-grained pulp. The taste of apples is very pleasant, sweet, with minimal sourness. As the tree grows, the size of the fruit gets smaller, but its excellent taste remains the same.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Zarya Alatau benefits include:

• frost resistance;
• taste and appearance of fruits;
• long shelf life;
• high yield.

Flaws:

• requires a long period of heat;
• needs care and special crown shaping;
• prone to scab and diseases in general.

Mature tree size

Apple tree of this variety is low, with a crown of medium density and branching. The average tree height is 4.5 meters. The crown is symmetrical, has the shape of an oval or pyramid. Weights are hung on the branches of young seedlings so that they grow at the right angle relative to the trunk.

Yield and palatability of fruits

The main advantage of apples is taste, aroma and chemical composition. The variety produces medium-sized (100-140 g), sweet and juicy fruits. They are slightly flattened, greenish-yellow in color with an orange blush on the sunny side. The flesh is light cream in color, with a strong aroma, juicy and sweet.

It contains little ascorbic acid, unlike most other varieties. They are great for baby food, mashed potatoes. Cultivation of Zari Alatau is recommended for those who love dessert apples. It is best to use them fresh. This is facilitated by the fact that the fruits are stored for a long time - from December to May. It is important to monitor the level of humidity in the room where they are located. If too high, apples begin to wilt.

The advantages of the variety include high yields - subject to all growing conditions, proper crown formation and sufficient heat, up to 150 kg of fruit grows on one tree.

Initially it sets a lot of fruit and may need to be adjusted so that ripe apples are of good size and taste. Fruiting begins on the 5-7th year after planting. Harvested in September - early October, depending on climatic conditions.

Apple winter hardiness

The Zarya Alatau variety is winter-hardy. Normally tolerates frosts down to -30, requires shelter from rodents.

Disease resistance

The species is susceptible to scab, this is a significant minus of the apple tree. Less likely to suffer from cancer and fungal diseases. Resistant to powdery mildew. Scab excludes the possibility of obtaining a quality crop, while the tree itself will not suffer. Therefore, it is important to take timely measures that will protect apple trees from this scourge.

Prophylactic treatment is carried out in early spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed.It is impossible to process a flowering apple tree from scab! During fruiting, you can use natural remedies, herbal medicine and a solution of potassium permanganate. In preparation for winter, trees are re-treated with chemicals.

Terms of flowering and fruit ripening

The tree begins to bloom in mid-May, the timing may vary depending on how warm the spring has been. The fruits ripen at the end of September.

Zarya Alatau is partially capable of self-pollination, Welsey, Schreyfling and Antonovka Ordinary are suitable as additional pollinator varieties.

Growth regions

Zarya Alatau performed well in regions with a temperate climate. The most important thing for good fruiting is the presence of heat from April-May to September. It is not recommended to grow the variety in regions with very frosty (more than -35 degrees) winters.

For cold regions, in particular Siberia, it is possible to grow these sweet fruits on a dwarf rootstock. Such apple trees are more frost-resistant and start fruiting earlier.

Planting and care

Young trees can be planted from April to October in loose, moist, but not too wet soil. Optimal places with a groundwater depth of 2-2.5 m. In this case, a hole of about 80-100 cm is dug for a seedling. A peg is driven into the middle, which will support a young apple tree. The pit is filled with earth dug out of it, mixed with peat and humus. If the soil is clayey, you need to add sand to this mixture. If several seedlings are planted at the same time, there should be a distance of 4-5 meters or more between them.

At first, the tree is watered every two weeks, in spring, summer and autumn they are treated against diseases and harmful insects. For the next spring, Zarya Alatau needs a formative pruning, weights are hung from the lower branches. Tree crown thinning is carried out every year.

The apple tree does not need to enrich the soil with nutrients, the main thing is to properly fertilize the seedling when planting and choose a suitable piece of land.

To protect against insects, bird feeders are hung in the crown of the tree. In addition to the food offered by man, they collect from branches and pests. In addition, preventive spraying is carried out twice a year - before flowering and at the time the ovaries appear.

It is important to carefully choose chemicals for fruit crops, follow the proportions and times of application indicated in the instructions. An improperly used drug can not only burn the ovaries, but also adversely affect the he alth of people who eat apples.

Zarya Alatau requires compliance with the agricultural practices of fruit trees so that the gardener has the opportunity to regularly get a good harvest. The variety can be confidently recommended to those who want to have fresh apples from their own garden on the table during the winter and spring.

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