Columnar apple tree Scarlet Sails

Today, columnar trees are just beginning to gain popularity among gardeners. Due to their botanical characteristics, they began to seriously compete with conventional varieties. One of these apple-pillars is the Alye Parusa variety.

The Scarlet Sails apple tree is a columnar fruit hybrid. Bred in the 80s of the twentieth century by a group of breeders of the Crimean Experimental Gardening Station by crossing several frost-resistant crops.

The semi-dwarf plant reaches a height of no more than 2 m. The crown is sparse, with spreading branches extending at right angles from the trunk.

The leaves are dark green in color, slightly shiny and wrinkled. The shape of the leaves is oblong-ovate, of medium size, bent down. Shoots are reddish-brownish, with drooping.

The main feature is compactness. Trees are easy to care for. It is easier to carry out harvesting, pruning, pest control. At the same time, it takes up very little space in the landing. One hundred square meters can plant 150-200 seedlings.

The advantages of the variety include:

• long shelf life of fruits;

• small landing area;

• easy to harvest;

• fast ripening times;

• excellent taste.

Among the disadvantages are:

• high price for seedlings;

• exacting care;

• an average degree of resistance to fungal infections.

A fast-growing species, begins to bear fruit in the second year of planting. However, the apple tree begins to fully bear fruit at 4-5 years. The first harvest is small, about 4-6 apples. Subsequent ones become more abundant and regular. Flowering occurs in late spring and lasts for a month.

Late summer variety. The technical ripeness of the fruit begins in late summer - early autumn and lasts until the end of September.

Young trees give a small yield - 3-4 kg. The older the columnar apple tree becomes, the greater the yield: at the age of 9 years, the yield is 36.7 kg, 11 years old - 50.7 kg.

Apples are medium in size, one can weigh 30-45 g. Their shape is rounded-conical, ribbed, often beveled towards the calyx. The color of the fruit is bright red with a white, juicy, dense pulp and skin with a waxy coating.

The fruit has a very pleasant sweet and sour taste, perfectly in harmony with the honey flavor. But sometimes there may be a slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

The hybrid is appreciated for its balanced composition of acids and sugars. So, sugars - up to 14.11%, acids - up to 0.68%, vitamin C - up to 16 mg, P-active compounds - up to 242 mg, tannins - up to 0.157%.

Often, taste is highly dependent on weather conditions. The more sunny days, the more aromatic and tasty the apples will be. On a five-point tasting scale, the variety is rated at 4.7 points for a light honey flavor.

The purpose of the fruit is universal. They can be consumed both processed and fresh.

The best time to plant is spring. They are planted until the sap flow has begun and the kidneys have not woken up. Disembarkation times may vary from March to May depending on the region.

Scarlet Sails are not too demanding on the composition of the soil (sandy loam, loam). But it should be loose enough, fertile and moist. It is advisable to choose a plot sunny or with partial shade, on a small hill.

It is important to check the groundwater level, not higher than 1 m. Spring melting of snow and heavy rains can lead to a rise in water, which leads to decay of the roots.

Correct planting is the key to a good general condition of the tree. The planting pit is prepared in approximately the same volume as the root system. First, the hole is covered with a drainage layer (crushed stone, broken brick), then there is a nutrient layer of the earth, consisting of peat, sand, humus. And also mineral fertilizers (superphosphate) and wood ash are added.

The roots in the pit are neatly straightened, filled up, the soil is rammed, abundantly watered and mulched.

Scarlet Sails is quite demanding to care for, especially when it comes to watering and feeding. Frequent irrigation is necessary. The soil should be constantly moist, but without stagnant water.

The variety has good generative properties. The tree is good at restoring frozen tissues and damaged shoots.

Doesn't need pruning. The exception is the death of the upper kidney. Side shoots begin to grow intensively, because of which the seedling begins to lose its shape. Therefore, in the spring they are necessarily pruned.

Self-fertile species that does not require cross-pollination. When pollinated by insects and other varieties, the number of fruits becomes noticeably larger.

Additional food is brought in 4 times per season. The year of planting is no exception. Phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers are applied, with which they begin to feed in July and end in October. The procedure is repeated every month. In the autumn period, nitrogen-containing dressings are excluded.

The hybrid has an average degree of frost resistance. Able to endure frosts down to -45 degrees.However, spring return temperatures below zero are fatal for the plant, because of which the tree freezes quite a bit.