Apple-tree Phoenix Altai

Many gardeners like to grow sweet and sour green apples. Phoenix Altai gained great popularity among summer residents of the northern regions. It is ideal for harsh climates.

Phoenix Altai was developed and bred at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture in Siberia named after V.I. M. A. Lisavenko. The author of the variety collaborated with such breeders as L. Yu. Zhebrovskaya, I. P. Kalinina and N. V. Ermakova. The material for creating a new species was selected from seedlings from free pollination of the Bellefleur-Phoenix variety. In the 1950s, Phoenix Altai was sent for testing, and in 1974 it was entered into the State Register, it is recommended for cultivation in the Siberian and Ural regions.

Phoenix Altai is a rather tall tree, without pruning it can reach 8 meters. The crown is usually spherical, but broadly oval specimens are sometimes found. The density is weak. Skeletal branches grow at right angles, but there are not too many of them. The branches are covered with brown bark, prone to shedding when the tree begins to age. Shoots are distinguished by good thickness and pubescence. The bark on them has a dark brown color. As for the root system, it branches strongly, but does not go deep inside. For a certain type of rootstock, a central core may be present.

The leaves have a shape similar to an egg, the tip is small and thin. The edges of the foliage are pink and crenate; a characteristic boat can be seen along the central vein. The size of the leaves is medium, there is often a slight pubescence. The color is green, with a matte sheen.

Phoenix Altai has many advantages that have long been appreciated by gardeners. Among them:

• high yield;

• universal purpose of fruits;

• high taste of apples;

• easy care;

• increased winter hardiness.

Here are some of the disadvantages:

• the apple tree is prone to a disease such as scab;

• the variety is often affected by the codling moth;

• apples can crumble, do not hold too tightly;

• the variety needs pollinators.

Phoenix Altai is a winter variety. In the first half of September, removable maturity begins, and the consumer period lasts until February. The gardener will wait for the first fruits for 4-5 years after planting. Once it starts bearing fruit, the apple tree will do this annually.

Phoenix Altai can be found in almost all regions of Russia. However, most often this apple tree is grown by gardeners from:

• Moscow region;

• Ural;

• Siberia;

• Altai.

Phoenix Altai pleases gardeners with its yield. Up to 43 kilograms of fruit are removed from the tree annually. You can harvest 23 tons of apples per hectare.

Apples for universal use are light yellow in color. On the side that is turned towards the sun, a blurred blush of a delicate light red hue is visible. The fruits are characterized by a flattened-rounded shape, sometimes there is a large blurry ribbing.

The size is average or even below average. Fruit weight is 72-134 grams. The skin is smooth, oily, dense.The subcutaneous points are light and poorly visible, but they are numerous. Fine-grained juicy pulp has a white tint. The taste is sweet and sour, and the aroma was rated as dessert. Taste score - 4.3 points. The collected fruits are up to 120 days old.

For Phoenix Altai, it is recommended to choose moisture-absorbing soils with good air permeability. Fertile loamy and sandy loam soils are suitable. The groundwater should be as deep as possible, since the variety is prone to rotting. It is worth placing seedlings in a sunlit area, protected from the winds.

Important: if the seedling has not yet reached the age of two, it should be planted in early spring. Saplings over 2 years old are planted in the fall. There must be a distance of 3 meters between each tree, and the same should be done between the rows. Each seedling must be tied to a peg, which is not removed until 5 fruiting.

Some of the cultivation characteristics may vary depending on the region in which the Altai Phoenix grows.

• In the middle lane, the tree needs more frequent watering. The soil should not crack from drought. The trunks should be whitewashed in a timely manner.

• In Siberia, gardeners should take into account possible frosts. If the apple tree freezes, it may not produce a crop. In this area, the variety is planted in snowy areas and on the south side of other crops.

• Ural gardeners recommend planting the described variety in the foothills. It is important to observe the tree, since it is in the Urals that it is most often affected by scab and fungi.

• In Altai, Phoenix Altai is advised to plant in the mountains, so there is less chance of freezing. In winter, apple trees must be covered.

Pruning is very important when growing this variety.

• In the first year, the procedure is not carried out.

• In the second year, they begin to form a crown. Excess branches are removed, the main ones are left. Curved instances growing in the wrong direction must be removed.

• For 3-4 years, it will be enough to remove the frozen and diseased branches.

• At 5 years old, the crown should look like a bowl. Only from such a tree will it be possible to get good fruits. From this point on, only sanitary pruning can be carried out.

Phoenix Altai is considered a sterile variety that is unable to pollinate itself. For ovaries to appear on the tree, you need pollinators. They can be apple trees, the flowering period of which coincides with the Phoenix. Such a tree is planted at a distance of 4-5 meters. The best pollination rates were demonstrated by:

• Altai news;

• Gornoaltaiskoe;

• Pepinka Altai.

However, even in the absence of these pollinators, Phoenix Altai will take pollen from any apple tree growing within 200-300 meters and blooming at the same time.

In order for the apple tree of the described variety to bear fruit well, it is required to adhere to a certain feeding regime:

• in the spring, it is recommended to introduce urea or other nitrogen fertilization;

• in summer, the tree will need compost, ash, potassium.

After making additional fertilizing, the apple tree is observed. If the foliage grows poorly and the tree does not look healthy, give urea again.

Phoenix Altai, with improper care, can be affected by both diseases and pests. Scab and apple moth are especially dangerous. To keep your apple tree healthy, it is important to do the following:

• pollinate the tree with colloidal sulfur;

• give fertilizers as needed;

• spray with calcium chloride during growth;

• harvest on time;

• carry out molding trim correctly;

• remove diseased leaves and branches in a timely manner.

In case of scab damage, the tree should be treated with fungicides. The moth will be driven out by a high-quality insecticide. It would be a good idea to land on a green manure area.