Apple tree Granny Smith

The Granny Smith apple variety is famous for its beautiful emerald fruit color and many other positive qualities. It is highly regarded by gardeners in various regions.

Breeding history

The author of this variety is Anna Maria Smith, after whom he was named. They got it thanks to the pollination of an apple tree from Australia by a wild French tree in 1868.

To understand whether it is worth planting apple trees on your site, you need to familiarize yourself with the positive and negative qualities of the variety, as well as its characteristics.

Granny Smith has a number of advantages, among which are:

• attractive fruit appearance;

• trees are able to easily adapt to a wide variety of weather conditions (except for severe frosts);

• fruits have high transport qualities and can be stored for quite a long time;

• high quality and taste characteristics;

• early maturity.

Of the disadvantages of the variety, one can single out poor tolerance to low temperatures, which allows apple trees to be planted only in warm regions or in areas with a temperate climate.

The variety is wintry. Harvesting can be done in the last decade of September. In some regions, the fruit can be removed in October. Fruiting begins 4-5 years after planting in the soil.

Apple trees give a harvest annually, by the end of their life the indicators may decrease, but not too much. Increase yields with fertilizers.

Fruits may be absent if the tree lacks nutrition and lighting, since this variety needs comfortable conditions.

Apple trees are grown practically throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, with the exception of the northern regions. The most popular variety is considered in the following regions:

• Central;

• southern regions;

• Volga region;

• Central Black Earth.

The culture is not grown in areas where there is not enough sunlight in the summer, since in such conditions the fruits are not able to ripen, and they lack sugar. In this case, the fruit will not be very tasty and can only be used as a material for cooking.

Granny Smith is a fairly productive variety, most often referred to as medium-yielding. At the age of 5 years, about 20 kg of apples can be harvested from one tree. Such indicators arise due to the presence of a compact crown, on which the tree is not able to grow a large number of fruits. Apple trees give a harvest consistently and annually, for 20-25 years the indicators do not change.

Large apples of deep green (emerald) color. Under favorable conditions, one fruit weighs on average about 190 g. Most often they have a rounded shape, sometimes flattened. The fruit has a dense and firm skin with a gloss, there is no waxy or oily coating. The subcutaneous points are light and numerous and easy to see. The pulp is quite juicy, with a sour taste and rich apple aroma, crispy and prickly.

Fruits are transportable and have a long shelf life, therefore they are grown both for personal purposes and for sale in stores.

The crop must be planted in spring and autumn on light, moist and fertile soil. Choose a location with moderate light and calm warmth.

Granny Smith is a partially self-fertile apple tree. If pollinators are not planted next to them, gardeners will receive a crop, but it will be scarce and not abundant (about 15-20% of the possible). With this fact in mind, gardeners use other varieties to pollinate Granny Smith, such as:

• Ligol;

• Eliza;

• Pink Lady.

And also apiaries are often located next to the crop, or the trees are sprayed with a solution with the addition of honey to attract insects.

In order for the trees to actively develop and grow well, to give a bountiful and high-quality harvest, they should be timely fed with various fertilizers. This is done 4 times per season:

• during the growing season;

• during flowering;

• during fruiting;

• before winter.

During the growing season, it is necessary to use nitrogen fertilizers, then potash and phosphorus fertilizers are placed in the soil.

Before the arrival of frost, it is not recommended to place fertilizers in the soil, which contain nitrogen, since it stimulates the growth of shoots. Before the onset of winter, it is necessary to choose top dressing that will help prepare the plant for cold climates.

The variety is able to endure frosts down to -30 degrees. This is not very good stability. Trees do not like sudden changes in temperature (frost with thaws), so they are rather difficult to grow. In this regard, Granny Smith is recommended to plant in areas with mild and short winters, followed by long warm periods. If the frost is stronger than -30 degrees, the plant may die or recover from damage for a long time.

Resistance to various kinds of diseases and insects is average, the variety is resistant directly to scab. Trees can become infected with powdery mildew and fruit rot. The most serious enemies for apple trees are moniliosis, rust and powdery mildew.

To save the culture from problems, to prevent the possibility of infection, it is recommended not to forget about preventive measures. The root zone should be cleaned in a timely manner and the apple trees should be sprayed using industrial fungicides.

Gardeners note the good tolerance of transportation both over short distances and for a long time. And you can also see positive reviews about the storage of fruits that can lie in the house for a long time without special storage conditions, while not losing their attractive appearance and bright, rich taste.