Apple tree Champagne

Despite the fact that the apple tree as an agricultural crop has been known to gardeners for a long time, the fruit is still a favorite delicacy. The apple tree beckons not only with its delicate aroma during flowering, but also with its large fruits, their good taste. In addition, a pleasant bonus of culture is unpretentiousness in care.

Apple tree Champagne is one of the oldest varieties known to breeders. It does not belong to the hybrid type, but was created by nature itself and belongs to the Renet group of varieties. The genotype of the progenitors is not known for certain. The plant has several names: Renet champagne, paper, Champagne, Renet Sparkling.

According to the type of growth, it is considered semi-barley. The height reaches 2.5–3 m, but the tree can reach a greater height. The crown is thick, slightly round, and requires mandatory molding. The shoots are brown, the leaves are green oval.

Apple tree Champagne is considered one of the most successful large-fruited varieties for growing on a personal plot. Due to the special parameters, the landing regions are vast (Siberia, Transcaucasia, southern, western, central regions). Among the advantages are several.

• High frost resistance. The tree perfectly tolerates even Siberian frosts. He is not afraid of sudden temperature changes, spring frosts.
• After damage to shoots by frost, they are renewed in a short time.
• One of the highest resistance to most diseases and pests.

There are also disadvantages:

• the shelf life of fruits is short;

• the spring sun burns the young leaves strongly.

Flowering occurs in late April - early May. Full technical ripeness of the fruit begins in August and lasts until September.

Bears fruit for 3-5 years of growth. With proper care, the tree pleases with bountiful harvests every year.

A high-yielding variety, from one specimen per season, up to 50-60 kg of fruits can be harvested. However, apples do not retain their presentation well. With proper storage, observing all standards, they can lie no more than 30 days.

It surprises with rather large fruits: 150 g one apple. The fruit has a round shape, sometimes conical. The color is very beautiful: as it ripens, it changes from yellow to yellow with red stripes. The skin is thin, but at the same time dense, with a waxy coating, with a white juicy pulp.

The apples have a sweet taste with a pleasant sourness. On a five-point tasting scale, the variety is given a rating of 4.6 points due to the presence of a slight sourness in the taste.

You can eat the fruits both fresh and processed. Delicious compotes, jams, dried fruits, and jam are prepared. Especially taste is revealed when baking pastries, namely charlotte.

Despite the fact that the variety is not very whimsical to care for, to get strong and healthy trees, you need to take care of the correct planting. It will be preferable to be in a sunny place, moisture-consuming, but without stagnation of water at the roots. The soil should be quite fertile and breathable (loam or sandy loam).

A planting hole is dug up to 1 m deep (the depth and width depend on the volume of the roots). Humus, wood ash, sand are poured at the bottom. They make a small mound of fertile soil, on which the roots are carefully straightened. Then they are covered with earth, tamped, watered abundantly and mulched.

It is important not to deepen the root collar much during planting. It should be at ground level. Its deepening can negatively affect the rooting period or lead to the death of the plant.

The best time to disembark is spring. They are planted until the kidneys begin to swell. Depending on the region, planting times vary from mid-March to May. The distance between seedlings should be 4–4.5 m.

Trees grow tall: up to 5 m. To facilitate their care, it is imperative to carry out sanitary pruning up to 4 m. Damaged, dried, infected branches, as well as those that grow deeper, are removed. The formation of the crown allows you to control a constant number of fruiting shoots and achieve annual fruiting.

Watering is moderate. The tree especially needs moisture during the periods of inflorescence ovary, flowering and ripening of fruits. The main thing is not to bring the water to stagnation, this can lead to the development of fungal infections. At the same time, you need to make additional food in the form of humus or compost.

The amount of the future harvest is influenced by climatic conditions. When the weather is cool, rainy, windy, the harvest will be scarce. If the spring is warm and sunny, then it will be maximum. It can also be increased by cross-pollination with other types of apple trees.

Although the plant perfectly tolerates even the most severe frosts, it will be useful to prepare it for winter. In the fall, after leaf fall and the completion of sap flow, the apple tree is fed and treated with special means, the trunk is whitewashed. It is advisable to cover the trunks of young seedlings to protect them from rodents.

According to amateur gardeners, the Champagne apple tree falls in love with almost at first sight. The annual bountiful harvests are especially pleasing. Taking care of a tree is easy, even a novice summer resident is able to cope with the procedures.