Description of apple variety Darunok
Special attention of gardeners is attracted by new varieties of fruit trees, bred by breeders in recent years. These include the Darunok apple tree - it is maximally adapted to changeable climatic conditions, brings good yields at minimal cost.
Description of apple variety Darunok
Description of the variety
The tree was obtained as a result of selection. Scientists of the Institute of Fruit Growing in Belarus were engaged in it.
The Darunok apple variety is considered late winter.
Benefits
- resistance to frost, even the most severe;
- easy tolerance of drought without loss of yield;
- resistance to common diseases and fungal infections;
- high quality of fruits and quick receipt of the first harvest.
disadvantages
- Demanding soil composition.
- Poorly tolerates stagnant moisture, but needs abundant watering in early spring.
Description of the tree and fruit
Darunok is cultivated on semi-dwarf rootstocks 5-25-3 and 62-396. The plant reaches 3.5-4 m in height by 5-6 years. Further, the growth of the tree stops. The crown is medium in density, compact in shape. The branches are directed downward at a slight angle.
Description of fruits:
- rounded;
- there is a weakly expressed longitudinal stripe;
- the peel is plastic, thin;
- the main color is garnet, with rare green blotches, there is a silvery bloom;
- the average weight of one fruit is 200 g, but there are larger ones - up to 350 g.
Taste
According to the description, Darunok Apples have a long shelf life. The fruits removed in September acquire more pronounced taste qualities by November-December.
Attention is drawn to the characteristics of the pulp. It has a green tint, fine-grained in structure, delicate, juicy.
The taste is sweet and sour. The aroma is weak.
Composition of apples:
- 12% is dry matter;
- sugar - about 9%;
- 100 g contains 2.2 g of ascorbic acid.
Yield
Fruits appear in the first seasons after planting. Each time, the amount of the crop increases.
The apple tree bears fruit annually, does not require rest periods. Fruits on an industrial scale are harvested in the amount of 25-35 tons per hectare. In the conditions of a personal plot, you can get 250-350 kg / m².
Pollinators
Darunok has a parthenocarpic structure of flowers. This means that the apple tree is able to pollinate itself.
Practice has shown that the presence of other late winter and autumn varieties in the garden has a positive effect on the amount of harvest.
The pollen carried by the bees will provide an ovary on all surrounding trees if they bloom in the same period. On household plots, it is better to plant at least 1-2 neighbors with the same vegetative period.
Winter hardiness
Resistance to temperature changes is distinguished.
- easy transfer of strong short-term and weak long-term frosts;
- resistance to periods of drought in summer with high rates of air warming;
- spring frosts do not affect the amount of harvest, the tree tolerates them without harm.
Disease resistance
A valuable quality is the resistance of the variety to various diseases. The VF component is included in the genetic code. It determines the high resistance of the tree to scab.
To take full advantage of the plant's capabilities, you need to provide it with appropriate care. Only preventive treatments of the trunk and crown twice a year give results. Diseases do not affect the tree, the immunity of which is maintained at a high level.
Growing regions
Due to its frost resistance and easy tolerance to droughts, the apple tree can be cultivated in the regions:
- with snowy winters with short temperature drops;
- in summer with scanty rainy periods.
The entire territory of the Republic of Belarus, also the Moscow region and the middle zone of Russia, are suitable for such characteristics. To the north, climatic conditions will not provide the gardener with an abundant harvest due to the cold early autumn and heavy rains. The southern regions can be suitable for growing a tree if the irrigation scheme is adjusted.
Planting an apple tree Darunok
Apples grow in any region
It is better to buy varietal plants from trusted breeders or subscribe from the institute. Plants on local rootstocks are most suitable. They will root better and will not die in frost.
Optimal timing
Planting of the variety is planned twice a year. It is important to wait until the ground warms up to 10 ° C minimum. The best terms are called:
- second half of March in spring, sometimes early April;
- end of September or October.
If you plant a tree in the fall, they expect to catch it before the first frost. It will take the roots a month to adjust to the new location. Cooling down will slow down the flow of nutrients to the trunk and branches. The apple tree must prepare for wintering on its own.
Technology
It is better to place Darunok in a sunny area, closed from drafts. In a mild climate, this will not matter much. For planting, choose fertile, sandy loam, loamy soils with a low occurrence of groundwater.
The order of work:
- Remove the top layer of soil 15-20 cm thick. Stir it with peat, ash, humus in an amount of 2: 2: 1: 1. It will be useful for further technology.
- Dig a hole with a rise in the middle in the shape of a cone. The size of the depression should be such that the root system will fit without kinks. The space around the central part is covered with a previously prepared mash.
- They put a tree in a hole and bury it with soil selected from the lower layers. Sprinkle with plenty of water. A tree is tied to a vertical support. A month later, a low embankment is formed around the trunk.
Tree care
The apple tree does not tolerate swampiness of the place in which it grows, therefore, it requires careful watering. In the first year after planting, light soil moisture is maintained, but waterloggedness is not allowed. In the subsequent time, watering is performed several times a month, but stops as soon as the ovaries appear.
You need to fertilize the plant rationally. In the first year, a small amount of nutrients introduced at the root is enough for him. Next, top dressing is done before flowering and during preparation for wintering. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, compost, humus, laid in the ground during digging, will become favorable.
Care also includes important points:
- The tree is pruned in the autumn after dropping the leaves or in the spring before it appears. The first procedure is carried out for 2-3 years from the moment of planting, starting with annual shoots growing inside the crown. The main trunk is cut at a level of 80-90 cm above the ground so that the lateral branches go into growth. The distances between the latter should not exceed 50-60 cm.
- Preventive spraying against pests and diseases is planned in the spring, before bud break. Re-treatment in summer - fungicides and preparations containing copper are used.In March, trunks and supporting skeletal branches are whitewashed with slaked lime.
- Prepare the tree for winter frosts. To do this, mulch the soil in the autumn around the trunk. Wrap the plant in the lower part with spruce branches or anti-rodent material.
Features of ripening and fruiting
The Darunok variety blooms already 1-2 years after planting.
Experienced gardeners recommend plucking these buds so that the tree gains strength and gets stronger. In subsequent years, the apple tree will bear fruit with an increasing number of crops.
There is no need to control the ovaries. The plant itself determines the number of fruits, depending on its own strength. Fruit ripening occurs in September - the first half of October. Full ripeness occurs after lying in November.
Harvesting and storage
They start harvesting fruits in early autumn.
If the weather is good, you can extend it by the middle of the season. It is important to be in time before the first frost.
Collected using special devices or manually. It is better to store in a cool dark place with an air temperature of 5-10 ° C.
The quality of apples will be unchanged until March if they are placed in sand (separate from other fruits).
Gardeners reviews
When purchasing the Darunok variety, people pay attention to the beautiful appearance of the fruit.
They are attracted by the taste and quality of apples, which can be stored until spring and longer.
A big plus is the unpretentiousness of the tree, its high resistance to temperature changes in winter and summer. Buyers confirm immunity to most garden plant diseases.
It is recommended to plant the variety on a par with the winter ones.