Apple growing March
The apple tree is a popular and profitable horticultural crop. It grows rapidly and produces a stable annual yield. Choose a variety for a certain land plot and soil composition. So, the Martovskoye apple tree is suitable for central Russia. The hybrid was bred from Antonovka and Macintosh varieties.
Apple growing March
Characteristics of the variety
Since 1970, Martovskoye has been zoned throughout Russia. The winter variety immediately fell in love with gardeners - the positive qualities of the hybrid outweighed its disadvantages. The apple tree bore fruit stably both in the central regions and in the north of the country.
Got the best quality "parent" materials. As a result of selection, a persistent and unpretentious variety has turned out.
Description of the variety:
- the apple tree is recommended to be planted on well-moistened and illuminated land plots - the best option is loamy soils;
- resistance to common garden diseases medium - the lowest - to scab;
- the yield is high, and the fruiting is regular;
- the variety is plastic - it has good adaptation and quick recovery.
The average yield of the variety is 150-200 centners of ripe fruits per 1 hectare of the garden. One adult tree can produce up to 100 kg of apples per season. Fruiting is stable, even on young trees, fruits appear every year.
Care and climatic conditions only partially affect this process. Over the years, fruiting becomes irregular - but this tendency can be easily eliminated with the right care.
The cultivar needs pollinators. Cross-pollination allows you to get not only a bountiful, but also a tasty harvest. The following hybrids are used for this: Sinap, Bogatyr and Renet. The variety itself is a good pollinator for garden crops of similar characteristics.
Advantages and disadvantages
The variety has a good yield. The fruits are not only useful, but also presentable in appearance. They are grown for sale - even after long-term transportation, the apples do not deteriorate, retaining their color and pleasant aroma.
Good keeping quality of the product is another advantage. Storage conditions are standard. The trees have good winter hardiness, freezing occurs, but only partially. Drought resistance allows you to grow a hybrid in any territory, even in regions with hot and long summers.
There are few disadvantages of the Martovskoe apple variety. The tall crown that mature trees form requires frequent pruning.
It is difficult for a grower to work the trunk if the rest of the trees in the garden grow on dwarf rootstocks. The tree of the scab epidemic is difficult to survive - it can suffer and lose the formed fruits. Fruits do not ripen in one period, so the harvest is stretched out for several weeks.
Varieties
The main characteristics of the variety depend on the rootstock. This is the basis of the culture, which determines the height of the tree and the number of its fruits. Description of rootstock types:
- dwarf. An advantageous form of culture.Trees grow low, so it is easier to care for them. The first fruits can be harvested for 2-3 years. The stock shortens the growing season. The number of fruits on a dwarf base is less - they are located along the main trunk. Semi-dwarfs are planted on small plots of land, because their crown is compact. The maximum distance between crops is 3 m. The disadvantages of this variety include fragility and low resistance to common garden diseases;
- columnar. Another convenient option for planting is an apple tree trunk with branches pressed against it. The fruits are located along the trunk, and the crown has an elongated shape. There is a lot of foliage, but it is also located along the trunk. The first time the tree bears fruit for 2-3 years. The small size of the crop makes general care easier. The gardener is pruning and grafting the variety. Columnar planting material is more expensive than conventional varieties, but its advantages quickly pay off all the money spent. With the help of compact trees, they decorate the land or make a dense hedge. The required distance between the apple trees is no more than 1.5 m. The disadvantages of the rootstock are that it makes the tree short-lived. Trees have poor resistance to fungi and negative environmental factors.
Description of fruit
The fruit tastes good.
Martovskoe apples are tightly attached to the tree. They do not crumble, even if the harvest is late. The optimal harvesting period is mid to late September. The process depends on climatic conditions: the warmer, the faster all the fruits on the tree will ripen.
Consumer maturity does not begin until October. For this reason, the apples must "lie down". Do not eat fruit immediately after harvesting.
The weight of the variety does not exceed 150-200 g.
The less attention is paid to the tree, the less fruit is in weight. The shape of the apples is round, uniform. The rind is smooth and dense. Wax bloom can be seen closer to the ripening period. The color is green, but over time the rind takes on a honey-orange hue. There is a blush, but only before harvesting.
The pulp is tender, moderately dense and with fine granularity. Color - white with a greenish tint.
Aromatic apples with a pleasant taste. The main note is sweet, while the additional notes are sour. The tasting score of the fruit is at least 4-4.5 points. The fruit has a balanced composition. The apple contains ascorbic acid and at least 0.5% titratable acid.
Description of the tree
The tree is vigorous unless a dwarf rootstock is used. The maximum crop height is 6 to 7 m. The crown is round and wide. Thickness is average or increased - the number of leaves depends on the subspecies and growing conditions. The branches are compact but strong.
Fruiting occurs on the ringlets. Fruits are located on 1-2 apples on one part of the branch. Fruit distribution is even. Small flowers. They exude a pleasant aroma, and their appearance makes the tree a real decoration for the garden.
Disembarkation
The Martovskoe apple variety is planted according to a certain pattern. Trees are grafted outdoors as follows:
- preparation for planting takes at least 2-3 weeks;
- select the most illuminated and spacious land plot;
- clean the soil, prepare the landing pit;
- in parallel, the preparation of a young tree is carried out;
- the apple tree is planted in one day, after which it is watered abundantly;
- the main care of a young tree begins 2-3 weeks after planting;
- the first feeding is carried out no earlier than 2-3 years of the life of the apple tree.
The tree grows rapidly, grows side branches, especially the dwarf subspecies. Biennial materials are used for such purposes. They not only grow faster, but are also highly resistant to adverse environmental conditions.
For planting, choose planting material with a large root system. The more roots there are, the faster the tree will sprout.The leaves formed on the process are a sign that the apple tree has taken root badly. It is better not to buy such material.
The grafting guarantees the seedling protection: to check it, you need to gently pull one root. If it comes off easily, the tree is not grafted properly. A flexible and strong root system indicates a suitable planting material.
Timing
Planting can be done in spring and autumn.
A seedling is planted in spring and autumn. Neither hot summers nor cold winters are suitable for such purposes. In order for the soil to become a favorable environment for the tree, you need to monitor the warming. In the spring, this period will be May. In most regions, the soil is already warming up by this time.
The buds on neighboring crops have not yet blossomed. Landing is carried out on a dry day. In order not to miscalculate with the date, in the fall they are preparing a pit for a tree with all its contents.
In autumn, the Martovskoye apple tree is planted before temperatures drop. The colder the soil, the harder it is for the seedling to take root. First of all, the gardener collects the crop and only then creates a planting hole - at least 2 weeks should pass from the day of its creation to the day of planting.
In both cases, the seedling needs watering and protection from the wind. In September, when planting is usually carried out, you need to mulch. With the help of hay, grass and peat, they protect the root system of the planting material.
Scheme
The planting pit must have certain dimensions. If you dig it too deep, the groundwater will wash away the roots. As a result, the tree will lose nutrients - the trunk will be depleted, and the leaves will quickly fall off.
If the hole is too small, there will be no room for the roots to grow. The height of the tree in such conditions is minimal. For the Martovskoye variety, a pit 70-80 cm deep and at least 80-90 cm in diameter is needed. If the selected seedling has a dwarf rootstock, the hole size should be 10 cm smaller.
They immediately choose the distance between the crops - the closer the trees are to each other, the less sunlight will fall on the fruits. As a result, the crop will be uneven and tasteless.
Fertilizers are applied 2-3 weeks before planting. The mixture penetrates the soil and gradually nourishes the planting material every month. Due to the composition of the pit, the first feeding does not take place until the second year. They choose manure and mineral fertilizers.
Compost gives a good effect. If the soil of the land plot is acidic, wood ash and dolomite flour are added.
During planting above the soil layer, the grower leaves the root collar. He gently pours fresh soil and irrigates immediately. To protect a young seedling, a roller can be made from the remains of the soil. It will keep the water close to the trunk.
Care
The variety has no special requirements for agricultural technology. Immediately after planting, the tree sprouts slowly. He is given time to adapt. When the first buds and inflorescences appear, the gardener establishes regular and obligatory care. For the Martovskoye apples to be tasty and large in size, you must:
- constantly remove weeds around the trunk - even such small plants draw moisture and nutrients from the root system of the variety;
- remove fallen leaves so that they do not start to rot around the trunk;
- loosen the soil - this helps to improve its throughput (immediately after the procedure, the root system is saturated with oxygen);
- watering and feeding is the basis of care;
- to carry out prevention, which will ensure the health of the culture.
To get a good harvest, the tree needs to be looked after
The tree needs additional measures only during epidemics or in the presence of unfavorable environmental conditions.
Watering is carried out as the soil dries out. Together with moisture, nutrients are introduced into the root layer. Foliar fertilization by spraying is used only for adult crops: for this, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are prepared.
Pruning is carried out twice a year. The optimal time is May and September.Remove short, crooked and diseased branches. The crown is formed in the spring, and only the affected shoots are cut in the fall.
Features of ripening and fruiting
The tall variety gives more yield. The smaller the trunk, the less the annual growth. Tall trees 6-7 m each bear fruit after 2-3 years. There is no need to speed up the process. If the first inflorescences appear in the second year, they are cut off.
It is necessary to protect the weak trunk of the Martovskoye apple tree so that it does not deplete ahead of time. From the 5th year of life, the culture bears fruit regularly. Its yield is stable in terms of quantity and quality of apples. By the age of 10, the maximum yield increase can be observed. On average, 10-20 kg are harvested from one tree.
The distribution of fruits on the branches is even. Fruit formation also occurs on ringlets, on twigs - they need to be looked after at least 2 times a year. Pruning will ensure uniform fruiting throughout the trunk.
Even young crops have regular fruiting. Cyclicity is observed after 10 years of active growth.
Harvesting and storage
Most often, the ripening time for fruits falls at the end of September - October. Harvesting is carried out in several stages. Immediately after that, the fruits are placed in wooden boxes in which they will be stored or transported.
Fruits lie until March, if the average storage temperature is up to 2-4 ° C. You can not keep the crop in a room with high humidity. During storage, the taste characteristics of apples are not affected.
Growing regions
The Moscow region and even Siberia are suitable for frequent fruiting of the Martovskoe apple variety. During a cold winter, the tree does not freeze - this is its main advantage. In the Urals and Siberia, an apple tree with a dwarf stock is grown.
Such crops are better adapted to frequent temperature changes. In the northwest of the country, the variety adapts quickly. Frequent rains affect the amount of irrigation, not the quality of the fruits obtained.
Gardeners reviews
Due to its useful properties and unpretentiousness, the Martovskoe variety receives positive reviews from gardeners. They note that planting is fast, and the tree itself grows quickly.
Regardless of the chosen rootstock, the culture is not afraid of frost and drought. The apple tree increases fruiting over the years. The harvested variety is tasty and healthy - for this, gardeners love it.