Sweet and sour fruits of the Bogatyr apple tree are worthy of your attention
The Bogatyr apple-tree belongs to late, high-yielding and frost-resistant fruit trees. These characteristics have made it widespread among gardeners. Its sweet and sour fruits are distinguished by excellent taste, long shelf life and late ripening. Apples do not get the most pronounced taste and aroma until December, so they can be consumed throughout the winter.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Features and description of the Bogatyr apple variety:
- The height of the tree fully corresponds to its name and is up to 4-6 m.
- The crown is conical or round, spreading, but sparse, up to 4-5 m wide.
- The branches are strong, thick and flexible enough, brown in color.
- The leaves are dark green, oblong in shape, with a serrated edging and a slight "down" on the underside.
- The flowers are snow-white-pink in color, small in size, with a subtle floral aroma.
The Bogatyr variety has a high yield. Depending on age, up to 30-60 kg of apples can be harvested from one tree, and up to 70-80 kg from apple trees older than 10-12 years.
Features of fruits
The flowering of the Bogatyr apple tree begins quite late, not earlier than the second half of May. The plant is self-pollinating, it does not need pollinators for fruiting.
The fruits of the Bogatyr variety are distinguished by good resistance to frost, excellent keeping quality and transportability. Color - light green, turns yellow during storage. Apples have a pleasant sweet taste with a slight acidity.
When to pick Bogatyr apples - the removable ripeness of fruits occurs at the end of September, but gardeners do not recommend rushing to harvest. If removed early, the appearance and quality will deteriorate.
The fruits acquire their optimal taste and aroma only by December, so they can become an excellent decoration for the New Year's table. With timely collection and proper storage conditions, the fruits remain juicy and aromatic until the end of May.
Apples have a characteristic slightly flattened shape and large size. The average fruit weight can reach 200-350 g. Fruiting begins as early as 5-6 years of plant growth.
Planting young apple trees
Planting the Bogatyr apple tree and caring for the tree are easy and unpretentious, so this variety is great for novice gardeners. Planting of seedlings is carried out in early spring, immediately after the snow melts, or in autumn, 15-20 days before the first frost. A seedling hole must be dug 4 weeks before planting.
For planting, it is best to use annual seedlings - they take root well and quickly begin to bear fruit. The roots of the seedling should be strong and sufficiently elastic, without dryness and traces of rot. The bark is homogeneous and elastic, greenish in color.
For planting the Bogatyr apple tree, it is best to choose well-lit areas with black earth or loamy soil. Landing technique:
- dig a hole up to 80-100 cm deep;
- pour a layer of drainage 7-8 cm high at the bottom of the hole - pebbles, broken brick or expanded clay;
- pour a layer of fertile soil (soil and humus) over the drainage;
- place the seedling in the hole - the grafting point should be 6-8 cm above the ground level;
- sprinkle with soil, lightly tamp and pour 2-3 buckets of settled water;
- mulch near the trunk circle with grass, sawdust or hay.
In the first month after planting, tie the tree to a wooden peg - this way it will grow evenly, quickly take root and not be damaged by the wind. After 4-5 weeks, the peg can be removed.
The Bogatyr apple tree is not difficult to care for
For the full growth and high productivity of the Bogatyr apple tree, regular care is very important, which consists in loosening the soil, timely fertilizing and watering the tree, fighting weeds, diseases and pests.
It is recommended to loosen the tree trunk circle before each watering of the apple tree. To do this, it is enough to go deep into the soil by 3-4 cm so as not to damage the root processes located close to the soil surface.
Equally important is the mulching of the trunk circle with cut grass, straw or hay. This procedure helps to retain moisture in the soil and prevent the growth of weeds.
Top dressing and watering
Watering the Bogatyr apple tree is most important in the first year after tree planting. Water the seedlings at least once a week, using at least 2-3 buckets of clean, settled water for each tree.
Adult apple trees are watered every 2-4 weeks, especially during bud opening, fruit formation and ripening, and after harvest.
Apple tree Bogatyr does not need frequent feeding. Organic or mineral fertilizers are applied no more than 3-4 times during the season. The first feeding is carried out in early spring, after wintering with the help of humus or urea.
For spring dressing, urea, manure, superphosphate, chicken droppings are used. For autumn - a mixture of potassium chloride and compost or wood ash and superphosphate.
Crown formation
Formation of the crown and pruning of shoots are included in the mandatory procedures for caring for the Bogatyr apple tree. The first pruning of the seedling is carried out immediately after planting it in the open ground - for this, shorten all the shoots by 1/3 part.
In mature trees, dry, old, broken, damaged and diseased branches must be pruned. Also, all shoots that grow deep into the crown are subject to pruning.
With standard annual pruning, the branches are shortened by no more than ¼ of their length. After the procedure, all cut sites are rubbed with crushed charcoal.
Preparing for winter and protecting from the cold
Apple trees of the Bogatyr variety are highly resistant to frost, so they do not need special winter shelters. It is enough to insulate the apple tree trunk with natural material.
The first 2-4 years after planting in open soil, young seedlings need additional protection. To do this, loosen the soil well in the trunk circle and mulch it with hay, peat or sawdust.
Diseases and pests
The Bogatyr apple tree has a fairly strong immunity. This variety is resistant to scab, but often suffers from powdery mildew, a fungal disease that affects almost all aerial parts of the tree.
With the development of powdery mildew, cut off all affected shoots and burn, and spray the apple tree with a 10% solution of calcium chloride. After 7-8 days, the treatment is repeated, but with a solution with a concentration of 5%.
Apple tree Bogatyr is one of the most popular and widespread winter varieties. It has many advantages, including good frost resistance, high yields and strong immunity to diseases and pests. The hero does not require special care, so this variety is great for novice gardeners.