Apple variety Augusta
Apple Augusta belongs to the late summer triploid varieties. The variety was obtained as a result of pollination in 1982 at the All-Russian Research Institute of Selection of Fruit Crops. Bred when crossing the Orlik variety with Papirovka tetraploidny. In 2002, the Augusta variety was accepted for the State test. Its authors are Serova Z.M., Dolmatov E.A., Sedov E.N., Sedysheva G.A.
The August apple trees grow quite large (about 4 meters high). The crown is characterized by a rounded shape. The main branches are rarely located (which favors good illumination of the whole tree), the ends are directed upward. This variety is characterized by branching from the trunk almost at right angles. The color of the bark on the trunk and branches is gray.
Shoots are smooth and thickened, fleecy, brown-gray, have a rounded regular shape. The buds are appressed and pubescent, conical in shape, medium in size. Leaves are light green, shriveled, with coarse nerves, large in size, matte, wide, oval-elongated, slightly pointed. Leaf blades are concave, moderately pubescent. On the edge, the leaves are large-crenate. There may be leaves with raised edges - spoon-shaped. Petioles are thick, pubescent, of medium length. Flower buds are round, large, pubescent.
The fruits of the Augusta variety are large enough (average apple weight 160 - 170 grams), one-dimensional, oblong conical shape, beveled, wide-ribbed. The peel of apples is smooth and shiny. If the tree is planted in a sunny location, the color of the fruit is brighter. Apples grown in the shade have a less intense, "muted" color. The main color of the ripe fruit is green after a short storage, it changes to yellow-green. These colors overlap most of the surface with a washed out red blush. On the peel of the apple, subcutaneous dots of a white shade are clearly visible in a large number. The peduncle is of medium length and thickness and has a curved shape. Fruits with a closed calyx and a shallow saucer, grooved. Seeds are underdeveloped, puny, light brown in color. In general, the fruits are very attractive, for which they received a high rating for appearance of 4.5 points.
In terms of taste, the apples of the Augusta variety are in no way inferior to their appearance - very juicy, sour-sweet, with a light greenish pulp, coarse-grained, medium density. Taste assessment according to the tasting scale - 4.4 points. By chemical composition, the fruits contain: sugar (10 - 11%), titratable acid (0.76%), ascorbic acid (13.0 mg / 100 g). The apples of the Augusta variety are valued for their excellent dessert taste and high marketability.
In central Russia, the fruits ripen in late summer, by mid-late August. Storing ripe apples in cool conditions is possible for a little more than a month, until early October. The yield of the variety is high. Fruiting in young apple trees begins 5 years after planting, with each subsequent season the yield increases.
Good frost resistance of the variety and weak damage to scab were noted: leaves - 1 point, fruits - 1.5 points. For comparison, for the Melba apple tree, these indicators are 3.0 and 3.5 points, respectively.
