Apple variety Borovinka

The origin story of the old Russian Borovinka variety is not known. It is believed that it was obtained as a result of folk selection. According to one of the many versions, the variety was named after a Tula gardener by the name of Bravin, who was involved in the cultivation of these apples. Another version says that the name Borovinka means "pine forest", that is, grown in a pine forest.

In Russia, the Borovinka apple tree is massively grown in the central regions, in the regions of the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories and in the Caucasus. This variety is listed in the Central State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation for use in the following regions of the country: Central, North-West, North, West Siberian, Ural, Volgo-Vyatka, East Siberian, North Caucasian, Lower Volga and Middle Volga regions. The Borovinka variety is considered short-lived; on average, the tree lives and bears fruit for about 50 years.

According to M.V. Rytov, the founder of scientific domestic vegetable growing, this variety has earned nationwide popularity not only throughout the vast territory of Russia, but also in most countries of Western Europe and North America, where in each individual country the people assigned their name to the apple tree. As soon as she was not called: Borovitskaya, Bravina, Duchess of Oldenburg, Naliva Kharlamovsky, Kharlamovka, Kharlamovskoe.

The Borovinka apple tree is medium-sized. At the age of 18, it can reach a height of over 4.5 meters. The crown of the apple tree forms a round and thin, growing in diameter up to 5.6 m. The main branches of the tree have a rare arrangement and depart from the main conductor with a slope of 30 - 45 degrees. The branches of the apple tree are not quite straight, slightly geniculate, with a smooth green surface and a brownish tint on the south side. In the period of intensive fruiting, trees enter the 4th - 5th year and by the age of 10 they give decent yields of aromatic apples, up to 60 - 75 kg of fruits from one tree. At the age of 23 - 30 years, the yield from one tree can reach 200 kg. At a young age, the apple tree bears fruit mainly on twigs and spears, and in adulthood - on terminal branched ringlets.

The apple tree shoots form sparse, slightly curved, with long growth internodes and well-formed buds. Fruit shoots with closely spaced internodes are less developed than growth ones. Shoots are of medium thickness and dark brown, sometimes with a brownish-greenish tinge.

The leaves are wide, oval, with a short sharp tip, glossy, dense dark green color and a beautiful graphite shade. A characteristic feature of the apple tree leaves of this variety are small indentations with a diameter of a pea, located in different places of the leaf plate. The leaves are slightly curved, slightly pubescent, have an almost flat relief and slightly wavy edges with small notches. Graceful petioles are thin and long, painted in a dark crimson color. The leaves are located almost at right angles to the surface of the shoot.

The flowers are medium in size, collected in umbellate inflorescences, mostly white with a pale pinkish tinge. The pistil of the flower is small, equal in size to the anthers, slightly fused at the base, and strongly pubescent at the fork.

Borovinka's fruits are round, mostly regular in shape, medium or slightly above average in size with a smooth, moderately shiny surface. The color of the fruit is light green, sometimes yellow with pinkish streaks. The cover color of the apple is pinkish with a speckled-striped blush that covers almost the entire part of the fruit. Visible subcutaneous blotches are visible on the apple skin.The surface of the fruit is covered with a slight waxy coating, the skin is dry and smooth to the touch. The peduncle is thin, long, light green in color. The seed nest of a mature fruit is large with closed chambers in which dark brown seeds are located. The funnel of the fruit is wide and deep enough. The peduncles are long and thin, slightly protruding from the depressions. The ripe fruit has a yellowish pulp, which is slightly hard and sweet-sour in taste with a clear predominance of acid. Apple fruits have the following chemical composition:

- titratable acids - 0.62 - 0.87% wet weight;
- ascorbic acid - 8.2 - 15.3 mg / 100 g;
- the ratio of sugar to acid - 16.5 - 24.5%;
- dry matter - 15.3 - 16.3%;
- the amount of sugars - 9.9 - 11.5%.

Fruit ripening in different regions of the country occurs at different times. In the southern regions, the ripening period is mid - late summer. In the middle lane, the fruits reach the required removable maturity not earlier than September. Apples are mainly used for fresh food, as well as dried and processed into juices.

The Borovinka apple tree has considerable advantages. This variety is absolutely unpretentious and not demanding in care, it can grow and bear fruit safely in any part of Russia under different climatic conditions. Young trees enter the fruiting phase early and in adulthood give a very good harvest of fragrant apples (up to 200 kg per tree!). The Borovinka apple tree differs markedly from other varieties by its increased resistance to low temperatures. Increased winter hardiness makes it possible to cultivate it in all regions of our country: from the south to the north. Fruits are transportable, stable, well preserved until mid-winter. Aromatic apples are good for consumption, both fresh and in any processing. The marketability of fruits is quite high and amounts to 80 - 90%: 13 - 15% of them are of the highest grade, 25 - 35% are of the first grade. Borovinka is moderately resistant to pests and various diseases, which is also appreciated by gardeners.

The disadvantages of the variety are the frequency of fruiting. Gardeners should take this fact into account and plant different varieties of apples in the garden so as not to be left without a crop. In addition, many people call the taste of the fruit "second-rate", because of the increased acidity. Another important disadvantage of the apple tree is its poor resistance to drought, during which the tree, as if defending itself, begins to shed unripe fruits.

Despite some shortcomings, the Borovinka variety turned out to be the most valuable "starting" crop in breeding. With the participation of this apple tree, about 2 dozen of the newest varieties have been created, of which the following varieties are currently included in the State Register of the Russian Federation (zoned):

- Volga beauty (Borovinka x Renet Krüdner) of the selection of the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture.
- Girlfriend (Borovinka x Ranetka 3499) of the selection of the Krasnoyarsk fruit-growing station.
- Winter striped (Borovinka x Renet champagne) selection of the All-Russian Research Institute of Horticulture named after V.I. I. V. Michurin.
— Zhigulevskoe (Borovinka x Wagner) selection of the Samara Experimental Gardening Station.
- Memory of Zhavoronkov (Borovinka x Ural ribbed) selection of the South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable and Potato Growing.