Apple variety Red early

There is no need to say much about the advantage and importance of summer varieties of apple trees. Due to the early ripening period, every gardener can taste the juicy fruits right from the branch in August. But among the summer varieties there are record holders who bring harvest earlier - already at the end of July. This is considered to be the Red early variety. This apple tree was obtained at the All-Russian Research Institute of Horticulture. I.V. Michurin. Over its creation from 1955 to 1970. a group of scientists worked: G.A. Lobanov, Z.I. Ivanova, V.K. Hare. Summer varieties were used as material for crossing - Melba and Spring. The Canadian Melba, an old variety known for its early maturity and productivity, was used as the mother plant and the main pollinator. The pollinated plant is the Spring apple tree, which has a high winter hardiness and resistance to fungal diseases (unfortunately, it is not widespread in the territory of the former USSR). The seedlings obtained during the experiment were treated with the mentor method developed by I.V. Michurin. It consists in the directed development of a young hybrid plant when it is grafted onto another variety. This method, as a rule, allows you to increase the frost resistance of the plant, improve the quality of its fruits and develop other useful characteristics. Unfortunately, in the case of our hero, it was not possible to develop frost resistance sufficient for cultivation in cold regions. But other positive qualities showed themselves. In 1978, the novelty entered the variety trials. In 1994 it was entered into the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. Applicant and originator of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center named after I.V. Michurin ". In terms of the totality of characteristics, the variety is perfect for a temperate continental climate, therefore, the Lower Volga region and the Central Black Earth region have become the regions of admission to growing.

Description

Plants have a restrained vigor. An adult tree is small in size, the usual height is about 3.5 m, the maximum is 5.0 m. The crown is round at first, but grows with age, becoming slightly spreading. Therefore, in cramped conditions, the growth in width should be controlled. The crown density is moderate. The main branches extend from the trunk at an angle close to right. The bark is brown with a yellowish tinge. Shoots are straight, medium in size, also covered with brown bark, slightly pubescent. Lentils are light, round, small in size, in small quantities. The foliage of the crown is good. Leaves are of normal size, light green, oblong, the apex is slightly elongated, the base is rounded-wedge-shaped, the edges have small-toothed serration. The surface of the leaf blade is flat, pubescent, with medium nerve. The petiole is long, not thick, colored. Stipules are absent. The flowers are medium in size, white. The petals are rounded, the pistil column is medium, the stigma is at the same level with the anthers. Mixed fruiting. The bulk of the crop is formed on perennial wood overgrown with ringlets and annual growths.

A feature of our hero is the high awakening of the buds, which, along the length of the one-year growth, germinate into fruit twigs, spears and ringlets. This, in turn, thickens the center of the crown with fruit formations and leads to the congestion of the tree with the harvest and shrinking of the fruits. Cropping will help fix the situation.

The early Red apple tree cannot boast of large fruit sizes, they are only below average or average size. The usual weight is 80 - 90 g, the maximum is 120 g. With age, there is a tendency for the apples to shrink. Nevertheless, apples are outwardly attractive, aligned, have a rounded or flat-round shape. The attractiveness of the appearance is estimated at 4.5 points. The funnel is usually deep and narrow, conical in shape, without traces of rustiness.The saucer is small and wide. The calyx is half-open, the subacheal tube is short, cupped. Small, bulbous heart. Seed chambers are small, half-open. The peduncle is not very long, thick, extending beyond the funnel. The skin is not thick, smooth, densely covered with a waxy coating. The main color is light yellow. The integumentary coat is blurred, bright red, with a pattern in the form of wide merging stripes and oblong light spots. The subcutaneous points are not very large, white, well visible. The pulp has a pleasant creamy color; closer to the skin it can acquire a reddish tint. By consistency, the pulp is tender, moderately dense, juicy, aromatic. The taste is good, sweet and sour, with a predominance of sweetness, dessert, the special sugar-acid coefficient SKI is 18.5. 100 g of pulp contains: sugars 10.7%, titrated acids 0.58%, ascorbic acid 12.5 mg.

Characteristics

• The early maturity of the Red Early is very good. The State Register defines this indicator as average. A tree planted with an annual seedling begins to bear fruit as early as 4 - 5 years. Some gardeners note that on a dwarf rootstock, the first harvest ripens already in the 3rd year;
• the fruiting process is stable and regular. True, old apple trees still have a tendency to periodicity;
• in terms of ripening, the variety belongs to the early summer. This is not surprising, because the parental couple also has an early maturation period. The fruits are ready for harvesting, depending on the region, in the second or third decade of July. It's almost a week early Folding... Therefore, our hero is on a par with Korobovka opens the season for the consumption of fresh apples;
• the productivity of the variety is good. At the age of seven to eight years, an apple tree is quite capable of bringing about 27.0 kg of high-quality fruits;
• the harvest does not ripen at the same time. On the one hand, this allows to slightly extend the period of consumption of fresh apples from the branch. But on the other hand, this quality of our hero is not suitable for summer residents who visit the garden only on weekends. In this case, a hardworking gardener may be left without a crop, since ripe fruits that are not harvested on time quickly crumble;
• The State Register notes winter hardiness at the level of standard varieties. According to VNIISPK, this indicator can be attributed to the average, since in the winters of 1967 - 1968 and 1968 - 1969. freezing was observed by 1.0 - 1.5 points. But gardeners agree more with the opinion of the State Register and call the variety quite winter-hardy. At the same time, it is noted that after the cold winters of 2005-2006 and 2009-2010. the tree bore beautifully;
• in addition, there is a high ecological resistance, due to which the plant adapts well to various weather anomalies;
• the State Register also notes the high drought tolerance of the species, which helps to cope with short periods of drought and high air temperatures. This quality is most valuable in hot regions where the summer is hot and dry;
• the immunity is rather average. The State Register and VNIISPK give different indicators regarding the incidence of scab. So, according to the State Register, the leaves of the Red Early are strongly affected by scab, but the fruits suffer in an average degree. VNIISPK notes that in unfavorable wet years, leaves and fruits are weakly affected by scab - by 1.5 points. This means that the resistance of our hero to this fungal disease is higher than that of Melba. There is no evidence of resistance to other diseases;
• according to reviews, the variety has good transportability, despite the fact that summer varieties do not differ in this quality;
• shelf life is insufficient, fruits are stored for only 2 - 3 weeks, and even then in a cool place;
• apples have a table purpose, so they are recommended to be consumed in their natural form.

Pollinators

Another useful characteristic of this apple tree is its self-fertility. Therefore, the plant can be used even in single plantings. But in order for the variety to be able to surprise and please with excellent results, it is still better to pair a pollinator with it. At the same time, Papirovka blooms, which will not only become a reliable pollinator, but will also help diversify the summer assortment of fruits.

Agrotechnics

Planting an early Red seedling can be done in spring or autumn, the main thing is to meet the deadlines. It is advisable to choose a plot that is even, well lit, taking into account that the nearest neighbor is at least 2.5 m. The soils are loose and nutritious, with neutral acidity, for example, loam or chernozem. When choosing a suitable location, you should avoid lowlands and areas where the groundwater level is not higher than 1.5 m to the surface. Watering is carried out as needed, in the southern regions - at least 3-4 times during the growing season. It is especially important to moisturize the trees before flowering, when the apple tree has faded, and at the time of pouring the fruit. Young trees are fertilized at least 2 times per season. Fruiting ones will need at least 3 applications of nutrients, you can alternate organic matter and mineral fertilizers. After the crown is formed, in the spring, before the start of sap flow, thinning pruning should be carried out, which will help reduce the thickening of the crown and increase the size of the fruit. Sanitary pruning is carried out as needed. In the period when the yield begins to fade away, a rejuvenating procedure is carried out. In winter, the root zone should be insulated with mulch. Skeletal branches and the stem of a young tree can be wrapped in any breathable material.

Apple tree Red early, despite its age, remains a popular variety. The plant is unpretentious, small (on a clonal rootstock), easy to care for. The main distinguishing qualities of our hero are early maturity and self-fertility. It is also worth noting a good and stable yield, excellent drought resistance and dessert taste of the fruit, which many liked. In favorable winters, you should not worry about the safety of the tree, but if the weather resembles a swing, then you should think about insulating the branches and trunk. Insufficient immunity will require repeated processing, but if this procedure is carried out on time, then the scab is unlikely to harm this apple tree. Also, the disadvantages include the shrinking of the fruit as the crop ages, the need to carry out thinning pruning and a short storage period for the crop.