Apple variety Apple Spas

Breeding is an amazing science. Thanks to her, the newest plant varieties are created, which have previously inaccessible for culture characteristics. So, in Russia over the past decades, unusual triploid-type apple trees have been bred. They are distinguished by a larger mass of fruits, regular fruiting, high scab resistance, winter hardiness and self-fertility. Everything you need to get the gardener's attention! Among the still small number of triploid species, there are varieties of different ripening periods. Of the summer, Apple Spas is considered the earliest. The name was given for a reason, since the harvest ripens on the eve of the Apple Savior, which is celebrated on August 19. The beginning of the creation of this variety was laid in Krasnodar, in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, Viticulture, Winemaking" (formerly SKZNIISiV). It was there that they crossed the Redfrey apple trees and the Tetraploid Papirovka. Then, subsequent breeding work on sowing seeds on an artificially infected background and on the selection of seedlings on a breeding school, in a garden and a greenhouse, were carried out in Oryol at the All-Russian Research Institute for Breeding Fruit Crops (VNIISPK). Authors: E. N Sedov, Z.M. Serov, V.V. Zhdanov, G.A. Sedysheva, L.I. Dutova, T.V. Ragulina. In 2004, the novelty was accepted for state testing, and in 2009 it was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. The applicants are FGBNU VNIISPK and FGBNU SKFNTSSVV. Originator - FGBNU VNIISPK. The new culture is of great interest not only for gardens of personal subsidiary plots, it is also considered promising for industrial planting. According to the results of state tests, the variety was zoned in the Central Black Earth Region, and it also shows its maximum abilities in the Central Region. According to reviews, it develops well and bears fruit in cooler regions - in the Urals and Siberia.

Description

The plant shows good vigor, especially at a young age (the one-year-old seedling already has a height of 197.3 cm). The tree is large, tall, according to some information, the height can significantly exceed the 10-meter figure. But, as experienced gardeners advise, during the formation process, one should adhere to the optimal height of 6.0 - 7.0 meters. The volume of the crown is about 4 meters. The annual growth of branches is 60 cm. The crown is of medium density, round in shape. The skeletal branches of the apple tree are curved, they are located rarely, they depart from the trunk at an angle close to a right one. The bark of the trunk and main branches is gray, smooth. The compactly located shoots are of medium thickness, faceted in cross-section, geniculate, the bark is brown, pubescent. Lentils are light, round, of medium size, numerous. The buds are small, conical in shape, pubescent, growing pressing against the shoot. The foliage is good. The leaves are green, large, oblong-ovate, the apex is short-pointed, helically twisted, the base is rounded, the edges are wavy, crenate-serrate. The surface is matte, with gentle nerves. The leaf blade is concave, curved, slightly pubescent. The petiole is long, of medium thickness, pubescent. The flowers are large, with pink petals.

Among the summer varieties, Yablochny Spas compares favorably with rather large fruits and good appearance, the State Register recorded a mass of 215 grams. But some gardeners also claim large specimens weighing 400 grams. Apple fruits are of medium one-dimensionality, round-conical in shape, beveled, with weak ribbing or strongly ribbed. The funnel is not very deep, of medium width, blunt-conical, rusty. The saucer is wide, shallow, strongly grooved. The calyx is small, closed or half-open. The sub-calyx tube is long, medium wide, and saccular in shape. The peduncle is of medium length and width. The skin is smooth, dull, oily to the touch.The main color is greenish-yellow or golden-yellow, the integumentary color can occupy a small part of the fruit and appears as a slightly blurred striped crimson blush. The subcutaneous dots are green, large, numerous, clearly visible. The heart is bulbous. Open-type seed chambers. Seeds are not too large, round, dark brown. The pulp has a greenish tint, juicy, medium density, fine-grained consistency, aroma of medium intensity, pleasant. The taste is sweet and sour. The appearance of the fruit is assessed at 4.4 points, the palatability at 4.3 points. 100 grams of pulp contains: the sum of sugars 10.3 - 10.7%, titratable acids 0.64 - 0.7%, ascorbic acid 11.1 - 16.5 mg, P-active substances 481 mg.

Characteristics

• Apple Spas has excellent early maturity. The apple tree is able to bring the first harvest as early as the 3rd year after planting;
• in terms of ripening, the variety belongs to the summer. The harvesting maturity of fruits in the Oryol region begins on August 8 - 17, just a few days later than in Folding (first decade of August). The consumer period lasts until the end of September;
• a distinctive feature of triploid varieties, including our hero - stable, annual fruiting;
• the yield is high, increasing over the years. From seven to eight-year-old trees, 40-50 kg of apples can be harvested. The average yield, according to the State Register, is 133 centners per hectare, other sources claim 145 centners per hectare;

• The State Register notes the high winter hardiness of the culture. In 2012 - 2014, VNIISPK conducted research using artificial freezing. The control varieties were taken Melba and Antonovka ordinary... The degree of damage was noted on a five-point system. As a result of simulating frost down to -25 ° С after a thaw of + 2 ° С in February, Yablochny Spas showed stable frost resistance at the level of Antonovka ordinary. He showed reversible damage to the vegetative kidneys and main tissues up to 2.0 points. While Melba received damage from 2.0 (bark and wood) to 2.4 (vegetative buds) points. According to gardeners, in the Vologda region (Veliky Ustyug) the apple tree froze out in one of the unfavorable winters;
• the immunity of the variety is high, there is a good resistance to fungal diseases. The State Register noted immunity to the five races of scab, which was made possible by the presence of the Vf gene. Even in epiphytic years, the fruits and leaves of our hero do not suffer from this disease;
• longevity for summer culture is not bad at all. The crop perfectly retains its presentation at temperatures from 0 ° C to + 4 ° C for almost one and a half months;
• use the harvest in its natural form. If desired, apples can be used for processing into jam, baking filling, compote.

Pollinators

The high level of self-fertility of the variety allows you to get a stable harvest regardless of the presence of pollinating neighbors. But in order to achieve the maximum quality of the fruit, the neighborhood with other apple trees will still be beneficial. In addition, when grown together with several diploid varieties, the productivity of our hero increases.

Agrotechnics

The temperate climate of the regions of admission allows you to plant Apple Spas in spring or autumn. Take responsibility for the choice of the site, since the culture has a long productive period of life. For planting, try to select even, well-lit places, with a low (about 2.0 meters to the surface) groundwater table. The apple tree does not like too acidic soil and heavy clay soils. Loose and nutritious loams, chernozems, sandy loams, gray soils, chestnut soils are suitable for it. Seedlings should be provided with regular watering. Mature trees are watered less frequently, but more abundantly.In the spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are used so that the tree grows vegetative mass. Potassium supplements are added to the diet at the beginning of flowering. Closer to autumn, superphosphate is used, which will help the plant prepare for winter. An important stage of care is the formation of the crown and maintaining the height of the tree at a level not higher than 7.0 meters, otherwise it will be difficult to perform pruning, preventive treatments and harvesting.

Apple Spas is a new word in breeding. This promising variety is of great value for introduction into production, as it meets the basic requirements of an intensive adaptive garden. But this novelty will not disappoint the ordinary gardener either. The culture has combined in itself almost all the main characteristics that, according to the gardener, an ideal apple tree should have. The variety compares favorably with stability and productivity. The fruits are of high commercial quality; a rare summer variety can boast of large apples. Good frost resistance and the ability to quickly recover in case of freezing allow the plant to be grown in cool regions. This is also facilitated by the high resistance to scab, which reduces winter hardiness. During the cultivation and observation of our hero, no significant flaws were found. Perhaps only tall stature can add to the hassle of a gardener, but this problem can be easily eliminated and controlled by pruning.