Apple variety Amber necklace (columnar)

If you carefully study the information on the rules for planting apple trees, then one of the main conditions is the right choice of place. It must certainly be located in a sunny area. But, as a rule, in old gardens for a new variety, a suitable place cannot be found. Probably for this reason, for a long time one of the directions in the selection of fruit crops is the study and creation of miniature trees. Nature did not stand aside and presented the breeders with a riddle - the columnar shape, which the pundits eagerly began to solve. This is a new direction in breeding, and in Russia it has not yet been sufficiently studied, although every gardener has at least heard of such plants. A great contribution to the study and creation of columnar apple trees was made by M.V. Kachalkin, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Director of Experimental Breeding Nursery LLC. It is he who owns 13 columnar varieties introduced into the State Register of the Russian Federation. One of them is the Amber Necklace. This is a seedling obtained as a result of free pollination of the first columnar variety Vazhak (Vozhak, Vazhek). In 2007, the new product entered the variety testing, which was carried out at the Kaluga GSU. A year later, the variety replenishes the list in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. Zoned in the Central region - Bryansk, Vladimir, Ivanovsk, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Smolensk and Tula regions.

Description

The plant belongs to semi-dwarfs. At a young age, it shows good growth force, under favorable conditions for the season the top is able to stretch up to half a meter. The tree is of a columnar type, slender, medium-sized, no more than 3.0 meters high. The root system is located in the upper layers of the soil, so the culture is not afraid of groundwater flowing close to the surface. A feature of the Amber Necklace is almost completely absent branching, which is why the crown of the miracle plant does not exceed 40 cm in diameter. The trunk is quite strong, one might say plump. The lateral branches of the apple tree are very short, thickened, attached to the trunk at an acute angle, the ends of the shoots are directed upwards. The internodes are short. The bark is smooth, grayish brown. The buds grow clinging to the shoot. The foliage is good. The leaf blade is green, of medium size, elongated, oblong-ovate, short-pointed apex, rounded base, medium curvature. The edges of the leaf are serrate-crenate, often broadly wavy. The surface of the plate is slightly shiny, slightly wrinkled, and not pubescent. The petiole is long, not thick, not colored. The variety blooms with large white cupped flowers. Generative buds are mainly formed on the branches of two-year and one-year growth.

Fruits are attractive, one-dimensional, rounded, slightly flattened at the top and base. The funnel is medium in size. The saucer is not very wide, not deep, smooth. The calyx is rather large, half-open. The apples are medium in size, weighing 130 grams (according to the State Register). The size of the fruit depends on the quality of care. If the apple tree does not receive the required nutrition, moisture, is often sick, then large high-quality apples can not be expected, they will be small. With sufficient care, the smooth trunk of the Amber Necklace will simply be covered with beautiful fruits weighing up to 180 grams. Experienced gardeners have noticed that in the case of flower rationing, specimens weighing about 300 grams can be grown. The skin is firm, smooth. The main color is greenish-yellow, the integumentary color in the form of a blurred pink blush occupies almost half of the fruit. The subcutaneous dots are medium in size, light, subtle, not densely spaced. The pulp is greenish, of medium density, very juicy. The taste is sweet and sour. In the assessment of taste, the opinion of gardeners differs.Some call the fruits sweet, dessert, others say that the variety is more suitable for lovers of apples with a more pronounced sourness in taste. The State Register rated the palatability at 4.3 points.

Characteristics

• One of the advantages of this columnar apple tree is its excellent early maturity. The first flowering and fruiting in a culture is observed already in the second year after planting;
• the tree blooms in May. In the course of variety testing, it was noted that the variety has the highest flowering power among the tested varieties (4 - 5 points) due to good fruit formations;
• The State Register classifies the Amber Necklace as late autumn, some sources refer to winter ones. The ripening period is, of course, influenced by the climate, but basically the crop ripens in mid-September. Harvesting is carried out at the end of the month;
• an amazing culture shows excellent productivity, which also did not go unnoticed during the testing process. The first 3 - 4 years the tree brings about 4 - 5 kg, then the yield grows rapidly and after 5 years 12 - 15 kg can be removed from one slender tree, and these are average figures. The State Register supplements this picture with data on an average yield of 250 kg / ha. True, it is impressive, because the tree does not have powerful branches. That is why the described variety is considered one of the most productive, laying a very large number of fruits. But fertility can be a disaster. Under heavy weight, the stem can bend, and if measures are not taken in time (tie the trunk to a support or reduce the fruit load), the seemingly strong apple tree trunk can break;
• the productive life of a tree is 15 to 17 years. The decline in yield begins after 10 years;
• winter hardiness of the variety is good. The plant perfectly withstands temperature drops down to -30 ° C. But in the most unfavorable winters, freezing did occur, however, they did not exceed 2.0 points;
• a very hot, abnormal summer can play a negative role in reducing the winter hardiness of the Amber Necklace. Too high temperatures weaken the culture, it stops growing, but with the onset of a warm and humid autumn, growth resumes, and the plant does not have time to prepare for wintering. Therefore, even in seemingly ordinary winters, slight freezing can be observed;
• despite the close location of the root system to the surface, the general drought resistance is noted as good;
• the immunity of the apple tree is rather satisfactory. True, the State Register does not contain any information on this matter. Some sources speak of good resistance to fungal diseases. But the resistance to scab is at an average level; in epiphytic years, a lesion of up to 2.5 points can be observed;
• the keeping quality of the fruit is very good. The harvest is quite suitable for long-term storage, apples will lie in the refrigerator until April;
• the way of eating fruits is universal. Of course, in winter, natural fruits are of the greatest value. But if desired, the crop can be processed into jam, jam, juice, boil compote, make filling for baking.

Pollination

The State Register does not provide data on the self-fertility of the Amber Necklace. But some sources call the variety self-fertile, and in order to obtain a high-quality harvest, it is advised to plant a number of varieties of Constellation, Statistics, Barguzin, Sweet Vikich.

Planting and leaving

The columnar apple tree, as a biological species, is no different from the common apple tree. But there are some nuances of agricultural technology. The planting pattern can be much denser than that of conventional varieties. You can plant seedlings at a distance of 50 - 60 cm from each other. The best period for planting is spring, as soon as the snow melts and the weather is warm. But the planting hole is best prepared in the fall. The tree has a positive attitude to top dressing.As soon as the leaves begin to bloom, fertilizing with nitrogen (for example, urea) is carried out, ammonium nitrate is introduced in early or mid-May. Starting from the second half of June, it is better not to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers. For foliar top dressing, you can use universal fertilizers, but the recommended dose in this case is reduced by half. Watering is carried out in such a way that the soil is in a moderately moist state. Seedlings are watered more often, until they are completely rooted. Do not neglect preventive treatments, pay special attention to controlling the spread of aphids in hot weather.

The amber necklace is the perfect crop for a small garden. The compact size makes it easy to care for, and even children can harvest the harvest, which they do with great pleasure. Plants planted in a row will not only decorate the garden, but also help protect annual vegetable crops from the wind and sun, which will need partial shade during the midday period. The main advantages of the variety are early maturity and excellent yield. High-quality fruits are stored for a long time, which will allow to provide the body with live vitamins in winter. But the variety also has weaknesses. Too large a crop will have to be rationed, otherwise the trunk may not withstand the load. The life span of a columnar apple tree, unfortunately, is much shorter than that of a conventional culture. In especially harsh and snowless winters, trees, even adults, will have to be insulated.