Dwarf apple-trees: varieties, reviews and description

Today every second gardener dreams of planting a dwarf apple tree on his site. Especially small fruit trees attract those who have an area under the garden, is limited. "Dwarfs" are becoming more popular. Depends all on their compactness: they occupy much less space than tall trees with a powerful root system and spreading crown. The considerable level of productivity of dwarf apple trees also acquires great popularity.

Cultivation of this culture has its own characteristics, which amateur gardeners need to know about. What are dwarf apple trees (varieties, reviews, dignities)? What are the nuances of planting trees and caring for them?

One of the most popular garden crops

Apple tree is one of the most common among Russian gardeners fruit crops. Its seedlings, whose flowering period is from May to June (depending on the variety), are widely used in the greening of parks and gardens as an ornamental flowering plant, but more often for harvesting.

Useful properties of apples (globular fruits of green, red or yellow, diameter up to 15 cm) have been known for a long time. It is believed that a day must necessarily eat at least one apple in order to supplement the body with the necessary dose of iron and other nutrients and vitamins.

Mistresses prepare from apples excellent jam, jam, compotes and juices. Tasty fruit is also used for the preparation of apple wines, widely popular with amateurs.

Classification

These fruit trees differ in terms of fruit ripening: early (summer varieties), medium (autumn) and late (winter, late-winter). Their stock is also heterogeneous. Among them there are: a seed stock (high apple trees that are grown from seeds) and clonal, grafted (dwarfish, semi-dwarfish, medium-sized).

Classify apple varieties:

1. Tall - plants up to 8 m tall, well developed root system, deeply penetrating into the soil. Recommended for cultivation in areas with groundwater below 3 m.
2. Semi-dwarfish reach a height of up to 5 m. They are cultivated in areas where groundwater occurs at a level of up to 2.5 m.
3. Dwarf - stunted crops up to 2.5 m in height, with a relatively shallow (up to 1 m) root system. Suitable for areas with high (about 1.5 m) groundwater location.
4. Colon-shaped have one straight trunk without significant branching.

According to the resistance to cold, varieties differ: frost-resistant, thermophilic. By taste: sweet, sour, dessert, etc.

Dwarf apple: varieties, reviews

A clear selection of varieties for each particular plot is necessary in order that fruit trees annually delight owners with a high yield. Gardeners mostly respond positively to dwarf birches. After all, they are not very whimsical in care.

The famous I.V. Michurin believed that the success of the whole affair, i.e. Achieving the desired indicators of the yield of the garden, is decided by the successful selection of varieties. Dwarf apple trees are no exception. Varieties, reviews, features of planting and care for them are publicly available. There are more than 10 thousand varieties of such trees. Users in their reviews highlight the best dwarf apple trees, varieties.

Reviews, photos can be read and see in the article. Gardeners believe that by choosing suitable for the region of residence varieties of bonsai trees, adhering to the rules of planting and care, you can ensure a rich fruition.

Summer

The best summer dwarf apple (varieties, reviews, description):

• "Melba" is a high-yielding variety. Fruiting begins in the third year. The maturation of apples is attributed to the period: the end of July to August. They are medium in size, have a juicy pulp and caramel flavor.
• "Candy" - early ripening variety, bred by breeder I.V. Michurin. The fruits of this hybrid are fragrant, very tasty. In a warm and not rainy summer, their maturation begins in August. The weight of individual fruits reaches 120 g. They are round in shape, have a dark green skin, a dense and juicy pulp.
• "Wonderful" is a late-summer variety with high winter hardiness. Its fruitfulness begins on the fourth year of planting. Gives high yield (up to 75 kg). The fruit weight is 140 g. The shape of the apples is flat, slightly ribbed. Color - yellow-green with a rich dark red blush and bright dessert taste.

Autumn

Users have selected the best autumn dwarf apple (varieties, reviews):

• "Zhigulevskoye". The fruit of trees begins in the third year. The variety has a high level of vitality, it does not lend itself to pests and diseases. The ripening of apples is at the end of September. These are large fruits with a red-orange skin. According to the reviews of gardeners, subject to annual fertilizing, the tree preserves good fruiting and large fruit size for a long time.
• "Autumn striped." Trees of this variety for the winter are recommended to be sheltered, since frosts can damage its high-lying root system. The fruits have a rounded shape, their weight is about 200 g, the color is bright yellow, the taste is bright, sweet and sour. The grade differs unpretentious conditions of storage (at temperature up to 6 degrees).
• "Mundane". The variety is resistant to low temperatures and scab. The beginning of fruiting, depending on the region, refers to the third year after planting. Productivity reaches 130 kg. Fruits are large, flat-rounded, with a dense smooth skin of a greenish-red color, have a bright sweet and sour taste.
• "Sokolovsky". Fruit cultivation begins in the fourth year. Yield - about 85 kg. Apples are large, weighing about 190 grams, with a greenish-yellow color and a bright blush. The taste is sweet and sour, differing in saturation.

Winter

As the best gardeners call winter dwarf apple (varieties, reviews):

• The Brotherhood. A tree of medium height (up to 2 m), fruit begins at 3-4 years of age. Its yield is about 120 kg. The variety has a high winter hardiness and regular fruit bearing. The fruits have an oblong rounded shape with a noticeable ribbing and a characteristic lateral seam, reaching a considerable value. The skin is smooth, shiny, with a greenish-yellow color. Pulp is white, slabochnochnaya, coarse, with a bright sweet and sour taste.
• "Grushovka Podmoskovnaya". One of the varieties mentioned by gardeners. Many also argue that these are the best dwarf apple trees for the Moscow region. Varieties, reviews about which are different, have their strengths and weaknesses. "Grushovka Podmoskovnaya" - a popular variety, resistant to scab. Fruits from 5-6 years, high yield is stable. Apples are small, round-elongated. Virtually are not affected by rotting. The color of the rind is yellow, with a red side.
• "Bogatyr" is distinguished by a broad branchy crown, which requires, in order to increase the yield of annual pruning of old branches. The tree has a significant winter hardiness, practically is not affected by pests and diseases. Fruits are elongated, with a red-yellow color. The taste is sourish, reminiscent of an Antonovka.
• "Moscow necklace" - a new variety, fructifies three years after planting. The fruits are large in size. The color of the peel is bright red, juicy, soft pink flesh with a sweet and sour taste.
• "Carpet" fructifies in the fourth year after planting. Yields up to 110 kg from one tree. The size of the fruit is significant, the shape is flat, the shiny skin has a greenish-yellow color. The taste is dessert.
• "Snowdrop" - winter hardy, resistant to damage scab varieties. Productivity - about 90 kg. The shape of the fruit is round-conical, weighing about 170 g. The color of the rind is light yellow, with a red blush. The taste is sweet and sour.

How to distinguish seedlings of dwarf apple trees from other varieties?

Many are wondering how to grow and what are dwarf apple trees, varieties, reviews. Seedling should be chosen when buying very carefully.

A dwarf apple tree is grown from a normal seedling with the help of a rootstock of the required variety. This process is quite lengthy, so gardeners prefer seedlings to buy ready-made.

When buying, there is a risk of confusing "dwarfs" with seedlings of other varieties.

To avoid this, it is necessary to take into account their distinctive features:

• At the place of grafting, where the joint of the neck of the seedlings with the stem is located, the protrusion must clearly differ;
• Ordinary apple trees have a rod root system; in dwarf ones, it is lobed with small roots;
• The main difference between the good roots of dwarf apple seedlings is that they are usually fresh and elastic;
• On the ground part of a quality tree there should be no cortical drying or trauma to the branches;
• The trunk of columnar apple trees, unlike dwarf ones, is smooth, almost without branches;
• A two-year-old sapling of a dwarf apple on the ends of branches has large buds, the height of the stem does not exceed 50 cm, the number of formed branches is insignificant.

Gardeners leave positive feedback about dwarf apple trees. But you need to take care of transportation very carefully. Immediately after purchase, the seedling of the dwarf apple tree should be wrapped in a damp cloth. For the safety of branches during transportation, they are pulled closer to the trunk and secured with twine. Upon arrival, the sapling is immediately planted and must be watered.

About landing

How to plant dwarf apple trees in the ground? Sorts, reviews, whose merits are considered in the article, require prepared soil.

The best time for planting, according to gardeners, is spring, immediately after the melting of the snow. The necessary amount of fertilizers must be applied to the soil. The place should be elevated and sheltered from the wind. They grow not only on sunny, but also on slightly shaded places dwarf apple trees (varieties). Reviews, the landing in which is considered in the first oder, confirm that you need to choose the right place for the tree.

Before you start planting, the seedlings should be cut off a little to form the lower stem of the crown. A year later the growths are cut off. With the proper conduct of these procedures, the apple tree retains its youth longer, and the fruit is of considerable size.

Saplings of dwarf apple trees are planted in areas where groundwater lies at a distance of not less than 1.5 m from the surface. The distance between the trees should be 2X3 or 3x3 m. Parameters of the landing pit:

• Depth: 50 cm;
• Diameter: 60-70 cm.

The top layer of the soil, taken from the digging of the pit, should be deposited separately from the rest of the mass of excavated land.

In the excavated landing pit, add a humus bucket, mix it with the top layer of soil, pour out a bucket of water and mix again.

The root system of the seedlings is placed in the formed moist mass and filled up with earth. The site of vaccination should be 2-3 cm above the soil level. The earth needs to be compacted along the diameter of the stump circle, making a roller up to 10 cm high for irrigation.

About the peculiarities of care for seedlings

Important is the question of what care requires dwarf apple (varieties). Reviews, caring for trees should be studied in advance, even before the purchase.

Saplings of dwarf apple trees are very unpretentious in care.

During the summer, the trees need watering (1-2 buckets of water once a week). In addition, it is necessary to feed:

• Infusion of mullein (1:10). In the water (10 buckets) dissolve the mullein (1 bucket), ferment (insist) for 10-12 days. The resulting infusion (1 L) is then dissolved in 10 L of water.
• Chicken droppings (1:20). A solution of chicken manure (1 bucket) is bred in 20 buckets of water, fermented (insisted) for 10-12 days. Then, 0.5 liters of the resulting mixture is diluted in 10 liters of water.

Saplings should be fertilized in the amount of 1-2 buckets for 1 tree. After watering or past rains, the soil must be loosened. Top dressing ends in August, in more northern areas - in late July.

Care for mature apple trees: spring

In the spring, as soon as the sun begins to warm up, the heaters must be removed from the apple trees, with which the trees were sheltered for the winter, after which they proceed to sanitary pruning. Branches damaged by frost must be cut off. Also, you should carefully inspect the crown, remove the existing pests. After that, fertilizers are applied to the apple trees, they remove garbage near trees and burn it. The soil needs to be dug to a depth of 5-7 cm, in the trunks should be introduced complex (containing microelements, saturating the earth) and nitrogen containing (for activation of vegetation processes) fertilizer. In clear weather, the trunks are whitewashed.

In the spring period, three-time spraying of trees with special solutions is also carried out:

• Before the onset of swelling of the kidneys;
• In the period of swelling;
• After bud blossoming.

The procedure eliminates pests and fungal diseases. Prior to the awakening of insects, water obstacles should be built: traps, trunks wrapped in hunters' belts.

Activities for the care of mature trees in summer

With the onset of summer, it is necessary to closely monitor the soil near the apple trees and the condition of the trees themselves. At this time of year, nursing consists of timely watering and fighting pests (treatment of sick trees and a number of standing plants with a special solution when they are found).

At this time, foliar top dressing is performed. In a hot period, dwarf plantations are fed with nitrogen. If a deficiency of any trace element is found, the plants are sprayed with a special remedy capable of providing the apple trees with everything necessary. With a shortage of iron (which happens most often), plants are treated with iron sulfate.

Autumn care for mature apple trees

Autumn period is harvest time. Around the apple tree, all garbage should be removed: fallen leaves, branches and apples - in order to prevent the appearance of fungus and rot. It is also necessary to make mineral fertilizers, to prune branches that are damaged by insects or have other damages.

It is also necessary to loosen the soil near the apple trees: to disturb the thermal insulation of the potential winter night of insects. It is necessary to protect the trunks from rodents, warming them with roofing material, placing baits for mice.

Dwarf apple: varieties, reviews, benefits

• The small size of the trees allows you to plant a considerable number of them on the site.
• Much earlier than in an ordinary garden, the fruiting of dwarf trees begins: usually on the 3rd year after planting. For example, a variety of "mundane" users are noted as early, beginning fruiting for the 3rd year after inoculation. Duration of the vegetative period of this variety is about 150 days, the yield is up to 130 kg from one tree.
• The yield of dwarf trees is growing rapidly every year and does not differ from the indices of tall-growing apple trees. So, the gardeners of Polissya and even the Non-Black Earth region respond positively to the varieties of "melb", "northern synapse", "Antonovka" grown by the method of grafting a dwarfish insert. These varieties do not require special care, are distinguished by high yields, and more regular than those of nearby high growing apple trees.
• The yield of ordinary tree species: 1 time in 2 years, in dwarf plants - once a year.
• In view of the low growth of trees from them, it is easier to harvest, to follow the ripening of trees. There is no need to use special devices for cutting branches. Gardeners note the compactness of the crowns of many dwarf varieties and their low growth: the "northern synap", "melba", "Antonovka" and some others at the age of 10 have a height of not more than 2.5 m.
• The small growth of apple trees and the comparatively insignificant branching of the crown require less food, which causes increased nutrition of the fruit.
• Placement of the root system near the soil surface allows the tree to respond immediately to fertilizing and watering. Thus, apple trees of "melbas", "northern synap", "Antonovka", according to reviews, can not be planted in pits. Gardeners recommend pouring small hills, about 30 cm high and up to 100 cm in diameter, to make them deepen and plant trees there, with more than half drowned dwarf inset. This way of planting will ensure in the first year the growth from the place of inoculation of one's own root system. The authors of the reviews note the absence of the need for frequent watering of dwarf apple trees. Trees of the sorts "pears of the Moscow region", "brotherhood", "snowdrop", according to reviews, need regular watering only during the first summer after planting. Adult trees do well without irrigation.
• The small size of the trees allows them to use less fertilizer, and reduce the cost of spraying.
• A small growth of apple trees contributes to an increase in the time for their preparation for winter sleep, so they are not afraid of autumn frosts. Users note frost resistance, as well as resistance to diseases such winter varieties as "snowdrop", №57-145, №57-233. The latter grade is semi-dwarfish, its frost resistance exceeds all known varieties: the roots of the tree tolerate temperatures to minus 16 degrees Celsius. Also many authors of the reviews note that semi-dwarf varieties are more viable, in comparison with dwarf ones. A deeper root system allows them to give a larger crop with an insignificant tree size.

disadvantages

• The life span of dwarf apple trees is half as long as their tall brothers. But there is a plus in this - the possibility to replace varieties every 20 years with more modern ones.
• Finding roots near the surface is fraught with the threat of their freezing. A thorough warming of the root system is necessary.
• Surface finding of roots requires the presence of fertile soil.
• A high yield of apple trees sometimes leads to a low quality of their fruit. Depletion of trees leads to irregular fruiting. To eliminate it, it is necessary to cut off excess inflorescences.
• The load of fruits sometimes leads to breakage of small trees. To prevent this, special supports for branches and trunk should be installed.

Varieties for the middle belt

It is known that on fruit trees the ripening of fruits directly depends on climatic conditions.

Gardeners well remember the words of the ancestor of the domestic selection IV Michurin on the need to conduct zoning of varieties, taking into account the ability of apple trees to resist the diseases of this or that climatic belt and their frost resistance.

Above we have already mentioned the best dwarf apple trees for the Moscow region (varieties). Comments of gardeners mention also about hybrids, and also about artificially deduced trees with different terms of maturing.

The Moscow region is an area of the middle belt, ideal for growing early, mid-ripening and late varieties.

These are already familiar:

• Summer varieties "Melba", "candy";
• Autumn "Zhiguli", "autumn striped";
• Winter "pears of the Moscow region", "hero", "arbat", "Moscow necklace", "lobo" (a relatively recent variety with high fruit flavors, as well as fructification, winter hardiness of trees).

Cultivation of "dwarfs" in Tatarstan

Amateur gardeners, based on the results of ongoing experiments, confidently state that Tatarstan is a suitable climatic region where it is possible to grow dwarf apple trees (varieties). Reviews, Tatarstan in which it is mentioned often enough, confirm that it is in this region that you can get a good harvest.

For example, in the most extreme conditions of Tatarstan (Bugulminsko-Belebeevskaya Upland, where frosts reach minus 40 degrees in winter, the latest spring and early autumn frosts are observed), gardeners successfully grow the paradigm 62-396, as well as the "Moscow pear" with the intercalary insert of the cut Paradise.

As favorable for this, gardeners call two conditions:

• Good snow cover (keeps the temperature of the soil to minus 5-10 degrees at an overall air temperature of minus 35 degrees Celsius);
• Heavy soil cover (clayey and heavy loamy), contributing to good anchoring of the root system, which keeps the tree from tilting in the presence of abundant harvest.

The same factors have negative aspects to be dealt with: in spring the tree should be dug out from under the snow so that the snow mass does not break the branches.

To protect against rodents due to high snows, the stem must be raised to a height of 1.2-1.4 m and in autumn it should be wrapped with tar or ruberoid.

Cultivation of dwarf apple trees in the areas of the Middle Volga and Southern Urals (Bashkiria)

Low-growth trees on dwarf stocks are gaining popularity among gardeners not only in the southern strip, but also in regions with a harsh climate, which include the areas of the Middle Volga and the Southern Urals (Bashkiria).

Where else can you grow dwarf apple trees (varieties)? Reviews, Bashkiria is also mentioned in them, they say that in this region many plant this kind of apple trees.

The most attractive for gardeners are apple trees with a height of up to 3-3.5 m, characterized by rapidity and high yields:

• "Spartak", "kutuzovets", "Kuibyshev", "daughter of papyrovka", "Zhiguli" (Middle Volga region);
• "Bashkir handsome", "Moscow pear", "mundane", "silver hoof", "brotherhood" (Bashkiria).

Varieties are well compatible with clonal rootstocks. The first harvest on semi-dwarfish rootstocks is collected for 3-4 years after planting, the commodity crop for 4-5 years.

Trees on dwarf stocks are less adapted: for 2-3 years they stop growing because of the loading of fruits. At the age of 7-8 years bear fruit periodically.

In the harsh conditions of the region (the temperature of the arable horizon in winter is minus 13-15 degrees, in summer - plus 60-64 degrees Celsius, soil fertility is low) from the best side showed:

• Semi-dwarfish rootstocks: E-56, 64-143, "Ural-11", E-63,54-118, "Ural-5";
• Dwarf rootstocks: K-2, SPS-7, arm-18, R-60, Ural-1.

"Dwarfs" in the southern regions

Southern regions, in particular, Rostov - an ideal region for growing dwarf apple trees. And here gardeners plant dwarf apple trees (varieties). Reviews, the Rostov region, which is also regarded as a region for favorable planting of apple trees, says that first of all attention should be paid to soil and climate.

Definitely recommended for growing in the region the following varieties of fruit trees on dwarf and semi-dwarfish rootstocks:

• M1, M3 (medium height);
• M9, MM106, Budagovsky's paradigm (with a share of risk);
• 54-118, 3-3-35, 62-396, 3-5-44. 3-3-72, 3-1-76 (high winter hardiness);
• Paradys of Serdyukov (exceptionally high winter hardiness).

Dwarf apple tree - the culture is popular because of its undeniable advantages among gardeners of different regions of the country.

The choice of low-growing tree species suitable for the region, adherence to the rules of planting and care for them will ensure a high yield of the dwarf garden for a long time.