There is no such person who does not like apples. Among the wide variety of varieties, it is very difficult to choose something special for yourself, since all their fruits are very tasty, with an unforgettable apple aroma. Today we will take a look at one of the varieties that has been grown for over a hundred years and is still popular today. This is the Red Delicious apple tree.

How the Red Delicious variety appeared

Red delicious apples get their name from the combination of the color of the peel - "red", which means "red", and the taste of "delicious", which means "delicious". This variety appeared in the United States of America completely unexpectedly. On one of the branches of the Delicious apple tree, red apples suddenly ripened, hence their name. When this phenomenon was studied, Russian scientists decided that this variety could worthily take its place in the State Register, which gave permission for Russian gardeners to have every right to grow this variety on their plots.

For a long time, apples of the Red Delicious variety grew exclusively in the southern regions of the country, but then gradually moved to the North and the Caucasus. At the industrial level, apple trees of this variety are no longer planted, but private gardening believes that they are still popular, and therefore in demand.

Over the years, breeders based on the Red Delicious variety have created several new varieties, such as:

  • Prikubansko;
  • Flame of Elbrus;
  • Winter beauty;
  • apples Red Chief.

In addition, with the participation of a producer from Japan, the Orient variety was created, which has excellent taste and an excellent presentation. In addition, Red Chief is an apple variety that is considered a clone of Red Delicious.

Description of the Red Delicious apple tree

Apples Red Delicious

Apples Golden

The apple tree belongs to the winter varieties. The tree grows from four to six meters, depending on the method of propagation. The crown of the apple tree changes every year and by the age of eight it becomes pyramidal, but with age it will again become round and spreading.

The branches of the tree branch off from the trunk at an acute angle. They are painted red, on each of the processes there are rings. It is in this place that the fruits grow. The shoots of the apple tree differ slightly from the branches in their brown-red color, while the color of the mature branches is dark red.

The leaves on the apple tree are medium-sized and elongated. They are bright green in color, with a shiny surface. You can distinguish the Red Delicious apple tree from its "mother" at the end of the stem, which has a completely invisible red spot that turns into a vein.

The apple tree blooms thickly every year. Apple flowers are delicate, snow-white, with a slight pink tint. They are collected in an inflorescence, which consists of three flowers.

The characteristics of apples are as follows. The fruits of this tree are conical in shape. Their weight reaches two hundred and fifty grams, but you can also find three hundred grams of apples. The color of apples of the varietal type is rich, dark red. At the same time, you can notice a blush on them, which is filled with a crimson color. The peduncle of these apples also has a difference, which is expressed in an unusual color - pink with a red tint.

Apples Red Delicious high-yield variety

The surface on apples is dense, smooth to the touch. White dots can be clearly seen on it. Apples are not afraid of minor injuries. Most gardeners recommend removing the skin from the fruit when eaten fresh due to its rough texture.

The cut shows the pulp of the apple. It has a creamy color with a pale green tint. It tastes juicy and crispy, but if the fruits are stored for a long time, it becomes a little mealy. Apples of this variety can be used fresh or processed into jam, compotes, and dried fruits can be made from them.

Interesting to know! The palatability of fruits can vary significantly, depending on the region in which they grow. In the southern regions, where a dry and warm climate prevails, apples are sweet. In the regions of the northern part of the country, the taste changes significantly and becomes sweet and sour.

This type of apple tree tends to bear fruit only in the sixth year of life. Moreover, in the first years of fruiting, apple trees yield only about thirty kilograms of fruit. Closer to the age of ten years, the yield rises to one hundred and fifty kilograms. In addition, a yield record was recorded in the Stavropol Territory. There Red Delicious gave one hundred and eighty-four kilograms of fruit.

The fruits are beneficial to the human body. The beneficial qualities of the fruit are in its calorie content.

Planting and leaving

Apples Semerenko

The apple tree of the Red Delicious variety does not differ in such quality as resistance to severe frosts. Therefore, for planting it, it is necessary to choose an area that is protected from winds and drafts. The root zone of the tree should not be located in places where rainwater accumulates.

Since the apple tree does not like very wet soil, it is planted in those places where the distance to the groundwater is at least two meters, or even two and a half. Planting an apple tree sapling is necessary in the spring, but sometimes some gardeners plant in the fall.

Watering the apple tree

Before planting a tree, the soil must be carefully prepared. To do this, they dig it up, carefully remove the weeds and bring in manure and humus. In addition, wood ash and nitroammophoska will be a good fertilizer for wood.

A hole for a seedling is dug with dimensions of seventy centimeters wide by eighty centimeters deep. At the bottom of the pit, drainage needs to be done so that excess moisture can freely move away from the root system. For drainage, broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles are used. They are poured with a five-centimeter ball, on which a fertile mixture consisting of peat, river sand and humus is laid.

After the seedling has already been planted and the root zone is thoroughly compacted, the soil must be watered. To do this, use at least three buckets of water. After that, the soil surface is mulched with a five-centimeter ball of peat or humus.

When planting, the root collar of the seedling should not be covered with earth. Otherwise, the tree will not develop well, or even die. At the end of planting, a peg is inserted into the soil near the young tree and the seedling is tied up.

Caring for the plant consists of regularly loosening, weeding and watering the soil, as well as feeding, pruning and protecting from pests. In parallel with loosening the soil, weeds must be removed. The soil surface should be kept clean, especially in the first five years. Later, the weeds can be simply mowed.

Picking up apples

The plant can only be watered if the summer is dry. Throughout the season, you need to do no more than six waterings. In this case, two or even three buckets of water are used. The most important is watering in the spring during the intensification of growth, flowering and the appearance of fruits.

Top dressing is applied as follows:

  • In the spring, a spoonful of nitroammophoska is applied under each apple tree;
  • When flowering, the tree needs feeding with wood ash;
  • When the fruits are at the ripening stage, superphosphate and potassium salt must be added under the tree.

During pruning, branches are removed, which thicken the crown. In addition, dry branches or damaged pagons must be removed. You can remove those branches that bent too low and interfere with working near the tree.

To protect the plant from pests, you need to install special trapping belts tied to the tree trunk.This should be done in early May; it is also necessary to collect all the fallen ovary.

Advantages and disadvantages

Apples Idared

Red Delicious apples have a number of advantages.

The main ones include the following:

  • the tree begins to bear fruit very quickly;
  • grows not too tall;
  • the crown is compactly assembled at the trunk;
  • apples can be safely brought from one place to another and not worry that the fruits may be damaged;
  • fruits are keeping quality;
  • the surface of the apples is attractive;
  • the pulp is tasty, juicy, it can be consumed both fresh and after thermal processing;
  • there is no frequency of fruiting.

The disadvantages include:

  • not resistant to frost;
  • needs pollinators;
  • requires soil thinning;
  • in the process of long storage, the pulp changes its structure;
  • vulnerability to diseases and pests.

If you are not too lazy and fulfill all the requirements that are necessary for growing an apple tree of the Red Delicious variety, then every gardener will receive an excellent harvest of juicy sweet apples.