In some gardens, you can find amazing apple trees, the branches of the crown of which are raised up, and not to the sides, like most varieties of apple trees. This is the Bellefleur Chinese apple tree.
Bellefleur Bashkir apple tree: description and characteristics of the variety
The Bellefleur apple variety was bred by I.V. Michurin. back in 1908, as a result of crossing the yellow Bellefleur variety and the Large-fruited Chinese variety. The apple tree quickly began to spread throughout the country.
Trees are capable of reaching a fairly large height. They have a powerful round crown. Dark green leaves are large. Each apple weighs 200 grams, and sometimes even 500 grams. During flowering, white flowers of large diameter (3 cm) with long legs develop on the trees. They are collected in inflorescences.
The fruits of this variety are yellow in color and rich in sweet taste. White apple pulp is fine-grained. Fruiting ends at the end of September. Experts and gardeners note the stable fruiting frequency of this variety. The yield of the Bellefleur apple tree ranges from 150 to 160 kg / ha.
After the harvest is harvested, apples are not recommended to be used immediately. They should rest in a cool place for 2 weeks. This improves the taste of the fruit.
The main characteristics of the variety:
- High productivity.
- Excellent keeping quality and transportability.
- Juicy and pleasant taste of apples.
- Large fruit sizes.
Apple variety Bellefleur Chinese.
It is impossible not to note some of the disadvantages of the Bellefleur apple tree:
- Late ripening of apples.
- Low immunity to infection with fungal diseases.
- Poor resistance to low temperatures.
- Large height and size of the crown of trees.
- Fruiting period begins only by 8 years after planting, and the maximum yield can be obtained only for 20 years.
Despite some disadvantages, the apple tree of this variety is grown in the North Caucasian and Central regions of the country. In addition, this variety is also quite common in Ukraine and America.
Features of growing and care
You can grow trees through seeds, by grafting or seedlings. The last option is considered the simplest and most effective. For planting seedlings, it is recommended to choose an area with fertile soil, which has a low level of acidity. Otherwise, the trees will grow poorly and slowly. For planting, it is recommended to use seedlings that have reached the age of 2 - 3 years. It is at this age that the trees are strong enough to quickly take root in a new place. You can plant seedlings in the middle of autumn.
Planting a three-year-old Bellefleur apple tree.
When planting, it should be borne in mind that mature trees reach large sizes. Therefore, the distance between the holes during planting should be at least 6 m. The size of the hole should correspond to the size and age of the seedling. The bottom of the hole is filled by a third with a mixture of fertile soil and organic fertilizers. This contributes to the rapid establishment of the seedling and gives it all the necessary nutrients.
Having placed the seedling in the hole, its roots must be carefully straightened. After filling the hole, the stem of the seedling is tied to a peg located at a distance of 1 m from the stem. After the garter, up to 3 buckets of settled water are poured under the root system. In order for the apple orchard to give a good harvest, the trees need to be pruned periodically. Pruning is done in the second year after planting in spring. In this case, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:
- When doing the first pruning, all thin branches are cut, leaving only the thickest and most powerful ones.
- You need to cut the branches above the influx, which forms between the stem and the branch.
- All cuts must be anointed with garden varnish or paint.
Top dressing and watering depend on the season. For example, in the spring, urea or ash is used as a top dressing. In summer, trees need to be watered with a fairly large amount of water - about 30 liters. The rate of growth and ripening of fruits depends on this. In the summertime, trees are fed with boric acid and copper sulfate. For feeding apple trees in autumn, it is recommended to use a fertilizer mixture, which consists of components such as superphosphate and wood ash.
Top dressing of apple trees in spring
Treatment of trees from pests and diseases must be performed before buds swell on them. Otherwise, most of the kidneys will burn out. For processing, you can use the following drugs:
- Copper sulfate (1%). For young trees, it is enough to use no more than 2 liters of solution, and for those who are more than 10 years old, the amount of the drug should be increased to 5 liters.
- Nitrofen. You need to use a 5% solution. Depending on the age of the apple tree, from 300 ml to 5 liters of the product dissolves in 10 liters of water.
- Urea. For 10 liters of liquid, 500 g of the drug is used. Under one tree, not about 2, 5 - 3, 0 liters of the finished solution are applied.
The second time the trees are cultivated after the buds have blossomed, but before the beginning of the flowering period. To do this, you can use the following tools:
- Copper sulfate. In 15 liters of water, no more than 1 kg of vitriol should be dissolved.
- Bordeaux mixture. A 3% solution is used, 300 g of which is dissolved in 3 liters of hot liquid together with 300 g of lime. The prepared solution must cool completely before use.
- Colloidal sulfur. Approximately 80 g of the product dissolves in 10 liters of water.
Apple trees of the Bellefleur Chinese variety are rather capricious and demanding. They need care and attention. Timely feeding, sufficient watering, correct pruning are the conditions under which you can ensure that the apple orchard will give the desired harvest.
