The right choice of apple variety for planting is a crucial step for every gardener. It is important to plant exactly the tree that will yield the crop soon and will delight in the palatability of the fruit. Medunitsa rightfully holds the leading place among those giving early and sweet apples.
Botanical description of the apple tree Medunitsa
Lungwort was originally created as a summer variety, which is important in areas with severe climatic conditions. It was bred by the Soviet botanist Isaev Sergey Ivanovich in the first half of the 20th century by crossing two varieties: Brown Striped and Wellsie. It is quite high (can reach 8 m), apples ripen by the end of summer. Later, winter was also developed on the basis of this variety. There are also dwarf and semi-dwarf subspecies of the variety.
Characteristics of the apple tree Medunitsa
She, like any other plants, has its own distinctive features.
Appearance
The tree itself looks like a pyramid with spreading branches through which gaps are clearly visible. The sheets are rough to the touch, embossed, green with yellow shades densely cover the crown. New shoots are formed in a relatively small amount and have a pale brown color. The roots of the apple tree are powerful, highly branched. The flowers are large (about 4.5 cm), their petals have a milky hue.
Fetus
The resulting apples are medium in size, slightly pressed in the area of the handle. The color of the fruit is yellowish-green, sometimes apples with a red side or dark burgundy stripes are found. Their peel is quite thin, and the pulp with a high juice content and quite sweet, so the variety was named. The weight of one fruit can be 80-160 gr. The taste during storage only improves.
Pros and cons of the variety
Like any garden plant, the apple tree has its positive and negative sides.
Pros:
- has high frost resistance;
- the taste of apples is honey;
- unpretentious in leaving;
- reduced sensitivity to damage by fungi, such as rot and scab;
- almost all seedlings take root;
- early bearing
- large crop;
- ripened fruits are located on a tree for a long time;
- the variety belongs to self-pollinating;
- apples ripen early;
- the fruits contain a minimum of sugars, which makes it a dietary variety.
Minuses:
- the crop is not stored for long;
- apples ripen unevenly;
- the need for regular tree care, which will ensure the collection of a decent amount of fruit;
- large tree sizes, which makes harvesting difficult.
Beginning of fruiting and maturity
Lungwort on a seed stock begins to bring apples for 5-6 years. The activity of the plant with the correct content can last 50 years or more. The first 12-15 years of the tree’s life, the gardener will be able to annually receive a large crop. Then you need to monitor the number of ovaries and normalize it, if there is a need to collect apples every summer.
Uneven ripening of the fruit caused by a large number of foliage, creating a shade. Therefore, harvesting stretches from late August to September.
Varieties of Medunitsa
When choosing a seedling should pay close attention to the stock. Many factors depend on this:
- tree height, its size and appearance;
- fruiting and ripening periods;
- apple tree planting scheme;
- tree longevity and its ability to bear fruit.
Seed stock
If you properly care for the plant, the tree on this stock will delight the gardener with the annual ripening of apples for 50-60 years. In this case, the total life expectancy can reach 90 years. In height, such apple trees grow up to 8 m, bear fruit already for 5 years, and the necessary distance during planting is approximately 4.5-5 m between plants.
It is worth making sure that the branches do not touch and do not mix with each other, this will ensure the collection of a large crop.
Semi-dwarf stock
Agronomists recommend buying seedlings of tall varieties on a semi-dwarf rootstock. They are more convenient when picking apples and conducting regular pruning of branches. The height of these seedlings is usually lower than their counterparts on a seed stock, but the fruiting will be earlier. These apple trees reach a length of 4.5-5 m, the fruits appear after 3.5-4.5 years, the intervals for planting between plants are reduced to 4 m. Semi-dwarf plants can grow and feel good even when the groundwater is high, so how well they tolerate waterlogging of the soil. Thanks to the stock, this quality is enhanced.
Dwarf and column-shaped stock
Demand for varieties of miniature sizes has arisen recently. They have a decorative look and it is convenient to collect fruits from a tree, to care for the crown. Lungwort has a crown shaped like a pyramid, but undersized species may have a ball or a triangle. In height, such trees grow to a maximum of 2 meters, bear fruit early - already at the age of 3, the intervals between plants during planting can be reduced to 1 m.
Dwarf varieties have one drawback - a weak root system, which can lead to its fall in a strong wind or under the weight of ripened fruits. But this is easy to eliminate - it is necessary to make backups for branches, which will protect the tree from troubles. Due to the massive appearance of fruits, the life span of such apple trees is reduced to 12 years.
Lungworms on a colonized stock are extremely rare for sale, which is directly related to the natural feature of the crown structure. Therefore, with this type of stock, a pyramid-shaped dwarf apple tree will turn out.
Winter option
Thanks to the taste and other qualities of Medunitsa, a need arose for a winter version of the tree. It differs from summer in the late ripening of apples - at the end of September. But there are also advantages - a long shelf life (until spring). The taste of the fruit is slightly acidic, although the varieties are called the same.
Planting Rules for Medunitsa
Care and planting of Medunitsa practically does not differ from similar actions with any summer apple variety. It is important to correctly determine the period, and choose a place for the tree.
Landing time
They may differ and directly depend on the natural conditions of the area where the apple tree will grow. In autumn it is necessary to plant in the middle zone with a temperate climate, and in more severe conditions (for example, in Siberia) - it is preferable in the spring. Thanks to this gradation, the tree will have time to become stronger in the soil, which will protect it from early frosts.
In regions with snowy winters, it is also preferable to plant seedlings, as well as in the northern latitudes.
You can plant trees in spring only at a plus temperature and thawed ground of 60 or more cm. When choosing the autumn period, remember that before the first frosts there should be at least 21 days, but it is important and not much earlier, as this can lead to shoots that will perish.
Landing process
It takes place in several stages. Start with the preparation. A planting hole is formed 6 months before the onset of direct planting of a seedling. To do this, dig a round funnel in a selected place with a radius of 50 cm for a 2-year-old plant. Here they adhere to the principle: the pit should be slightly larger than the root system of the tree. Then, the excavated soil is divided into the fertile part (mixed with fertilizers and poured back to half of the funnel) and the rest (thrown away). A stake is necessarily inserted in the center, to which a young apple tree is then tied. After Medunitsa put in the center, straighten its roots and fill it with the remaining fertile mixture. In the end, the soil around the seedling must be watered and tamped.
If land subsidence has formed after these steps, add the necessary amount of soil.
Cultivation agricultural
When growing Medunitsa, it is important to follow the tree care rules, which include the following actions:
Watering
In the first year after planting, you should pay attention to the proper watering of the young tree, and carry out all other procedures when it grows and gets stronger.
When the topsoil is completely dry, it is watered, so it must be done within one month. Then such frequent moistening of the earth is not required and it is carried out 1 time in 7 days.
Crown formation
In the second year, you can start pruning branches to create the correct crown of Medunitsa. Tiers form at a distance of 35-40 cm, they must be discharged. This helps in maintaining the natural pyramidal appearance of the crown. You can give the tree a bowl shape. For this, the shoot located in the center is removed and replaced with 5-6 lateral ones.
Due to the strong growth, her shoot formation is weak. It is important to adhere to some rules:
- Every year in the spring and autumn periods it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. With it, damaged branches are removed.
- In spring, thinning of the crown is performed, which stimulates the growth of young branches and new shoots.
- In the summer, they pinch new growths, and also remove branches that greatly obscure the fruits.
Necessary feeding
They are carried out every 6 months. Spring fertilizing helps the tree to gain green mass, growth and appearance of the crop. Nitrogen fertilizers are best suited for this. Autumn is aimed at ripening wood and preparing for winter cold. Potassium and phosphorus-containing ones are good.
It is worth remembering that when using any fertilizer, the correct dosage must be observed, otherwise it can be harmful, and not good for the plant.
Harvesting and storage
When collecting apples from the summer species, it is worth considering the region of its growth. For example, in areas with a hotter climate, they ripen until mid-August, and in places with harsh - in the first half of September. The winter variety is ready for harvest in September - early October. If necessary, you can pick apples a little earlier than the specified time, while they will be in a state of so-called "technical ripeness".
The fully ripened fruits of the summer variety are stored for about 30 days, and harvested in an earlier period - 3-4 months. Winter variety can last until spring.
It is important to remember that apples tend to change taste: it will open as much as possible after 14 days, and then it will gradually deteriorate.
Prevention and control of diseases and pests
Although Medunitsa has increased resistance to pests and infections, it is still worthwhile to carry out treatment to prevent damage to trees. To do this, in the first weeks of spring before the buds open, they are sprayed with solutions containing copper. For example, copper sulfate. Diluted in a proportion of 100 g of dry matter per 10 liters of water.
In order to prevent the development of scab and fruit rot, the near-trunk circle of the earth must be treated with a 10% solution of ammonium nitrate (before flowering), and the tree itself is sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux liquid (2%).
In spring and autumn, the trunks of adult apple trees are whitened in spring, and young trees are wrapped with spruce branches, which makes it possible to protect trunks from rodents. Also suitable for these purposes: roofing, ruberoid, synthetic tights, etc.
Mr. Summer resident advises: pollinators for the apple tree Medunitsa
Due to the fact that the Medunitsa is self-infertile, for the appearance of the ovary it is worth planting pollinating varieties on the infield. These include: White Bulk, Sverdlovsk Anis, Belfler-Chinese and others.
With ease of care and maintenance, the Medunitsa apple tree does not require large physical and material costs, but it will delight gardeners with an annual and plentiful harvest for a long time.
