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Apple tree “Jaint Champion” or simply “Champion” is in great demand in Poland and Germany. Basically, everyone is attracted by the excellent taste and attractive color of the fruit. In addition, this variety has a number of other advantages. Most often, Champion apples are exported to us from Poland. From there they are imported to other European countries. Increasingly, this variety is found in the areas of gardeners, where Champion apples grow and develop no less productively. This article will consider a description of the champion apple variety, photos and reviews.
Characteristic of the variety
The Champion apple variety is highly valued and is often grown commercially. It has a high yield and is easy to care for. Based on this, it becomes clear that growing such a variety is very profitable. And both for themselves and for sale.
Initially, the Champion apple tree was bred in the Czech Republic. The varieties “Golden Delicious” and “Orange Ranet” were taken as the basis. Already from the third year, the Champion apple variety begins to bear fruit. The tree itself is not tall, but very strong. Fruits are stored for a long time without losing taste. They can stand in a cool place for up to 6 months.
When choosing seedlings, you should be careful. The variety has clones that are very similar to the Champion apple tree:
- apple tree “Champion Reno”, which has a sweeter taste and a reddish color of the fruit;
- apple tree “Champion Arno” has a rich taste and a high concentration of sugar in the fruit. Apples are bright red.
Small grayish spots may appear on the surface of the apples. The tasters gave the variety a rather high score, estimating the taste of “Champion” at 4,7 out of 5. Apples have light, creamy yellowish flesh. They taste sweet and sour. Fruits are recommended to be consumed fresh, but this does not prevent anyone from using them for preservation and cooking various dishes.
Growing apples
The description of the Champion apple variety shows that the trees give a generous annual harvest. Starting from the third year, it is necessary to normalize the number of ovaries and flowers. This is the only way to harvest a bountiful harvest of juicy and tasty apples. If you do not cut off the ovaries from the bushes, apples can be poorly stained. Also, for prevention, some preventive procedures should be carried out. Leaves on apple trees are sprayed with special solutions that contain phosphorus.
On young trees, the fruits are very strong. As a rule, after a few years, apples can crumble prematurely. To prevent this, you need to harvest on time. In addition, late-harvested apples will not store well and will quickly lose their taste.
pruning apple trees
The Giant Champion apple tree variety is growing and developing rapidly. Before fruiting, trees grow a little faster, and after the appearance of the first fruits, the growth rate is noticeably reduced. If every year the apple trees give a bountiful harvest, then there will simply be no strength left for growth. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out pruning. This procedure stimulates the development and growth of the tree. The fruits will grow on young branches, which are stronger and stronger. This will improve the quality of the fruits themselves.
The upper branches on the crown of the tree should be younger than 3-4 years. If the one-year shoot ends with a generative bud, then it is cut off. They also remove annual shoots that end in a bud, but for the whole year they have not grown longer than 20 cm. Usually they grow poorly and give a poor harvest.
The same shoots that end in a bud, but have grown to 30 cm, are left. It happens that all the branches on a tree are quite long and strong. What to do in this case? It is necessary to leave so many shoots so that the tree can bear fruit normally next year, and is not overloaded with apples. Also, during pruning, it is imperative to remove all old and dried branches. In addition, thick shoots that grow too close to the main branch should not remain on the tree.
During pruning, try to provide all branches with good lighting. They should not be too dense and close to each other. Good lighting will allow you to grow beautiful fully colored fruits even on the lower branches. According to the description, the Champion apple tree will not be able to generously bear fruit and grow without proper pruning. This variety needs careful care.
Diseases of apple trees
The most common disease of Champion apple trees is bitter pitting. This is due to a lack of calcium. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying of trees even before budding (around the beginning of June). Then you can spend a few more sprays in the period from the beginning of fruit formation to harvest.
Calcium not only protects the fruits from bitter pitting, but also helps fight other common diseases. The plant becomes stronger and healthier. In addition, such apples will be better stored throughout the winter. To grow beautiful uniformly colored Champion apples, as in the photo, trees should be treated with phosphorus-based fertilizers. Such spraying is carried out approximately one and a half months before the start of harvest.
This variety has a fairly high resistance to scab and powdery mildew. Prevention in this case will be high-quality pruning of trees. No chemicals need to be used. They are used only if signs of tree infection are found.
Advantages and disadvantages of the “Champion” variety
Description, photos and reviews of the Champion apple tree will help you choose the best seedlings for your site. Some gardeners argue that it is better to take young trees on a rootstock (semi-dwarf or dwarf). Each species has its own characteristic features:
- Dwarf seedlings grow up to 2,5 m in height. Such trees begin to bear fruit very quickly. Ripe fruits can be plucked the next year.
- Semi-dwarf apple trees reach up to 4 m in height, and the first fruits will ripen in the second year after planting the seedlings.
The first time after planting the Champion apple tree, it is necessary to constantly regulate the crop. To do this, part of the ovaries is torn off the trees. This is done when there are too many ovaries. In addition, gardeners appreciate the Champion variety for its delicious and incredibly fragrant fruits. They have an attractive appearance and ripen fairly quickly. Apple trees give very generous annual harvests. These factors make the variety even more popular among gardeners.
The disadvantages of the “Champion” variety include the following:
- apple trees have low frost resistance;
- the variety is prone to bitter pitting;
- bacterial burns may appear on the shoots.
Crop storage
In order for apples to be well stored throughout the winter, it is necessary to harvest them on time. Optimal magpies are selected so that the fruits are not too green, but not overripe either. Apples with a red color, of course, ripen faster. The green color of the fruits shows that they are not yet ready for harvest. In addition, the apples should be fairly firm.
During storage of the crop, fruit checks should be carried out from time to time. They are inspected and all damaged and soft apples are thrown away. In a small amount, Champion apples can be stored in the refrigerator. The ideal temperature is around 1°C. Such apples are often grown for industrial purposes. In order to preserve the presentation, the drug “Smart Fresh” is often used. This substance is treated with fruits after harvest.
Conclusion
Despite the whimsicalness and poor resistance to certain diseases, gardeners really appreciate the Champion variety. This variety bears fruit well and, most importantly, annually. The apple tree is growing rapidly, and already in the third year it will be possible to harvest the first crop of ripe apples. The description and photo of the Champion apple variety attracted many gardeners. We are sure that such a wonderful variety will not leave anyone indifferent.
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