Contents
Apple tree Autumn Joy is a high-yielding variety, successfully zoned in the regions of Central Our Country. Gives 90-150 kg from one tree. Apple trees are distinguished by good winter hardiness and undemanding care. Therefore, they can be grown not only in the middle lane, but also in the Urals and Siberia.
History of breeding
Autumn joy – an apple variety obtained by S.I. Isaev, an employee of VNIIS named after Michurin. Derived by crossing a hybrid from the Cinnamon Striped and Welsey series. The apple tree has been successfully tested in the Central region. Basically, the variety is intended for cultivation in the middle lane.
Description of the apple variety Autumn joy with a photo
Autumn Joy is one of the popular varieties of apple trees that are bred in almost all regions of Central Our Country. The tree grows for several decades and brings a consistently high yield (up to 150 kg).
Appearance of fruit and tree
The tree is tall, reaches a height of 10-12 m (if not formed). The crown is dense, reaches 2-2,5 m in diameter. The bark on the main shoot and on the skeletal branches is brown. Other shoots are dark red, quite thick, straight, densely pubescent. The lenticels are round or oval, light yellow in color. Kidneys are gray, large.
The leaves of the autumn joy apple tree are small, with a noticeable elongation, ovoid. The surface is wrinkled, the color is dark green. The edges are wavy, the plates are curved, pubescent. Petioles are thin and long.
Medium-sized apples, usually 115-135 g in weight, rounded, with a noticeable flattening from above and below. The skin is smooth, golden-green in color, when mature it is bright red, with small stripes.
The fruits of the apple tree variety Autumn joy are painted in golden red colors
Life time
The life expectancy of the autumn joy apple tree reaches 30-35 years. It is affected by care, soil fertility, regular preventive treatments from pests, as well as weather conditions.
Taste
The pulp of the fruit is light, creamy. The density is medium, the consistency is tender, quite juicy. The taste is balanced, sweet and sour, dessert. The aroma is refreshing, spicy. There is an increased concentration of sugar. Tasting scores are quite high – about 4,3 points out of 5,0.
The percentage of the main components (in% of the total mass):
- dry matter (total) – 12,5%;
- sugar – 10,3;
- acids – 0,4%.
Growing regions
The apple tree of the variety Autumn Joy is zoned in the regions of Central Our Country – the Volga region, the Black Earth region, the middle lane, the south. Due to its high yield, it is cultivated in almost all horticultural farms.
Productivity
The autumn joy apple tree begins to bear fruit 4-5 years after planting. The yield is quite good – an average of 90 kg per 1 tree, and it reaches the peak of fruiting at 20 years. At this age, with proper care and favorable weather, you can collect up to 150 kg of fruit from 1 apple tree.
Frost resistance
Differs in the good winter hardiness which is not inferior to Cinnamon striped. In the middle lane and in Altai, you can grow according to classical agricultural technology, like most other varieties.
In other regions, where frosts can be up to 30-40 degrees in winter, it is not recommended to plant this apple tree. But you can try to grow it by wrapping the branches and sprinkling the near-stem circle with a lot of humus every autumn. Another option is to make a stock for slate (creeping) apple trees. It is convenient to cover them for the winter with agrofiber or burlap.
In the Urals and Siberia, shoots of the Autumn Joy variety can be grafted onto slate apple trees
Disease and pest resistance
It has good resistance to scab, a fungal disease that damages the leaves and fruits of the apple tree. Immunity to other diseases and pests is satisfactory. Be sure to carry out preventive treatments in spring and summer.
Flowering period and ripening period
It starts blooming in May. The lower the temperature, the longer the bloom lasts. The first fruits appear in late August – early September, the peak of ripening falls on the first autumn days. Therefore, the apple tree variety Autumn Joy belongs to the early autumn.
Pollinators
Apple trees of this variety are pollinated only by insects. Therefore, it is not necessary to plant trees of cross varieties.
Transportation and storage
The fruits are distinguished by good keeping quality – they retain their taste and presentation for 1-1,5 months after harvest (if stored in a cool, shady place).
Even with minimal care, the autumn joy apple tree gives good harvests
Advantages and disadvantages
The variety Autumn Joy is well known to both amateur summer residents and professional farmers. Among its advantages are often called the following advantages:
- Consistently high yield.
- Large fruits with good taste and presentation.
- Scab immunity.
- High winter hardiness, the ability to grow in any region of Central Our Country.
- Pleasant taste of apples.
- Good keeping quality and fruit transportability.
- Does not need cross-pollinators – pollinated only by bees, butterflies and other insects.
There are also some disadvantages:
- Skeletal branches diverge at sharp angles.
- Branching is weak.
- Seedlings have brittle wood.
Landing
It is recommended to purchase seedlings only from nurseries or other trusted suppliers. Landing is carried out in spring or autumn. The optimal time is considered to be the end of March or the first half of April (in Altai and other regions of Siberia, a little later).
To place the seedling, choose an open, well-lit, elevated place if possible. The soil should be neutral, slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. On highly acidified soil, the Autumn Joy apple tree grows poorly. Therefore, it is desirable to neutralize the earth with slaked lime in the amount of 100 g per 1 m2.
The landing algorithm is standard:
- The site is cleared and dug up.
- Prepare a landing pit 60 cm deep and 1 m wide.
- Lay rotted manure at the bottom, 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and potassium salt (or complex mineral fertilizer).
- Fill the pit with water (1-2 buckets) and wait 10-15 days.
- An apple tree seedling a day before planting is placed in a bucket of water at room temperature. First you need to cut off all damaged, broken roots.
- Then they are planted in the center of the pit, covered with earth, rammed.
- The trunk circle is mulched with peat, straw and other improvised materials.
Scheme of the landing pit and the trunk circle
Cultivation and care
In the future, the care of the apple tree is standard:
- Watering a young seedling is regular – 2-3 times a month, an adult tree – only in drought (3-4 buckets of water in 2 weeks).
- Top dressing in the first 3 years is optional. At the beginning of summer, after the ovaries fall off, you can give a complex mineral fertilizer. In July, organics are used – chicken manure or slurry.
- In early June, spraying with fungicides and insecticides is mandatory. Secondary processing – as needed.
- In autumn, at the end of September, the bole is whitened and the near-stem circle is saturated with superphosphates and potassium salt. In Siberia and the Urals, a tree (young seedlings) must be covered.
- Pruning of the apple tree Autumn joy is carried out the very next season after planting. The crown is formed annually in early spring. Usually small, strongly protruding branches are shortened by a quarter, due to which side shoots develop well.
During the pruning of the autumn joy apple tree, only the smallest (extreme) shoots are cut
Collection and storage
Apple fruits of the Autumn Joy variety are harvested from late summer to mid-autumn, depending on weather conditions. Maturity is determined by appearance (rich golden color with red stripes and strokes). They also check the condition of the skin – you need to press well on it. If the dent does not form, you need to wait a few more days. If the skin breaks easily, this is a clear sign of overripeness: such apples can be used to make jam.
Only intact fruits are subject to storage. Each apple is wrapped in paper and kept at a temperature of up to +5 ° C, in a dark place with high humidity up to 90%. If the apples are damaged, they are sent for processing.
Conclusion
Apple tree Autumn joy is a good option for beginner gardeners. This is an undemanding tree that is easy to grow in almost any area. Differs in high winter hardiness, good immunity and stable crops. The fruits are large and tasty, have a pleasant aroma.
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