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Early-ripening and mid-ripening apples are often tastier and juicier than late ones, but their fresh shelf life is short. So gardeners have to either process the entire crop into jams and preserves, or make a choice in favor of apple varieties with a longer ripening period. Such late varieties include the Rozhdestvenskoe apple tree, whose fruits can be stored fresh until January.
History of breeding
Rozhdestvenskoye is a hybrid variety obtained in 1985 by breeders as a result of crossing the hybrid VM 41497 and the Welsey variety. After State tests in the Central and Central Black Earth regions of the Federation, the variety has been included in the State Register since 2001.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The apple variety Rozhdestvenskoe is triploid, i.e. having three sets of chromosomes. Compared to conventional varieties, triploids are distinguished not only by stable annual fruiting, but also by high marketability of fruits and an increased content of vitamins in them.
An important feature of such varieties is their increased resistance to the most common disease of apple trees – scab.
Mature tree height
Rozhdestvenskoe refers to medium-sized varieties of apple trees. In the first years after planting, seedlings give an increase of 0,4 to 0,7 meters, then their growth slows down. An adult tree grows up to 4 meters, like most apple trees; if the vaccination is made on a dwarf stock – up to 3 meters.
Fruit
The weight and size of the fruits of apple trees of the Rozhdestvenskoe variety is average. The mass of one apple is 140‒180 grams, individual specimens can reach even more weight. The shape of the fetus is slightly flattened, the lobes are large, weakly expressed. The shell is dense, thin, having a characteristic gloss.
The integumentary color of a ripe apple is red, blurry, resembling a blush on a greenish background. The pulp is dense, white with a cream shade. Inside the fruit are closed seed chambers with small brown seeds.
Productivity
Apple trees of the Rozhdestvenskoye variety are considered early-growing and productive. They begin to bear fruit already in the fourth year after planting, while Antonovka ordinary (control variety) – only in the sixth. On average, 140–150 centners of apples of this variety are harvested from one hectare of an apple orchard.
Winter hardiness
According to the results of test artificial freezing to -40 degrees, the following results were obtained.
Grade | Kidney damage, points | Wood damage, points |
Antonovka | 1,0 | 1,5 |
Autumn striped | 1,6 | 2,7 |
Christmas | 1,5 | 1,7 |
Damage received by the samples during the test is assessed as minor. Thus, the Rozhdestvenskoye variety can be classified as winter-hardy.
Resistance to diseases
Like any hybrid plant, the Christmas apple tree has a good immunity to diseases. Due to the selection of the Vf gene, the variety is resistant to scab.
crown width
An adult tree has a pyramid-shaped crown (3–4 meters wide for a regular and 2 meters for a dwarf rootstock). It is formed due to several main branches extending from the main trunk at an angle of 45-80 degrees. The foliage of the apple tree of the Rozhdestvenskoe variety is medium. The leaves are green, ovoid, with characteristic serrated edges. The leaf plate is slightly pubescent, matte, the apex is twisted.
Self-fertility
Rozhdestvenskoye is a self-fertile variety of apple trees. In the absence of cross-pollination, ovaries appear on a maximum of 5% of the flowers.
Pollinators
The apple tree needs pollinating neighbors. The best neighborhood will be the same late varieties: Antonovka, Papirovka, Melba, etc. For guaranteed pollination, it is not necessary to plant them side by side, it will be enough if these trees grow in a neighboring area.
The frequency of fruiting
Triploids, which include the Rozhdestvenskoye apple variety, are distinguished by regular annual fruiting. The period of fruit ripening is significantly extended in time. Harvest begins to be collected in the first decade of September. The last apples ripen in October.
Tasting assessment
Due to the difference in climatic and soil conditions in places of growth, the chemical composition of apples may vary. The table shows the data of the breeder Sedov E.N.
| Content in fruits, % | Sugar acid index | ||
sahara | Titratable acids | pectins | ||
Christmas | 10,4 | 0,48 | 14,1 | 21,7 |
Tasting rating:
- Appearance of apples – 4,4 points out of 5.
- Taste – 4,3 out of 5.
Landing
Planting seedlings of the Rozhdestvenskoe apple tree variety in open ground is allowed both in spring and autumn. Before planting, you need to choose a place and study the possible negative factors that can affect both the plant itself and the environment.
Choosing a landing place
For planting Christmas apple trees, you need to choose a well-lit place with a low level of groundwater. If they come close to the surface, you need to do drainage or plant a tree on a hill. Apple trees grow on loose sandy and loamy soils, which allow air to pass well to the roots. If trees are planted on heavy clay soil, then it must be mixed with peat, compost and sand.
Pits for planting apple trees should be prepared at least a month before the planned planting of seedlings, so that the soil has time to saturate with air. For spring planting, it is advisable to make holes in the fall, and for spring – no later than one and a half to two months before planting seedlings. The depth of the pit should be at least a meter, the diameter – at least half a meter. Several buckets of peat, humus and soddy soil mixed with complex fertilizer are poured inside.
When planting seedlings in a row, the distance between adjacent holes should be at least two to three meters. This will allow the apple trees not to conflict and develop well. With a chaotic landing, the distance between seedlings is increased to four to five meters.
Landing in autumn
In order for apple trees to have time to adapt to new conditions, planting should be done no later than a month before the onset of frost. If all agrotechnical measures are carried out without violations, the seedlings will winter well and, with the advent of heat, will enter the phase of active growth much earlier than those planted in the spring.
Before planting, cuttings of apple trees need to be inspected. If the roots are dry, they must be placed in water for several days, and in a day – in a solution of a root growth stimulator. Rotting or too long roots must be cut off.
Just before planting, an earthen mound is made in the hole. Its height should be made in such a way that the root neck is 5-10 centimeters above ground level. Roots spread along it. At the same time, a peg is hammered into the hole, to which the apple tree will be tied. The garter will protect the seedling for the first two years from damage by strong winds.
The roots are covered with soddy soil with a small mound. The soil should be lightly tamped, the near-trunk circle should be poured abundantly with water and mulched with peat.
Spring landing
Planting seedlings of Rozhdestvenskoye apple trees in the spring allows them to take root well and gain strength before the first wintering. The preparatory activities and the work itself during the spring planting are no different from the autumn ones.
Tree care
Immediately after planting, the trunk and base of the branches of apple seedlings must be whitened. The same procedure is done in spring and autumn with mature trees. Lime, which is included in the whitening composition, protects the bark of the apple tree from sunburn and serves as protection against pests. The near-trunk circle should be periodically weeded, dug up or ted for better air access to the roots. And also, to preserve moisture in the soil, it is advisable to mulch it with peat or dry manure.
Watering and feeding
Rozhdestvenskoye apple trees need regular watering only during the period of fruit set and crop ripening. Excess moisture is harmful, so stagnation of water in the roots should be avoided. Top dressing is recommended to be applied no earlier than one year from the time of planting. For this, complex fertilizers are used, which are applied to the near-stem circle of the apple tree simultaneously with digging.
Preventive spraying
Preventive treatment of apple trees of the Rozhdestvenskoye variety from pests is done 10–15 times a year.
Processing time | Why is it carried out | Substances used |
Early spring, before buds swell | For the destruction of pests and their larvae, wintering in the bark of a tree and the near-trunk circle | Copper sulfate, DNOC |
Foliage blooming | Against codling moth caterpillars, aphids, mites, weevils | Copper sulfate, Spark, Carbamide, Nitrofen, Decis |
The appearance of buds | Inta-Vir, Bordeaux mixture | |
After the end of flowering | Benzophosphate, Chlorophos | |
Fruit set phase (1-2 times) | Against codling moth | Topaz, Match, Lufox |
Fruit growth phase (2-3 times) | Against the second generation of codling moth |
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Fruit ripening phase (1-2 times) |
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After the leaves fall | For the destruction of pests and their larvae, remaining for the winter in the bark of a tree and the trunk circle | Iron vitriol, Carbamide |
When processing apple trees, do not exceed the dosage of harmful substances. Activities should be carried out with the mandatory use of personal protective equipment for the skin, eyes and respiratory organs.
pruning apple trees
Pruning allows you to conduct both a visual inspection of the state of the apple tree, and correctly form the crown of the tree. Do this procedure in the spring before bud break, and in the fall, after the leaves fall. Old, diseased, dry branches are cut out, at the same time, moss, fungi, and lichen are removed from the trunk of the apple tree. Typically, this procedure is combined with whitewashing the trunks.
Shelter for the winter and protection from rodents
The bark of apple trees during the winter can be damaged by mice and hares, often young seedlings die after that. To prevent damage by rodents, tree trunks, in addition to whitewashing, are wrapped with roofing felt, chain-link mesh or wrapped with nylon. The trunk circle of an apple tree is mulched with sawdust, straw or peat to a thickness of 10-15 centimeters.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The variety of apple trees Rozhdestvenskoye has both positive and negative properties. Its advantages include:
- high productivity;
- good keeping quality of fruits;
- high transportability;
- marketable condition;
- undemanding apple trees in care;
- high immunity;
- good taste of apples;
- good frost resistance of apple trees.
The disadvantages of apple trees of the Rozhdestvenskoye variety are the extended period of fruit ripening, as well as their tendency to shed at the end of the fruiting period. By the end of the shelf life, fresh apples lose their taste and become soft.
Prevention and protection against diseases and pests
Prevention is the key to a rich harvest. Preventive measures include:
- spraying apple trees from pests;
- crown pruning;
- weeding and loosening of the trunk circle;
- watering and feeding.
Apple trees of the Rozhdestvenskoe variety have good immunity to diseases. Pests that destroy both the crop and the tree itself are a great danger.
- Codling moth. Butterfly whose caterpillar develops in fruits. The first generation can affect up to 20% of the crop, the second – up to 90%. Apples affected by caterpillars do not ripen and fall off. For the prevention and control of the pest, trees are repeatedly sprayed with special means: chlorophos, urea, Topaz, Match and others.
- Aphid. A microscopic parasitic insect that sucks juice from leaves. Leaves infested with aphids dry up and fall off. For the prevention and control of aphids, the crown of apple trees is sprayed with Nitrofen, as well as Inta-Vir, Decis, Karate, Spark preparations.
- Spider mite. Actively breeds in hot summer, managing to produce 5-6 generations per season. It feeds on the juices of the leaves. Affected leaves of apple trees become covered with brown spots, die off and fall off. A characteristic sign of the appearance of a tick is the presence of a thin web that entangles the leaves. For the prevention and control of insects, various insecticidal agents are used: Fufanon, Fitoverm, Karbofos and others. Spraying with folk remedies is also practiced: infusions of onions, garlic, horseradish.
In addition to the listed pests, scale insects, leafworms, weevils and other insects are dangerous for Rozhdestvenskoe variety apple trees. They fight with the same drugs, since most insecticides are complex.
Conclusion
Rozhdestvenskoe variety apples are suitable both for fresh consumption and for various preservation. Compotes, jams, jam, apple juice are made from them. The extended ripening period and high keeping quality of fruits allows gardeners to slowly process the entire crop with virtually no loss.
The variety of apple trees Rozhdestvenskoye has a good potential for intensive cultivation in a variety of conditions, but without good care and timely preventive measures, a high yield cannot be obtained.
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