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When forming a garden, it is important to choose the right varieties of apple trees. So that not only the seedlings take root and develop well, but the harvest also pleases summer residents. Apple trees of the Kovalenkovskoye variety are an excellent choice for lovers of truly sweet fruits.
Variety description
The Kovalenkovskoye tree belongs to medium-sized and fast-growing species. The crown is formed of a dense rounded shape (the so-called reverse pyramidal type). Powerful skeletal branches grow slightly curved. The brown bark of the trunk and main branches has a slight sheen. Dark red shoots are quite compact. The leaves grow medium and create a dense foliage on the crown.
The Kovalenkovo apple tree blooms early. The inflorescence is formed from five large white flowers.
The fruits of the apple tree of the Kovalenkovskoye variety ripen in large size (some have a mass of about 210 g) and have a regular round shape (as in the photo).
A distinctive feature of the color is a blush of a dark red hue, covering almost the entire surface of the fruit. An interesting feature of the Kovalenkovskoye variety is that in areas of excellent illumination, fruits with a bright and saturated range of shades ripen, and in the middle of the crown and near the trunk, apples are no longer so elegant.
The white pulp of the Kovalenkovskoye apple is distinguished by a fine-grained and juicy structure. The taste of fruits can be considered absolutely sweet, as there is not even a slight hint of sourness. Fruits are great for fresh consumption and in processed form (jam, juice, marmalade, jam).
The advantages of the Kovalenkovskoye variety include:
- precociousness – ripe fruits begin to delight gardeners after two to three years;
- stable yield;
- excellent frost resistance;
- good drought tolerance;
- apple tree Kovalenkovskoye is moderately affected by diseases.
Some of the disadvantages are: a prolonged harvesting period, the susceptibility of the variety to crown thickening and a short shelf life of fruits.
Growing an apple tree
Well-lit areas protected from strong and harsh winds are suitable for breeding the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree. This variety prefers loamy soils, and the land must be sufficiently moist and drained.
Planting of seedlings
As a rule, seedlings can be planted in spring, when the soil thaws and warms up, or in autumn (a few weeks before frost). The landing hole is dug in advance. Its parameters are determined by the size of the roots of the Kovalenkovskoye seedling, but not less than 0,7-0,9 m in diameter. And the depth should be 10 cm more than the length of the root.
Some gardeners recommend planting in the fall, so that the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree has time to root. And then in the spring fresh shoots appear. But this recommendation is applicable to regions where there are no severe frosts, otherwise the seedling of the Kovalenkovskoye variety may not take root in severe cold.
Landing steps:
- A layer of drainage is laid out at the bottom of the landing pit (you can use gravel, expanded clay). A stake is hammered, to which a seedling will then be tied.
- Two buckets of nutrient mixture are poured out (from complex fertilizer, compost). Pour a layer of fertile soil.
- The sapling of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree is set in the center of the pit, the roots are placed freely. The hole is filled with earth.
A hole is formed around the trunk, the soil is watered abundantly, and the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree is tied to a support.
Watering and fertilizing
Usually during the season it is necessary to water the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree at least three times. This will be enough for the full growth of the tree, provided that the water soaks the soil to a depth of at least 70-80 cm. But it is also important to take into account climatic conditions and soil quality.
The first time the trees are watered during the flowering period. The next time, watering is carried out during the ripening of Kovalenkovskoye apples (approximately the end of June – the beginning of July). The third time it is recommended to water the apple tree on the eve of frost (at the end of October). Autumn watering will protect the roots of the tree from frost and help the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree to winter.
The watering rate is determined by the age of the tree. For a seedling, 4-5 buckets are enough for one watering, and an already adult tree will require at least 7-10 buckets per square meter of the near-stem circle. And during the ripening of the crop, this rate increases even more.
In order for the soil in the near-stem circle to remain loose, the soil must be regularly cleared of weeds and loosened. Such measures also help to improve the air permeability of the earth.
To fertilize the soil in the spring, nitrogenous fertilizers are used, at the rate of 3-6 g per square meter of the near-stem circle of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree.
In early July (as soon as the excess ovary falls), a nitrogen-potassium mixture is added. This top dressing will contribute to the growth of the remaining ovary of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree.
And in the fall, you can use phosphorus, potassium or organic additives. Fertilizers are applied when digging the soil in September.
Trimming an apple tree
Thanks to regular pruning of branches, it turns out to form a beautiful crown and stimulate the proper development of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree, and harvesting is facilitated.
Basic pruning techniques:
- shortening – only part of the branch is cut off;
- cutting – the branch is cut off completely.
The first stage of work is thinning the crown. This opens the center of the tree, as the upper part of the trunk (with branches) is cut off. Thanks to this technique, the entire crown is illuminated and the height of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree is reduced.
Next, work with especially dense areas. And first, unnecessary large branches are removed. In order not to form stumps, the cut is made along the influx ring.
It must be borne in mind that pruning of the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree in order to form a crown is carried out in the spring, and it is recommended to remove damaged and old branches in the fall.
Harvest
In terms of ripening apples, the Kovalenkovskoye variety belongs to the late ones. The first fruits can be picked in the second half of August. The ripening period cannot be considered simultaneous, so the harvest is somewhat stretched over time. And in some regions (Moscow region), the Kovalenkovskoye apple tree can, in general, be attributed to late autumn varieties, since ripe fruits begin to be harvested from the second half of September. But it is convenient that the fruits do not crumble and hold firmly on the tree.
Apples do not have a long shelf life: in a cool room, fruits can be stored for about a month, and in the refrigerator, fruits lie for about two months. It is noteworthy that the most pronounced taste notes are manifested in fruits that have lain for at least two weeks.
Preventive treatment
The apple-tree variety Kovalenkovskoye is characterized by medium resistance to diseases. Therefore, it is important to carry out preventive measures in the form of spraying. In the spring, trees and soil are treated with Fitosporin-M solution or preparations based on karbofos to prevent infection with fungal diseases. Processing should be carried out in dry weather, otherwise the rain will wash away the composition. The same preparations can be used before flowering and after harvesting.
The apple tree of the Kovalenkovskoye variety has already fallen in love with many summer residents for its pleasant sweet taste and elegant appearance of the fruit.
