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Gardeners highly appreciate this apple variety for its excellent taste, long shelf life and high yield. The topic of our today’s article is the Melba apple tree, the description and characteristics of which will be presented below.
View characteristics
Melba was bred by Canadian breeders in the city of Ottawa at the end of the 3th century. The apple tree got its name in honor of the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. Such a fruit tree is valued for its stable and high yield. Please note that the plant does not tolerate severe frosts so easily, therefore it requires special conditions and protection from low temperatures. The apple tree is prone to scab invasion, which is why it is treated for such an ailment. The plant reaches a height of 4–XNUMX m.
The first two or three years after planting, vertical shoots form on the tree. Spreading crown appears later. The leaf plate of the plant is elongated, smooth to the touch, has a light green tint. The flowering period lasts from April to June. The fruits are formed round, they have a white wax coating. Ripe fruit acquires a pink hue, its taste is sweet and sour. Another key characteristic of the fruit is the caramel flavor of the pulp.
Up to 50 kg of apples are harvested from a mature plant in a season. They start harvesting in mid-August, while apples continue to ripen until September. It is important to root next to Melba another summer variety of apple trees, which will act as a pollinator.
Video “Apple tree Melba”
From this video you will learn about the features of planting an apple tree of the Melba variety.
Varieties of the variety
This category includes the following types of apples:
- Melba’s daughter. This is a hybrid plant with improved characteristics: the tree is able to overwinter in a cold region, and it is not affected by scab. Ripe fruits are covered with pink spots or light stripes.
- Melba Red. Ripening fruits are distinguished by a light green color, but a reddish blush is present. This species produces up to 80 kg of yield from one tree, but the fruits are not too sweet.
Some gardeners are convinced that it is realistic to root a columnar apple tree of the Melba variety on a personal plot. In fact, confusion arises, since the seedling, which is not even 3 years old, has the shape of a columnar apple tree.
Advantages and disadvantages
The first harvest from such a tree is obtained in the fourth year after planting. The yield of this variety is high: up to 70–80 kg of fruits are harvested from one plant, they are stored for a long time, and have excellent taste characteristics. Such fruits are safely transported over long distances, because during transportation they will not lose their presentation.
This variety also has disadvantages:
- the tree is not able to resist the scab;
- low resistance to frost – at low temperatures in winter and the absence of snow, trees of this type often freeze out.
Peculiarities of growing
To grow a Melba apple tree, it is important to treat the tree from diseases in a timely manner, especially from scab. Control the intensity and frequency of watering: excess moisture is harmful to this tree, so moisten the substrate only in dry weather.
Melba resists diseases well, the biggest problem is scab. Prevent such a disease by sanitary pruning of the tree.
Do not forget about the benefits of regular top dressing and the need to clean fallen leaves from the near-trunk circle. Otherwise, caring for an apple tree does not require much effort.
Reviews of gardeners
Alina, 45 years old: “My husband and I bought several dwarf seedlings of Melba. It is generally not difficult to take care of them, in the fall we try to carefully prepare the trees for wintering, remove damaged and dry shoots. We get very tasty fruits!
Andrey, 62 years old: “Our whole family loves apples. On the site we have about 25 apple trees of various varieties. We value Melba for sweet and sour fruits with an amazing aroma. And we cook compotes from them, and jams, and eat fresh. We definitely recommend the variety.”
Stanislav, 38 years old: “I do not advise planting such a tree in regions with frequent and heavy rains – such weather is ideal for scab, and Melba does not resist it well. Otherwise, I was satisfied with the variety.