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Among twenty thousand varieties of apples, this one stands apart. And it’s not just about looks. Apples Pink pearls inside an unusual rich pink color. Depending on the conditions in which apple trees grow, they may have completely red fruit pulp.
History of creating a variety
In the creation of all varieties of apples with red pulp, a descendant of the Nedzwiecki apple tree, the red meat variety Surprise, was used. Nedzvetsky’s apple tree comes from Dagestan, where it grows wild. It is also widespread in China. In horticulture, the Nedzwiecki apple tree is used not as a fruit tree, but as an ornamental plant with an unusual leaf color. It is especially good at the time of flowering, all strewn with bright pink flowers. The fruits of this apple tree, although small, are quite edible; they are used to make jams and compotes.
The Pink Pearl apple tree was created in California over 50 years ago by US breeder Albert Etter. He spent almost 25 years on the selection process, patented the created variety, and then gave it to The California Nursery Company for breeding. A year later, the apple variety was presented in the catalogs of fruit crops and quickly spread throughout the country. This productive and unpretentious tree is most often grown in the states of Oregon, California and Washington.
The unusual reddish-pink color of the pulp of apples prompted the creator of the variety to the original name – Pink Pearl (Pink Pearl), because due to some heterogeneity in color, the pulp of the apple acquired a shimmering effect. The Pink Pearl variety appeared on the market quite recently, so this variety is not very common.
In fairness, it must be said that Albert Etter was not the first to develop varieties of apples with red flesh. This was done by the outstanding breeder Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin and succeeded well in this. The purpose of his work in this area was to increase the frost resistance of apple trees, and obtaining red-fleshed varieties of apples turned out to be a side effect.
The varieties bred by him: Bellefleur red, Yakhontovoe, Krasny Shtandart, Komsomolets, Bellefleur record were distinguished not only by their decorative effect, but also by the good taste of the fruit. And the Bellefleur variety is red and is now the standard among apple varieties with red flesh.
Among the modern varieties of apple trees with fruits that have red pulp, the Pink Pearl apple variety stands out, which has collected a lot of positive reviews. Let’s get to know him better. To do this, we will give the Pink Pearl variety a complete description and description, but first look at the photo.
Variety description
The Pink Pearl apple tree is a tree of weak growth force, belongs to semi-dwarfs, can also be grown on a dwarf rootstock. It has green leaves. The Pink Pearl apple tree enters fruiting early – 3-4 years after planting. In the first 3 years, the growth of branches ranges from 0,8 to 1 m.
The fruits of this apple tree are quite large – from 150 to 200 g, have a conical shape. The skin of apples is translucent, its color varies from light yellow to pink, due to a slight integumentary blush. A feature of the fruit is the numerous white dots that cover the entire apple. The color of the fruit pulp is highly dependent on the illumination of the tree. If the amount of light is 50% of the norm, the staining will be weak. In normal light, the color of the pulp of apples has different shades – from bright pink to red. The flesh is granular and resembles a watermelon in the cut. The apple is very juicy, and the taste depends on the timing of the removal. The fruits begin to ripen in the third decade of August and at this time they have a sweet taste with a fairly pronounced sourness and astringency. Grapefruit notes are well felt in the taste of such an apple.
If you bite into a ripe apple, you can feel the taste of a ripe raspberry. These apples can be stored for quite a long time – up to 5 months. Apples of any degree of ripeness have a pronounced fruity aroma.
The Pink Pearl apple tree needs a pollinator. In the vicinity of other apple trees, the yield is significantly increased. Pink pearls tolerate frosts well – up to -30 degrees, but are not resistant to powdery mildew and scab. If the seedlings of the Pink Pearl apple tree could not be found, but you were lucky with the cuttings for grafting, then it is better to graft them on varieties of apple trees with reddish or pink fruit pulp:
- Shtreifling, popularly called Shtrifel;
- Bilberry;
- Malinovka;
- Pink filling;
- Susleipskoe.
Apples of the Pink Pearl variety not only have an excellent and original taste, but also a lot of useful properties.
Chemical composition and useful properties
Everyone knows about the healing properties of apples. But in the Pink Pearl variety, they are special. Anthocyanins, which caused the original color of apples of this variety, are not synthesized in the human body, however, they are extremely necessary for him. For a healthy person, their daily norm is 200 mg, and for a sick person – 300 mg. Anthocyanins do not have a cumulative effect, i.e. they cannot be accumulated for future use, you need to consume foods containing them daily. Anthocyanins have an amazing ability to help with many diseases:
- being strong antioxidants, they restore cell membranes, thereby preventing many diseases, including cancer;
- strengthen the immune system and fight harmful bacteria, thanks to bactericidal properties;
- strengthen the walls of capillaries, including those in the eyeballs, and therefore are useful in diabetic retinopathy;
- help reduce intraocular pressure, helping in the treatment of glaucoma;
- are able to improve the condition of connective tissues, and there are a lot of them in the human body.
Pectins, which are abundant in the Pink Pearl apple variety, remove harmful substances from the human intestines, improving the condition of the digestive system.
But for these apples to be beneficial, trees need to be properly looked after.
Selection of seedlings
The Pink Pearl apple tree is still rarely found on the fruit crops market, so when buying, it is better to contact trusted sellers with a good reputation. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting something completely different from what you are counting on. If you plan to make a purchase in an online store, be sure to take an interest in customer reviews in order to understand how conscientious the sellers are. Young seedlings of Pink Pearls do not have any characteristic varietal features. Therefore, when choosing, you need to focus on their quality.
There are certain indicators of healthy planting material:
- an annual apple tree seedling from the trunk should not have branches, a two-year-old must have at least 2 side branches, for pink pearl apple tree seedlings – at least 3. Older apple tree seedlings take root much worse and, due to their high height, are not sent by mail;
- the bark of the Pink Pearl apple tree seedlings should not be damaged, the color should correspond to the variety. To make sure that the bark is in good condition, you need to slightly pick it up, the green color will indicate a healthy seedling, but you need to do this carefully so as not to leave damage;
- in spring, there should not be opened leaves on an apple tree, and in autumn the tree should finish leaf fall;
- a very important indicator is the condition of the roots of the apple tree, they should not be overdried, but waterlogging is fatal for them, as it causes decay; root length – at least 30 cm, color – light, special attention – the preservation of thin white suction roots;
- it is important that the Pink Pearl apple tree seedling was grown in the same region in which it will be planted; southern seedlings in the middle lane, and even more so – to the north are simply doomed to death.
Be careful: sometimes an apple seedling is placed in a container just before being sold. You can’t buy such specimens, their root system is probably damaged. It’s pretty easy to understand: when grown in a container, the soil compacts a bit. In a freshly planted apple tree, it will be loose. It is not easy to remove a tree grown in a container from it, since the entire earthen lump has sprouted roots. Lightly pull the apple tree by the stem, if it is easily served, refuse to buy.
Planting and care
Apple tree seedlings Pink pearls with an open root system are best planted in spring – due to not too high frost resistance, a poorly rooted tree will freeze out in severe frosts. It happens that you managed to buy a seedling of an apple tree of the Pink Pearl variety in the fall. Then, until spring, it should be dug in a horizontal position, sprinkling the roots with a thick layer of earth. Under a layer of snow, it will be well preserved until spring.
Preparing a seedling for planting
If the young apple tree was stored in proper conditions and its roots are not overdried, then it is enough to cut off the damaged roots before planting, and sprinkle the slices with crushed charcoal. If the roots of the apple tree are dried, the root system of the tree should be soaked for a day in water. It is good to add a root formation stimulator to it, diluted in accordance with the instructions on the sachet.
Planting pit preparation
When planting a Pink Pearl apple tree in the spring, the pit needs to be prepared in the fall so that the earth has time to settle over the winter. The depth and width of the pit is 80 cm. The place for it should be well lit throughout the day, and the groundwater should lie low – deeper than 2,5 m. The Pink Pearl apple tree grows well on light and medium loams with a neutral soil reaction . The soil must be well supplied with moisture, as this variety of apple trees is sensitive to drought.
Planting a seedling
We install a high peg in the center of the pit, to which we will tie the seedling after planting. If the soil is fertile, it is enough to add a 0,5 l jar of ash to the bottom layer and mix well. Poor soil must be mixed with humus in a ratio of 1: 1. We pour a mound from the earth, on which we put the seedling, spreading the roots well.
Pour 10 liters of water into the pit. Gently sprinkle the earth, adding complex fertilizer with microelements at the rate of 2-3 tablespoons to the last portion. It’s not worth getting carried away here. It is better then to feed the apple tree additionally. The top layer of soil needs to be compacted, you can simply trample it with your foot, but without undue zeal. We mark the near-trunk circle with a side from the ground, and pour another 10 liters of water into the resulting recess.
Further Care
First of all, you need to shorten the central conductor by 3 buds, and if there are side branches, cut them too, but to a shorter length. This is necessary to maintain balance between the aboveground and underground parts of the seedling. The trunk circle must be mulched with humus, peat, hay, straw or mowed grass.
If there is no rain, we water the young apple tree weekly for 2 months, pouring it in a bucket into the trunk circle. In the future, you can do this less often, based on the needs of the tree. If the roots are exposed, pour the earth. In the first year, additional fertilizer is not required for young apple trees. Weed out the weeds, if they appeared.
In autumn, we must protect the tree from hares by wrapping the stem with any material at hand, we carry out water-charging irrigation and autumn soil fertilization.
For many gardeners, rare and unusual varieties of fruit trees, including apple trees, are of great interest. But the Pink Pearl variety will be needed not only by advanced gardeners. Everyone will like this tasty and healthy apple.