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Apples are grown in all orchards without exception. There are a huge number of varieties of this fruit crop. Among gardeners, the Candy apple variety is especially popular. It is about him that will be discussed in our today’s article.
Appearance Description
Candy apple tree is a powerful, fast-growing and tall tree. During the first 3 years of life, the seedling grows by 3 m. After that, a slowdown in growth is observed. Therefore, the tree grows in height no higher than 5 m.
At a young age, the plant has a narrow crown, which gives the apple tree a slightly columnar shape. From the trunk, the branches grow at an acute angle. A more mature tree has a broad-pyramidal and spreading crown shape, as well as densely leafy branches.
On the shoots, leaves of medium and large sizes are formed. The leaf blade is strong and leathery, dark green in color. The apple tree blooms with medium-sized inflorescences that have pink petals filled with white.
Fruits are formed medium-sized and with a rounded shape. On their surface there is a slight ribbing. A deep pink blush with pronounced red streaks is observed throughout the apple. The peel, as seen in the photo, has many white subcutaneous dots. Mature fruits are covered with a slight wax coating.
Apples weigh about 80–100 g. The largest specimens weighed 150 g. Cream-colored flesh. Differs in juiciness, and also the expressed honey and candy taste.
The fruit has a shallow but wide funnel. Heart-shaped core. It contains small brown seeds. Peduncle of medium length. Its wide part is oriented towards the junction with the shoot.
The harvested crop is stored for 3-4 weeks. When picking apples, it is strictly forbidden to shake them off the branches. This will shorten their shelf life.
Video “Instructions for planting an apple tree”
From this video you will learn how to plant an apple tree in the garden.
Characteristics of a variety
In addition to the description above, this variety has special characteristics. Every gardener must know them, otherwise certain difficulties will arise with the cultivation of the Candy apple tree.
Major pollinators
This is a self-fertile variety, so apple trees need pollinators. The best pollinators for this variety are Orlovim, Krasnoye early, Melba, Golden Chinese, Belfleur Chinese, Malt Bagaevsky, Stark John Grimes, Papirovka. The role of pollinators can be species that bloom at the same time as Candy.
Features of fruiting
With proper care, the earliest harvest can be obtained within 2 years after planting. But the speed of entry into fruiting depends on the type of rootstock. Therefore, the first apples can appear only in the 3-5 year of the plant’s life.
The fruits ripen in early August. If the weather was sunny and warm, earlier ripening is possible – at the end of July.
At the beginning of life, the apple tree is characterized by uneven fruiting. With age, it becomes permanent. But this requires frequent watering and good soil drainage. Good fruiting is observed even in dark places.
Up to 5 kg of fruits are removed from one 50-year-old tree. Ten-year-old apple trees produce about 100 kg of fruit.
Frost resistance and disease resistance
The variety is intended for cultivation in a temperate continental climate. It tolerates low temperatures and cold climates well. The tree has high rates of frost resistance and winter hardiness. If the plant has suffered from severe frost, it is easily restored with the advent of spring and continues to grow and bear fruit in the future.
As for diseases, the variety is highly resistant to almost all ailments of this fruit crop. Only before the scab, the apple tree has low immunity. For effective treatment of this disease, it is necessary to remove damaged areas of the bark and whiten the trunks for the winter.
Rootstock types
Variety Candy is grown on two types of rootstock:
- medium height. The tree gives the first harvest in the fifth year of life;
- undersized. Fruiting begins in the second year after planting the seedling.
The nuances of planting and care
The seedling can be planted in the soil both in spring and autumn. The procedure is performed on warm days. This weather creates optimal conditions for the rapid strengthening and habituation of the roots.
Planting an apple tree of the Candy variety should not be carried out on dense clay, sandy and marshy soils. An excellent choice would be light loamy, sod-calcareous and sod-slightly podzolic soil.
Young plants are planted in pre-prepared planting pits. Prepare them for 6 months. Fertilizers are poured into the bottom of the pits before planting, and the earth is dug up. Seedlings are soaked in water for a day before planting. Planting a plant is carried out at a distance of at least 2 m from the previous seedling.
In the spring, care involves shaping pruning. During the summer period, the following activities are performed:
- top dressing: organic – one bucket of humus, as well as mineral – wood ash and superphosphate (300 and 200 g, respectively);
- weeding in the trunk circle;
- periodic watering. In the summer months, 3 buckets of water are brought under each tree once a month. During harvest, watering stops. In autumn, on warm days, 1 liters of water are poured under one plant every 10 days.
In the autumn, the preparation of trees for the cold period is carried out: mulching the near-trunk circle, hilling by 15 cm (in warm areas).
Opinion of gardeners
Grade Advantages:
- excellent taste of apples;
- beautiful appearance of the fruit;
- high energy value of fruits;
- resistance to various infections;
- excellent frost resistance and winter hardiness;
- early and constant fruiting.
The apple tree of this variety has the following disadvantages:
- is affected by scab;
- short period of storage of the crop;
- poor transportability of fruits;
- because of the security, the bark often has to be pruned.
Reviews of gardeners
Marina, Krasnoyarsk: “There are several apple trees of the Candy variety growing in my garden. Caring for them is simple, the trees bear fruit perfectly. Apples, though not large, but very tasty.
Dmitry, Bryansk: “Konfetnoye gave me the first fruits already in the third year. For a couple of years, fruiting stopped, and then it became regular.