Contents
Idared is a very popular variety of winter apples of American selection, which today is widely grown in the southern regions of the country and the Moscow region. Idared apples ripen in late autumn and, with skillful storage, can lie until the end of spring without losing their taste. Apple trees of this variety are extremely unpretentious, which allows them to be zoned in many areas and grown there not only in personal plots, but also in intensive gardens. Agrotechnics of cultivation and a detailed description of the variety will be presented in this article.
General description of the variety
The Idared variety was bred back in 1935 by American breeders by crossing two no less well-known now Jonathan and Wagner varieties. And since commercial use is a priority in this country, the hybrid is highly resistant to diseases, unpretentious to conditions and care, as well as high yields. These qualities contributed to the fact that the variety began to be actively cultivated in many countries, and by the end of the 60s it was widely used in the southern and some central regions of Our Country.
The apple tree of this variety is voluminous and rather high (up to 6 m), has a large trunk and powerful, well-branched main branches extending from the trunk at an acute (about 45 degrees) angle. The crown is spherical, the leaves of the branches are high. The bark of the trunk and main branches is gray-brown in color, young branches are gray in color. The foliage is dark green, the plates are oblong, pointed at the top. This external description is characteristic of an adult 5–8 year old tree.
The apple tree blooms at the age of 3-5 in early spring (late April – early May). The flowers are large, white, with an intense pinkish tinge along the edges, collected in voluminous corymbose inflorescences. The fruits of the Idared apple tree are large (150–190 g), wide, slightly flattened. The color of apples is greenish-yellow with a bright raspberry blush, sometimes completely covering the fruit. Thin, but quite strong peel is covered with a slight bloom. The pulp of apples is creamy, juicy, slightly crunchy, sweet and sour in taste.
The fruits reach removable maturity by the end of September, but it is not at all necessary to remove them at this time, since they do not fall until the frost. Under the right conditions, in a cool and dark place, apples keep well through the winter and even in spring they are still juicy and fragrant.
Another advantage of Idared apples is good transportability, due to which the variety is often grown for industrial use.
The yield of the variety is high, however, the first 2–3 years of fruiting, while the apple tree is in active growth, the number of fruits is insignificant. The apple tree brings a full-fledged harvest, starting from the age of 5–6, and, characteristically, it bears fruit abundantly and regularly every year. Apples are evenly distributed on the branches by 2-3 fruits; in especially fruitful years, the branches of the apple tree are literally hung with whole garlands of fruits.
Optimal growing conditions
Apple trees of the Idared variety do not tolerate severe frosts, therefore their cultivation is recommended in areas where winter temperatures do not fall below -20 ° C.
In Our Country, the most suitable regions for the cultivation of crops are the Caucasus, Nizhnevolzhsky, Krasnodar Territory, as well as the regions of the Moscow region.
As the description presented above tells, the variety is rather unpretentious, however, the creation of elementary conditions for the growth of a crop is necessary for high yields. In order for a young apple tree to take root successfully, it must be watered in the first year of life at least 5 times per season, in the second year – 2-3 times. Watering should be plentiful – at least 3 buckets of water for 1 watering. Then, during the fruiting period of the apple tree, watering is carried out during flowering, fruit formation and in the middle of the apple ripening process.
Starting from the second year after planting, the trees need mineral supplements. To prevent fungal diseases in spring and autumn, the crown is sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. Fertilizers or mixtures containing potassium must be applied to the soil. Apple trees of this variety need crown formation. This procedure is carried out in early spring and involves minimal pruning of branches.
Planting seedlings of apple trees Idared
Planting of young seedlings can be carried out both in autumn and in spring, but autumn is still considered the best period for this (end of September – first half of October).
Planting holes for trees should be prepared in advance, about 2 months before planting. This time is necessary so that the pit has time to settle, and the fertilizers applied to it can be assimilated.
The preparation of the landing pit itself is as follows:
- First, the area for planting apple trees needs to be dug up, weeds, roots, large clods of earth must be removed.
- During digging, peat, river sand and humus are introduced into the soil. Be sure to use peat together with sand, since this tandem has a high permeability of moisture, air and reduces the likelihood of development of putrefactive processes of the roots.
- Then a hole is dug with a diameter of 100–120 cm and a depth of 60–80 cm. The depth of the hole can vary from the size of the seedling, the hole should be so deep that when planting the root collar is about 3 cm higher from the level of the hole.
When planting, it is necessary to ensure that the roots are evenly distributed in the pit, and the tree is located strictly vertically. While the soil is falling asleep, the seedling should be slightly shaken so that the earth penetrates between the roots. After falling asleep, the soil is slightly compacted, a shallow hole is made around the trunk, into which the tree is abundantly watered with 1-2 buckets of water.
If planting is carried out in the spring, then the landing pit is prepared in the fall.
Young apple trees planted in the spring need more frequent watering, as they do not take root well due to the intense heat.
In the first year after planting, fertilizers are not used, since those that were introduced into the planting pit are enough. In the second and subsequent years, fertilizers (urea, potassium sulfate, ammophoska) are embedded in tree trunks.
Diseases and pests of the apple tree
As the description says, the Idared variety has a high immunity to diseases, but things are more complicated with pests. The apple tree is often attacked by insects such as aphids and suckers. Apple aphids have been laying their eggs since autumn, and in the spring whole colonies of larvae successfully emerge from them, which live on leaves and feed on their juice. In the fight against these insects, spraying with tobacco infusion is used, and for prevention, trees are treated with Bordeaux liquid in spring and autumn.
Copperhead is a no less dangerous pest of the apple orchard. This insect damages buds, flowers and even tree roots. In autumn, in the folds of branches near the warping of buds, the sucker lays eggs, from which larvae appear in spring. This scourge is fought with the help of insecticides (Kemifos, Nitrafen).
Another leaf pest is the red mite. To get rid of it, the tree must not only be treated with preparations, but also the areas with the laying of its eggs must be mechanically cleaned.
Often this variety of apples is exposed to pests that feed on fruit juice – this is an apple sawfly and a codling moth. The sawfly often damages the ovaries, which is why they crumble, and the codling moth caterpillars are more fond of almost ripened fruits. From them, trees must be processed during flowering and the formation of ovaries.
With timely processing, the apple tree of this variety, the description of which was presented in this article, will annually delight you with a high yield and high-quality fruits.
Video “Protection of the apple tree”
Video on how I protect the apple tree from diseases and pests, using both chemicals and organics during the season.
