Asterisk apple tree: key benefits, care and yield

History of breeding

Professor Chernenko was engaged in the selection of the apple tree “Asterisk”. The varieties “Anis Scarlet” and “Pepinka Lithuanian” became the parents of the apple tree. Combining the strengths of both varieties, “Asterisk” turned out to be vigorous with a spreading, rounded crown. Work on the improvement and study of the variety was carried out at the Michurinsk Scientific Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Fruit Plants. After the test period, the Zvezdochka variety was zoned for the Central, Northwestern, Middle Volga and Volka-Vyatka regions of Our Country. However, it is possible to grow apple trees in the southern regions, subject to the irrigation schedule. But in the north of the country, the variety cannot be found, since “Zvezdochka” cannot boast of high winter hardiness.

Description and characteristics

Apple tree “Asterisk” grows about 3-3,5 meters tall. In young trees, the crown is rounded, but over the years it grows and sags. The basis is made up of large skeletal branches and a large number of small branches. Fruits are formed on fruit twigs and spears in the middle part of the crown, often on the outer part. Shoots are thin, covered with reddish-brown bark, very pubescent. The leaves of the apple tree are small, oval, serrated along the edges.

The variety bears fruit with medium-sized apples of a rounded, somewhat flattened shape with almost no pronounced ribbing, weighing up to 130 grams. The peel is smooth, light green in color with a blurred blush of a rich red color, distributed over the entire plane of the fruit, a wax coating is pronounced. The stalks of apples are short and thin. The pulp is light green in color, very juicy, fine-grained, with a rich sweet and sour taste.

For 100 grams of apple pulp, there are:

• 10% sugar;
• 0,7% titratable acids;
• 13% dry matter;
• 15 mg of ascorbic acid;
• 135 mg P-active substances.

The Asterisk variety ripens in early autumn, and then the fruits can be quite easily stored for 200 days. Apple trees begin fruiting as early as 5 years after budding. And if you grow a variety on a dwarf rootstock, then the first crop can be harvested as early as 3 years. The peak yield of the Zvezdochka apple tree falls on the age of 12-14, from one tree you can get up to 100 kilograms of apples.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

A rather attractive description gives an idea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbwhat the Asterisk variety is. However, no matter how good the variety is, there are also disadvantages that you need to be aware of before purchasing seedlings. Fortunately, there are not very many of them:

• over the years, the size of the fruit noticeably decreases;
• the older the tree, the smaller the yield;
• over time, the taste of apples is lost.

It should be noted that we are talking about trees older than 15-20 years.

On the other hand, the undeniable advantages of the variety should be noted:

• long shelf life;
• high commercial qualities of fruits and their taste;
• regular harvest.

Thus, knowing the full description of the variety, you can make your choice.

Planting and care

Having dealt with the characteristics of the apple tree, you should carefully study the description of the planting and the favorable conditions for growing it in your garden.

The site must be prepared for planting in April, when the snow has completely melted.

Two prerequisites for good apple cultivation: a well-lit area and deep groundwater.

Also, given that the variety is winter, it will need pollinators. It’s good if trees of the “Bogatyr”, “Antonovka” or “Zhigulevskoye” varieties grow nearby. Pollinator trees should make up a third of the planted “Stars”, because it is pollinators that play an important role in the further growth of trees. 

For planting, you will need a hole about 90 centimeters deep, which must be filled with a mixture of fertile soil, sawdust and peat. Before planting, you need to straighten the roots, then place the seedling in the center of the planting hole and carefully cover it with earth, tamping it down. After that, you need to tie up the seedling and water it abundantly.

For the first few years, the trees will need abundant watering and regular feeding. In autumn, the trunk circle is fertilized with complex fertilizers, which do not include nitrogen. In the spring it is good to apply phosphorus, potash and nitrogen fertilizers.

In spring, it is also necessary to cut off old and dried branches, as well as to form a crown in order to increase the yield of trees. For the winter, it is necessary to mulch the trunk circle, and if the forecasts report a very cold winter, then additionally insulate the trunk.

Fighting diseases and pests

The variety has good resistance to scab, but other fungal and viral diseases still pose a significant danger to trees. To avoid the development of fungal spores, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with fungicides three times a year:

• in spring: before the buds open;
• on the eve of flowering / during flowering;
• autumn: before the first frost.

In this way, you will support the trees during the most dangerous periods of fungal spore development. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to carefully inspect the lower branches, as well as the trunk of trees, since most symptoms of fungal diseases appear in the lower part of apple trees. Moreover, this way you can find insect nests and destroy them.

As preparations for treating trees against fungus, it is recommended to use Chorus, Topaz, Fundazol. And in order to prevent the reproduction of insects, trees must be treated with preparations based on Karbofos.

Video “What must be done with an apple tree in spring?”

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