The columnar apple tree is a real find for small areas. After all, small trees can be placed very close, without worrying that they will interfere with each other’s growth. Moreover, they have a small crown, so they will not interfere with other plants in the garden. The topic of this article will be the columnar apple tree of the “Malyukha” variety, the features of its planting and the subtleties of care.
Variety description
The Malyukha variety apple tree grows as a small tree up to 180 centimeters high. By definition, it refers to natural dwarf trees, representing an extremely successful symbiosis of fruit and ornamental trees. Suitable for growing in central Our Country and the Urals, this variety is very popular with gardeners. Short stature, bright yellow-green apples and an incredibly neat appearance of the apple tree make it possible to use it as an element of a garden composition along with ornamental shrubs and flowers.
The fruits are evenly distributed along almost the entire length of the trunk, which greatly facilitates harvesting, as well as caring for the tree itself. “Malyukha” is an early-growing variety that gives the first crop already 2 years after planting. Of course, it will not be possible to collect many apples due to the young age of the tree, but you will definitely get about 4,5 kilograms of fruits from each tree. Apple trees come into full force from the 5th year of cultivation, bringing annually 13-14 kilograms of apples from each tree.
The apples of the columnar apple tree “Malyukha” are medium in size, weighing up to 250 grams. The peel is an elegant yellow-green color with an almost indistinct light red blush. The peel is quite thin, but at the same time strong, the wax coating is moderately pronounced. The pulp is light, juicy, with a sweet and sour taste and a persistent aroma.
The variety ripens in September, while the commercial qualities of apples can be preserved until January. It’s not worth worrying about the fact that the trees will freeze during the winter – “Malyukha” is distinguished by stable frost resistance. Moreover, the trees of this variety are well resistant to many fungal diseases, which makes them even more attractive to gardeners who are not very fond of applying chemicals to fruit trees.
Landing technology
Planting and growing the variety is easy. It is better to do the preparation of landing pits in the fall, but the landing itself is carried out in the spring. You will need a hole about 50 centimeters deep, since the root system of columnar trees does not go deep into the ground. The width of the pit should also be about 50 centimeters, but it varies from the span of the roots of the seedling. The distance between the trees should be about 50-60 centimeters, and between the rows about 1 meter. This distance is quite enough so that the roots of neighboring trees do not interfere with each other during growth.
In the row-spacing near apple trees, you can plant other crops, such as cereals.
In the spring, on the eve of planting, you will need annual apple tree seedlings, the roots of which must be carefully straightened. Fill the bottom of the hole with a mixture of crushed stone and sand for about 25 centimeters. Mix the soil with superphosphate (80 grams), humus (4 kilograms) and potassium sulfate (40 grams), also pour into the pit.
Form a small mound in the hole, drive a support peg into it. Then place the seedling in the center of the mound, tie it to a stick and proceed to fill the hole with earth. Compact the soil from time to time. After filling the hole halfway, pour half a bucket of water into it, then fill it up to the brim. Always fill in a little more earth to make a reserve in case of subsidence. Water the seedling again, but this time take 2 buckets of water. Once again, tie the seedling to the support peg.
Features of care
The variety does not require specific care. It is important to monitor watering, especially in the first years of tree growth, apply fertilizers in a timely manner, and also do not forget about preventive treatments with fungicides and insecticides. Despite the resistance to disease, one should never be careless.
It is better to apply fertilizers in a dry form on the surface of the near-stem circle or slightly deepening into the ground.
In the first year of cultivation, nitroammophoska is used in the amount of 50 grams per tree. Feeding is repeated after 4 weeks. This time you can use a solution of urea (2 tablespoons of urea per 10 liters of water). The third top dressing occurs after another 4 weeks of nitroammophos or urea. Top dressing is combined with watering and subsequent mulching of the near-stem circle so that moisture and nutrients remain in the soil longer.
The variety requires moderate watering. On light soils, trees are watered 2 times a week, however, the watering schedule is different for different regions. The soil should be moist at a depth of 4-5 centimeters. So check the trunk circle for moisture and you can build your own watering schedule.
In spring and autumn, it is necessary to treat trees with fungicides and insecticides of complex action in order to maintain high plant immunity. For the winter, it is recommended to wrap tree trunks with chain-link mesh to protect against mice and hares.
Video “About the columnar apple tree”
Columnar apple trees are not so common in home gardens, many simply do not know what to do with them. How to care for a tree-column, this video will tell.
