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Gardeners, growing fruit trees, try to create a special design on the site. It is for this reason that one sometimes has to forget about the taste of fruits if the plant can be entered into landscape design.
Niedzwiecki’s apple tree (Malus niedzwetzkyana Dieck) is one of these fruit trees, which is most often grown not for apples, but, most likely, to create a composition. Judging by the description, this apple tree looks decorative at any time of the year. Features of the ornamental Nedzvetsky apple tree, its characteristics, methods of reproduction, the subtleties of growing and caring – this is the topic of our article.
A little history won’t hurt
The apple tree, named after the famous scientist Vladislav Efimovich Nedzvetsky, has existed in the wild for thousands of years. Her homeland is Asian expanses. Gradually, the plant “migrated” first to America, and then to Europe.
A botanist, while in Kashkar (China), saw an interesting plant and tasted its fruits. The tree itself surprised with decorative leaves and fruits, smooth bark.
Samples of the plant with a detailed description were given to the German scientist Georg Dick. At that time he was in Kazakhstan and managed to grow a tree. The biologist, being in Kazakhstan, grew this tree and gave it a name. So Nedzwiecki’s apple tree appeared in the catalog of plants with a description and a photo.
Today, Nedzwiecki’s ornamental apple tree and its breeding varieties are grown not only in gardens, but are also widely used in the landscape design of parks and squares.
Description of the apple tree
It is difficult for a person who is unfamiliar with a certain variety to understand what is at stake without a description and photo. It is with him that we will begin the story of the decorative apple tree.
Tree Features
According to the description, the Nedzwiecki apple tree is a tall tree, it grows up to 8 meters. On a powerful smooth trunk, cracks are almost imperceptible. The bark without spines is gray-brown or violet-brown, the crown is spherical, sometimes round. May be raised or spreading.
On the young branches of the decorative Nedzwiecki apple tree, the leaves are dark purple, when all the leaves bloom, the primary color remains only on the petioles. Above, the leaves are dark emerald, and the lower part of the leaf plate is reddish with noticeable pubescence. The leaves are ovate, with a sharp tip, teeth along the edges.
Flowers
Nedzvetsky’s apple tree becomes especially decorative at the time of flowering. The buds are pink-purple, and the flower itself, after blooming, becomes a bright pink or purple. The flowers are five-petalled, large, up to 5 centimeters in diameter. The inflorescence consists of several buds with thin white felt peduncles.
You can find out that there is a Nedzwiecki apple tree in a garden or park by its rich, bright aroma. Decorative apple trees bloom for almost two weeks.
Fruit
In place of flowers, ovaries are formed. By the time of ripening, apples grow up to 2-3 cm in diameter. They taste sour, with juicy pulp. Nedzwiecki’s apples are spherical or elongated with a dark red or violet-purple color.
Wax coating is clearly visible on each fruit. On the cut, the flesh is pink. The number of seeds in Nedzwiecki apples varies from 1 to 9.
Many novice gardeners are interested in whether it is possible to eat fruits from an ornamental apple tree. We answer. Not everyone dares to eat fresh apples, because they are very sour. But the fruits collected from the Nedzwiecki apple tree are an excellent raw material for compotes, jams and marmalades. Apples are usually harvested at the end of September. The fruits do not fall from the apple tree and can remain on them all winter. Frozen apples become tastier. In addition, birds flock to apple trees hung with fruits in winter.
Pros and cons of the variety
Now let’s look at the positive and negative sides of the plant.
Nedzvetsky’s apple tree, according to the description, photos and reviews of gardeners, is a fast-growing frost-resistant plant, so the territory of its cultivation is becoming wider every year.
The reason for the popularity of the Nedzwiecki apple tree in landscape design, in addition to decorativeness, is also the resistance of the plant to various diseases and pests. In addition, the apple tree calmly tolerates drought, which is also important, since in many regions of Our Country rain is a serious problem in summer.
In addition, as gardeners write in reviews, it does not require any special conditions and is unpretentious in cultivation. The decorative Nedzvetsky apple tree, the photo of which we have posted below, can be grown on any soil.
If we talk about the shortcomings, then this variety of ornamental apple tree, perhaps, has only one: it is affected by scab.
Features of growing an apple tree Nedzvetsky
Gardeners with rich experience do not have to grow an ornamental Nedzwiecki apple tree, because care for them after planting will be the same. The plant needs:
- feed and water;
- cut and form a crown;
- fight diseases and pests.
The only difference will be that for trees that are grown only for harvest, and for Nedzwiecki’s apple tree, the purpose of pruning and crown formation will be somewhat different. After all, the main thing is to give a decorative look to create landscape design. For example, the weeping apple tree of Nedzvetsky or Prirechnaya grows up to 12 meters in height, has a sprawling and spherical crown. Its branches fall to the ground.
And in other varieties of ornamental apple trees, you can form a raised crown. The size of the crown will also depend on the chosen form.
Where to Plant
Despite the fact that an ornamental apple tree is an unpretentious tree, you need to choose the right place to plant it. Only in this case you will receive both a decoration for the garden and a crop of apples, from which you can make delicious compote and jam.
The place for planting an ornamental apple tree should be well lit, and the soil should be loose and fertile. The level of groundwater is also important, since stagnant water leads to rotting of the root system of the apple tree.
How to water
As a rule, watering is required in the spring, when a large number of pink flowers bloom on the ornamental Nedzwiecki apple tree and during the fruiting period.
In summer, if the rains are moderate, the plants are watered once every 30 days. Heat and drought make their own adjustments to watering: apple trees need to be watered at least three times a month.
It is necessary to water the ornamental Nedzwiecki apple trees under the root early in the morning or after sunset. In the evening, you can also spray the entire crown with a hose to wash off the dust. In the morning and afternoon, such a procedure cannot be carried out, otherwise the leaf blades will get a sunburn.
Other types of work
Loosening and weeding should be carried out carefully, because the roots of the Nedzwiecki apple tree are superficial according to the description. The root system of the apple tree is on the surface, so weeding and weeding must be done carefully. It is advisable to carry out this process after each watering, so that the roots receive enough air.
Since the plant blooms profusely and bears fruit, it quickly depletes the soil. That is why the apple tree for successful development must be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. The first time top dressing is carried out in the spring, then at the beginning of summer and at the end of August. The last time the plant is fed before shelter for the winter.
Diseases and pests
According to the description, photos and reviews, the apple tree of Nedzvetsky is a plant resistant to diseases and pests. But since it grows among other trees, problems cannot be avoided. That is why you should not refuse preventive treatments:
- In early spring, while temperatures are still low, you need to whiten the trunks of apple trees with lime. It not only destroys pests, but also saves the bark from sunburn.
- Young growth, as well as weeds, must be methodically removed, because it is in them that aphid eggs hibernate, and on them they multiply in the first place.
- Branches and the near-stem circle and from scab are subject to processing with special preparations in the spring.
Trimming an apple tree
The Nedzwiecki apple variety is grown mainly as an ornamental tree to decorate the garden or public recreation areas of citizens. Moreover, not only wild-growing, but also breeding forms are used for these purposes. Therefore, the main goal of pruning the Nedzwiecki apple tree is to form a crown.
The first time work is carried out in early spring with a two-year-old tree: young branches are shortened by two-thirds so that side shoots with leaves and inflorescences appear on them. Branches with damage are subject to pruning.
In subsequent years, the operation is repeated to obtain the desired crown shape with a large number of side branches, as in the photo below.
Preparation for winter
In regions with a harsh climate, the frost-resistant ornamental Nedzwiecki apple tree still has to be covered. This applies to the root system. The trunk is spudded, and the trunk circle is covered with peat or compost and covered with spruce branches.
But not only frosts can cause the death of an ornamental apple tree. Mice and hares cause great harm. From small rodents, you can sprinkle poison under the compost. And from hares, the trunks of Nedzvetsky’s decorative apple tree are wrapped with paper or a net is pulled over young trees, as in the photo.
Before shelter, Nedzwiecki’s apple trees are fed, watered and treated for pests.
With the advent of warm spring days, the shelter is removed.
How to propagate an apple tree
And now let’s talk about the Nedzvetsky apple tree and its reproduction. You can get a new tree in the traditional way – buy a seedling, or grow it yourself from seeds.
The process, of course, is lengthy, but interesting. Fresh seeds from the Nedzwiecki apple tree do not sprout, they will have to be stimulated. To do this, stratification is carried out: for 3 or 4 months, the seeds must lie at a temperature of three degrees.
We lay the seed on a damp cloth in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer. When the stratification is completed, we sow the seeds in fertile soil for germination. We water the sprouted sprouts of a decorative apple tree and keep it in a warm room on a sunny window.
With the onset of heat, we plant them outside for growing. Transplanted to a permanent place the following year. The principle of planting Nedzwiecki’s apple tree is no different from the traditional one. Only the hole needs to be made large so as not to oppress the root system.
Application in landscape design
At the decorative apple tree of Nedzwiecki, the fruits are not to the liking of many. But the original external data at any time of the year allow you to use the plant for decoration. Many landscape designers believe that Nedzwiecki’s decorative apple trees are in no way inferior in beauty to Japanese sakura. Moreover, the apple tree looks equally beautiful both in a single planting and in combination with other plants.
With proper pruning and crown formation, you can get a hedge from Nedzwiecki’s apple trees, as in the photo below.
Nedzvetsky’s apple tree in landscape design:
