Dream apple tree: characteristics, planting, care and yield

About the variety

The description should begin with the fact that this is a hybrid from the Papirovka and Pepin Saffron varieties. The apple tree does not grow very tall, rarely above 4,5-5 meters, with a conical, rather spreading crown. The fruits are large, weighing about 140-200 grams. It is curious that the largest fruits appear on a dwarf rootstock.

From the point of view of beauty, this variety will delight lovers of the harmony of the shape of the fruit – they are round, pale yellow or light green. On the side that faces the sun during ripening, they are filled with red. The flesh of the fruit is white interspersed with pink, loose, not very fragrant, sweet and sour. Ripening occurs at the beginning of August, however, it will be possible to keep the variety fresh until the end of October.

In order to get a crop for 4-5 years of tree growth, you need to graft an apple tree on a seed stock. It is also noted that with consistently warm weather on a dwarf rootstock, fruits may appear in the 2nd year of the tree’s life. With proper care from one tree, you can harvest 120 kilograms. But if the care was not thorough enough, the variety can go into “hibernation” and miss fruiting for a whole year. At the same time, “Dream” shows good resistance to low temperatures, so it easily survives the winter. Also, it is highly resistant to scab and various diseases. It should be noted that in addition to the dependence of fruiting on care, the variety is characterized by fruit deformation during ripening – cracks appear on them.

100 g of a fresh apple contains: 86,3 grams of water, 9,8 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of sugar, 0,4 grams of protein.

Where to plant

When choosing a place for planting, keep in mind that the variety prefers well-lit places. This greatly affects how sweet the fruits will be and how many will form on the tree. Also, there should be no stagnant water in the selected area, since the “Dream” does not tolerate high soil moisture.

When choosing a soil, be guided by its air permeability. Preference should be given to loamy or loamy soils, or the variety should be planted in black soil with an acidity of pH 5,6-6,0.

Planting and care

The site requires preliminary preparation. In autumn, dig it up and apply humus in large quantities. In the spring, about a week before planting, you need to dig a hole for a seedling. Its depth should be at least 70 centimeters, and a width of about 1 meter. If you plan to plant several “Dream” seedlings, then keep a step of 4 meters between the holes. The bottom of the pit is filled with eggshells mixed with humus, superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium.

Immediately before placing the seedling, moisten the hole, and then carefully cover the apple tree with earth. Seedlings are not recommended to be deepened into the ground, make sure that the root neck is at least 5 centimeters above the ground. For the first time, it is worth tying it up until it takes root in a new place.

The first few weeks after planting, young trees require abundant watering. However, make sure that the water does not stagnate, as this increases the risk of developing diseases or banal rotting of the roots of the seedling.

Preventive treatments for pests are an important part of caring for a young apple tree. As well as top dressing, especially in the first two years of growth, in the spring it is necessary to carry out foliar top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers.

Some useful tips that will come in handy for inexperienced gardeners when planting seedlings and caring for them:

• after purchase, tear off the leaves from the branches, leaving a maximum of 2-3 leaves on each. However, in no case do not touch the roots, as this may cost you the entire seedling;
• when planting a variety in your garden, make sure that another apple tree grows nearby (at least one), always of a different variety, to pollinate during the flowering period;
• top dressing of the apple tree is carried out in the spring, while urea, nitrate or nitroammophos, any organic fertilizers are added. If you are worried about how the apple tree will survive the winter, you can fertilize it in the fall, but remember that autumn dressing should not contain nitrogen;
• when the apple tree blooms for the first time, it is necessary to cut off all the flowers in order to increase the survival rate of the tree. In the following years, it is recommended to cut off about half of the formed fruits until they are no more than a centimeter in diameter. Such a strange procedure will help the apple tree to form larger fruits in the future;
• water this variety 4 times a month, pouring at least one bucket of water under each tree. Pay special attention to watering in July and August, when the apple tree bears fruit, a lack of moisture will lead to a decrease in yield both this year and next year;
• the first few years, the hole must be mulched with horse manure to protect the young roots from freezing.

Trimming

Any variety of apple tree needs to be pruned, even though most gardeners will now recoil from their monitors in fear. Proper pruning of branches will help the tree develop more easily and bear fruit better. Moreover, it increases the immunity of the tree, which means that you should not ignore this wellness procedure. Pruning step by step:

• for the first time, the branches are cut off at the seedlings, shortening them by ⅓;
• cut off the branches in early spring before the buds open;
• if you remove the entire branch – do not leave stumps, cut at the base;
• do not cut branches with fruits;
• thin out the crown every year;
• do not cut many branches at once, it is better to divide them into several groups.

Video “Apple variety Dream”

Watch this video and you will learn what Dream apples look like and how to harvest them properly.