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Rowan Rubinovaya is a Michurin variety that was lost, but then found and propagated. This species has a slight astringency in taste, inherent in all old Michurin varieties.
Description of mountain ash Ruby
Rowan Ruby – a tree of medium height, not exceeding 3 m. The crown is drooping.
The foliage is painted in a light green tint. The edges of the leaves are finely serrated, the petioles are pubescent. The bark on the branches is light brown.
According to the description, the flowers of the Ruby mountain ash (pictured) are small, pinkish-white. Inflorescences corymbose, bloom in late May or early June.
The fruits that appear on the tree have a rounded flattened shape. The weight of each berry does not exceed 1,3 g. The peel on the fruits is ruby color, and the pulp is colored yellow.
The taste of berries is sour-sweet, with a slight astringency. They are used to make juices, jellies, and spirits. For long-term storage, the berries are dried. The fruits ripen at the end of September. The tree bears fruit every year, gives a bountiful harvest.
The culture is resistant to winter frosts.
Pros and cons of the rowan variety Ruby
Rowan Ruby has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Among the advantages are the following:
- decorative look. Rowan differs from other varieties in the beautiful color of the fruit;
- medium resistance to frost, which allows you to grow a crop in regions with cold winters;
- pleasant fruity taste. This variety is obtained as a result of cross-pollination of mountain ash and pear, so the berries have a dessert taste.
Among the shortcomings, experts note the presence of bitterness in the berries, as well as the impossibility of growing crops in wetlands.
Planting and caring for mountain ash Ruby
Rowan can be planted in spring or autumn. The timing of the autumn planting depends on the climatic region:
- in the central regions of Our Country, landing is carried out from mid-September to the first decade of October;
- in the south, planting is postponed until October – November;
- in northern latitudes they are planted a little earlier – in early September.
If the autumn planting was skipped, the seedling is stored until spring. There are several ways to save planting material:
- in the basement. To do this, the roots are placed in a container with a wet substrate: peat, sawdust, sand. The temperature in the room should be from +1 to +8 °C, humidity 80-90%. It is necessary to ensure that the substrate does not dry out, for this it is periodically moistened (1 time per week);
- the method of instillation is as follows: a deep hole is prepared on the site and the seedling is placed at an angle of 45 °. A moistened mixture is poured into the pit, consisting of equal parts of peat and sand;
- when snowing, the seedling is wrapped in a damp cloth and buried in the snow. It is necessary to control the level of snow over the seedling.
Site preparation
Before planting a seedling, a landing site must be prepared. It is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm, all weeds are removed, and fertilizers are applied.
Rules of landing
The height of the mountain ash of this variety is approximately 3 m, this should be taken into account when choosing a place for planting. Rowan trees can shade other seedlings, so they are best planted on the border of the site. If it is planned to plant several specimens, a distance of at least 4-5 m is maintained between them, the same gap should be from other trees.
Average landing hole dimensions:
- diameter from 0,6 to 0,8 m;
- depth from 0,5 to 0,7 m.
These figures are indicative, in each case, the size of the root system, as well as the condition of the soil, should be taken into account.
For planting, you will need to prepare a nutrient soil mixture:
- 1 bucket of sod land;
- 5 kg of peat or compost;
- 150 g superphosphate;
- 2 kg of rotted manure;
- 1 glass of wood ash.
The components are thoroughly mixed. The planting pit is covered with 1/3 of the prepared mixture, then a little ordinary earth is added, the seedling is set vertically, the roots are straightened over the mound of earth poured and sprinkled with nutrient soil mixture on top. 10 liters of water are poured into the planting pit.
Watering and top dressing
If the seedling is planted in the spring, it is watered regularly, this will help the roots recover and the tree will grow. When planting in autumn, water before frost. Watering is done only if there is a dry autumn without precipitation. If it rains regularly, additional watering is not required.
Mature trees are watered as needed. During the season, 2-3 waterings are enough: at the beginning of the growing season, 20 days before harvesting and 2-3 weeks after harvesting.
Watered in grooves dug around the trunks. An adult mountain ash Ruby will require 20-30 liters. Water consumption is approximate. The amount of water is determined by the condition of the soil and the age of the trees.
To increase the yield of mountain ash Ruby, you need to take care of applying top dressing.
In the spring, 5-6 kg of compost or humus, as well as 50 g of ammonium nitrate, are laid under the tree.
In June, mullein (1:5) or bird droppings (1:10) is bred and a bucket of the diluted mixture is poured under the mountain ash.
After fruiting, wood ash (0,5 l) and superphosphate (100 g) are added to the root circle.
Trimming
Pruning is necessary for mountain ash not only for crown formation. Sanitary procedures will prevent the development of diseases.
If the weather does not foresee severe frosts, the Ruby mountain ash can be cut already at the end of winter. During this period, adult (3-5 year old) trees are pruned, and it is better to postpone pruning of young seedlings until the end of March. It is better to prune old trees in the summer, this will reduce the risk of infection.
It is recommended to thin out seedlings after planting, because young branches grow rapidly and lead to a thickening of the crown. The shoots are pulled up and become very thin, brittle, which further leads to problems in the formation of the crown.
When carrying out the first pruning, it is necessary to choose the main trunk – this will be the thickest and highest shoot in the center of the seedling. It should be vertical and dominant over the rest of the branches. It is not cut off in the first year after planting. The remaining side shoots are shortened, leaving no more than three buds. All shoots that are located at a distance lower than 40 cm from the ground must be removed.
The young mountain ash Ruby is pruned moderately. The main task is to form a crown and prevent its thickening. To do this, remove:
- old branches;
- shoots located towards the ground;
- branches competing with the central conductor;
- broken, damaged and diseased shoots.
Mature trees need rejuvenating pruning. To do this, once every two years, several old side branches are removed. This stimulates the growth of new shoots and improves fruiting.
Preparation for winter
So that young rowan seedlings do not freeze in winter, they need shelter. Preparing for winter is as follows:
- the trunk is wrapped with burlap, then covered with spruce branches;
- in winter, the trunk circle is covered with snow and tamped down. It is necessary to periodically add snow so that the lower part of the trunk is not exposed;
- whitewashing trees avoids sunburn;
- To protect against rodents, pesticides are laid out on the site.
Pollination
Rowan requires cross-pollination, so to increase the yield, it is necessary to plant different varieties that bloom at the same time. You can use grafting cuttings on the same tree. This method allows you to save space and get a crop of different varieties.
Harvesting
Rowan Ruby is a variety with an average ripening period of berries. Fruiting occurs 3-4 years after planting. The harvest is annual, consistently high.
Diseases and pests
The following insect pests parasitize on mountain ash:
- weevils, moths. To combat them, treatment with Karbofos is necessary;
- bark beetles. You can eliminate them with Confidor;
- gall mites. Colloidal sulfur will help get rid of the invasion;
- apple aphid. Requires Actellik or Decis;
- rowan moth. Chlorophos will help eliminate the insect.
Mountain ash diseases can be the following:
- spotting (brown and gray);
- anthracnose;
- rust;
- monilioz;
- scab;
- necrosis;
- circular mosaic.
Weak seedlings are susceptible to diseases. Buying a healthy plant and properly caring for it is a guarantee of the absence of disease.
Reproduction
Reproduction is possible in a generative or vegetative way. Planting seeds does not guarantee a seedling that meets all the qualities of the mother plant.
Vegetative methods of breeding mountain ash Rubinova:
- cuttings. In this case, green or lignified cuttings can be used;
- vaccination. Rowan varieties Nevezhinskaya, Mooravskaya or ordinary are suitable for stock.
Conclusion
Rowan Ruby is an ornamental variety used in landscape design. The fruits of this variety have an unusual color and a pleasant sour taste, so they can be used for making tinctures, fruit drinks, juice, jam.
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