Contents
Currently, there are more than 7,5 thousand varieties of apples in the world (1). In our nurseries and garden centers, the assortment is, of course, significantly smaller, but it is quite diverse. At the same time, not all varieties can please – often summer residents wait several years for the first harvest, and then become disappointed. So how do you choose the best?
Top 11 rating according to KP
An ideal apple tree should have 3 important qualities: excellent taste, good winter hardiness and resistance to fungal diseases, in particular, to scab – it most often spoils the crop. There are few varieties with a full set of such qualities. But they are.
Summer varieties
These are the most early ripening varieties, their crop ripens in late July – August. They are not stored for a long time – a maximum of 30 days. And they mature very quickly. But they make good jams. And they are great fresh too.
Orlovim
Tasters who rate the flavor of the varieties gave it a 4,5 out of 5 points. His apples are incredibly juicy, sweet and sour, fragrant. They weigh about 120 g (the average apple is usually about 130 g).
They sing in the last days of summer.
The yield of Orlovim is decent – up to 100 kg per tree (for most varieties, the yield varies between 30 – 70 kg). Fruiting – from 3 – 4 years after planting. Apples are stored until the end of September.
Winter hardiness is excellent: trees survive winters with a temperature of -35 ° C without problems. Does not suffer from scab – this quality is inherent in the genes (2).
It was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 1999 (3). Recommended for the Central region.
Sergiana
Her taste rating is 4,7 points. Apples up to 230 g. Juicy, sweet and sour, with a delicate aroma.
The yield is good. Sergiana gives the first fruits for 5 years, and this variety does not have a periodicity of fruiting, that is, apples ripen every year. They ripen in August. And another interesting point: summer apples are usually not stored, and these lie without problems until November.
Winter hardiness in this variety is what you need. As well as resistance to the ubiquitous scab (2).
Released in 1962. Recommended for the Central region.
wonderful
The variety got its name not by chance – these are the most delicious summer apples. Tasters give it a score of 4,9 points. They are juicy, sweet and sour.
The average fruit weight is 140 – 160 g, but with good care they can be 200 g each. The crop ripens in August. About 57 kg of apples can be harvested from one tree. And this is a lot, given that the variety is very low – the trees do not exceed 2 m. It begins to bear fruit very early, already 3 years after planting.
Winter hardiness at Chudny is high – the trees can withstand up to -41,6 ° С (2) without any problems. Scab practically does not get sick.
The variety was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2001 (3). Recommended for the Urals and Eastern Siberia.
Autumn varieties
These varieties ripen in September. But they are usually harvested unripe – they reach within 2 weeks after removal. They are stored longer than summer – until the beginning of January. And, as a rule, it is from them that the most delicious apple juice is obtained.
The Baltics
Tasters give this variety 4,5 points. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, sweet and sour. Fruits weighing 140 g. They ripen in the first half of September. They lie well until November.
The yield in the Baltic is amazing – up to 150 kg per tree. This is a record among autumn varieties! The first apples on the tree appear at the age of 5.
The variety winters well in the middle lane. Scab is weakly affected (2).
In the State Register of Breeding Achievements since 2002 (3). Recommended for the Northwest region.
Daughter of Antonovka
Antonovka has always been famous in Our Country – these are the most fragrant apples! There were until this variety had a successor – Daughter of Antonovka, whose aroma is much stronger. Tasters immediately fell in love with her and rated the taste at 4,8 points. Its flesh is incredibly juicy, very tender, sweet and sour. The peel of the fruit is very thin – it’s good when you eat apples, but you must remember that you need to harvest the crop carefully so as not to damage the peel, otherwise they will not be stored. The fruits are quite large, weighing up to 180 g.
They ripen in early September. Keep until mid-October.
Productivity – about 100 kg per tree. The Daughter of Antonovka begins to bear fruit at 6-7 years (2).
It winters well in the middle lane. Does not get sick with scab. What else is nice – apples are very firmly attached to the branches, there is practically no carrion. But the skin of the fruit is very delicate, so they must be plucked carefully.
It is not included in the state register. It is recommended to grow it in the same regions as Antonovka ordinary, that is, in the Central and North-West.
Rock
This is one of the most delicious among autumn varieties (only Daughter of Antonovka reaches its level), tasters boldly give it 4,8 points (3). The pulp of apples is tender, sweet-sour, with a slight aroma. The fruits are very large – weighing up to 290 g! Ripens at the end of September. Stored for 3 months.
True, the yield of the Rock is not very high, only 40 kg per tree. But, as they say, less is better. Fruiting begins at 5 – 6 years.
The winter hardiness of the variety is simply fantastic. -40 °С frost Nothing to the Rock! The Rock is also genetically resistant to scab(2).
In the state register of breeding achievements since 2001. Recommended for the Central region.
Assumption
The taste of this variety is estimated at 4,6 points. The pulp of the fruit is tender, juicy, sweet and sour taste, with a slight aroma. Weight – up to 200 g.
Harvest ripens in September. The fruits lie until November.
The yield is also small, up to 40 kg. The first apples appear on the 5th year.
Winter hardiness – up to -40 °C. The variety is genetically resistant to scab (2).
In the State Register since 2004. Recommended for the Central Black Earth region (3).
Winter varieties
These varieties ripen the longest – they are usually harvested in October. And also unripe – they reach full ripeness during storage, 2-3 weeks after harvest. They lie up to 6 months.
Belarusian sweet
For the taste, the tasters gave it a score of 4,6 points. The pulp of apples is very sweet, tender, with a slight aroma. Fruits weighing up to 200 g. Ripe in October, stored in the cellar until February.
Productivity – 30 – 35 kg per tree, but for winter varieties this is normal – they do not differ in fertility. The first harvest can be tasted for the 5th year.
And the variety has excellent winter hardiness – it can easily withstand frosts of -35 ° C. Scab resistance is at the genetic level(2).
In the State Register since 2004. Recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region (3).
Bryansk
This variety has a very high taste rating – 4,8 points. And the fruits are very large – up to 300 g. These are the largest apples among winter ones. They ripen in October. They lie in the cellar until February.
Productivity is good – 40 – 50 kg per tree. Fruiting begins early – for 3 – 4 years.
Winter hardiness at the highest level. The variety is genetically resistant to scab(2).
The variety was entered into the State Register in 2001. Recommended for the Central region (3).
Vesyalina
The taste of these apples is 4,8 points. They are juicy, sweet and sour, with a slight aroma. Fruits weighing 150 g, but some are up to 300 g.
Ripens late, at the end of October. Keep until February.
The yield is not bad – 45 kg per tree. It enters fruiting at 4-5 years.
Winter hardiness is high. Scab resistance is mediated by several genes(2).
In the State Register since 2001. Recommended for the Central region (3).
Rtishchev’s firstborn
These are the most delicious apples among all winter varieties – the only variety that the tasters gave 5 points! Their taste is sour-sweet, the aroma is strong.
The average fruit weight is 160-200 g, but on clonal rootstocks they grow up to 500 g – this is also a record! Apples ripen in October. Stored until April – May – here he also has no equal!
And the yield is excellent for winter varieties – 60 kg per tree. And it begins to bear fruit early – for 3 – 4 years. And it bears fruit every year – the Firstborn Rtishchev has no periodicity.
The winter hardiness of the variety is also excellent – in the entire history of its cultivation (and it was registered in 1995), not a single tree has ever frozen anywhere. And it never had a scab (2). In general, this is a reference winter variety!
Recommended for the Lower Volga region (3).
Popular questions and answers
We talked about varieties of apples with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.
What is a tasting assessment?
According to this criterion, all varieties are divided into 5 groups:
inedible – up to 3 points;
mediocre – 3 – 3,7 points;
good – 3,8 – 4,3 points;
very good – 4,4 – 4,7 points;
excellent – 4,8 – 5,0 points.
Which apples are considered large and which are small?
very small – up to 25 g;
small – 26 – 51 g;
below average – 51 – 75 g;
medium – 76 – 100 g;
above average – 101 – 125 g;
large – 126 – 175 g;
very large – more than 175 g.
Can released varieties be grown in other regions?
Sources of
- Elzebroek A.T.G., Wind, K. Guide to Cultivated Plants // Wallingford: CAB International, 2008. — С. 27.
- All- Scientific Research Institute of Fruit Crops Breeding // Catalog of Species. Apple tree https://vniispk.ru/species/apple
- State Register of Breeding Achievements
https://reestr.gossortrf.ru/