The Champion apple tree is an early winter variety, bred in the 1970s in the Czech Republic by crossing Golden Delicious and Renet varieties. Due to the taste and attractive appearance of the fruit, this variety has become one of the most popular among gardeners. But the breeders did not stop there either and bred a number of subspecies, improving individual characteristics of the original variety. Among the most popular are Arno, Renault and Giant. Among the varieties that differ in trunk height are dwarf, semi-dwarf and columnar.

Description of apple tree Champion

The tree belongs to low-growing species, its height varies within 2.5-3.5 m. The crown is compact, oval-ovoid. The branches are evenly spaced on the trunk and are formed at an angle of approximately 50 ° relative to the trunk. The branching is not strong, which makes it easier to care for the tree and the further process of picking apples. For three years, the tree is actively growing, after the fruiting phase begins and growth slows down.

Apple blossoms are unusually abundant, but the ovary gives only a quarter of the peduncles. To increase the percentage of ovary formation, it is worth planting other varieties of apple trees in the garden, which will become additional pollinators.

The Champion apple variety is high-yielding, five-year-old trees can consistently yield up to 20 kg of harvest annually. Harvesting falls on the second half of September - early October, depending on the climatic zone. The fruits are quite large - from 150 to 200 g and have a rounded shape. On the tasting scale, sweet and sour taste of apples was rated at 4.5-4.7 points.

Interesting! The giant among the subspecies is the Giant Champion apple tree, the fruits of which can reach up to 1 kg.

The variety is medium frost resistance, therefore it needs to cover the trunk for the winter. You also need to ensure the mulching of the trunk circles. In areas with severe winters, it is worth wrapping up the main branches for the winter.

Apple Champion

This variety is quite resistant to scab damage, but the situation is different with powdery mildew. To prevent this disease (as well as bacterial burn), it is necessary to spray with copper sulfate at the stage of budding. The tree can be exposed to bitter pitting. To avoid this disease, you should carry out regular feeding with calcium fertilizers.

Agrotechnics

Landing

Tomato Em Champion: characteristics and description of the variety

It is better to choose a place for seedlings on a hill, but protected from northern cold winds. A site with a low groundwater level is suitable. It is better to plant trees in spring because of the fear of low temperatures. When planting several trees, it is better to choose a 4 × 1.5 m scheme. The planting depth will depend on the type of rootstock: dwarf - 40-90 cm; semi-dwarf and vigorous - 60-100 cm. In order for the seedling to take root faster, it is worth putting a nutrient mixture of compost, ash and superphosphate on the bottom of the pit.

Note! The root collar of the apple tree should be 3-5 cm above the ground surface.

Watering

To get a sufficient amount of moisture around the trees, it is worth making small grooves up to 15 cm deep. Watering should be done until the tree is "drunk". Only evening time is suitable for watering, moisture is absorbed overnight, preventing burns of young shoots.

Trees should be watered weekly. The amount of moisture required depends on the age of the apple tree: the older it is, the more water is needed. One-year-old seedlings need 20-30 liters of water, two-year-olds - up to 50 liters, and over 3 years old - 100 liters.After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil.

Important! Watering trees should be stopped no later than 2 weeks before harvesting.

Top dressing

In the spring, the apple tree can be fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen (saltpeter, ammonium sulfate, urea, chicken droppings). But in the summer it is worth switching to fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.

One of the competitive features of this variety is the beautiful color of the fruit. Therefore, in addition to providing a light regime for all levels of branches, it is necessary to carry out constant rationing of fruits. It is also recommended to carry out 2-3 spraying of the leaves with phosphorus-containing solutions about a month and a half before harvesting.

Pruning

To obtain a rich harvest, the tree is pruned in March, before the sap flow begins. This will increase fruiting, reduce the risk of powdery mildew damage, provide sun exposure to the fruits, and, accordingly, will have the best effect on their color.

Pruning branches

Pruning in the first two years is carried out in order to form the crown. After the beginning of fruiting, it stimulates yield and germination. To do this, boldly remove branches without buds and with weak buds. You also need to remove old branches (over 3 years old) in order to rejuvenate the branches.

Important! You should not cut the branches completely under the ring, you need to give the tree the opportunity to subsequently throw out new, stronger shoots.

Harvesting, storage and use

As already noted, the harvest takes place in late September - early October. You need to be guided by the color of the seeds inside the apple - they should be brown. On older trees, the fruits begin to fall off on their own, in this case it is impossible to hesitate with the collection, otherwise all the apples will be on the ground in a couple of days.

Apple tree Airlie Geneva

If apples are not picked on time, this will negatively affect their further preservation, and also lead to a loss of taste and elasticity. Usually, the fruits are eaten 2-3 weeks after being removed from the tree. The fruits harvested on time can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Please note: Champion apples should not be stored together with other vegetables and fruits. The ethylene gas emitted by the fruits promotes their ripening, but this will lead to the fact that the neighbors-root vegetables begin to germinate.

The variety is characterized by high transportability (subject to quality packaging), which makes it one of the most imported varieties. In the overwhelming majority of cases, apples are consumed fresh, but they are also quite suitable for canning, the production of apple juice. The fruit is especially interesting for people who monitor their calorie intake, because the Champion apple contains a large amount of protein, fat, with a low calorie content of 73.86 kcal.

The champion lives up to its name. Excellent taste, appetizing appearance, high yield, resistance to many types of pests and diseases made it the favorite of many amateur gardeners. This variety is chosen for cultivation and on an industrial scale.

The disadvantages of the variety include low frost resistance, weak immunity to powdery mildew, bitter pitting and bacterial burn.

Champion tree

Analyzing all the pros and cons, we come to the conclusion that the Champion apple tree will be an excellent choice for both amateur and professional gardeners.