Apple trees are a popular crop and are planted on their plots by many gardeners. Among the most famous varieties of the popular tree is the Pepin Saffron apple tree. It will be discussed in more detail.

History of creation

At present, the Pepin apple tree (or, as it is also called, Pepinka) can be classified as one of the most famous varieties in Russia and beyond. Its history began at the beginning of the 20th century, when the great breeder Michurin created a unique tree based on such parental varieties as Renet Ordeansky and a hybrid of Kitayka with Lithuanian Pepinka). Almost immediately, the novelty gained fame in a narrow circle.

This is not surprising, since Pepin Saffronny uniquely combined excellent taste characteristics with excellent adaptive capabilities, allowing to plant an apple tree in most climatic zones. On the basis of the Pepin variety, about 20 subspecies and varieties of crops were later created, which are suitable for planting in all regions.

Pepin saffron apples

Most often, the Pepinka apple tree is grown in the following regions: Eastern and Western Siberia, the North Caucasus, the Central region, the Central Black Earth region, the Middle Volga region. As for the neighboring countries, we are talking, first of all, about Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Baltic states and Belarus.

Characteristics of the variety

Apple tree Saffron

Everyone knows that Pepin Saffron is a self-pollinated apple variety,
winter. The tree usually grows to a height of 3 meters. The apple tree has a dense and round shape and slightly drooping branches. The leaves are greenish-gray. The stalks of the seedlings are long and rather thin. The bark is initially green, but over time it becomes lignified and becomes gray. Currently, Pepenka is one of the most common varieties in many regions of Russia.

Interesting. The variety, in fact, is a pioneer one - it is still actively used to develop new trees.

The apple variety has an average weight of about 140 grams. They are distinguished by an oval-conical shape, a smooth surface and a fairly dense skin. The apple pulp has a pleasant creamy shade and sweet and sour taste. The aroma of the fruit is spicy and wine. The fruit is quite rich in terms of the content of substances and microelements useful for the human body. The color of apples is usually yellow-red with fairly clear stripes in areas of direct sunlight.

Planting and leaving

Planting an apple tree

In general, planting and caring for Pepin apple trees is done in the same way as in the case of any other fruit tree, although there are some specifics that must be taken into account.

Apple-tree Gornoaltaiskoe

The place for planting the described culture should be chosen sunny and reliably protected from drafts. According to the description of the variety, the soil for planting Pepin's Saffron Apple must be neutral.

Important! If planting is planned to be carried out in acidic soil, it is recommended to thoroughly lime it.

The size of the pit for planting a culture should be 1 m in diameter and about 80 cm in depth. Fertile soil and organic fertilizer (for example, humus or compost) are used as a filler. If the soil is already depleted, it should be additionally fed with mineral compounds.

Apple tree seedlings should be purchased from specialized horticultural centers or nurseries. Both annual and biennial plants are best suited as planting material. At the same time, the requirements for seedlings are elementary: the plants should not have even minimal mechanical damage, they should look healthy, they should have a developed root system.

Watering

Young plantings are strongly recommended to be watered throughout the summer. For fresh plantings, it is very important not to allow the soil to dry out in the trunk circle. Watering is especially important for fruiting trees throughout July and early August. It is during this period of time that the plant lays fruit buds, from which the harvest will be formed next year. The last watering of the Pepin Saffron apple tree is carried out in late autumn, after leaf fall.

Top dressing

Attention! A fruit crop like the Pepin apple tree is incredibly important to fertilize regularly. Starting from the moment the plant reaches the age of three, it simply needs both phosphorus-potassium and organic fertilizers.

Top dressing of an apple tree

Many gardeners use an infusion of chicken manure in a ratio of 1:15 to feed the Pepin apple tree. In the fall, the crop is usually mulched with humus or manure and potassium and phosphorus-containing fertilizers are added.

Pruning

The first pruning of an apple tree is usually done with the onset of spring. At this time, the central conductor is shortened into two upper kidneys. All branches are reduced in length by about 2/3.

It is equally important to deal with the crown every year. Practice shows that the Ash Saffron apple tree requires regular pruning, including rejuvenating and sanitary. The latter is traditionally carried out in the spring and includes pruning of dead branches, as well as branches with signs of disease or pests. Places of cuts must be treated with garden varnish. Otherwise, the wound will begin to get wet, which can lead to the weakening of the plant. In addition, an open wound poses a serious threat to the development of bacterial infections and fungal diseases.

Pest and disease control

The main enemy of any apple tree is scab. In the Pepin Saffron variety, resistance to this disease decreases with every year of life. A symptom of the disease is brown spots that appear on foliage and fruits. In the fight against this scourge, Bordeaux fluid is very effective. Before budding begins, the trees are sprayed with a 3% solution of this composition. If the treatment is performed on already swollen kidneys, it is recommended to reduce the strength of the solution to 1%. Otherwise, the culture will burn. In the summer, the treatment of apple trees with Bordeaux liquid is carried out only in the most extreme case.

On a note! To prevent scab, it is very important to correctly form the crown of the tree - to prevent thickening of the crown, leading to a deterioration in air access.

Of the pests, the apple tree can be affected by the fruit plant, the apple blossom beetle or the comma-shaped scabbard.

Sanitary measures are usually sufficient for effective prevention of plant infestation by harmful insects. These are the following points:

  • regular loosening of the area near the trunk;
  • timely removal of fallen leaves;
  • compliance with agricultural practices;
  • regular watering.

Apple harvest

The variety has a high keeping quality - apples can be stored for about 200 days after harvest. To achieve this result, you just need to follow some simple rules:

  • store the crop in a room with a temperature of about 0 C;
  • lay the fruits for storage, laying layers with shavings or paper;
  • store only healthy apples, without signs of disease, decay and mechanical damage.

Important! Apples harvested slightly unripe have a longer shelf life.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Apple tree Orlovim

The Pepin Saffron variety has a number of undoubted advantages:

  • attractive appearance of the fruit;
  • pleasant taste;
  • high yield rate;
  • early fruiting;
  • transportability;
  • keeping quality;
  • low crumbling rate.

Of the shortcomings, one can only name the susceptibility to a number of diseases. But the situation is similar with most other apple varieties. So in this context we are talking not so much about the disadvantage, but about the peculiarities of the culture, which should be taken into account when growing.