The size of the garden plot does not always allow growing tall fruit trees. To meet the needs of gardeners, breeders are working to create miniature, squat apple trees. One of the fruits of their labor in this direction was the Land variety with a compact crown and low trunk height.

Features of dwarf apple trees

Dwarf apple trees differ from columnar ones with fast growth, well-developed roots and higher yields. Specialized nurseries sell the seedlings of these trees. Here are the benefits of miniature apple varieties:

  • earlier onset of fruiting;
  • the ability to give bountiful harvests;
  • due to the short stature, nutrition is used for the formation of fruits, and not for the growth of the trunk and foliage;
  • harvesting does not require additional devices;
  • Due to the superficial location of the roots, miniature apple trees are suitable even for areas with high groundwater levels.

The crown of such a tree is spreading, up to 3 m in diameter. In columnar varieties, the crown forms on the main trunk. The side branches are much weaker and shorter. Therefore, in shape, such apple trees resemble a column.

On a note! The dwarf apple tree Prizemlennye was bred in the South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Potato Growing by a group of specialists by crossing the Vydubetskaya weeping apple tree with a complex hybrid.

The breeders set themselves the task of obtaining a frost-resistant, fruitful variety with a short growing season, and they succeeded quite well.

Apple Tree Ground

Characteristics of the Land variety

Apple tree Bratchud

Yablonka Prizemlenoe has many zoned varieties for different climatic zones, so the variety can be grown in any region. These trees are natural dwarfs with a flat-round crown. A tree grown on a seed stock has a height of 2.5 m. When propagated on a clonal stock, it reaches a height of only 1.5-2 m.

On a note! This apple variety is not stale, although its branches tend to grow horizontally.

Breeders often take the Landing as a basis when developing new varieties of miniature apple trees. Fruit trees have the following characteristics:

  • The Land Apple tree bears fruit on all parts of the branches, including last year's growths.
  • The bark on the trunk and skeletal branches is brown.
  • The color of young shoots is greenish-brown.
  • Leaves are oblong, boat-shaped, large, with jagged edges, slightly fleecy.
  • Fruits are small - average weight 90-110 g. Their shape is round, slightly flattened.
  • The skin on the apples is glossy, oily, greenish-yellow with a red blush.
  • The stalks are of medium length and thickness, formed at an angle.
  • The flesh of the fruit is dense, juicy, fine-grained, greenish in color.
  • The pulp has a sweet and sour taste, the sugar content is 10.4%.
  • The storage period of the crop is up to 60 days. Apples are suitable for processing into juices, purees, jams, compotes.

The dwarf apple tree is partly pollinated. The following varieties are well suited as pollinators: Carpet, Wonderful, Osennee undersized, Bratchud. The apple tree begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years after vaccination. From one tree, you can get up to 130 kg of fruits.

The variety has a high winter hardiness, as the trees can withstand up to -39.5 ° C. Scab affection is below average (2 points on a 5-point scale). The sweet taste of the fruit is more pronounced if it was a warm summer.With the sum of effective temperatures below 22 ° C, sugar formation is reduced.

Frost-resistant tree

Features of agricultural technology

Apple tree Imrus

According to the description of the apple tree, the landed root system of an adult tree occupies an area 2 times larger than its crown. The bulk of the roots lies at a depth of 60-80 cm. It is best to choose open areas for the apple tree, with good natural light. You can plant a tree in both spring and autumn. Spring planting is best done at the end of April, and autumn planting closer to mid-September. Before frost, 30-40 days should remain so that the seedling can take root and successfully overwinter.

Sapling selection

In order not to buy a wild game instead of a varietal seedling, you need to pay attention to the presence of vaccination, inspect the roots. Dwarf apple trees have a fibrous root system. A two-year-old seedling should be up to half a meter high and have 4-6 developed branches. On the label, a conscientious seller usually indicates information containing the name of the variety and information about the rootstock to which the seedling was grafted.

The roots and aerial parts should not have any damage or growths. The branches of the correct seedling are located at an acute angle to the trunk. If leaves have already appeared on the tree, then it has been overexposed in storage. In seedlings with an open root system, the roots should not be dry and brittle.

Saplings

Correct fit

A planting pit is preliminarily prepared with a depth of 50 cm and a diameter of about 80 cm. The removed fertile soil layer is mixed with organic matter (compost, rotted manure, humus) and complex mineral fertilizer to improve the structure and index of soil fertility. The planting itself is carried out in 3-4 weeks so as not to burn the roots with fertilizers.

A support peg with a height of 1.5 m is placed in the center of the pit, and a seedling with straightened roots is placed vertically next to it. After that, the young tree is covered with earth and watered. It will be difficult for a young apple tree to withstand the winds, so she definitely needs support. After planting, the seedling is tied to a hammered peg.

Important! The root collar of the apple tree should be flush with the soil, if it is buried, the bark will get wet and decay may begin.

Apple tree care

Care activities include watering, feeding, pruning, disease control, and preparing for wintering. To prevent the apple tree from dying and producing a crop, you will have to comply with the following requirements:

  • Due to a lack of moisture, the tree develops worse and bears fruit, and tolerates wintering worse. When the soil is waterlogged, the access of oxygen to the roots is blocked, which has a negative effect. Watering should be done 4 times per season: during the formation of ovaries, in the middle of summer, 4 weeks before harvest, after dropping the leaves in the fall. The apple tree is watered all over the trunk circle, slightly stepping back from the trunk. The moisture should penetrate to a depth of 50-60 cm. In a rainy summer, the tree need not be watered.
  • The first feeding of the season is carried out in April or May, with nitrogen fertilizers. You can use manure or urea. Complex fertilizer is applied in the first half of June. After another 2 weeks, the apple tree can be watered with infusion of weeds. In early autumn, phosphate and potash fertilizers are applied. For undersized apple trees, the fertilizer dose should be reduced.
  • Crown pruning is carried out from the second year after transplantation. This procedure is mandatory! It is performed in spring or autumn while the tree is at rest. Young shoots are removed or partially shortened. In this case, the tree will direct all its forces towards the formation of fruits.
  • The variety is resistant to fungal and viral diseases. To prevent pest attacks in early spring, it is recommended to spray the apple tree with a solution of Bordeaux liquid.
  • The tree itself perfectly tolerates frosts, but it is better to cover the surface root system for the winter with a layer of peat in the near-trunk circle and spruce branches laid on top.

Harvesting will not bring much work to the summer resident. Due to the fact that the apple tree is squat, even the highest branches can be easily reached with your hands. It is best to pick apples on a sunny, dry day.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Apple Lobo

The advantages of the variety include its short stature and high decorative qualities, the ability to harvest early, and resistance to diseases. Summer residents appreciate this apple tree for the ability to grow in any region and for its unpretentiousness. Earthy pleases its owner with excellent taste of fruits and their quantity, as well as versatility of use.

Among the shortcomings, gardeners note the medium-sized size of the fruits, the short fruiting period and the tendency of the roots to freeze due to their structure.

In general, the Land variety has excellent reviews. Summer residents consider it a good find for a small plot and a real decoration. Well, those who first hear about small, beautiful apple trees should pay attention to this variety and plant it in their garden.