Hundreds of varieties of apples are grown in the world. Some are cultivated in Russia. Gardeners like the popular, unpretentious Zvezdochka apple variety. It is appreciated for its delicious fruits that can lie until mid-winter and even early March.

General information about the Zvezdochka apple tree

The Apple-tree Zvezdochka was bred by Professor S.F. Chernenko in 1927. The breeder crossed two varieties:

  • Scarlet anise;
  • Pepinka is Lithuanian.

The Zvezdochka apple variety is grown in the central regions of Russia: North-West, Volgo-Vyatka, Srednevolzhsky.

Characteristics of the variety

The Zvezdochka apple tree is a vigorous tree, which at first has a round, dense crown, but over time it loses this property. In an adult tree, the crown becomes spreading and drooping. After two decades, the apple tree grows up to 5.5 m with a crown diameter of 6.5 m.

Apple tree asterisk

Description of fruits

Cherry Asterisk

Apple-tree Zvezdochka is a table and dessert variety with medium-sized fruits (85-130 g). The apples are covered with a bluish waxy coating and are characterized by a thin short stalk.

The apples are very beautiful: round, bright red, slightly flattened at the top and bottom. On the gardener's plot, the Zvezdochka apple tree with red fruits looks like in the fairy tale "Geese - Swans". A characteristic feature - from the side of the peduncle, due to the slight ribbing, a unique pattern is obtained, similar to a star. This feature of the variety formed the basis for the name.

Many people like sweet and sour apples. The taste is quite rich and interesting. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, tender; few seeds. Fruits contain a lot of sugar (up to 10%) and a small amount of acid (up to 1%). The apples of this variety contain a lot of vitamin C (up to 12%).

Collection and storage of fruits

Fruit ripening on a large tree begins at the age of 8 after planting the seedling. However, on dwarf rootstocks, this period is reduced to 3-5 years. The fruits ripen regularly, the yield is average.

Apple-tree Zvezdochka is a winter variety. Harvesting begins in the fall. Apples ripen for another 2-3 weeks during storage.

How many apples can you pick from such an apple tree? Up to 115 kg of apples are harvested from one good tree. And this can be considered an average value, because the absolute record is 210 kg. True, only a few manage to achieve such results.

During storage, apples ripen completely, and in October they can be eaten fresh. In good conditions, in a cellar or vegetable store, they can be stored all winter until spring, without losing their taste and presentation.

Apples ripen during storage

Disembarkation and leaving

Planting of seedlings is carried out from the end of April, when the snow completely disappears, there will be no frost, the soil warms up enough. Zvezdochka seedlings are not recommended to be planted in autumn, as this apple variety does not like cold wind and frost. In general, gardeners generally do not recommend growing the variety in regions where there are frosts down to -27 degrees in winter.

Apple tree Bratchud

The place for planting needs to be dug up, loosened, a wide hole prepared - 40 × 40 cm.If the soil is infertile, then they are poured into the hole:

  • peat (5 kg);
  • ash (59 g);
  • superphosphate (49 g).

Fertilizers are thoroughly mixed with the ground. A peg is inserted into the center of the pit. Then a tree is planted, watered well with water, covered with earth and tied to a peg.

The seedlings should take root before the onset of cold weather.They need to be planted only on the open sunny side. Then the apple tree will show good growth, and the fruits will be filled with the correct color.

Need to know! The tree grows noticeably worse in the shade. The yield immediately decreases, the fruits are poured poorly and quickly lose their presentation.

Star care is simple. The main point is that pruning of branches cannot be ignored. It is necessary to form the crown correctly, otherwise the fruits begin to shrink, and the yield decreases markedly. At the same time, even the taste of apples deteriorates.

The first pruning is done immediately after planting the seedling. At this moment, a third of the shoots are cut off. Then every spring, broken off, dried and weak branches are removed, leaving only straight, strong shoots.

It is important! It is impossible to trim the Stars in late autumn.

Since this type of apple tree has medium frost resistance, the ground around the tree must be mulched. For this, hay, peat, bark or sawdust are laid out in a thick layer. With proper care, seedlings grow well, on average adding about 10 cm each year.

Diseases and pests

Apple-tree Screen

The asterisk boasts good immunity from various diseases. The tree is rarely affected by scab, rot, powdery mildew. But there are still cases of defeat, so it is advisable for the gardener to have means for pest control on the farm.

  • from apple scab, they are treated with Horus (ampoule for a bucket of water) before and after flowering;
  • from rot - "Fundazol" (40 g per bucket of water);
  • Usually, the asterisk is resistant to powdery mildew, but if the first signs of the disease are noticed, it must be treated with Topaz (1 ampoule per 10 liters of water).

Preventive measures are most suitable for pest control. Apple moth, miner moth, fruit sapwood, hawthorn, silkworm are the most famous pests of apple trees.

Gardeners' actions to destroy pests:

  1. Whitewashing of tree trunks for prevention.
  2. Processing of near-stem soil.
  3. Spraying foliage with special preparations.

In early spring, nests of hawthorns and leafworms are collected. Fallen leaves are swept away and burned together with the pests that overwintered in it. The bark of trees is cleaned with a brush and whitewashed. Substances are added to the slaked lime that help the whitewashing stay on the tree trunk longer.

Healthy harvest of apple asterisk

Garden pest control activities are carried out as needed during the summer.

Agrotechnics

If the soil is not fertile, then fertilization is required for good tree growth and high yield.

  • The first time is fed in late autumn. A complex of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is introduced into the soil.
  • In the spring, they dig up the trunk circle and at the same time bring in organic matter - humus, compost, manure.

Apple tree Asterisk, according to the description, the plant is unpretentious and does not need additional care. As needed, the tree is watered and the state of the trunk circle is monitored: they dig it up and mulch.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • regular ripening of fruits;
  • delicious and beautiful apples;
  • the harvest is stored for up to seven months;
  • immunity to many diseases.

Annual decline in apple harvest

Disadvantages:

  • Poorly tolerates the vagaries of the weather: strong wind, cold, frosty winters.
  • Annual yield decline depending on crown condition.

Varieties of apple trees Zvezdochka, description

On a dwarf rootstock

Apple tree Zvezdochka on a dwarf rootstock has a height of 2.5-3 m. The branches of the tree are not spreading, the crown is compact. The taste, appearance and other qualities of apples are not worse than those of an ordinary apple tree.

Benefits:

  • The size of the tree is convenient for crown care.
  • This variety is more frost-resistant.
  • Fruit ripening begins in the 2-3 year.
  • Harvest is ready 2 weeks earlier.

Disadvantage: dwarf apple trees bear fruit for only 15-20 years.

Columnar

On a columnar rootstock, the Asterisk apple tree is straight. With rare straight branches. Apples are arranged along the tree.

Columnar apple tree

Gardeners appreciate the Star on a columnar rootstock because of the following advantages:

  • the absence of an extensive crown allows you to plant apple trees closer to each other;
  • a relatively small tree yields more than 15 kg;
  • the fruits are larger (150-200 g);
  • apples ripen 1-2 weeks earlier than other varieties.

Disadvantage: the life of the apple tree is short - after 13 years the plant will have to be replaced.

Winter variety

Apple-tree Zvezdochka winter variety withstands winters with frosts of -35 ... -37 degrees. The fruits ripen after the third year of planting.

Yields up to 200 kg per tree, but the apples are smaller, weighing 60-110 g, ripen in early October.

The advantage of the Winter Star is that it is not susceptible to fungal diseases.

Features of ripening and fruiting

For excellent fruit setting, Zvezdochka needs pollination with other varieties (Bogatyr and Zhigulevskoe are well suited). At the same time, Zvezdochka is the best pollinator for the Antonovka variety, so they are often planted nearby on the site.

First fruiting

The first fruiting begins at the 5th year of life, only a few apples ripen. With proper pruning and maintenance, yields increase every year.

Asterisk blooms later than apple trees with an earlier ripening period. Flower petals bloom in mid to late May.

When the fruits begin to ripen, in order to prevent apples from falling to the ground, you must regularly harvest (start in mid-September). Do not forget that for 2-3 weeks apples ripen during storage. In this case, the temperature should be slightly above zero.

Due to the wax coating, apples do not lose their attractive qualities and presentation within seven months of storage. Apples are kept fresh and can be processed. They are dried, compotes are made, used as a filling in pies and cakes, and used to make cider and wine.

Apple-tree Zvezdochka does not require special care. It can be grown not only by experienced, but also by novice gardeners. It grows as a strong tree, which increases its yield every year. Many gardeners, after familiarizing themselves with all the positive qualities of the variety, make a choice in favor of Zvezdochka and then do not regret it at all.