The apple tree is a frequent visitor to the garden plots of Russians. Apples are eaten and loved by everyone. In addition, they can be grown in almost all regions of the country, except perhaps in the Far North, where trees do not survive in principle. Recently, columnar varieties of this culture have been especially in high demand among gardeners. These include the constellation columnar apple tree, the columnar Esenia apple tree and many other similar species.

general information

The columnar types of apple trees are of Canadian origin. In the sixties of the last century, one of the gardeners accidentally discovered a curious plant in his own garden - the apple tree did not have side branches, and the entire trunk was covered with apples. As it turned out, the mutation was inherited. This is how the columnar variety Vazhak appeared, which became the progenitor of both the Yesenia apple tree and the Constellation apple tree, which will be discussed below.

Apple tree constellation

Description of the variety

Apple-tree columnar Maluha

The Constellation variety was bred for amateur gardens. Its compact size made it possible to grow a full-fledged apple orchard, which gives a good harvest in a very small area. This opportunity has been appreciated by many gardeners. The plant is very light-requiring, therefore it is not recommended to plant it in shaded areas in the most urgent way.

Apple tree columnar Constellation according to the description of the variety refers to late winter crops. It has an extremely high winter hardiness. According to some reports, the plant can withstand frosts down to -10 degrees. For this reason, the variety is often chosen for planting in regions with a difficult climate such as the Urals or Siberia.

The following significant characteristic is inherent in the variety: the pollinator is not required for the culture, since the apple tree is self-fertile. But planting several trees of other varieties with a similar flowering period in the immediate vicinity of the Constellation apple trees will be useful. Cross-pollination will significantly increase the yield. And the fruits themselves, in fact, will turn out to be more juicy and tasty.

Constellation. Apple tree columnar

The culture has a high resistance to scab. It bears fruit on the branches and ringlets of the trunk. The apple is usually not too large (no more than 150 grams), rich dark red color. The fruit tastes sweet and sour. From one tree per season, you can harvest about 13 kg of the crop. Apples can be stored at low temperatures until next spring.

Features of agricultural technology

Apple tree Poetry (columnar)

Regular and, most importantly, correct care is a guarantee of a bountiful harvest. In addition, a well-groomed plant will have an attractive appearance and can decorate the garden area.

After the planting of the plant in the ground is completed, a complex of agrotechnical procedures related to care will be required quite standard: watering, fertilization, high-quality and timely pruning and reliable protection against diseases and pests.

Pruning

Watering

Apple variety Constellation needs moderate watering. Since the roots of the culture are located close to the soil surface and do not have a deep taproot, moisture evaporates quickly enough. Accordingly, the plant will have to be watered more often than an ordinary apple tree.

On average, young trees should be watered every three days in standard summer weather. In the hot summer, you will need to water every day.When deciding on the issue of irrigation, you should focus on the degree of dryness of the soil - to get a good harvest, it must constantly remain moist to a depth of 4 cm.

Older trees are allowed to moisturize less often - just a couple of times a week.

Important! By mid-summer, the number of waterings should be reduced, and in August, the procedure should be stopped altogether. Such measures are necessary for the culture to successfully complete growth, manage to set fruit buds and successfully prepare for wintering.

Fertilizer

Since columnar apple trees are usually planted quite compactly, the soil under them very soon depletes. To ensure the full development of the Constellation apple tree, it is recommended to follow the following recommendations when feeding the soil:

  • in the spring, before the buds open, the trees are fed with ammonium nitrate (about 55 g per plant);
  • 20 days after the first feeding, nitroammofosk should be added (also 55 g per plant);
  • after another 20 days, feeding with nitroammophos in the same amount must be repeated;
  • it is allowed to apply foliar dressing with urea, Fitosporin and various biological products.

Important! Towards the end of summer, feeding with organic matter and nitrogen should be completely stopped. During this period of time, only potassium is allowed to be introduced into the soil - and phosphorus-containing preparations.

Load regulation

Practice shows that in the case of the constellation apple variety, the load on the plant should be increased in a gradual mode. Otherwise, you can forget about regular fruiting. Apples will not be born every year and are small. In this regard, in the first year after planting, no ovaries are left on the tree at all, giving it the opportunity to get stronger. In the second year, about half of the flowers are left, and a little later, at the stage of fruit setting, only a couple of ovaries are left in each bunch. In the third year of the plant's life, the number of ovaries should be adjusted at your discretion, taking into account the desired result and the size of the tree. The most important thing is not to overload the apple tree.

Note! The described approach allows the fruits to grow larger and more juicy, and the apple tree does not take much time to recover after fruiting.

Disease and pest control

Although the constellation columnar apple tree has a high immunity to fungal diseases, in spring and autumn the culture must be sprayed with fungicides for preventive purposes.

Of the pests, the apple blossom beetle and the moth are especially dangerous for the variety. Insecticides will help kill insects.

Important! To combat rodents, tying the trunk with a fine metal mesh will be an effective method of protection.

Advantages and disadvantages

Ostankino apple tree (columnar)

The columnar variety Inflorescence has both advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages are especially distinguished:

  • early maturity;
  • good taste characteristics;
  • compactness;
  • disease resistance;
  • frost resistance;
  • unpretentious care;
  • long shelf life;
  • good transportability.

As the disadvantages of the variety, gardeners most often mention the not too long fruiting period of the variety (only 10 years) and the high cost of seedlings.

In general, the variety is quite worthy of finding a place for it in every garden plot.