The predecessor of this wonderful variety was the Macintosh apple tree. The name of the Melba apple variety was given to the then-famous opera diva by origin, Australian Nellie Melba.
- The growth of the tree is medium-sized, since an adult tree can grow to a height of up to 3 m without pruning. The tree has a wide and not dense crown. If a tree is grafted onto a dwarf rootstock, the growth of an adult tree will barely reach 2 m. The bark is brown in color with orange and brown patches.
- In the nursery, it is easy to distinguish Melba from other seedlings. It has a characteristic luster of the bark and a cherry tint. For the first 6 years, the crown grows weakly and the apple tree looks like a columnar tree in its appearance. But over time, this will straighten out and the crown will become round. Its diameter will be 7 m.
- So that the branches do not break off during the ripening crop, they are placed under them wooden poles. The leaf plates are oval and on old branches they have a thick central vein, as a result of which the leaf arches in an arc. The flowers are quite large white shade slightly pink inside at the base.
Flowers often bloom in April, and if there are return frosts in the region at this time, then the harvest may not be expected this year.
In addition to the general shade of the peel, it also has subcutaneous dots of a white tint. The stalk is thin, but holds the apple well at the time of ripening. The seed chambers are wide and contain tight brown seeds. Interestingly, when the apples are fully ripe, if you shake it, the seeds knock on the chamber.
Apples are rich in vitamins:
- Sugar - 11%.
- Titratable acids - 0.8%.
- Vitamin C - 14 mg. per 100 gr.
- Pectin - 9%.
With such a rich composition, this variety is recommended for baby food. Apples are also suitable for dietary nutrition for those people who want to lose weight. excess weight. Apples are good to use during a cold, eating 3-4 pieces. in a day. Vitamins will help to cope with the disease that has arisen.
Eat apples regularly and then the human body will be saturated with a large amount of vitamins.
Reviews
Larisa Mitrofanovna, Donetsk, Russia
I like the variety because the apples are sweet and juicy, they keep well in the basement or in the refrigerator. Apples ripen at the end of summer, and the collection lasts about three weeks. I planted 2 trees of this variety of apples and do not regret it.
Ella Arkadievna, Voronezh
Melba should be in every garden, because no other can replace its fragrant summer apples. I have an apple tree that is not exposed to any diseases, although scab can sometimes attack neighboring trees.
Boris Anatolyevich, Minsk
My apple tree is 16 years old, it is 4 m high. The approximate diameter of the round crown is 6.5 m. Here I collect 220 kg from it. apples, and I start picking in mid-August, and the picking lasts three weeks.
If you collect all the reviews of gardeners, then they come down to the main indicators:
- The tree has a marketable and tasty crop;
- To obtain a large harvest, the apple tree must be properly cared for;
- In old trees, the fruiting cycle is disrupted;
- In order for apples to lie for a long period, they are plucked by hand and unripe.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like all apples, Melba has its advantages and disadvantages, but there are still more of the former and therefore the variety is very popular.
Advantages
- Precocity - the first apple can be tasted for 4 years of life after planting in the garden;
- Productivity - 70 kg are harvested from an adult apple tree. delicious apples;
- Apples have not only an excellent taste, but a wonderful presentation, and therefore for those who grow apples for the sake of commerce, this is a big plus;
- Keeping quality - in a good cellar with the right storage conditions, apples lie until the end of January.
Flaws
- The apple tree does not have strong winter hardiness and therefore it is grown more in the southern regions of Russia;
- The variety is not resistant to scab;
- It does not have a fruiting cycle and therefore the harvest of apples does not happen annually;
- Self-infertile - pollinators needed for pollination.
Despite all the shortcomings, the variety is in great demand among gardeners.
Variety varieties
With the help of selection, some clones were obtained, which are worth paying attention to.
Melba red - the variety was obtained in Canada, the crown is pyramidal. The fruits are distinguished by a bright red skin and a large mass of the fruit in relation to the main variety.
Melba's daughter - a variety was bred in the Leningrad region. The fruits are larger and tastier than Melba. The variety is frost-resistant, but the fruits themselves are stored for no more than a month.
These two varieties are good pollinators for the main Melba species.
Care
Like for everyone fruit trees Melba needs care:
- Watering.
- Loosening.
- Weed removal.
- Top dressing with the necessary fertilizers.
Water seedlings weekly, especially those that were planted in the spring. Under each seedling pour 20 liters. warm water. If the summer heat intensifies, then watering is done twice a week with the same amount of water. Under an adult tree, it is not difficult to calculate the amount of water to 20 liters. add 10 liters. for every year of life. If the tree is 5 years old, then it needs 7 ten-liter buckets, but once a week.
Moisture is especially needed when fruits are formed on the trees. If at this moment there is no watering, then most of the crop can be on the ground.
Loosening and removal of weeds is carried out on next day after watering or rain. After all, the crust that appears after watering will prevent the penetration of oxygen to the root system of the tree, and this will worsen general state tree.
Separately, you need to pay attention to top dressing. They are carried out three times during the growing season.
- In the spring, nitrogen fertilizing is carried out, spreading manure around the trunk.
- In summer, it is worth feeding with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, since during the formation of fruits this will help the tree grow its own crop.
- In autumn, after harvesting, they are fed with full mineral fertilizer to support the tree in winter and to shape the future crop.
Apply top dressing on moist soil so as not to burn the root system of the tree.
How to choose a healthy seedling
First of all, seedlings are purchased at garden centers or stores specializing in such products. Because, when purchasing a seedling, somewhere you can get a non-varietal one from your hands, and this, after five years of tree care, will bring great disappointment in the variety.
The seedling itself should have a good root system on which there are 2-3 skeletal roots. The barrel should be flexible, not dry. The seedling should not be damaged on the bark itself, young branches, if they already exist, should be located under acute angle in relation to the central stem.
At the same time, the age of the seedling should not be older than three years, then it will best settle down in a new place.
How to plant a Melba apple tree
Ground work begins a couple of months before the acquisition of the seedling. First, they dig a hole 70x70 cm and the same depth. If there is sandy soil on the site or groundwater lies close to the surface, the pit is made deeper than a meter. If there is sand in the dug hole, in addition to manure and wood ash, black soil should be added.
If the groundwater lays a pillow of gravel close, and its thickness should be at least 25 cm, the pit prepared in this way is left for 2 months so that the earth settles down.
So that the rains do not wash out the pit, it is covered with cellophane.
When the pit is ready in spring or autumn, a seedling with a healthy root system is purchased and before planting, the cuts on the roots are updated - for this they are cut with a clean pruner by 3-4 cm.
Then the seedling is placed in the center of the prepared pit and the root system is spread in different directions. At this moment, you need to remember to drive a stake 2 m high next to the trunk. At the same time, it is positioned so as not to damage the roots. After these manipulations, the roots are covered with prepared soil.
After planting, the main thing for a young seedling is moisture. Therefore, around the trunk at a distance of 1.5 m, a roller is made of the ground so that water does not spread and 20 liters are watered. warm water.
In the northern regions of Russia, apple trees are planted in the spring, and, therefore, pits for seedlings are prepared in the fall.
How to properly trim and form a crown
The first pruning of the seedling is done already in the second year of life. Do it in early spring before bud break. The central trunk of the seedling is shortened by 1/3, and 2-3 buds are left on the side branches, from which young branches will grow during the summer season.
In the next three years, it is necessary to properly form the crown. Again, the main conductor is shortened and excess branches are removed, leaving only those that grow at an angle of 45 to the main trunk.
In subsequent years, frost-bitten or broken branches are pruned. It is also worth cutting off those that grow vertically upwards, since there will be no harvest on them, they will only thicken the crown.
Timely pruning will increase the yield of apples.
Features of growing Melba
The main feature of the tree is that the seedlings are planted according to the scheme: in a row, the step is 7 m. The row spacing is at least 4 m. You also need to remember that if you need apples to be stored for a long time, they are plucked unripe, somewhere over 10 days before the general harvest of apples.
If the apple tree is planted in the Moscow region or at its latitude, then the apple tree should be covered for the winter. To do this, the trunk circle is mulched first with manure, and then with dry straw. To prevent the straw from being blown away by the wind, dry branches of cut trees are placed on top of it.
Young seedlings and trees are covered along the trunk to a height of up to 1 m, with improvised materials from hares. Since they are lovers of eating young bark of fruit trees.
Which variety is better Candy, Mantet or Melba?
Which variety is better to answer is difficult, since the gardener chooses the taste of apples based on his own considerations. Some like sweet, others like sour. Here, as they say, to each his own. But you can try to compare the data of these varieties according to the table to determine which variety is better.
picking yourself up new variety you can buy apples in August, try part of it, and put the second part, by signing, into storage. This will help evaluate the fruits and choose what you like more.
Melba is a fairly common variety of apple trees and therefore it can often be seen in the courtyards of our people. As can be seen from the reviews, apples are in great demand.
We are also looking forward to your feedback! Leave them in the comments.
And we also have
Unstable taste
Grade: 4
The tree is afraid of scab, it is necessary to spray at the beginning of the season. It is not resistant to cold weather, I wrap the trunk, sprinkle the ground at the roots with a thick layer of foliage and then snow. My tree is not yet 10 years old, and it bears fruit regularly, the yield is good, 50-70 kg. The crown is not dense and the tree is less than three meters high. The fruits are small, ruddy, the taste is sweet and sour, ideal for jam, marmalade and pie fillings. The weather in our middle lane changeable, and in a cold cloudy summer, the fruits are small and sour. But in warm sunny weather, they become larger and sweeter. Caring for Melba is no more difficult than for other trees, minus the variety only in the unstable taste of apples.
Good apple tree, reliableGrade: 4
Melba planted more than 10 years ago. She was well accepted, although I live in the Siberian region. Harvest began to give in three years. To get a lot of apples, care is needed. First of all, top dressing and pest control exercise.
I fertilized the apple tree every spring and summer: I mostly watered it with infused mullein, mulched the soil around the apple tree with humus. When the apple tree is strong, then there are fewer pests on it. I had to deal with scab every summer: treat with preparations like XOM. I harvested in September, several buckets from one apple tree. Apples are firm, but fragrant, sweet and sour. They keep well.
Grade: 3
The Melba apple tree has been growing in our garden since antiquity. It used to give a harvest every year, now, apparently, it has grown old, periodically "rests", the harvest has become smaller. We do not cut it down, let it grow alone, we have a lot of space. Also I like. how Melba blooms - very beautiful, pink flowers!
Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to spray it from pests, because ants are activated and a lot of green aphids appear. For processing, I use different preparations, alternating them: either Aktara or Fitoverm. From scab we use "blue" spraying.
I pour fertilizers into small depressions made specially near the trunk circle. Medium sized apples. Care a lot, so only three points.
Grade: 4
The crown is sprawling, I did a shaped pruning, but the branches still grow almost at a right angle. And if you delay in harvesting, the fruits can crumble, they have a very thin stalk, and the load of a ripe apple cannot withstand. Apple trees are capricious, it is necessary to maintain the water balance so that there is no stagnation of moisture, but drought should not be allowed either, the ground at the roots must be loosened so that there is access to oxygen. Trees need a lot of space and light, they do not tolerate frost well, and in rainy and cold weather can get scab. But they give a plentiful harvest, I don’t collect less than 50 kg from two trees. Honey apples, the taste is wonderful and lie for a long time.
summer variety applesGrade: 5
I took the first harvest in the 4th year after planting. The fruits are medium, with a thick skin. From above, the whole apple is covered with a silvery coating. The fruit is colored light green. At the end of summer, the sides turn red, but the green tint is still clearly visible, especially in the core area. The stem is medium and very thin. The flesh is tender and pure white. The aroma of the fruit is sweet, even candy.
Interestingly, the leaves on the branches are green, and there are with a yellowish tint. From a distance, it seems that the branches have dried up. The crown is lush and spreading. At the end of July, we begin to try apples, slowly cut them off. And full ripening usually occurs in mid-August. If the summer is cold, then the ripening time is shifted 2-3 weeks later.
Most of all in the Melba variety I respect the excellent yield. The apple tree is full of fruits every year. While the tree is young, it does not rest at all. By old age, the collection of apples should decrease, I hope not by much.
The scab hit the tree, I managed to quickly spray it, and it moved away. Now every year I spray it in advance for prevention, so as not to suffer later. The apple tree tolerates cold normally, I wrap the trunk in a megaspan and make a large snowdrift.
Grade: 5
Melba seedlings I bought in a nursery. I settled on those whose age was 3 years, as they looked more robust and massive. Landing was done in autumn in September. Our winter in Krasnodar is warm, but just in case, the first year I wrapped the apple tree with covering material and covered it with wooden boxes. And on the surface of the hole he poured a large layer of leaves. Melba overwintered beautifully.
Pruning does not harm this variety, on the contrary, it is useful, and helps the beautiful formation of the tree. I cut not only dry branches, but also curves.
In April, while the buds have not yet appeared, I spray the apple tree from pests. Purely for prevention. I use the drug Inta-vir or Strobi.
In May I do a good top dressing. This is ordinary saltpeter and copper sulfate. In fact, you can walk around here. And the ashes will go, and the compost. Many people love superphosphate, but I am wary of it. Better proven tools.
Apples are very fragrant, the taste has a pleasant sourness. The size of the fruit is medium, just perfect for conservation. My favorite of these is apple jam. In the meantime, the apples are fresh, the wife is baking a Charlotte pie, you just lick your fingers.
Grade: 5
The classic Melba feels good only in warm regions; it is not recommended for landing in the north and in the central zone. Trees have an average frost resistance, cold or snowless winters are detrimental to them. They are medium in size, do not grow giant. Flowering is very interesting, buds of 2 colors - pink and purple. Mature trees, subject to agronomic tricks, allow you to shoot 110-120 kg. Practice has shown that up to 12 years old trees bear fruit annually, after that there are years of calm, which are impossible to predict.
Apples ripen in early August, average weight 150 grams. The taste is rich, sweet and sour, the flesh with pink veins, the aroma resembles something confectionery. Apples are not for everyone high content sugar - 10 grams per 100 grams of weight. It also showed a terribly low resistance to scab. In general, the variety is unpretentious. Not suitable for long term storage. For a colder climate, Red Melba and Melba's Daughter were specially bred, their fruits are larger and brighter, but otherwise the trees do not differ from the progenitor.
Grade: 4
To obtain a normal crop, you need a lot of sunlight, the distance between the planting holes should be at least 7 meters. Otherwise, the size of apples decreases, and the taste quality deteriorates, the fruits do not gain sweetness. Not everything is simple with the soil either, moisture stagnation is categorically unacceptable. Dense soil is also not suitable, good air permeability is needed, and high acidity of the soil is detrimental.
Apples are versatile. Suitable for fresh consumption, for canning, for juice, they do not boil soft in jam. The keeping quality is average, inferior to autumn and winter varieties. Harvest is easy, the trees are low. The shape of the apples is round and slightly elongated, from the side of the stem they are wider. To the touch, thin skin seems to be covered with a wax coating. The optimal planting time is autumn before the onset of cold weather.
The peculiarity of the variety is that in the first year of growth, the soil does not need to be fertilized. I poured shells into the planting hole to improve drainage. walnut. The summer turned out to be dry, I had to water the seedling every 3 days, but not plentifully, 2-3 liters are enough.
Grade: 4
The only drawback of this variety, I think is poor resistance to frost. In general, the variety is early ripening, my trees gave the first fruits 3 years after planting. I harvest in August, usually at the end. Basically, apples are large, weighing 120-150 g, ripe fruits are predominantly yellow-green in color with a large red blush, thin shiny skin, snow-white flesh and aromatic sweet-sour taste. They are stored in the cellar for several months, sometimes they do not deteriorate until spring.
At first, when the trees were still young, I harvested every year, at first 20 kg, now I can harvest 50-60 kg from one tree. With age, the yield will become periodic, after one year. The trees do not grow very tall, the crown is spreading and wide-rounded, not very dense. The leaves are oval, oblong, slightly curved, light green with a yellowish tinge. This variety is not resistant to scab, so the tree must be processed in the spring. by special means. It is better to buy seedlings in special nurseries (I always buy in AgroSad), it is better to do this in the fall - the end of September - the beginning of October. You can plant already one-year-old seedlings. The site must be chosen in such a way as to protect the trees from the north wind and provide a lot of sun.
Grade: 4
This variety of apples is very popular in Russia, especially in the northern regions, perhaps due to the Canadian origin of this variety, where climatic conditions are similar to ours. To date, domestic agronomists have bred more than 20 varieties of this apple tree, but they are all united General characteristics. First of all, this is a rather late fruit ripening; in a warm summer, the harvest can be harvested in mid-August; if the summer was cold, then fruit ripening can be expected until the end of September.
The tree begins to bear fruit already in the 4th - 5th year and with proper care, it will have large fruits. Personally, I don’t really like Melba apples to my taste, I use them more for making compotes and jams. If you pick these apples unripe, they are well stored in the refrigerator until the New Year, so thanks to this variety, you can pamper your family with charlotte even in winter.
Of the minuses, I would note that this apple tree bears fruit cyclically, i.e., if there are a lot of apples in one year, then there will be very few of them the next. You can slightly increase the yield by artificial pollination methods. Although, if you want to harvest every year, then you need to have several of these trees.
The Melba apple tree was bred in Canada at the end of the 19th century as a result of pollination of the natural Macintosh variety. This variety was named after one of the most famous singers of that time - Nelly Melby.
Despite such a respectable age, by the standards of gardening, this variety belongs to the youngest.
Tree Description
Melba apple tree differs in average growth and a wide krone of rounded shape and average density. If the tree is grown on dwarf rootstock- its height does not exceed 2 meters.
The bark is brown in color and has an orange tint. The formation of the crown takes a rather long period of time, so in the first years it can have a columnar shape.
The leaves are light green in color and oval in shape. Sometimes there may be a slight admixture of yellowness. Due to the well-defined central vein, the leaves can be concave. On the edge of the plate, the leaves have small teeth.
The flowers of this apple tree are large in size. White petals with a pale pink tint at the base form dense flowers.
Melba apple variety is quite different large size and can weigh from 120 to 200 grams.
- Melba apple shape is flattened, round or conical, maximum width at the base.
- The fruit has a dense, but at the same time delicate skin, smooth and slightly oily.
- On the surface of the apple there is a whitish-gray waxy coating.
- The ripe fruit is light green or yellowish white in color with a bright striped blush on half of the apple.
- The fruit funnel is of medium width and deep.
- The stem is rather thin and short.
- The pulp of the fruit is very juicy and tender with a sweet and sour taste and a hint of caramel.
Melba apples can be used to make juice, compotes, jam and jam.
Fruit should be harvested in the second half of August.
Melba apples are harvested in the second decade of August. If the summer is cool enough, this process can be delayed until mid-September.
If the apples are not overripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator until November. If you pick apples slightly unripe, they will last until January, provided that it is cool enough. The fruits tolerate transportation very well, because they are grown specifically for sale.
If the apple tree is well cared for, it will begin to bear fruit already 3-4 years after planting on a dwarf rootstock and after 5 years on a tall rootstock. Melba apple trees, according to the description, are characterized by high productivity. Young specimens bear fruit annually and abundantly, while older specimens bear fruit with some frequency.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Apples of the Melba variety are distinguished by a number of undeniable benefits:
- The early appearance of the first fruits - already 3-4 years after planting the seedling in the soil.
- High yield. A young, but fairly mature apple tree can bring up to 80 kilograms of fruit per season.
- aesthetic appearance apples. This factor is very important when apples are grown commercially.
- Good preservation of fruits and no damage during transportation.
Along with the advantages, the Melba apple variety has some disadvantages:
- Insufficient winter hardiness. However, modern breeders have managed to overcome this difficulty by breeding hybrid varieties on the basis of Melba, resistant to frost.
- Scab susceptibility.
- Irregular fruiting. With age, the tree begins to bear fruit irregularly, and at the same time it is impossible to calculate the cyclicity and predict whether there will be a harvest this year.
- In order for the Melba apple tree to start fruiting, it is necessary to plant several more trees of a different variety next to it.
The Melba apple variety has several so-called clones.
Melba Red - Canadian variety . This species is self-fertile, the tree has a conical shape. The tree is vigorous. The fruits are distinguished by a rich red color and larger sizes compared to the classic Melba variety.
Another clone variety Melba apple trees bred in Russia, in the Leningrad region. Its resistance to scab and fruit weight are superior to the "parent" species. Both of these varieties can be planted side by side on personal plot, and they will pollinate each other magnificently. However, in this species, the crop is not stored for more than a month. But the resistance of the tree to winter frosts is much higher. It is possible to grow Melba's Daughter throughout Russia, although a high harvest cannot be expected in the Urals and Siberia.
Melba apple tree saplings best planted in autumn. It is best to navigate by when the frosts come in your area.
Landing can be done in 35–40 days before the start of frost. The optimal time is from mid-September to mid-December.
The height of Melba apple trees is usually small. However, it is necessary to leave a space between adjacent trees of at least 7 meters.
While the trees are still young, you can save a little on the space of the plot and plant raspberries, currants or garden strawberries. Legumes or cucumbers are also suitable.
The soil is desirable to choose fertile and very light. The best option there will be loam, but clay or silty soil is not suitable for planting an apple tree. You can add some river sand to the black soil.
For growing Melba apple trees, it is better to choose slightly alkaline or neutral soil. If the soil is acidic, when digging, you can add dolomite flour at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 sq. meter.
For good growth apple trees Melba it is very important to organize proper drainage, especially when located close ground water. So that the roots of the tree do not rot, it is preferable to plant it on the slopes of the hills. If the terrain is flat, you can dig special drainage grooves to drain excess water.
In addition, this apple tree is very fond of sunlight and does not tolerate cold winds and drafts. Under adverse conditions, apples are not so large and sweet.
It is better to choose a seedling one or two years old. A good seedling by this time has a height of 40 to 80 cm, developed roots and several side shoots. It is best to purchase seedlings from a nursery or a reputable grower.
2 weeks before the intended landing is being prepared landing pit. Its depth is up to 80 cm, and its width is about 1 meter. All the soil taken out of the pit is mixed with humus, peat and compost and a small amount of coarse sand is added. Add to the same mixture wood ash at the rate of 200 grams per 5 liters of soil, superphosphate at the rate of 400 grams per the same volume and potassium sulfate. Nitrogen fertilizers are not recommended.
It is very useful to pour drainage at the bottom of the pit - ceramic shards, walnut shells, brick chips.
A few days before planting, it is necessary to immerse the roots in a bucket of water, adding a little potassium permanganate there to prevent diseases.
All leaves from the seedling are cut immediately before planting. To do this, use sharp scissors. The roots of the tree are smeared with a mixture of cow dung and clay.
Features of caring for an apple tree
Melba apple tree unpretentious, but at the same time tolerates cold and drafts well. The plant needs watering, weeding and keeping the area clean, fertilizing. It is very important to prepare the tree for wintering.
The soil around the tree must be regularly weeded over an area of 100 cm. In autumn, the soil under the tree must be dug up, carrion, leaves and broken fallen branches are collected. Pest larvae and spores of bacteria and fungi can breed in this garbage.
An adult apple tree of the Melba variety per day should receive 10–20 liters of moisture And. It is necessary to carry out a correction of the amount, taking into account changes in the weather. If the air temperature is excessively high, you can additionally spray the foliage.
It is most important to organize sufficient watering during the period when the fruits are tied and growing. If the tree does not receive enough water, the apples will fall off before they are ripe. In addition, it will negatively affect subsequent crops.
In mid-August, watering begins to be gradually reduced. Thus, the tree is gradually preparing for winter. If there is a lot of precipitation at the end of summer, the tree can not be watered additionally. To keep moisture in the soil, you can resort to mulching the area around the tree trunk.
How to harvest
If the summer turned out to be warm and sunny, collect the fruits of the Melba apple tree available from mid-August. The tree will continue to bear fruit until mid-September.
It is necessary to remove apples from a tree manually. It is not recommended to shake the tree trunk and then pick up fruits from the ground.
In addition, do not wash the bluish coating from the surface of the fruit and cut off the stalks.
This can adversely affect transportability and storage quality. Apples that have fallen from a tree need to be processed as quickly as possible.
In hardware and gardening stores you can buy a special net for picking fruits. You can also make such nets with my own hands. In order not to damage the thin skin of the apple with your nails, it is better to use gloves.
These apples can be eaten fresh or dried or canned in a variety of ways.
In order for the fruits to be preserved for a long time, it is better to collect them 10 days before the onset of full ripening. This moment is very important to follow. If the apples are not yet ripe enough, they will shrivel during storage, and if they are overripe, they will acquire a brown color and an unpleasant aftertaste. To check the degree of ripeness, you can cut the apple in half. The bones should be light brown in color and soft.
You can store apples in the refrigerator or cellar until the New Year. For storage, it is best to select only smooth, even fruits without traces of damage by pests and diseases.
It is best to store apples in a wooden container - you can use special boxes. With absence wooden boxes you can resort to plastic ones, but at the same time they must have ventilation holes. It is necessary to lay the fruits in boxes in layers. Individual fruits should not touch each other. Layers of sand, sawdust, paper, peat or dry leaves can be laid between the fruits. Needles and coniferous sawdust are not suitable for these purposes, the same applies to straw, since all these materials quickly decay and can leave a taste of resin in apples. Can create apples additional protection, wrapping each in a separate napkin.
Variety Melba (Melba) was bred at the end of the 19th century in the state of Ottawa (Canada). The apple tree appeared with the free pollination of the seeds of the Macintosh apple tree. Melba was named after the world-famous Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. The apple tree was first exported to Europe, then began to be grown in Russia.
The variety was entered into the State Register in 1947. The variety has not lost its popularity for several decades. On its basis, many new hybrids of apple trees were bred.
In the article:
The Melba apple tree is famous for its high and stable yield, excellent fruit taste. The variety is afraid of frost and requires special conditions cultivation. Apple trees are grown in southern and temperate climates. Not suitable for growing in cold conditions. The variety is quite often affected by scab and requires preventive work from this disease.
The tree is medium-sized, 3-4 meters high. With a dwarf stock, it does not exceed 2 meters.
Melba lives on a seed stock for 40-55 years. Semi-dwarf Melba lives and bears fruit for about 20 years. Dwarf lives even less, about 10-15 years.
Up to 3 years, the trunk of the tree is straight, the shoots are arranged vertically. The trunk and shoots are quite strong, thick. Cherry color bark.
As it grows, the crown expands and in adulthood takes on a sprawling, rounded shape. The crown is strongly leafy, medium thickened. The bark in adulthood acquires a brown-orange color.
The leaves are convex, slightly elongated. Old leaves become concave. The leaves are light green, smooth, shiny, almost without edging. There are notches on the edges of the leaves.
Melba blooms from April to June (depending on the region). The buds are round, white-pink in color with a slight purple tint. Flowers are large. The petals are closely spaced, often overlapping.
Fruits weighing 120-160 grams, some fruits reach 200 grams. The shape of apples is round-conical or round. The skin is smooth, dense, with a white wax coating. Small white dots are visible under the skin.
The color is green before maturation, during maturation it becomes light yellow. Half of the apple is covered with a red blush with bright streaks.
A fully ripe apple is dark pink in color, the veins turn dark red. The pulp is medium density, white, very juicy, sour-sweet, with a pronounced caramel aroma.
Funnel of medium size, deep. The calyx is non-falling and closed. Saucer of medium size, small and finely furrowed. Heart shaped, medium size. The chambers are semicircular, large. The stem is small. Seeds are brown, large, oblong.
The fruits per 100 grams contain: 297 milligrams of P-active substances; 13.5 milligrams ascorbic acid; 10.5 percent sucrose; 10.1 percent pectin; 0.79 percent titratable acids.
- On the seed rootstock, the tree reaches 4 meters, the crown is formed up to 7 meters in diameter. Fruiting occurs in 4-6 years.
- On a semi-dwarf rootstock it reaches 3 meters, the width of the crown is 1.5-2 meters. The first harvest is taken after 3-4 years.
- Dwarf species reach 2 meters, the tree crown in diameter reaches 1.5 meters. Fruiting occurs at 3 years.
About 50 kilograms of high-quality fruits are removed from the tree. Harvest ripens in the second decade of August, in the southern regions at the end of July. Fruiting lasts until the end of September. The fruits are harvested by hand. Apples at 2 degrees Celsius (in the cellar, refrigerator) are stored for about 4 months. From Melba it turns out delicious jam, compote, jam, dried fruits, filling for pies.
Red Melba is a direct clone of the Melba variety. Compared to the Melba variety, its Red Melba clone is characterized by increased winter hardiness and resistance to scab. The variety is suitable for growing in the southern and middle lane. Fruits in a cool place are stored up to 2 months.
The tree has a strongly leafy, medium thickened, low, vertically oval crown.
The leaves are small, medium length, wide, wrinkled, elliptical and oval, convex-concave, dull, green in color. The edges of the leaves are crenate.
Fruit weight from 120 to 200 grams. Peduncle straight, long, oblique, thin.
The height and diameter of the fruit is 70 millimeters.
The shape of apples is one-dimensional and rounded. The skin on the fruit is oily, not thick, smooth. Color greenish white. The integumentary color of the fruit is blurred, bright, dark red. Subcutaneous points are pronounced, medium in size, in in large numbers. The funnel is sharp-conical, shallow, without rustiness. Seeds of medium size, conical shape, brown.
The pulp is fine-grained, greenish, medium density, rather juicy. The taste of the fruits is sour-sweet, pronounced, slightly inferior to the parent variety.
The yield of an adult tree in 10 years reaches 80 kilograms.
The advantages of the Melba variety include:
- fruit ripeness,
- high yield,
- transportability and lightness,
- high commercial quality.
An adult tree can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees. To maintain productivity next year, it requires shelter for the winter.
Variety Melba, in addition to advantages, has disadvantages.
- Its cultivation requires special conditions.
- Melba in early age not winter hardy.
- The variety has poor resistance to scab.
- After the age of twelve, fruiting becomes cyclical.
- The apple tree is self-fertile. For getting good harvest a pollinator variety should be planted nearby.
Due to the fact that Melba is self-fertile, it is necessary to place the pollinator variety Borovinka, Bellefleur-Chinese, Quinti, Antonovka, Suslepskoe nearby when planting.
The best time for planting is early spring or mid-September - early October. At least a month should pass between planting and the first autumn frosts.
The place should be bright and closed from the wind.
The best soil for growing Melba is loam. Clay or wetlands are not suitable. The earth should have a neutral or slightly alkaline level of acidity. If the indicators do not correspond to the norm, dolomite flour or slaked lime is introduced into the ground at the rate of 0.5 kilograms per square meter.
The distance between each tree should be 1.5 to 7 meters apart and 0.5 to 3 meters between rows (depending on the rootstock). For dwarf rootstocks, it is 1.5 by 0.5 meters. For semi-dwarf rootstocks 3 by 1.5 meters. For seed rootstocks 7 by 3 meters.
Landing
A pit for planting is prepared for half a month. The depth of the pit should be 60-80 centimeters, the width is about 60-100 centimeters. 30 centimeters of cut soddy soil, must be mixed with the same amount of sand, humus, peat, with 1 kilogram of ash, 0.4 kilograms double superphosphate, 200 grams of potassium sulfate.
At the bottom of the pit, 20 centimeters of coarse river sand, nutshells are poured, broken brick or fine gravel for drainage. This layer will further protect the roots from decay when the groundwater level rises.
A strong, healthy tree 1-2 years old is selected for planting. The length of the seedling should be 45-80 centimeters. The tree must have at least 2-3 side shoots, a well-developed, fully formed root system. The bark should be completely and evenly colored, elastic, smooth, without visible tubercles and cracks.
A couple of days before planting in the ground, the roots of the tree descend into cool water. Before planting, the leaves are cut with sharp scissors. The roots are dipped into a creamy clay mash.
The prepared soil mixture is poured into the pit, a mound is formed about 20 centimeters high.
Near the hill on the north side, a wooden peg is driven in for support. It should rise above the ground at a height of 70 centimeters.
The seedling is installed on a mound, the roots spread over the surface and covered with earth. At the same time, the seedling needs to be shaken a little so that voids do not form between the roots. The root neck should be placed at a height of 6-7 centimeters above the ground. The soil around the tree is trampled down.
Then, an earthen mound 10 centimeters high is formed around the tree with an indent of half a meter. The seedling is tied to a peg and watered with 2 buckets of settled water.
trunk circle mulched with a 10-centimeter layer of dry grass, needles or peat.
Watering is carried out once a month, starting in spring and ending in the first month of autumn.
Before fruiting, about 2 buckets of water go to the tree at a time. After the start of fruiting, the volume of water increases to 4 buckets. Before watering, a roller is formed around the tree at a distance of half a meter from the trunk, water is poured into the formed circle. After watering, the soil is leveled and covered with fresh mulch.
top dressing
- The first feeding is done in the second year after planting. In early May, the tree is watered with a solution of urea (0.5 kilograms per bucket of water). At the beginning of summer, the procedure is repeated.
- At the end of July, a solution of chicken manure (part of the manure per 12 liters of water) or cow manure (part of the manure per 8 liters of water) is introduced.
- At the beginning of autumn, during the digging of the soil, peat, compost or rotted humus, 0.7 kilograms, are introduced dolomite flour(wood ash), 100 grams of superphosphate, 50 grams of potassium sulfate.
pruning
In the second year of growth, the first pruning is done. Pruning is done in early March. The central shoot is cut off by a third, the lateral ones at the level of 3 buds. In October, damaged and dry shoots are removed.
The next 3 years, the crown is formed. The future tree trunk is shortened by a third. On the skeletal branches, shoots are left at an angle of 45 degrees. Other shoots are cut to the first bud. All crooked growing or in contact with each other are removed.
From the fourth year, sanitary pruning is performed (removal of damaged, dry, incorrectly growing branches, shoots). When pruning, light should pass easily between the branches and shoots. Places of cuts are necessarily processed with garden pitch.
The first 2 years, the buds need to be cut off, this contributes to the further productivity of the trees.
An apple tree without preventive maintenance is quite often affected by diseases and pests (scab, moniliosis, powdery mildew, cytosporosis, black cancer, scab, flower beetle, codling moth and leafworm).
Apple tree is affected by scab. The leaves are covered with brown spots. The fruits are covered with cracks and gray spots. The fruits stop growing and fall off. To combat the disease in spring and autumn, it is treated with an aqueous solution of urea (0.5 kilograms per bucket of water).
Before flowering and after the formation of ovaries, a solution of copper oxychloride is used (40 grams per bucket of water). For prevention, Horus and Oxyhom preparations are used.
Moniliosis (fruit rot) forms rapidly growing brown spots and whitish outgrowths on fruits. The pulp becomes brown, soft, not suitable for consumption. Apples fall, they must be immediately removed from the site.
To combat the disease, Fundazol, Horus, Skor are used.
When powdery mildew (white plaque on the leaves, which later turn brown, become covered with black dots, turn yellow and fall off), copper sulphate (50 grams per bucket of water), copper oxychloride, Topaz is processed.
Cytosporosis appears on the cortex dark spots. To combat the disease, the drug Hom (40 grams per bucket of water), copper sulfate is used.
black cancer leads to cracking of the trunk and branches of the tree, causes the formation of black growths and leads to the death of the apple tree. Damaged places are immediately removed, the sections are covered with a layer of garden pitch.
apple scab sucks the juice out of the tree, it begins to dry and dies.
When a pest appears on a tree, Ankara is used, washed with a solution blue vitriol with ash and tar soap.
apple flower beetle lays larvae in buds, which lead to drying and falling off of flowers. Chlorophos is used to control insects.
When an apple codling moth appears, Tsimbush, Fastak preparations are used.
leaf roller can be defeated with the help of Zitkor, Fastakoma.
Preparing for winter
Before wintering, the tree is whitened and wrapped. A third of the length of the tree is covered with a solution of 2 kilograms of powdered clay, 1 kilogram of lime, 50 grams of Fundazol, 50 grams of grated tar soap, 20 milliliters of stationery glue, a bucket of water.
After processing, the trunk is wrapped in tarpaulin or burlap. When wrapping, dry straw is laid between the layers. Young trees are covered completely; spruce branches can be used for shelter. When snow falls, a snowdrift forms around the tree, which retains heat until spring.
The Melba apple tree is loved by many gardeners. This variety, despite its weak frost resistance and susceptibility to scab, is popular because of the beauty and aroma of the fruits, which compensate for all the work with a bountiful harvest.
One of the most popular fruits grown by gardeners are apples. Among the huge variety of varieties, the Melba variety has been standing out for a long time. Why do you like him so much and what is his popularity?
In 1898 Canadian breeders, by pollinating the wild variety of Macintosh apple trees, brought out a new variety, named after Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. A few years later, the variety began to be planted in Europe, and then in Russia. You can find the description and characteristics of this variety below.
Mature trees of the melba variety are medium-sized, since they do not exceed 3 m in height. The crown is sparse, but wide, rounded. On initial stage apple tree growth look like columnar, since the process of crown formation is slow and not in one year. The bark is brown, in some cases it has an orange-rusty tint.
On young branches, the leaves are oval-curved, on older ones they are slightly concave. Both those and others are light green in color, finely serrated along the edges. Purple buds are blooming large flowers. White, to the base turning into gently pink color the petals are quite close to each other.
Fruit ripening occurs in August, but if the summer was not warm, September will have to be harvested.. Distinctive property fruit is a round-canonical shape and medium size. The mass of one apple varies from 130 to 180 gr. The skin of the fruit is thin and smooth, covered with a wax coating. The apples are light green, with stripes of red up to half of the surface of the skin. They have a pronounced caramel aroma and a sweet-sour taste.
A young apple tree of the Melba variety bears fruit annually, but an adult tree only periodically, and it has not been possible to identify what the periods of fruiting depend on to this day. Therefore, for an annual harvest, even experienced gardeners resort to additional means, for example, pollinate it manually.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Melba variety
The popularity of the Melba apple variety is high: it is preferred by many gardeners. Important is the fact that the first harvest can be obtained after 4 years. And the apples will be full and tasty. In addition, the advantages include the high yield of the variety. The fruits are perfectly stored and endure long-term transportation without losing their presentation.
For all its merits, the variety cannot be called ideal, since apple trees have melba and disadvantages, among which the following are significant:
- almost complete absence of resistance to such a common disease of fruit crops as scab;
- frost resistance, which leads to the freezing of apple trees in harsh winters with little snow.
But gardeners have already learned how to deal with shortcomings, so when good care on time and with increased attention, melba is able to please with its high yield for many years.
The chemical composition and benefits of apples of this variety
Melba apples differ not only in excellent palatability but are renowned for their usefulness. They are practically universal. Jam, compotes, jam, juices - all this tastes amazing. Dried apples have a special aroma, and there are a lot of benefits from them. Vitamins, acids, sugar - all this has useful action on the human body. Experts have proven that 100 grams of melba apple contains:
- 10-11 gr. Sahara;
- from 10 to 13 gr. ascorbic acid;
- about 10 gr. pectins.
Rules for planting apple seedlings
The best time to plant a melba apple seedling is autumn, 30 days before the first frost. Between seedlings, the distance should be at least 7 meters. If the trees are planted in rows, a distance of 3 meters must be observed between the rows. The place should be chosen sunny, without drafts. In addition, the presence of groundwater must be taken into account.
A pit for planting (depth 80 cm, length and width 1 meter) is prepared in advance, 15 days before planting. The earth dug out of the pit is mixed with peat, humus taken in equal parts. Coarse-grained river sand is added, the dose should be 2 times less. This composition is mixed with wood ash, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. The bottom of the pit is laid out with drainage.
From the prepared fertile land at the bottom of the pit, a small mound is formed, on which a seedling is placed with a neatly straightened root system. Fall asleep with soil in several stages, each layer lightly tamping. After the pit is completely filled, the soil is once again tamped and the seedling is tied to a pre-set support.
During planting, you must be careful not to cover the root neck of the seedling with earth. It should be 4-6 cm above the top layer of soil.
Planted tree care
Melba apple trees are not very whimsical in care. The most important thing is not to forget that they do not tolerate cold and frost. That's why, the preparation of apple trees for winter should be paid attention first of all. The trunk and branches that form the basis of the tree must be whitewashed. This will prevent rodents from trying to gnaw the apple tree. For the same purpose, you can build an additional shelter: in several layers, the trunk is wrapped with burlap or tarpaulin. The layers are shifted with straw and the entire structure is securely fixed on the apple tree. To insulate the trunk, you can use a special insulating material. In snowy winters, a snowdrift can be built around the apple tree.
Whitewashing the trunk and branches - the first protection against rodents for the winter The earth around the apple tree must be dug up regularly, in spring and autumn. If the soil is fertile, no fertilizer is applied in the first year after planting. In the subsequent time, it is good to use nitrogen, humus and peat, wood ash, superphosphate, sodium chloride, potassium as a top dressing.
A young melba apple tree should be pruned the next year. Doing so better in spring until the awakening of the kidneys. The central branch is cut off by about a third, 3 buds are left on the side shoots. And. On the 2nd and 3rd year of growth, a crown is formed, reducing the length of the central shoot. leave side shoots growing up, the rest is cut off.
In the future, annual sanitary pruning is carried out, removing all dried and diseased branches, shoots that grow down and inside the crown.
Diseases and pests: description and methods of treatment
Among the diseases that affect the melba apple variety, it is worth paying attention to Special attention to such as:
- scab. Initially, small brown spots appear on the leaves, which gradually increase and pass to the fruits. Apples stop growing, crack and become covered with dark gray spots. As preventive measures in spring, the apple tree is sprayed with drugs such as Oksihom and Horus. The solution must be prepared strictly according to the instructions for medicinal products;
- powdery mildew. Thin white coating on the leaves blocks the ingress of oxygen, moisture. The leaves turn yellow, curl and fall off. The same thing happens with inflorescences, the fruits are not tied. At the moment when the leaves are just beginning to bloom, they are sprayed with Topaz, and after the apple tree has faded, copper chloride is used;
- fruit rot. Brown and soft to the touch spots on the fruit, whitish growths. The fruit cannot be eaten, as the pulp is soft and brown. Apples infected with fruit rot fall off. They should be destroyed immediately. With monoliosis ( scientific name rot) helps 3-fold spraying with preparations Skor, Horus and Fundazol.
Powdery mildew Scab Fruit rot
In addition to diseases that affect trees, apple trees suffer a lot from pests, which can also make it impossible to eat tasty and healthy apples. The most common include:
- codling moth. From insects, sticky belts put on an apple tree and treatment of ovaries with Tsimbush and Fastak preparations will help;
- apple scab. Pests suck the juice out of the tree, it dries and dies. Before flowering, the soil around the apple tree is treated with actara, and the apple tree itself is washed with a stiff brush with a solution of tar soap with wood ash;
- apple beetle. It lays larvae in buds, which subsequently dry out and fall off. A solution of chlorophos helps well.
