Apple-tree Skala brings wonderful fruits that have excellent taste and appearance. This variety is equally popular among amateur gardeners and among entrepreneurs.
History of breeding and region of growth
Apple-tree Skala was bred in 2001 by crossing varieties Bessemyanka Michurinskaya and Prima. The author of this species is considered to be breeder Saveliev N.I., whose work was carried out on the territory of the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Fruit Cultures named after Michurin.
The rock is adapted to the conditions of the middle zone of Russia, so it has been actively distributed in this region. In other places with inappropriate climate, trees do not fully show all their varietal characteristics.
Apple tree description
Apple Tree Skala, the photo of which can be seen below, is a medium-sized bole tree that cannot boast of rapid and active growth. The crown is sprawling and powerful, but not very thick.
The branches are quite thick, with respect to the trunk are located at an acute angle. The bark is painted in an unusual gray shade. The pubescent shoots of small sizes have a greenish-brown color.
Leaves of medium size, oblong with pointed ends. The surface of the sheet plate is light green, glossy. Inflorescences are painted in a delicate pink color.
The apple-tree variety Skala belongs to the late-ripening group with high productivity and good winter hardiness. Pollination of this tree is cross, occurs due to pollen of other apple trees with the same flowering period.
Fruit characterization
Usually, Skala apple-tree bears its first fruits already for 5-6 years, but in some cases this period is delayed up to 7-8 years. Ripe apples ripen in mid-September and retain their freshness for 3 months. The yield of this variety is very high and regular.
The fruits have a regular, symmetrical, slightly elongated shape without pronounced ribs. Apples of the same size ripen on one tree, on average, their weight is 230-250 grams, but with proper care and favorable conditions, this figure can be increased to 320 grams.
The skin is thin, glossy, greenish yellow with a red tint. There is no wax coating. The pulp is of medium density and granular consistency, very juicy, painted in cream color. The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, the aroma is not very pronounced.
The composition of 100 grams of such apples includes:
- 12% fructose;
- 15% solids;
- 30 milligrams of ascorbic acid;
- 200 milligrams of P-active substances.
Apple-tree Skala gives very useful and tasty fruits of a high degree of keeping quality.
Apple tree planting
The first step to getting a rich harvest is to choose a healthy and strong seedling that must meet the following criteria:
- The root system must be developed and branched.
- On the roots and bark of the seedling, there should be no external damage and signs of decay.
- It is best to buy a tree in the climatic zone in which it will be grown. This is necessary in order to avoid unsuccessful acclimatization.
- Young seedlings take root much better, the optimal age for planting an apple tree is 1 or 2 years.
Apple-tree Skala, acquired in an earthen coma, perfectly tolerates both spring and autumn planting. Saplings with an open root system are planted exclusively in the spring.
In order for the fruits to be large and juicy, you need to choose the right place that will meet all the requirements:
- Be sure to have a lot of sunlight.
- Lack of drafts and the threat of gusty winds.
- The soil should be light and pass air and moisture well, usually for such purposes use loamy or sandy loam soil.
- The presence of drainage, which can be made of pebbles, expanded clay or broken brick, is welcome.
- To avoid rotting the root system, the Skala apple tree can not be planted in places with a high occurrence of groundwater.
2-4 weeks before planting, prepare pits with a diameter of 70 and a depth of 60 centimeters. The distance between individual trees should be at least 3 meters. The upper fertile soil layer is mixed with the following fertilizers:
- 2 buckets of rotted cow or horse manure;
- 1 bucket of humus;
- 250 grams of wood ash;
- 250 grams of superphosphate;
- 100 grams of potassium sulfide.
A 2/3 hole is filled with a fertile mixture and a mound is built, on which a seedling is placed and the roots are carefully straightened. The tree is buried and gently tamped. Then it is tied to a peg and watered abundantly.
Apple care
Reviews about the apple tree Skala say that it does not require special care and is unpretentious.
Water the tree as it dries, in cloudy weather once a week, and in the dry period daily. After each watering, the trunk circle is mulched with sawdust, humus, leaves or other improvised materials.
In the spring, complex mineral fertilizers are scattered around the tree, and in the fall, humus or rotted manure is brought under the dig. It is also worth noting that top dressing of an apple tree begins from 3 years after planting.
In the spring, all frozen and diseased branches are cut off at the tree. In autumn, diseased branches and shoots growing inside the crown or greatly thickening it are removed.
The first 4-5 years, you can not give the apple to tie fruit. To do this, all the flowers formed are torn off.
In the Central region, the Skala apple tree does not need additional shelter for the winter period.
Prevention of diseases and pests
The description of Skala apple tree will be incomplete, if not to say that it is immune to scab and other fungal diseases. Preventive measures to protect the tree from pests and diseases are as follows:
- With the advent of the first buds and before the buds open, the crown of the tree is treated with insecticides.
- During the growing season, the tree is sprayed with calcium chloride.
- It is also necessary to adhere to all the rules for tree care: timely watering, fertilizing and sanitary pruning.
- Conducting simple events can prevent the emergence of diseases and insects.
The Skala apple tree is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and adaptability to the conditions of the Central region of Russia. The resulting fruits have a pleasant taste and beautiful appearance.