Old varieties of apple trees are often forgotten, paying attention to new ones. But many of them are not inferior to fashionable novelties, and sometimes surpass them in some respects. One of these varieties is the Belfler-Chinese apple tree.
Grade description
A tree of high growth, with a wide rounded crown. It is formed by thick branches. It begins to give its first fruits in the sixth year of life. Apples are placed on last year's growths and fruit twigs. Their number is average. But every year it is practically the same. Apple tree harvests annually. The fruits do not crumble and can hang on branches for a long time.
The leaves are dark green or even dark gray, large, oval, covered with a fluff from below. The shoots are light brown in color, reddish, also with the edge. Lentils on branches rounded.
Belfler-Chinese is an apple tree, which is now grown on dwarf rootstocks. This allows you to significantly reduce the area under the tree of this variety, and grow other trees in the saved area.
Bellefleur-Chinese is an apple of late summer ripening. Apples are stored in good condition for about two months. And if you store them in a cool place, then they can last until January.
It is believed that for the middle band, the Belfler-Chinese variety is autumn, and for the southern ones, late summer.
But her immunity to disease is weak. The Belfler-Chinese apple tree is struck by scab and powdery mildew.
Fruit Description
The fruits can be very large. The weight of one may even be 500 g! But their average weight is much less, but also impressive - 190 g. The apple is round in shape, slightly elongated. The saucer is shallow.
The main color is yellow. The integumentary coloring is very beautiful, pink color. It is located on the fruit in stripes or spots and gives the apple a very beautiful appearance, covering at least half of the area. Light subcutaneous dots are one of the hallmarks of the variety.
Fragrant pulp of white color is filled with a large amount of sweet and sour juice. It is fine-grained and dense. A feature of the variety is that its fruits have a spicy aftertaste.
When the apples are picked, their skin is light yellow. But the fruits are not yet ready for consumption. They are not ripe yet. In order for this to happen, you need to let them lie in a place with low humidity for two weeks. Gradually, as they ripen, the skin color changes, and the apples turn white with a bright pink blush.
Origin
The Bellefleur-Chinese variety was obtained at the beginning of the last century from the crossing of the American apple tree Bellefleur yellow with the large-fruited Chinese. And I. Michurin himself did it!
The variety was very popular in the Central Black Earth region, the North Caucasus, Ukraine and Armenia. Then, new varieties of apple trees resistant to frost and disease appeared. They replaced the Bellefleur Chinese in the Caucasus, where it is grown now.
Productivity
The number of apples of this variety varies depending on age and growth band. In the south, it is higher than in the middle lane.
The yield of young trees begins to grow after 15 years. And after 20 years, it reaches 200 kg / ha.
Frost resistance
Belfler-Chinese is an apple tree that is poorly adapted to winter frosts. That is why the area of its distribution was reduced to insignificant territories.
Reviews gardeners talk about how you can get a tree resistant to frost. To do this, they advise pinning a branch of this variety to a more frost-resistant trunk.
Pollinators
Bellefleur Chinese is an apple tree that requires an external pollinator. They can be Antonovka, Cinnamon striped, Autumn striped. Not the best, but acceptable are Pepin saffron and Slavyanka.
Disease
Unfortunately, the Belfler-Chinese apple tree is unstable to scab . Reviews of gardeners suggest that a tree of this variety cannot be grown without proper treatment from the causative agents of this disease. In order to protect apple trees from scab, gardeners advise planting them in elevated places. Air must pass freely between the branches.
Resistance to disease depends on the nutrition of the tree. Bellefleur-Chinese is an apple tree in which an excess of nitrogen fertilizers increases the risk of scab disease.
If the soil around the tree is acidic, it is usually deoxidized in the area of the trunk circle. But after a few years, the roots grow and penetrate into the soil, unsuitable for growing apple trees. This also contributes to the development of the disease. Therefore, the size of the pit for planting an apple tree is better to dig as much as possible.
To prevent scab, the leaves under the trees are cleaned in the fall. Used for composting, filling the ground with a layer of at least 7 cm. In this case, the spores of the fungus that causes the scab will not develop.
Of the chemicals you can use "HOM", "Skor", "Chorus", 1% copper sulfate. A good result is given by spraying in early spring with Bordeaux fluid. But it must be carried out before the swelling of the kidneys.
Growing
Growing and caring for a Belfler-Chinese apple tree is largely associated with a tendency to scab infection. This is planting in a spacious, elevated place, and digging up the trunk circle every fall.
A pit for planting needs to be prepared larger, 1 m deep and wide. The distance between the trees should be at least 4 m.
Planting
The seedlings are quite high, the bark on them is dark brown. An interesting feature of the leaves is that they grow almost perpendicular to the stem.
The planting time of this variety largely depends on the composition of the soil in the place where the Belfler-Chinese apple tree will grow. Saplings in black soil or loam can be planted two weeks after the pit is ready.
Reviews gardeners advise when planting in sandy soil, first line the bottom with moss, fertilize. They advise planting in such soil the next year.
The soil mixed with fertilizers is poured to the bottom of the pit, up to about half. A peg that will support the tree is clogged. A mound is poured from the remaining soil, a tree is placed on it. Before that, its roots are slightly pruned, soaked in clay mash. Set the seedling, determining the location of the root neck. If a sapling with a clothespin, then it is turned towards the north. They fill the rest of the earth, carefully compacting it.
Care
After planting, the tree is regularly watered. The trunk and the thickest branches are processed with slaked lime. This will protect them from sunburn. The trunk circle is mulched. Over time, the cover layer may become thinner. Therefore, it must be added. Weeds are harvested.
Storage
Apples are sorted by selecting the same in size. Stacking in boxes and set in a room with a temperature of about 0 degrees. So apples can be stored for several months, until January. Although more often this period is shorter, until the end of November.
Belfler-Chinese apples can be transported over long distances. They normally tolerate transportation.
Large apples Belfler-Chinese produce a large amount of ethylene, which harms other products prepared for the winter. Therefore, it is advisable to store them separately.
Using
Now Belfler-Chinese is an apple tree that is used more for breeding new varieties. It is grown for eating only in the north of the Caucasus. And in the last century, it was common in more northern regions.
Now some gardeners use the property of apple trees of this variety to produce very large fruits. Therefore, they often grow a Belfler-Chinese apple tree variety to present them as their achievement at various exhibitions.