Apple "Lobo": description of the variety and cultivation

Apple tree "Lobo" came to us from distant Canada in the last century. Even for a not too long time, the apple tree managed to be liked and loved by so many people.Its juicy taste can not be confused with other varieties of apples. It is especially pleasant that these apples ripen before the very frosts, when there are practically no other fruits. Of course, before you finally decide whether to plant this variety or not, it is better to get acquainted with it.

Apple tree "Lobo" is considered a late variety, it is also called sometimes winter. Harvest, as a rule, in the last autumn months, before the first frosts begin. This species was bred from the Macintosh variety by Canadian gardeners due to free pollination. These apple trees are suitable for many climatic zones. Experts estimate "Lobo" as a variety with a great prospect.

Apples of this variety are grown in small quantities at the dacha and large-scale - in large areas. As a rule, the yields from these apple trees are high every year. Fruits "Lobo" are suitable just for food and for juices, salads, mashed potatoes, compotes.

The size of ripe fruit is large enough, and the weight ranges from 120 grams. The weight of one apple can sometimes reach 0.5 kg. However, such fruits can be grown only if the tree is properly maintained, and if weather conditions are concomitant.

The shape of the fruit is most often rounded-conical, but there are also simply rounded fruits. The ribbing is absent, the skin is smooth. It is worth noting that the present "Lobo" has a cover with a waxy coating. The color of the apples in a variety of yellow-green, sometimes there is a blush in the form of stripes. And the color of blush can be from pale marble to dark brown-red hue.

If you look at the fetus, you can see the subcutaneous points, but they should not be too much. The apple stem is of medium size, and there is a thickening on its tip. The funnel of an apple can be characterized as deep and sprawling, the stem does not go beyond it.

The ribbed fruit saucer has small dimensions. The cup is also small; it can be both closed and half-open. The tube under the cup has a good width and medium depth, its shape resembles a reverse cone. Chambers with small seeds, shaped like a heart.

The flesh of "Lobo" has white color and fine granularity. The fruits are very juicy, their taste at the same time felt sweet and sour. Sour taste in this variety can be explained by the high content of ascorbic acid. On average, 100 grams of apples of this variety contain almost 11 milligrams of acid. Fragrant fruit is good to eat fresh.

Under favorable conditions, apple trees show rapid growth. The first harvest can be obtained, three years after planting. First, the tree crown is oval, and then it gradually grows upwards. In an adult tree, the crown is wide and most often has a rounded shape. May be thinned due to the fact that the branches will be lowered. The height of the tree is average, sometimes it can reach 4 meters.

The shoots at Lobo are medium, they can be curved in shape, cranked or slightly lowered. Painted shoots in brown, sometimes reminiscent of the color of the cherry trunk. The nodes on the shoots are often oval, may have different sizes, the distance between them is not too large. The leaves in the form of an oval or egg are often large, twisted at the tip, and cordate at the base. The surface of the leaves has bumps and wrinkles.

The scapes of apple trees in their form resemble maple trees with small stipules. Apples themselves, as the variety description shows, ripen on last year's growth, as well as on coils and twigs. Flowering "Lobo" occurs in late spring. Pollinators for this variety can be an apple of any of the early species. 200-350 kilograms of apples can be harvested from a tree.

Like any variety, Lobo has its advantages and disadvantages.

• The most important advantage of this variety can be considered a good yield.Moreover, this indicator can be equally high over several years. With the growth of the tree yields only increase. Good frost tolerance makes the variety an excellent option for certain regions.
• Another positive difference of apples is the large size of ripe fruits. Only with poor care, the weight of the fruit is less than 100 grams.
• Among the advantages of the variety it is worth noting its pleasant taste. The sweetness and sourness of these apples are harmoniously combined. Fruits differ in gentle aroma and good juiciness.
• Beautiful fruit appearance can also be considered an advantage. Ripe apples are transported well and without damage even over long distances. This contributes to the fact that they sell well.
• Of the essential advantages of the variety, resistance to periods of drought should also be noted. This is due to the small height of the trees.

There are few disadvantages of this variety, but they still exist.

• One of the most important: the fruits are not stored for more than 60-90 days. For late apple varieties, this shelf life is considered short. Also, when planting this variety, it must be borne in mind that it is subject to various diseases, including scab and powdery mildew. Most often, the destruction of trees occurs in too wet weather.
• During the period of ripening, trees must be additionally taken care of: propping up the branches so that they do not break off under the weight of the fruits. If the frosts affect the apples, they will not be stored at all.
• There are in this variety and such features that everyone personally for themselves relates to the advantages or disadvantages. One of these features is that all the fruits are sown at the same time, in about seven days.

Planting varieties "Lobo" in general is not much different from planting other apple trees. Of course, immediately before planting, it is necessary to adequately assess the size of an adult tree. In this class, the dimensions are most often average, so it is advisable to plant the seedlings at a distance of about three meters from each other. The rows should be four meters behind each other, and preferably five meters.

Apple trees are planted both in spring and in autumn. The soil for planting should be prepared in advance. When the first digging is done, it is important to remove weeds and various debris from the ground. Then you need to re-dig the soil with fertilizer. Fertilizers are applied in the following volume per square meter:

• humus - from 5 kg;
• peat - from 8 kg;
• potassium salt - up to 50 g;
• superphosphate - from 90 to 100 g;
• potassium sulfate - up to 40 g.

Practice shows that when planting in the autumn, it is better to leave large lumps of soil and sod. In the spring months, the soil is harrowed, and by spring the tree gets excellent humus.

Soil acidity is an important indicator. For an apple of this variety, it is advisable to choose a land that is not too acidic. A decrease in this indicator can be achieved by adding lime to the ground. It should be borne in mind that the interaction with lime deprives humus and phosphates of useful properties. It is better not to apply these fertilizers at the same time.

A pit for an apple tree is made a month before planting. If you want to plant in the spring, it is better to dig a hole before winter. This time she just enough for the weathering to pass, and with the arrival of spring, she rather became warm. The size of the pit should be such that it fit the seedling with the root system and fertile soil. The latter is preferably located at the bottom of the pit.

In the event that the land is already fertile, then nothing can be laid out. Usually a pit is made 1x1 meters in size. When digging a hole, it is better to lay a fertile earthen layer, which most often comes from above. This will allow the tree to grow better. The mixture of fertilizers is placed on the very bottom, where it should take about 60 percent.

As a mixture for fertilizers, you can use humus, peat, ash and superphosphates. And it is necessary to take not the freshest manure, as it can not decompose, and will kill the roots of the tree.

When the pit is ready, the seedling is planted in it and added dropwise with earth. After that, it is advisable to tamp the ground around the tree a little. When planting roots, in addition to the central, should be located at a depth of about 20 centimeters. This allows the apple tree to grow better and begin to bear fruit earlier.

Variety "Lobo" loves moisture, but the roots can not withstand the stagnation of water. This must be taken into account, and even before landing. It is important that groundwater does not get too close.

In addition to proper watering, trees constantly need feeding, which is carried out in the spring and autumn months. The first time you need to fertilize the apple tree before it begins to bloom, around April. The soil should be saturated with substances with nitrogen (radical method) and nitroammofoskoy or ammonium nitrate.

After flowering, it is better to use chicken manure, potassium sulfate and superphosphate as a fertilizer. Such a mixture is necessary to make four buckets on each tree. It is also recommended to spray apple trees with urea, at the rate of 0.5 kg per tree. It is worth noting that urea and various minerals are needed for this variety in the period of the most intense heat.

In the autumn months, the tree needs phosphate and potassium. To do this, suitable fertilizers, which are sold in stores. They are bred and used as written in the instructions. In the summer, the latest fertilizer application is July. This is due to the fact that the tree needs to prepare for winter.

Another important step in caring for apple trees is preventing diseases. In order for plants not to be affected by powdery mildew, they should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or other special substances that are sold in gardening stores.

Scab often affects trees during periods of excessive moisture. For preventive maintenance, it is necessary to plant trees correctly so that they are well blown and illuminated by sunlight. If the disease has appeared, then it is necessary to collect and burn all the fallen leaves every year. This is done to prevent the spread of fungal spores.

Also in specialized stores you can buy drugs for spraying. They are used after the tree has completely faded.

Do not forget that trees "Lobo" can not independently pollinate. It is necessary that other pollinators should be planted on the site, in addition to them.

Pruning of trees is carried out in the spring and in the fall. In the spring months pruning of saplings and young trees is carried out. In the autumn pruning should be carried out when the tree has already dropped the leaves, but frost has not yet begun. Be sure to cut off the old and diseased branches. It is also desirable to remove the branches growing inside the crown.

If the trees are pruned correctly, their crown will be beautiful and healthy. In addition, regular pruning provides large fruits.

Most gardeners speak of the variety “Lobo” exclusively in a positive way. Everyone likes beautiful and very fragrant fruits. Even with inadequate care, apples give a good harvest. In general, trees are unpretentious in their care; they tolerate even extreme cold.

The taste of apples is also all praised, but not everyone likes the thick rind on the fruit. From the fruits it is best to prepare the juice, it turns out very sweet and saturated. Of course, many say that diseases have to be fought regularly. However, if you constantly carry out prevention, they can be avoided.

Apple trees of this variety are delighted by many gardeners by the fact that they are still longer than the stated period. Sometimes they can even be stored for up to five months. Of course, there are those who are unhappy with the taste of the Lobo variety and how to take care of it. But there are few such gardeners.

For information on how to cut and shape the crown of an apple tree, see the following video.