Apple tree "Orlik": description of the variety and subtleties of cultivation

Orlik apples are a late variety that ripens in September. The fruits have a juicy and tart taste, they can be stored until May, without losing their qualities.You can pick apples without any special tools, because the trees have a small height.

Apple tree "Orlik" is a remarkable plant, the fruits of this variety have excellent taste and have a lot of useful substances. Gardeners in all countries of the former USSR welcome this variety very much.

The description of the Orlik variety is invariably accompanied by the following characteristics:

• high yield;
• early maturity;
• Excellent weather and pest resistance.

Fruits have a sweet and sour taste, persistent aroma and very juicy, while their size is small. One fruit weighs no more than 125 grams. The apple looks aesthetically pleasing, the skin is taut with a slight touch that glows with a matte sheen. Apples contain up to 12% sugar, 12.8% pectins, 3% titrated acids.

100 grams of the fruit contains a lot of vitamin C, ferrous compounds, and the following components are also present:

• R-active components - 175 mg;
• ascorbic acid - 9.2 mg.

The branches are attached to the trunk with a slightly horizontal inclination, arching slightly upwards. Apple trees have a bark that is not very thick, the color is gray-yellow. Foliage on the tree a lot, the shape of the crown is oval, the sizes are average. The variety has good resistance to negative temperatures. Apple leaves are larger than average, oval in shape, dark green with a grayish tint. The buds of the apple tree are relatively small. The scourge of gardens is a scab, a disease that can completely destroy a crop, but Orlik apples can easily cope with such a threat, possessing a powerful immune system.

"Orlik" was invented half a century ago by breeders from the city of Orel, now it is rightfully considered to be the most successful species. The apple tree was made thanks to the crossing of varieties "Mac" and "Bessemyanka Michurinskaya". The variety "Orlik" is a successful hybrid, which has been further developed. As a result of numerous improvements, the Orlik variety has acquired the qualities mentioned above. "Orlik" is cultivated in many countries, both on large plantations and in private farms.

Often the variety "Orlik" is used in the food industry for the production of juices and baby food. It usually ripens in the second half of September. Crop is removed from the branches and sent to storage in refrigerators or basements, which are well ventilated. Fruits can be stored until the beginning of spring without any difficulties and additional processing. All these qualities are important when it comes to tons of this product. Good safety of the crop, its keeping quality is provided by the work of thousands of people employed in enterprises.

The view of the blossoming apple tree "Orlik" is very aesthetic: flowers of pale pink color scheme with different shades. Trees grow quickly and actively, fruiting throughout life. On average, one tree gives two dozen kilograms of selected apples after the fourth year of existence. After ten years of fruiting, the yield from one tree is 75 kilograms. After fifteen years - this figure can reach 125 kg.

You can get the benefits of using the variety "Orlik" as:

• early maturity;
• resistance to low temperatures and high humidity;
• yield stability;
• amazing taste;
• excellent keeping quality, possibility of transportation over long distances;
• compactness of plants;
• good resistance to parasites;
• lack of care in the care.

Among the shortcomings worth noting the following:

• premature shedding occurs;
• unstable fruiting;
• self-infertility.

Place for planting apple "Orlik" carefully chosen. The tree should be closed from the north wind, and too much sunlight should not fall on it. The distance between plants is not more than two meters, the soil should not be oxidized. The best land for apple trees is black soil. Worst of all, plants develop in marshy lowlands or on rocky uplands.

Four weeks before landing, the intended site is carefully prepared: a small fossa is dug out, the fertile layer is deposited separately. In the center of the recess, a small pole about 4 cm thick is driven in. If necessary, the bottom should be drained. Removed fertile soil is mixed with compost, then the pit is filled. The landing site is watered and covered with foil. In a few weeks, an environment will be formed in which the roots will actively develop and strengthen.

It is better to buy seedlings on trading floors with a good reputation: in specialized stores or in garden partnerships. It is not recommended to buy seedlings through the Internet, since there is a high risk of buying a “cat in a bag”. When purchasing seedlings, first of all it is necessary to focus on the roots: they must be elastic, strong and developed, distributed evenly. Any damage must be absent. To check how dry the root is, it’s enough to make a small mark on it.

A full sapling has a length of one and a half meters, there can not be any "strange" spots on it, and even less signs of rot. It is a mistake to buy tall seedlings - this in no way speaks of the health of the future tree, the size in these areas does not matter. If you plan to plant a seedling in a few weeks, it should be sprinkled with a little soil. When transporting a sapling, the root system must be placed in a container with moist soil. Safety in this form can be guaranteed for several days.

Apple tree begins to bear fruit only after 4 years of life. Landing should take place "by science." Planting material, its quality is of great importance, but it is also worth considering how the plant will develop during the first seven years of its life. Orlyk can be planted in spring and autumn.

Both in the first and second versions there are advantages and disadvantages.

• If you plant a culture in the spring, this will allow the root system to be formed in advance. Usually this process starts in the second half of April, when positive temperature is present at night (more than +5 degrees). After planting, the seedling requires regular watering, only then the root system will develop properly. And also a few days before planting the seedling is better to hold in a container with water.
• If the apple trees are planted in the fall, then it becomes possible for the sapling to get comfortable during the cold season, to develop the root system. When the heat comes, the tree will actively begin to grow and develop without any “buildup”. Planting in the autumn is recommended a few weeks before the onset of cold weather. Planting in the fall is also good because autumn rains make it possible for the seedling to settle down faster.

In hot weather, one-time small watering helps a little. In this case, consistency is important. Drip irrigation is the most acceptable, because moisture is evenly distributed in the root area. Water should be dispersed evenly, while the soil needs to be wetted to a depth of not less than 65 cm.

The level of moisture required is directly related to the age of the plant. The first five years, young trees do not particularly need intensive watering. It takes about three buckets of water per square meter for yearling saplings.Two-year crops need five buckets of water per square meter. If the plant is between three and five years old, then no more than eight buckets of water are required. Mature trees need up to ten buckets of water. After the buds are swollen, watering should be done at a frequency of once a week.

After the appearance of the ovaries, a second watering is necessary. If the weather is excessively hot, then watering is necessary as prevention. A few weeks before harvesting, another watering should be done. In the autumn, it is reasonable to do additional watering in the event that autumn is long and warm. When mulching apple trees, materials that provoke high density of the soil are not suitable. Sawdust conifers in this case are contraindicated. Mulch is compounded from the trunk at a distance of 10–112 centimeters, what needs to be done so that the trunk, which can become infected with pathogenic bacteria, is not affected.

The Orlik apple-tree is required to be fed with mineral supplements. Feeding time is determined in working order in accordance with the vegetative periods. When the warm weather sets in spring, the apple trees need feeding.

The following compounds are most commonly used:

• overfilled manure;
• substances containing nitrogen.

When the harvest is almost ripe, the tree is fed with superphosphates (145 g), potassium chloride (50 g). In spring, it makes sense to fertilize the land around the apple with bird droppings, which contributes to an active increase in biomass. The infusion of chicken manure is made at least three times, the proportion is 50: 1. Special small holes are made on the periphery (up to 55 cm), up to 8 kg of “organics” are poured into them. Superphosphate permissible to make up to 62 g of potash compounds to 45 g. In the fall, apple trees are additionally fed with superphosphate (45 g per liter of water). If an apple tree grows on acidified soil, then every three years it makes sense to add lime (200–350 g) to neutralize acidity.

Apple trees need preventive pruning, which contributes to a better metabolism and strengthening of plants, as well as increases the yield and quality of fruits. Harvest ripen in September. Fruits must be carefully removed from the tree. Usually, the harvest is made together with the stem, because its presence allows you to extend the shelf life, protects against lesions by fungus and pathogens. When picking apples, one should not damage the peel, such fruits will not be stored for a long time. If dents from mechanical damage occur, such apples are also not subject to long-term storage.

When storing apples produce a "vivifying" gas, which is called ethylene. This substance promotes fruit ripening. If potatoes and apples are stored in the basement, the first one will begin to actively germinate due to the effect of ethylene released by apples. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended for apples to make separate bins with their own hood. Store apples at a temperature above zero (up to +3 degrees). Humidity is valid from 84 to 96%.

To the skin does not wrinkle, often apples are treated with sunflower oil. The walls in the cellar are covered with lime mortar, which significantly reduces the percentage of moisture. And it also makes sense to carry out additional warming in order to exclude sharp temperature drops. Store the fruit in sandboxes or in open plastic bags in which numerous holes are drilled. Layers of apples sprinkled with sand or sawdust.

Most reviews of the variety "Orlik" positive. The most often mentioned by summer residents is the compactness of plants, on 6 acres you can plant a lot of apple trees. And also productivity and good resilience to adverse circumstances is noted. Among the shortcomings worth paying attention to the fact that "Orlik" begins to bear fruit only in the fifth year of life, while other varieties - in the second year.

On the intricacies of growing the apple tree "Orlik", see the following video.