Advantages and disadvantages of the Orlik apple variety, especially its cultivation

Apple Orlik belongs to the category of winter-hardy varieties. The fruits contain a large percentage of vitamins and minerals.

The rich taste and pleasant aroma that comes from apples are significant advantages of the Orlik variety.

The green planting is intensively gaining growth and already the next year after planting the seedling it can please with the first fruits.

Features of the variety

In 1959, in the city of Orel, thanks to the painstaking work of breeders Trofimov and Sedov, a new apple variety appeared, which was named Orlik. The varieties Michurinsky and Macintosh were used for crossing. The universal variety of the fruit tree is resistant to viral diseases, frost resistance, and regular fruiting. Orlik has gained wide popularity among gardeners.

Description

The Orlik variety is distinguished by its small size and unpretentiousness. The weight of each fruit reaches 95-180 g. The peel of rounded apples is matte, shiny with an oily surface. Ripe fruits are colored greenish-red. Purple blotches are randomly located throughout the surface. On some specimens, you can find the presence of red stripes.

The short stalk is wide enough. There is a shallow funnel on the fruit. The seeds inside the fruit are concentrated symmetrically. They are painted in a dark brown palette. The seed chambers are covered with a transparent film.

The crown of medium-sized fruit trees is spherical. Thick skeletal branches grow at right angles. The ends of the shoots are directed high up. The yellowish bark is smooth. The compact size of the apple tree makes it easy to care for even mature trees.

In the spring months, buds are formed on the shoots of the apple tree, which are naturally endowed with small size, conical outlines and strong pubescence. Oval-shaped leaf plates are colored green. A small amount of gray blotches can be seen on the surface of the green mass. The foliage of the Orlik variety is wavy. There is a bend in the area of ​​the central veins. The tips of each sheet plate are pointed.

During the flowering period, the fruit tree throws out large inflorescences, which are painted in pink tones. The flowers of the apple tree are collected in rather lush buds. Each flower contains a pistil. Ripe fruits of the Orlik variety are distinguished by dense pulp, juiciness, and pleasant taste characteristics. Sweet and sour apples are used to make fruit purees, juice and compote.

Yield

The variety is distinguished by a high level of yield, however, it is worth considering the sharp frequency, which refers to the disadvantages of this variety of apple trees. Harvest years alternate with dormant years, when only a few fruits can be removed from the trees. In the high season, 110-140 kg of juicy fruits can be harvested from an adult apple tree. The apple harvest period begins in mid-September.

The timing of flowering, fruiting and storage of apples

After planting the seedlings, 3-4 years must pass so that a good harvest can be harvested from the tree, the weight of which will reach 45-50 kg. The flowering period usually begins at the end of April. The flowers that form on the shoots of the fruit tree are pink in color. The fruits formed after the end of the flowering period have a pleasant sweet and sour taste.Once the apples are ripe, it is important to harvest them as soon as possible.

Otherwise, the crop will fall to the ground, and fruits with damaged skin cannot be stored for a long time. The crop is usually poured into wooden boxes. If you wish, you can sprinkle the apples with a small layer of sawdust.

Important! After all the fruits are stacked, the wooden boxes are lowered into the basement, where the temperature does not exceed 5 ° C.

Growing features

When choosing an area for planting seedlings, you should give preference to well-lit areas located on the slopes. The soil at the planting site should be loamy. Planting of seedlings is carried out in the spring months, when the threat of night frosts has passed.

The site is cleared of weeds and dug up. For each seedling, a hole is dug, the depth of which should reach 70-80 cm. A small part of humus with superphosphate and potassium is introduced into the soil. The distance between the dug depressions should reach 200-300 cm. Before planting, the root system of each seedling is soaked in Kornevin's solution.

Step-by-step planting process

1. A small amount of humus mixed with the ground is poured onto the surface of the bottom of the depression in the ground.
2. The root system of the seedling is neatly placed in the pit.
3. The resulting voids are filled with soil mixture in such a way that the root collar rises 40-50 mm above the ground.
4. A peg is dug in near the planted apple tree, which acts as a support.
5. The soil surface is compacted.
6. The earth is abundantly moistened. The area of ​​the trunk circle is mulched with a layer of hay and straw.

Care

To get a hefty apple harvest, it is important to properly care for green spaces.

Watering and loosening

The frequency of soil moisture depends on the weather conditions and the age of the green plantation. An excess of moisture, as well as a deficiency, negatively affects the growth of culture. Due to the lack of moisture, the leaf plates of fruit plantations wither and begin to fall off. At the same time, the fruits decrease in size.

If you often water the apple tree, you can provoke rotting of the root system or the development of a fungal disease.

Note! The correct watering regime allows you to achieve the formation of the most juicy and large-sized fruits.

The main recommendations of specialists regarding the care of an apple tree are presented below.

1. Seedlings need weekly soil moisture. Each green space will require 25-30 liters of water.
2. During the fruiting period, it is not recommended to moisten the soil, which will make it possible to avoid cracking the fruits.
3. In order to moisten the soil in the area of ​​the trunk circle, a sprayer should be used. In the morning or evening hours, water dissipates over the surface of the soil and over the crown. During the day, sprinkling is unacceptable, so as not to provoke the occurrence of burns on the leaf plates. During the flowering period, it is better to refuse watering, so as not to accidentally wash off the pollen with the pressure of water.
4. After each moistening procedure, it is necessary to loosen the soil in order to improve aeration. The depth of loosening should not exceed 6-8 cm, which will make it possible to avoid touching the suction roots and root hairs, which are located near the soil surface.
5. After watering, the area of ​​the trunk circle is covered with a layer of humus and hay. Thanks to mulching, it is possible to prevent overheating and drying out of the soil during a hot period. In addition, mulch suppresses the growth of weeds.

Top dressing

As a top dressing for the apple tree, it is advisable to use complex fertilizers, which contain a large percentage of nutrients necessary for the normal growth of fruit trees. Experts pay attention that the fertilizer dosage recommended by the manufacturer must be strictly observed.In cases where a large amount of potassium with nitrogen is introduced, crushing of the fruits and a decrease in cold resistance can be expected. Chlorosis develops against the background of calcium oversaturation.

In the spring, the trees need nitrogenous feeding, which helps to accelerate the growing season and improve the taste characteristics of the fruits. In the last week of March, you can add a small part to the ground:

• urea;
• ammonium nitrate.

Before flowering, it is worth adding superphosphate, and after the flowers fall off, you can take care of feeding with nitrophos.

Pruning

Fruit trees are recommended systematically prune... Regular removal of old and broken branches helps increase air access to leaf blades and ovaries. In the case when the pruning of Orlik apple trees was not carried out, the trees may cease to please with annual fruiting.

In the first years after planting the seedling, it is important to take care of the formative pruning, which allows you to get a neat crown of a sparse-tiered type. The first formative pruning is carried out on the day the seedling is planted in a permanent place. At this time, it is advisable to shorten the plant to a height of 45-50 cm.

In the spring months, the first tier of 3 branches is laid, which are directed in different directions. A distance of 50 cm should be measured on the stem part. One of the strongest branches is left, the interval between the others should reach 15 cm. The tips of the shoots are trimmed in height. The guide should be 12-15 cm higher than the rest of the shoots.

A year after planting, the second tier is formed, which will consist of 4 shoots. After another 12 months, the process of laying the third row, consisting of 3 strong branches, begins.

Note! The main shoots that are at right angles to the stem can break from the weight of the fruit. To avoid breaking off the branches, it is worth installing supports.

Once the tree is 5 years old, annual adjusting pruning should be planned to avoid overcrowding. In the process of holding an event, you can without regret get rid of:

• sagging branches;
• tops;
• root shoots that take nutritious juices from the tree.

To avoid wood decay, it is recommended to cover the cut with pitch.

Aging trees need rejuvenating pruning. For this purpose, the old shoots are shortened. Gradually, they can be completely replaced with side branches.

Frost protection

The Orlik apple variety is able to withstand frosts down to -25 degrees. However, it should be borne in mind that at a lower temperature regime, the tree may suffer. It is better not to risk it and start preparing green spaces for the winter cold. To this end, you will need:

• well moisten the area of ​​the trunk circle to increase winter hardiness;
• cover the ground around the trees with a layer of dry foliage;
• whitewash the trunk and skeletal shoots.

Note! Whitewashing the trunk and branches with garden paint, which includes an insecticide, protects the wood from cracking during periods of sudden temperature changes.

Possible problems

The Orlik apple tree can suffer from cytosporosis, powdery mildew and scab. The fungus that settles on the bark provokes the development of cytosporosis. Gradually, in the area of ​​the trunk, ulcers appear, painted in dark tones. Gradually, bark and shoots begin to fall off from the affected areas. Cytosporosis most often occurs against the background of:

• poor quality soil;
• lack of mineral fertilizers;
• too frequent soil moistening procedures.

To cope with cytosporosis, you can use the drug Hom. Spraying is carried out during the period when the buds have not yet had time to bloom and after the end of flowering.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that damages all parts of the apple tree that take part in fruiting.At the first stage of the disease, you can detect the appearance of a white bloom. Gradually, the plaque acquires brown tones. The leaf plates dry up and fall off. Affected trees do not bear fruit. To cope with powdery mildew, you should treat green spaces with copper oxychloride as soon as possible (after flowering).

The appearance of scab is provoked by fungal spores. Brown spots appear on the leaf plates. Gradually, the foliage begins to dry out and fall off. Fruits affected by scab crack. The apples develop black-gray spots. Trees need to be treated with Topaz solution. The event takes place in the spring months before the foliage appears. After flowering, you can re-treat with Hom or colloidal sulfur.

In addition to diseases, the apple tree can be harmful:

• moth;
• hawthorn;
• silkworms;
• fruit sapwood.

In order to prevent the invasion of pests, it is advisable to spray with Aktara and Fitoverm solution.

The nuances of growing in different regions

The Orlik variety is successfully grown in the North-West regions, the Central region. Its compact size and high yield have become the reason for the wide popularity of the apple tree among gardeners who successfully plant young trees and harvest in the territory:

• The Urals;
• Moscow region;
• the middle lane.

It is very important not to take risks and prepare the trees for the winter cold. However, at the same time, it is better to abandon the cultivation of the Orlik variety in Siberia, since it is here that the longest possible retention of the lowest temperatures is observed, which can negatively affect the growth rate of the apple tree and yield.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the main advantages of the Orlik variety, it is worth highlighting:

• compact dimensional characteristics of the tree;
• the possibility of obtaining a crop already after 1-2 years after planting a seedling;
• pleasant taste characteristics;
• high level of productivity.

The main disadvantages of the frost-resistant apple variety are the tendency to shedding fruits and the high probability of periodic fruiting.

Pollinating varieties

The Orlik apple variety does not belong to the category of self-pollinated varieties. To get a good harvest, you will need to take care of special pollination. To achieve cross-pollination, it is enough to plant one of the following varieties of apple trees on your site:

• Bogatyr;
• Reneth;
• North signal;
• Chernenko.

Testimonials

Gardeners who grow the Orlik apple tree on their site speak positively about this type of fruit tree.

Nikita, Moscow region

• A couple of years ago, my wife bought several Orlik apple trees on the market. I am very pleased with the compact size of the trees, which makes it possible to harvest without using a stepladder. The planted apple tree Renet helps Orlik to pollinate. The taste of apples is intense. Ripe fruits give off a pleasant aroma.

Valentina Grigorievna

• The son-in-law planted Orlik apple trees on his site 5 years ago. For more than one year, trees have been delighting with a bountiful harvest. It is possible to collect 75-80 kg of fruits from each tree, which can be used for making jam, compotes and drying. We store the harvest in wicker baskets, which are displayed in the basement.

Mikhail Evgenievich

• For many years I have been growing Orlik apple trees. I planted fruit trees not only on my site, but also in the country and even at my mother-in-law. Pleases the apple tree's resistance to diseases and the pleasant taste of the fruit. You can store crops in the basement for up to 3 months.

The Orlik apple variety is the most common apple variety among gardeners in our country. The variety has gained wide popularity due to the pleasant taste of the fruit, the compact size of the stem and frost resistance. By properly caring for the apple tree, you can harvest a hefty crop every season. Transportation is well tolerated, so the fruits can retain their presentation even when delivered to other countries.

Video review of the variety: