Content
The "Lobo" apple variety was originally bred in Canada, and soon appeared on the territory of Russia. The "Macintosh" variety was taken as a basis. Further, thanks to free pollination, the Lobo variety appeared. Then these apples appeared in the State Register as an industrial variety. Today the Lobo apple tree is successfully grown in the Baltic countries, Belarus and in the middle zone of Russia. Based on this, it would be interesting to consider a detailed description, photos, reviews, and also find out how the Lobo apple tree is planted. This is what this article is about.
Characteristics of the variety
The Lobo apple tree is a large-fruited variety. Each apple weighs from 130 to 160 grams. Fruit color - bright red, noble. On top of the apples are covered with a gray waxy bloom. If you wipe it off, you can see a rich, shiny apple. They can be eaten fresh, as well as various desserts and preparations.
The flesh of apples is very dense and juicy, but at the same time, the fruit is tender and soft. It has a slightly flat shape and barely noticeable ribs. Apples are tightly attached to the branches with short and thick stalks. They contain about 10-11% sugar, which gives the fruits a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Apples contain about 10% of vitamin C or ascorbic acid.
Based on the reviews about the Lobo apple variety, it can be seen that these are high-yielding trees. It is estimated that 300 to 380 kg of ripe apples can be harvested from one tree. Ripening period - the end of September. It is noteworthy that the harvest of the apple tree is given amicably. The fruits are of excellent commercial quality and are suitable for industrial cultivation. Apples tolerate transportation well and do not lose their taste.
You can find different information about how long the Lobo apple variety is stored. The description of the Lobo apple tree specifically shows that this variety is not suitable for winter storage. It is an autumn variety with a medium keeping quality. True, if the necessary conditions are created, the apples will stand for at least 3 months. For this reason, some sources call the variety winter. But as soon as the temperature in the room drops below 0, the fruits will quickly deteriorate.
The shape of the tree itself is conical. The tree grows very rapidly for the first few years, after which growth begins to slow down. The result is beautiful trees of medium height. They are very slender and fit perfectly into any landscape design.
At first, the trees may be oval, and then they become more round. The final shape of the plant is created by pruning. Shoots are not very thick and almost even. Cranking is rather weak. Thanks to all this, the trees have an attractive and neat appearance.
Apples are formed near twigs and on ringlets. The branches themselves are dark brown with a slight reddish tint. The leaves are emerald green, large and ovoid. They have beautiful rounded ends and a matte finish.
Apple tree "Lobo" blooms not very early, but not too late. Any early varieties are suitable for dusting. Reviews of the Lobo apple tree show that the variety perfectly tolerates drought and frost. But at the same time, the tree does not cope well with heat and can be susceptible to various diseases. A wet environment during rains can cause scab and powdery mildew.To protect trees, prevention should be carried out in the spring. For this, special preparations based on copper are used. Then you will need to re-spray with fungicides. Gardeners recommend using Skora or Horus preparations for these purposes.
Correct fit
In order for the Lobo apple tree to grow beautiful and spreading like in the photo, it is necessary to plant trees at the correct distance. An interval of 4 meters is considered ideal. If young cuttings of the variety are grafted onto an old stem, then the distance should be even greater. Pits for planting seedlings are prepared in advance. If the trees are planted in the fall, preparation begins in a few months. And the spring planting is planned in the fall.
To plant an apple tree, you must follow this order:
- Planting begins with digging the soil.
- All the old roots are taken out of it and weeds.
- Then mineral or organic fertilizers are applied to the soil. Acidic soil is necessarily lime.
- The seedling must be examined, all damaged roots removed and, if necessary, soaked in water. Immediately before planting, the young tree is dipped into a clay solution.
- The pit should be filled with water to squeeze out all the air from the soil. Thus, the root system of the seedling will be completely compressed by the soil.
- The seedling is carefully laid out in the hole, the roots are spread and everything is covered with earth. After planting, it is lightly tamped.
Apple tree care
Reviews of the "Lobo" apple variety show that young trees need to be vigorously looked after. The soil near the apple tree should always be moist and loose. In spring, the seedlings are fed using nitrogen fertilizers. In the first half of summer, feeding will need to be repeated. The first ovaries must be removed. The apple tree should get stronger. Do not forget about pruning, it depends on it what appearance the tree will have.
In areas with a cold climate, it is better to insulate the trunks for the winter. This will not only protect the apple trees from frost, but also save them from various rodents. The description of the Lobo apple variety shows that these are early maturing trees. After 3 or 4 years the first apple harvest will be ready. During the fruiting period, the branches are often propped up, since they can simply break under the weight of the fruit.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
We see the indisputable advantages of the Lobo apple tree in the description of the variety, in the gardeners' reviews and in the photo. To summarize, this variety has the following advantages:
- generous and regular harvest;
- the fruits are very large;
- taste at a high level;
- attractive fruit appearance, suitable for sale;
- tolerate transportation well, do not lose juiciness and taste;
- drought resistant tree.
But there are also serious disadvantages, which should also not be forgotten:
- short shelf life of fruits;
- poor resistance to frost and heat;
- low disease resistance. Trees are often affected by scab and powdery mildew.
Conclusion
In this article, we saw a detailed description of the Lobo apple tree, also looked at it in the photo and learned the reviews of experienced gardeners. All this shows that this variety has a lot of advantages and is suitable for both domestic and industrial cultivation. Photos of the "Lobo" apple tree variety cannot but fascinate. It is a neat tree with large, bright red fruits. Probably every gardener dreams of having at least a few copies of this variety on his site.
