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The apple tree "Giant Champion" or simply "Champion" is in great demand in Poland and Germany. Basically, everyone is attracted by the great taste and attractive color of the fruit. In addition, this variety has a number of other advantages. Most often, Champion apples are exported to us from Poland. From there they are brought to other European countries. Increasingly, this variety is found on the plots of Russian gardeners, where the Champion apples grow and develop no less productively. This article will consider a description of the champion apple variety, photos and reviews.
Characteristics of the variety
The Champion apple variety is highly valued, therefore it is often grown for industrial purposes. It has a high yield and is easy to care for. Based on this, it becomes clear that it is very profitable to grow such a variety. And both for yourself and for sale.
The Champion apple tree was originally developed in the Czech Republic. The varieties "Golden Delicious" and "Orange Ranet" were taken as a basis. Already from the third year, the Champion apple variety begins to bear fruit. The tree itself is not tall, but very strong. The fruits are stored for a long time without losing their taste. They can stand in a cool place for up to 6 months.
When choosing seedlings, you should be careful. The variety has clones that are very similar to the Champion apple tree:
- apple-tree "Champion Renault", which has a sweeter taste and a reddish color of the fruit;
- apple-tree "Champion Arno" is distinguished by its rich taste and high concentration of sugar in fruits. Apples are bright red in color.
Small grayish spots may appear on the surface of apples. The tasters gave the variety a fairly high score, assessing the taste of the Champion at 4.7 out of 5. The apples have a light, creamy yellowish pulp. They taste sweet and sour. The fruits are recommended to be consumed fresh, but this does not prevent anyone from using them for preservation and preparation of various dishes.
Growing apples
The description of the Champion apple variety shows that the trees give a generous annual harvest. Starting from the third year, it is necessary to normalize the number of ovaries and flowers. This is the only way to collect a bountiful harvest of juicy and tasty apples. If you do not break the ovaries from the bushes, apples may not stain well. Also, for prevention, some preventive procedures should be carried out. The leaves on the apple trees are sprayed with special solutions that contain phosphorus.
On young trees, the fruits are very strong. As a rule, after a few years the apples may fall off prematurely. To prevent this, you need to harvest on time. In addition, apples harvested late will be poorly stored and quickly lose their taste.
Pruning apple trees
The Giant Champion apple variety is growing and developing rapidly. Before fruiting, trees grow a little faster, and after the first fruits appear, the growth rate is noticeably reduced. If every year the apple trees give a bountiful harvest, then there will simply be no strength left for growth. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out pruning. This procedure stimulates the development and growth of the tree. Fruits will grow on young branches that are stronger and stronger. Thanks to this, the quality of the fruits themselves will also improve.
The upper branches on the crown of the tree must be 3-4 years old.If the one-year shoot ends with a generative bud, then it is cut off. They also remove annual shoots that end in a bud, but for the whole year they have not grown longer than 20 cm. Usually they grow poorly and give a poor harvest.
The same shoots that end in a bud, but have grown to 30 cm, are left. It happens that all the branches on a tree are quite long and strong. What to do in this case? It is necessary to leave so many shoots so that the tree can bear fruit normally the next year, and is not overloaded with apples. Also, during pruning, it is imperative to remove all old and dried branches. In addition, there should be no thick shoots on the tree that grow too close to the main branch.
When pruning, try to provide good lighting for all branches. They should not be too dense and close to each other. Good lighting will allow you to grow beautiful fully colored fruits even on the lower branches. According to the description, the Champion apple tree cannot bear fruit and grow generously without proper pruning. This variety needs careful care.
Diseases of apple trees
The most common disease of Champion apple trees is bitter pitting. This is due to a lack of calcium. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying of trees even before the buds are laid (around the beginning of June). Then you can carry out a few more sprays in the period from the beginning of fruit formation to harvest.
Calcium not only protects fruits from bitter pitting, but also helps fight other common diseases. The plant becomes stronger and healthier. In addition, these apples will keep better throughout the winter. To grow beautiful, evenly colored Champion apples as in the photo, you should treat the trees with phosphorus-based fertilizers. Such spraying is carried out about a month and a half before the start of the harvest.
This variety has a fairly high resistance to scab and powdery mildew. In this case, high-quality pruning of trees will serve as a preventive measure. You do not need to use any chemicals. They are used only if signs of tree infestation are found.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Champion variety
Description, photos and reviews about the Champion apple tree will help you choose the best seedlings for your site. Some gardeners argue that it is better to take young trees on a rootstock (semi-dwarf or dwarf). Each species has its own characteristic features:
- Dwarf seedlings grow up to 2.5 m in height. Such trees begin to bear fruit very quickly. Ripe fruits can be picked next year.
- Semi-dwarf apple trees reach up to 4 m in height, and the first fruits will ripen in the second year after planting the seedlings.
The first time after planting the Champion apple tree, it is necessary to constantly regulate the yield. To do this, part of the ovaries is plucked from the trees. This is done when too many ovaries are formed. In addition, gardeners appreciate the Champion variety for its delicious and incredibly fragrant fruits. They have an attractive appearance and ripen rather quickly. Apple trees produce very generous annual yields. These factors make the variety even more popular with gardeners.
The disadvantages of the Champion variety include the following:
- apple trees have low frost resistance;
- the variety is prone to bitter pitting;
- bacterial burns may appear on the shoots.
Harvest storage
For apples to be well stored throughout the winter, you need to harvest on time. The optimal magpies are selected so that the fruits are not too green, but also not overripe. Apples with a red color, of course, ripen faster.The green color of the fruit indicates that they are not yet ready for harvest. In addition, the apples should be quite firm.
During storage of the crop, fruit should be checked from time to time. They are examined and all damaged and soft apples are thrown away. Small quantities of Champion apples can be kept in the refrigerator. The ideal temperature is around 1 ° C. These apples are often grown for industrial purposes. In order to preserve the presentation, the drug "Smart Fresh" is often used. This substance is used to treat fruits after harvesting.
Conclusion
Despite the whimsical nature and poor resistance to some diseases, gardeners highly value the Champion variety. This variety bears excellent fruit and, most importantly, annually. The apple tree grows rapidly, and already in the third year it will be possible to harvest the first harvest of ripe apples. The description and photo of the Champion apple variety attracted many gardeners. We are sure that such a wonderful variety will not leave anyone indifferent.
