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Currently, many varieties of homemade apple trees have been bred for every taste and for any region of growth. But the Melba variety, which is more than a hundred years old, has not been lost among them and is still popular. It fills the gap between summer and autumn apple varieties. Melba seedlings are grown in many nurseries, they are well bought. Such a longevity of the variety speaks of its undoubted merits.
History of creation
In the distant 19th century, when no one had even heard of the science of genetics, breeders bred varieties based on their own intuition, and most often they simply sowed seeds and selected the most successful plants for reproduction. This is how the Melba variety was obtained in the Canadian state of Ottawa. It turned out to be the best among all the seedlings obtained from sowing apple seeds of the Macintosh variety, the flowers of which were freely pollinated. Apparently, the author of the variety was a big fan of opera singing - the variety was named after the great singer from Australia, Nelly Melba. It happened in 1898. Since then, new varieties have been created on the basis of Melba, but their parent is found in almost every garden.
To understand why it is so popular Apple tree Melba, whose reviews are almost always positive, let's look at her photo and give her a full description.
Characteristics of the variety
The height of the tree, as well as its durability, depends on the rootstock to which it is grafted. On a seed stock - 4 m, on a semi-dwarf - 3 m, and on a dwarf - only 2 m.The apple tree lives for 45, 20 and 15 years, respectively. In the early years of cultivation, the seedling looks more like a columnar apple tree, over time the tree branches, the crown grows, but not in height, but in width, and becomes rounded.
The bark of the Melba apple tree is dark brown in color, sometimes has an orange tint. In young seedlings, the bark has a characteristic shine and cherry tint. The branches of the Melba tree are quite flexible, under the weight of the harvest they can bend to the very ground. Young shoots are pubescent.
The leaf blades are light green in color, often curved in the shape of an inverted boat, sometimes have a yellowish tint, crenate along the edge. In young trees, they droop a little and go down.
The Melba apple tree blooms in the early stages, with large flowers with tightly closed petals, which have a light pink color. The buds are white-pink with a not very noticeable purple tint.
The Melba apple tree is fast-growing, begins to produce apples for 3-5 years, depending on the rootstock, dwarfs begin to bear fruit first. The yield increases gradually, reaching a maximum value of 80 kg.
If young apple trees give a good harvest every year, then with age there is a periodicity in fruiting. The older the tree, the more pronounced it is.
Unfortunately, the Melba apple tree is prone to scab, especially in rainy years. The frost resistance of a tree of this variety is average, therefore Melba is not zoned either in the North or in the Urals. This variety is not suitable for cultivation in the Far East either.
The apples of the Melba variety are of average size, and in young apple trees they are above average.They are quite large - from 140 to full-weight 200 g and more. They have a cone shape with a rounded base at the stalk.
The ribbing is almost invisible. The color of the skin changes as it matures: at first it is light green, then it becomes yellowish and becomes covered with a waxy bloom. Melba apples look very elegant thanks to the bright red striped blush, usually on the side facing the sun, diluted with white subcutaneous dots. The stalk is thin, of medium length, attaches well to the apple and rarely breaks off when picking the fruit, which increases the shelf life.
The crispy fine-grained apple pulp is filled with juice. It has a snow-white color, slightly greener at the very skin. The taste is very rich, with a balanced content of acids and sugars.
By the timing of the ripening of the apple tree Melba can be attributed to late summer, but the weather can delay the harvest until the end of September. If fully ripe fruits are harvested, they are stored in the refrigerator for about a month, and if this is done a week or 10 days before full ripeness, the shelf life can be extended until January. Thanks to their dense skin, apples can be transported long distances without damaging the fruit.
But still, it is better to eat them fresh, since these fruits are very useful.
Chemical composition
The excellent taste of apples is due to the low acid content - 0.8%, and the considerable sugar content - 11%. Vitamins are represented by P active substances - 300 mg for every 100 g of pulp and vitamin C - almost 14 mg per 100 g. There are many pectin substances in these apples - up to 10% of the total mass.
On the basis of Melba, new varieties were bred, practically not inferior to her in taste, but not having her shortcomings:
- Early scarlet;
- Cherished;
- Early red;
- Prima is genetically resistant to scab.
Clones were also identified, i.e., those that changed the genotype of the apple tree. This usually happens for a number of reasons, which are not always possible to guess. If during vegetative propagation of such trees, the main characteristics are preserved, they can be called a variety. This is how Melba's Daughter and Red Melba or Melba ed.
Description of the apple variety Melba red
The crown of the Melba red apple tree has a vertically oval shape. The apples are one-dimensional, round, gaining weight up to 200 g. The greenish-white skin is completely covered with a bright blush with pronounced white dots.
The apple pulp is rather juicy, greenish, the taste is somewhat sour than that of Melba, but this variety is more frost-resistant and less affected by scab.
Any kind of apple tree must be planted correctly. The distance between trees when planting depends on the stock: for dwarfs it can be 3x3 m, for semi-dwarfs - 4.5x4.5 m, for apple trees on seed stock - 6x6 m. With this distance, the trees will have a sufficient supply area, they will receive the prescribed amount of sunlight.
Planting an apple tree
Apple saplings of the Melba variety are easy to purchase, they are sold in almost any nursery, and they are easy to subscribe to online stores.
Landing dates
This tree can be planted in both spring and fall. The most important thing is that at the time of landing it is at rest. In the fall, the leaves on the apple tree should no longer be, and in the spring the buds have not yet burst. Autumn planting is carried out a month before the onset of real frosts. Each region will have its own timing, since winter comes at different times. A month is needed for the young tree to take root and prepare for the winter frosts.
In spring, young Melba trees are planted before the start of sap flow, so that by the time the buds open and the onset of heat, the roots have already begun to work, feeding the aboveground part.
Preparing the planting pit and seedlings
Melba apple seedlings are sold with a closed root system - grown in a container and with open roots. Both have their pros and cons. In the first case, there is no way to control the state of the root system, but if the seedling is grown in a container initially, the survival rate will be 100%, and at any time of the year, except for winter. In the second case, the condition of the roots is clearly visible, but improper storage can destroy the apple tree seedling, and it will not take root. Before planting, they inspect the roots, cut off all damaged and decayed ones, be sure to sprinkle the wounds with crushed charcoal.
With dried roots, it helps to reanimate the seedling by soaking the root system for 24 hours in water with a root formation stimulator.
The spring and autumn planting of apple trees is carried out in different ways, but a hole is dug in any season with a size of 0.80x0.80m, and at least a month before planting, so that the earth settles well. A place for an apple tree needs a sunny, sheltered from the winds.
A place in the lowland and where the groundwater level is high is not suitable for planting the Melba apple tree. In such places, it is permissible to plant an apple tree on a dwarf rootstock, but not in a pit, but in a bulk mound. An apple tree needs light permeable loams or sandy loam soils with a sufficient humus content and a neutral reaction.
Planting an apple tree
In the fall, the planting pit is filled only with humus, mixed with the top layer of soil removed from the pit in a ratio of 1: 1. It is permissible to add a 0.5-liter can of wood ash to the soil. Fertilizers can be sprinkled over the top of the soil after planting. In the spring, with melt water, they will go to the roots, and in the fall they are not needed, so as not to provoke untimely shoot growth.
A mound of earth is poured at the bottom of the pit, where the apple tree seedling is placed, having straightened the roots well, pour 10 liters of water, cover it with earth so that the root collar is flush with the edge of the pit or slightly higher, it cannot be buried. Leaving bare roots is also unacceptable.
When planting in spring, fertilizers - 150 g of superphosphate and potassium salt each are embedded in the topsoil. At the end of the planting, a side is made of the earth around the trunk circle and, having previously compacted the earth, another 10 liters of water are poured. Be sure to mulch the trunk circle.
In a one-year-old apple tree seedling, the central shoot is cut off by 1/3, in a two-year-old, the lateral branches are also pinched.
A young tree needs protection from rodents in winter with autumn planting and timely watering with a frequency of once a week - in spring.
There are apple varieties that will always be in demand. Melba is one of them, it should be in every garden.
