Content
To form a real garden, it is advisable to plant several varieties of apple trees. Apple trees Orlovim have many advantages and are completely undemanding to care for. Therefore, even a novice gardener will be able to grow a good harvest.
Description of the variety
Orlovim trees very quickly reach their final height (this is about 4.5-5 m). The rounded or broom-shaped crown is characterized by medium thickening. The main branches grow sparsely and most often have a curved shape. Often they move away from the trunk almost perpendicularly. The bark and main branches are colored light brown. The surface of the trunk is often flaky. Oblong leaves are greenish in color with a slight yellowish tinge.
Slightly beveled fruits have an average size and weight of about 125-165 g. The glossy smooth skin of ripe apples is colored with stripes of deep red color.
The flesh of the Orlovim fruit has a creamy hue. The structure of the fruit is dense and juicy. According to summer residents, apples have a strongly pronounced aroma and have a pleasant sour-sweet taste.
The root system of the Orlovim apple tree is spread in depth (approximately 4.5 m) and in breadth, therefore it takes up a lot of space.
The Orlovim variety is characterized by high frost resistance. Also, the apple tree is not often affected by scab.
There are several advantages of the Orlovim variety:
- fruiting begins quite early;
- bulk harvest;
- if the yield is normalized, then the size of the fruit can be adjusted;
- elegant look and excellent taste of apples.
Among the shortcomings, it is worth paying attention to the short shelf life of Orlovim apples, the significant height of mature trees (harvesting is difficult), and the loss of immunity to scab with age.
Planting seedlings
When choosing a place for a seedling of the Orlovim variety, special attention should be paid to the level of illumination of the site. It is this indicator that affects the yield and taste of Orlovim fruits.
Since this variety does not tolerate highly moistened soils, the seedlings are planted on hills or a good drainage layer is built up. The best soil option for the Orlovim variety is black soil, loamy or sandy loam soils.
Soil preparation
In order for the seedling to take root easily, a planting pit is prepared in advance. Suitable parameters of the pit: diameter 0.6-0.8 m, depth - 0.5-0.6 m. Moreover, it is advisable to fold the fertile and lower soil layers separately.
A small layer of drainage is laid out at the bottom of the pit (especially important if the groundwater is shallow). First, the top fertile soil layer is poured. The remaining soil is thoroughly mixed with humus, compost, ash and mineral fertilizer are added.
Planting stages:
- The root of the Orlovim seedling is carefully examined. The sections should be white. If a brown tint is present, then the root has been damaged and must be shortened slightly with a pruner or knife.
- First, a stake is driven into the center of the hole - this will be a support for the seedling. Then the tree is lowered into the hole and the roots are carefully straightened.
- The pit is filled with a fertile mixture. The soil around the Orlovim seedling is compacted.
- A small depression in the form of a ditch is made around the circumference of the pit. This will allow moisture to be absorbed in the right place.
- The surface of the ground around the seedling is watered and mulched with sawdust or peat.
Watering trees
The irrigation regime depends on the type of soil, climatic characteristics of the region. On average, one watering requires:
- one year old seedling - 2-3 buckets;
- two-year-old apple Orlovim - 4-5 buckets of water;
- adult apple trees - about 60 liters per square meter of the trunk circle. The soil should be saturated with water about 60-80 cm.
It is important not only to pour out the right amount of water, but also to do it on time. The first time the earth is moistened when the Orlovim apple tree has faded. The next watering is carried out when the trees already have ovaries.
For the third time, trees are watered after harvest, before autumn frosts. Thanks to watering, the Orlovim apple tree will better endure frosts.
Watering the apple tree is carried out along the circumference of the crown. To do this, a groove is dug with a depth of 10-15 cm, and it is necessary to dig carefully so as not to damage the root system. Water is poured in portions. After watering, the soil must be loosened.
Fertilization
During the season, feeding the Orlovim apple tree is carried out three to four times. For feeding, two methods are used: with the root method, fertilizers are applied to the soil, and with the foliar method, the crown of the apple tree is sprayed.
The first fertilization is carried out in April. To do this, you can spread about four buckets of humus on the ground, since it contains the nitrogen necessary for trees to grow. If there is no manure, then urea will be an excellent substitute. Fertilizer is diluted with water, and a weak solution is made for seedlings and young Orlovim apple trees.
The second top dressing is applied during the flowering of this variety of apple trees. An excellent composition for this period: 400 g of potassium sulfate, 500 g of superphosphate and 5 liters of manure are diluted in 100 liters of water. This mixture should be infused for about a week. Then the near-trunk ditches of the Orlovim apple tree are well saturated with water, and then with a solution. With this method of fertilization, the fertilizing goes directly to the roots.
After the formation of ovaries on the Orlovim apple tree, the third feeding is carried out. The following mixture is prepared: 500 g of nitrophoska, 10 g of sodium humate is also diluted in 100 l of water. For one adult tree, 3 buckets of mineral solution are enough. For the fertilizer to be better absorbed, it is necessary to slightly dig up the soil after watering (but not deeply, so as not to damage the roots). Then, it is advisable to lay out a layer of mulch around the trunk of the apple tree.
Pruning apple trees
This procedure is needed, first of all, to ensure the access of air, light inside the crown of the Orlovim variety, and to rejuvenate the tree.
The most suitable time for pruning the Orlovim apple tree is spring and autumn:
- in the spring, before the appearance of buds, frozen branches are removed, a crown is formed;
- in the fall, pruning is carried out when all the foliage has fallen off. Old, diseased or broken branches are removed.
Branches growing inside the crown or parallel are always cut. Moreover, an old or sick one is selected from two branches for pruning.
Harvesting
Young apple trees begin to bear fruit as early as 3-4 years old and are distinguished by stable yields. From a ten-year-old Orlovim apple tree, you can collect about 60-80 kg of fruits, and an older tree yields about 100 kg of apples.
Usually, for the middle lane, the apple harvesting period falls on the end of August and lasts until the end of September. In the process of picking ripe apples, Orlovim must be careful: avoid strong blows of the fruits or their fall. Since the apples are simply cracked.
Diseases of trees
The Orlovim apple variety is resistant to scab, but sometimes the tree can become infected with powdery mildew, which is a fungal disease. Most often, the disease affects foliage. Symptoms appear in the form of a dense whitish bloom located on the leaves and shoots, the fruits of the Orlovim apple tree (as in the photo).
If you do not fight the disease, you can lose 40-60% of the crop.In addition, the frost resistance of the tree is significantly reduced. In a densely planted garden, this disease spreads very quickly.
The most effective method of combating the disease is regular spraying of the Orlovim crown with special preparations or colloidal sulfur, a solution of potassium permanganate. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat the crown with Bordeaux liquid.
The hardy Orlovim variety has taken root well in the gardens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine due to its high annual yields and resistance to scab.
