Pink pearl apple variety, history of the variety and its description

Apple trees with unusual properties have always attracted the attention of both professional breeders and amateur gardeners. Back in the last century, I.V. Michurin received several varieties apple trees, which began to be called red meat. Moreover, initially the great Russian breeder did not have such a goal.

The pink pearl apple variety was obtained in the USA much later than the Michurin varieties. One can only assume that American breeders took advantage of Michurin’s achievements and developed a red-fleshed variety based on his varieties. After all, Ivan Vladimirovich at one time bred a sufficient number of varietal apple trees, the flesh of which was colored purple.

Content:

• Apple tree pink pearl, history of the variety and its description
• How to plant and grow a pink pearl apple tree
• The use of red meat apple trees in folk medicine

Apple tree pink pearl, history of the variety and its description

The history of red meat apple trees begins with the experiments of Michurin I.V. on pollination of various varieties of Niedzwiecki apple trees. These apple trees were found in the wild nature of the Caucasus and had a lot of red pigments in their tissues. The shoots, leaves at the beginning of the season, and even the pulp of medium-sized fruits of this apple tree were purple. The Russian breeder's initial goal was to obtain frost-resistant varieties, but in the end he received a series of red meat varieties:

• Yakhontovoye
• Bellefleur record
• Komsomolets
• Bellefleur red
• Red standard

It should be said that Michurinsky red bellefleur is still considered the best variety with colored flesh. In addition to excellent taste, apples of this variety have an excellent presentation, and the tree itself can be safely classified as an ornamental apple tree.

Whether the American breeder Albert Ethier was an innovator in creating the variety or a simple plagiarist from selection, who appropriated Michurin’s achievements in breeding varieties of apples with pulp colored red and pink, it is probably impossible to know. The important thing is that this man became the author of the Pink Pearl variety. The variety was bred in the first half of the last century in California, USA.

Just like Michurin. A. Ethier used the Niedzwiecki apple tree to produce fruits with colored pulp. The pink flesh of this variety is finely grained. The skin is yellow or green with a red or dark pink blush over almost the entire surface of the fruit.

The taste of apples of the pink pearl variety is rather tart, reminiscent of the taste of grapefruit pulp. According to the ripening period, the variety can be classified as medium-late. The size of apples can be 5 - 6 cm in diameter with a bountiful harvest and up to 10 cm with a moderate harvest. The variety is medium-sized. Typically, the height of trees does not exceed 8 m.

In California, ripening begins in the second half of August and continues until October. Apple tree quite hardy and can grow in regions with fairly cold winters without additional shelter.

How to plant and grow a pink pearl apple tree

In the USA, Pink Pearl apple trees are grown on an industrial scale. In the conditions of our country, the variety remains amateur and is cultivated mainly by amateurs or in small farms for the sale of crops or seedlings.The main point in growing is the choice of planting material.

Here you should trust only fruit nurseries with a good reputation, since the variety is still not widespread and you can get a seedling that does not correspond to the varietal characteristics. It is more advisable to purchase a seedling at the age of one to two years. The best choice, of course, would be a specimen with a closed root system in a container or with a ball of earth.

But if the sale is carried out with bare roots, then choose a plant with well-developed roots. The length of the roots should not be less than 30 cm, the thickness of the shoot in the lower part should be from 1.5 to 2.5 cm.

To plant an apple tree, you need to choose a well-lit place. An important condition is the absence of groundwater at shallow depths. The best place is where they lie no closer than 2.0 - 2.5 m. In terms of mechanical composition, loamy and sandy loam soils with a neutral reaction will be good soil for a pink pearl apple tree.

Acceptable and slightly acidic the soil. If the soil is heavy clay or light sandy, then such an area must be prepared for planting apple seedlings in advance. The best time to plant a pink pearl apple tree is spring. If the seedling is purchased in the fall, it can be buried and kept buried until spring.

Video about proper pruning of a young apple tree:

Once the ground has thawed to the desired depth, you can dig a planting hole for the apple tree seedling. The depth of the pit should be at least 0.6 m, and the width up to 0.9 -1.2 m. About a bucket of compost or humus should be poured into the pit. Place a seedling in it and straighten all the roots. You need to ensure that the tips of the roots do not bend upward.

Cover the roots carefully, while lightly compacting the soil.When the root system is completely closed, the soil can then be compacted more thoroughly. Water the seedling with 20.0 liters of water and mulch with peat. It is important to plant the seedling so that its root collar is located 5 cm above the ground. After planting, the seedling must be pruned. If the shoot has no branches, then it is cut off by 1/3.

If there are 2 - 3 branches in addition to the main stem, then all of them need to be trimmed to three buds. In the first years after planting, the apple tree needs formative pruning; in the future, sanitary pruning will be sufficient. Thanks to the red pulp, the fruits of the pink pearl apple tree can be used in folk medicine.

The use of red meat apple trees in folk medicine

Perhaps it was not for nothing that rejuvenating apples were mentioned in Russian fairy tales. Pink pearl apples contain actocyanins. They are what give the fruit pulp its red color. Thanks to these substances, red-fleshed apples have antioxidant properties and can slow down the aging process in the body.

The juice from these apples is an excellent immune booster. In addition, it helps maintain small blood vessels in good condition. This is especially true for diseases such as diabetes. Due to its high bactericidal properties, pink pearl apple pulp can be used in the treatment of small wounds and burns.

Sometimes, to heal wounds, it is enough to simply periodically apply a cut of an apple to the damaged skin. Regular consumption of fresh pink pearl apples or juice from them improves visual acuity and increases the eye's tolerance to visual stress. Also, fresh apples will help cope with diarrhea, and baked ones will help with constipation.

A decoction of apples with red pulp will help with diseases kidney In cooking, pink pearl apples are used as a side dish for meat or poultry dishes. Thanks to their astringency, they emphasize rather than interrupt the taste of meat. In conclusion, we can conclude that the pink pearl apple tree is not only a garden decoration, but also a very useful plant. Its fruits have an original taste and medicinal properties.