Candy apple tree - description, rules of planting and care, features of the variety

Few people will refuse a juicy, sweet and aromatic apple. Candy variety apple trees is a prime example of such a fruit. The Rannet candy variety is very popular among gardeners and summer residents due to its ease of care, early ripening and magnificent juicy fruits.

Most common in Belarus, Ukraine and central Russia.

Content:

1. Candy apple tree, description
2. Landing Features
3. Care
4. Pests and diseases
5. Harvest and storage
6. Pros and cons of the variety
7. How to use candy apples in cooking

Candy apple tree - variety description

Successful selection of the varieties Korobovka and Pappirovka, carried out by breeder S. I. Isaev at the All-Russian Research Institute of Horticulture named after. I.V. Michurina, marked the beginning of gardeners’ great love for this variety. In the description of the candy apple trees it is indicated that the crop has an early ripening period. It occurs at the end of July, beginning of August, depending on the cultivation area. Young apple trees begin to bear fruit already in the fourth year from the moment of planting.

The fruits are small, the approximate weight of each is 100 grams. The skin is flushed, the color is soft yellow, pale peach. And the pulp gives the name to the variety itself - it is light, very juicy, sweet with a honey aftertaste.

The fruits are most often eaten fresh, and children especially like them. The crown is dense and grows in the form of a sphere, but the shape is greatly influenced by the type of rootstock. The branches are powerful, do not droop under the weight of the fruit, and are very leafy.

The leaves themselves are large, dark green and durable. Trees are frost resistant. Even after severe frosts, flowers appear well in the spring, and in the summer the trees produce a harvest.

Productivity every year it is stable, in young apple trees it is about 50 kg, in older trees it reaches 100 kg.

Landing Features

Acceptable for this variety landing both in autumn and spring. Spring planting is more favorable, because the tree will not be threatened by sudden autumn frosts; over the summer it will have time to grow and become stronger.

And autumn seedlings will have to be very carefully protected from the cold. It must be borne in mind that the tree grows quickly and does not like being in the vicinity of other plants, so holes for seedlings are made at a considerable distance from each other, at least 1.5 - 2 meters. The soil in the holes is prepared in advance by adding organic and inorganic fertilizers, the depth is from 70 cm, the diameter is up to a meter, depending on the type of soil.

The day before planting, it is advisable to soak the seedling in water and cut off all broken roots. The soil should be loose, with drainage, to prevent stagnation of water near the root system.

The planting site should be chosen in a well-lit place, away from nearby groundwater. After planting the seedling in a hole, you should evenly distribute all the roots, gradually covering them with soil.

If the seedling is weak, it needs to be tied to a support in the form of planed pegs. Abundant watering after planting is required.

Care

Agrotechnical care of an apple tree comes down to the following rules:

• Watering should be frequent, especially in the summer, but the soil should not be flooded;
• Fertilizers it is advisable to apply annually, such as: humus, peat, fertilizers containing phosphate;
• Pruning is encouraged as it helps shape the tree's crown and improves fruiting. It is carried out in spring or autumn after harvesting with a sharp instrument. Summer pruning is prohibited due to the most active period of sap circulation inside the trees. Trim dry, cracked, growing inward and intertwined branches;
• Loosening is done to increase oxygen access to the roots; the soil is usually loosened in mid-autumn. In winter, lying snow can cause rotting of the root system, and digging up will help to avoid this.
• The soil around young trees must be covered for the winter with mulch, spruce branches, and then with fallen snow.

This variety is self-sterile, so it requires a variety planted nearby - a pollinator. “Orlovim”, “Golden Chinese».

Pests and diseases

The candy apple tree is quite resistant to many pests and diseases, but is prone to scab. It is mainly the fruits that suffer.

The correct actions of the gardener will help to avoid crop losses:

• In spring, trees are sprayed with special protective solutions.
• At the end of autumn, the cut branches and the lower part of the trunk are treated with whitewash and putty.
• The damaged part of the bark on the trunks is carefully removed.

Collection and storage of harvested crops

For ease of harvesting, special fruit pickers with a long handle are often used. Trees of this variety are tall, and it is quite dangerous to use large ladders, and you cannot reach the apples with your hands.

Like all summer varieties, the candy apple tree has a big disadvantage - a short shelf life of the fruit. Storage at room temperature is approximately 15-25 days, in the refrigerator or cellar - no more than two months.

Apples are not suitable for transportation, so they have not found application in the agricultural processing industry, but are used and grown in the private sector.

Pros and cons of the variety

Having learned all the features of this variety of apple tree, we can conclude that, as in other varieties, the Candy Apple Tree has its pros and cons.

Pros:

• the fruits look very aesthetically pleasing due to their intense pink blush
• apples are juicy, sweet, with a honey aroma
• frost resistance, picky culture
• precocity
• high yield
• not sensitive to most diseases and pests

Minuses:

• susceptible to scab
• impossibility of long-distance transportation.
• short shelf life
• very dense crown

How to use candy apples in cooking

Candy apples are very healthy and tasty, so they are often used only fresh, as a dessert and decoration. But they are also good in processed form.

Very often they make jam, jam, compotes and juices, without adding sugar at all, or a small amount. The most famous application is confiture.

Regular confiture

Compound:

• 1 kg apples.
• 0.25 kg sugar.
• cinnamon to taste.

The apples are peeled, cored, cut and grated on a grater or in a food processor. Mix thoroughly with sugar. After 15 minutes, pour into a deep bowl, place on low heat and stir constantly.

When the mass reaches the desired thick consistency, turn off the heat, add cinnamon and mix again. At this time, sterilize the jars and lids for at least 10 minutes and pour the hot mass into prepared containers.

This confiture is very easy to prepare, can be stored for a long time and is truly delicious.

Apple jam in a slow cooker

Compound:

• 700-800 g apples.
• 250 grams of sugar.
• 5 g citric acid.

Peel the apples, remove the cores, cut into pieces or slices. Mix all the ingredients and transfer to the multicooker bowl. Bring to a boil using the “baking” mode, and then switch to “stew” and leave in this form for an hour. When finished, stir and enjoy the aromatic jam with a cup of tea.

Apple compote

Compound:

• 800 g apples.
• 1.5 liters of water.
• 0.5 cups sugar.

The cores of the apples are removed, cut into thin slices and placed in a saucepan, filled with water, and some sugar is added. Bring to a boil over low heat, add all the remaining sugar and stir.

Remove from heat, let it brew for 10-15 minutes, and that’s it - you can pour it into mugs.

The candy apple tree variety is very popular among gardeners and summer residents throughout Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus for its taste, ease of cultivation, and widespread use in cooking.

After studying the description of the candy apple tree with the photo, you will definitely want to get to know this variety better and plant a seedling in your dacha.

In addition, watch a video about the candy apple variety: