Content
- 1 History of selection
- 2 Description of the apple tree Royalty with photo
- 3 Characteristics of the variety
- 4 Advantages and disadvantages
- 5 How to plant an apple tree Royalty
- 6 Apple tree care Royalty
- 7 Reproduction of decorative apple tree Royalty
- 8 Photo of a decorative apple tree Royalty in landscape design
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Reviews from gardeners about the Royalty ornamental apple tree
Apple tree Royalty is an ornamental variety with bright red leaves and large, fragrant flowers. The trees have a rounded, graceful crown. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness, so the crop can be grown in almost any Russian region.
History of selection
Royalty is a group of varieties of ornamental apple trees, which are bred on the basis of the Nedziecki variety, which grows in Central Asia. It is distinguished by purple leaves and rather large red flowers. The fruits are inedible, so they are used exclusively for decorative purposes. It is not included in the register of breeding achievements, but is known to many gardeners due to the original color of the leaves and the attractive shape of the crown.
There are several known subspecies of the Royalty series:
- Pendula - with a columnar crown and hanging branches (like a willow).The foliage is not the classic purple hue, but dark green, with small hints of purple. The flowers are pink in color rather than dark red.
- Hybrid apple tree Royalty Red purple. The foliage is bright, crimson, and looks very beautiful. The tree is especially attractive in late spring, when pinkish-red flowers appear en masse.
- Royalty Beauty is a tree with weeping branches (they droop from the trunk to the ground). The foliage is purple, the flowers are an original violet-red color.
Description of the apple tree Royalty with photo
The Royalty apple tree is an ornamental tree with red leaves and bright flowers. The description includes characteristics such as color, leaf shape, fruit characteristics, as well as tree parameters - all of which are described below.
Height and diameter of the crown of the Royalty apple tree
The trees are quite tall, they can grow up to 4-5 and even 6 meters. But the growth rate of the Royalty apple tree is small - they reach such a height only at the age of 14-15 years, and by 10 years they grow only to 3-4 meters.
The crown of the Royalty apple tree is quite compact, then in an adult tree it becomes very wide, with a diameter of 4-5 m. The shape is oval, symmetrical, and can be spherical.
Leaves
Most varieties of Royalty apple trees are red-leaved. The leaves are narrowed, the surface shines in the sun. The shape is oval or ovoid, oblong, length from 8 to 12 cm. The color is crimson, purple, with dark purple hues. Interestingly, by autumn it becomes less intense.
When the trees are fully leafed out, the leaf blades become purple only on the bottom and are dark green on the outside. Moreover, thanks to this, the Royalty apple tree looks no less attractive.
The tree is decorative thanks to its red leaves
Flowering is abundant, begins in the first ten days of May and lasts 12-15 days. At this time, trees look especially beautiful. If it's too hot outside, the petals quickly fade in the sun and fade. Then flowering is reduced to four days.
The buds are large, the inflorescences of the Royalty apple tree are dark red or pink, depending on the variety. They are quite large, reaching a diameter of 3.5 cm. The aroma is pronounced. Peduncles are white-tomentose, thin.
Fruit
The fruits of the Royalty apple tree are formed in early September. They are small, almost like cherries. The shape is oblong-oval, the color is dark red, the waxy coating is bluish. The taste is bitter-spicy, specific. They are not used as food, but sometimes an apple cider alcoholic drink is prepared from them.
Characteristics of the variety
Among the characteristics of the Royalty ornamental apple tree, winter hardiness is of particular importance, since it determines in which regions it can be grown. Disease resistance is also important - all these parameters are described below.
Frost resistance
The frost resistance of the Royalty apple tree is very high - it can withstand even harsh winters, while in extreme frosts some of the shoots may die. The plant also has good resistance to drought and strong winds.
Growing regions
Thanks to its high winter hardiness, the Royalty apple tree can be grown in almost all regions of Russia, including the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The tree tolerates gas pollution well, so it can be grown even in urban conditions near roads and industrial facilities.
Disease resistance
The Royalty apple tree has good immunity to almost all diseases - its resistance is higher than that of crops with edible fruits. Infection with bacterial and fungal infections is possible. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the watering norm and carry out preventive treatments with fungicides.
In the summer, it may suffer from an invasion of leaf rollers, aphids, spider mites and other pests. Trees should be periodically inspected and treated with insecticides or folk remedies.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Royalty apple tree is very attractive in appearance, and its decorative effect remains not only during flowering, but also until the first frost. This is a beautiful tree with a compact crown and purplish, bright red leaves. The culture is unpretentious, it can be grown in almost all Russian regions.
One of the advantages of the variety is large, fragrant flowers.
Pros:
- high decorative value throughout the season;
- low maintenance requirements;
- high winter hardiness;
- drought resistance;
- excellent immunity to diseases and pests.
Minuses:
- weak growth rates;
- the fruits are poisonous.
How to plant an apple tree Royalty
Planting the Royalty apple tree can be planned for both spring and autumn. In the first case, you need to have time from the end of March to mid-April, and in the second - from the last ten days of September to the 20th of October. The place is chosen in advance. It should be well-lit and dry (lowlands are excluded). Trees are not afraid of wind, so they can be placed in an open area. If the place is shady, the seedling will grow unevenly, the crown will begin to deform, and the foliage will turn dark green, losing its beautiful purple hue.
The soil is first dug up, compost or humus is added in a bucket per square meter.Light loamy soil with a neutral reaction pH = 6-7 is optimal for growing. If it is dense, you need to embed sawdust or sand up to 5 kg per 1 m2.
When landing, proceed as follows:
- Several holes are formed with a depth of 50 cm and a diameter of 80 cm.
- Place a peg in the center.
- Lay a layer of small stones.
- Sprinkle with soil and compact so that the root collar remains 7 cm above ground level.
- They tie it to a peg with a rope.
- Water and after a few days mulch with sawdust, pine needles, straw or other materials.
The interval between pits depends on the purpose of planting the Royalty apple tree. If you plan to make an alley or hedge, the distance is selected from 3 to 5 m. For a single planting, you need to leave from 10 to 15 m.
Apple tree care Royalty
The Royalty variety is unpretentious, so there will not be any special difficulties with care. The basic rules of agricultural technology are:
- Watering is given moderately, spending a bucket of water on young seedlings, and 20-30 liters on adults. The soil should remain only slightly moist. To do this, the tree trunk circle is mulched.
- Periodically loosen the soil and remove weeds if necessary.
- In early April, trees are watered with a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea (20 g per 10 l). When the Royalty apple tree blooms and forms buds, it should be watered with a solution of superphosphate (40 g per 10 l) and potassium sulfate (25 g per 10 l).
Even minimal care allows you to get a beautiful, densely leafy tree.
How to shape an apple tree Royalty
Pruning the crown in the first years must be done very carefully, because if you often remove many branches, the Royalty apple tree will grow even more slowly. It is permissible to carry out sanitary pruning in early spring, removing all dried, frozen and broken branches. The rest of the crown will form independently.It will be necessary to remove only those shoots that clearly protrude beyond the general contour or thicken the crown.
Reproduction of decorative apple tree Royalty
Purple apple tree Royalty can be propagated in two main ways:
- Cuttings - at the beginning of autumn, young annual cuttings are taken, cut at an angle, placed in damp sand and stored in the basement. In mid-spring, transplant into a container with fertile soil, water regularly, and cover with a jar. At the end of summer they are transferred to open ground.
- You can grow a Royalty apple tree from seeds. They are planted as seedlings in March, creating greenhouse conditions and constantly moistening the soil. Then the seedlings are picked and grown for another year at home, and the next spring they are transferred to open ground. This is a rarer method because it is labor-intensive, and the seedlings may not retain certain characteristics of the parent plants.
Photo of a decorative apple tree Royalty in landscape design
The decorative apple tree Royalty can be used both in single plantings and in compositions with other crops. It is used to decorate city squares and parks, and is planted next to the house, gazebo, or on the shore of a country pond. Based on dense planting, alleys and hedges are formed. Below are several options for using plants in garden design:
- Against the background of the lawn.
- Near the road.
- Planting in the form of an alley.
- Hedge option.
Conclusion
The Royalty apple tree is one of the best ornamental crops for compositions and single plantings. This unpretentious tree with beautiful red leaves and purple flowers is used to create alleys and hedges. It grows even on poor soils and does not require special care.
Reviews from gardeners about the Royalty ornamental apple tree
