Content
The Solnyshko apple tree is a variety of Russian selection that cannot be called outstanding or unique. Nevertheless, it has remained popular among gardeners for two decades, despite the constant appearance of serious “competitors” on sale. The tree’s yield is consistently high, apples have good “consumer properties”, and no particularly complex or labor-intensive care is required.
History of appearance
The Sunshine apple tree is a variety created by nature itself, the result of “spontaneous” cross-pollination. The seedling appeared in the early 80s of the last century in a collection garden and attracted the attention of specialists from the Research Institute for Breeding Fruit Crops.
It took more than 15 years to “fix” the varietal characteristics. In 1997, this organization submitted an application for official registration of the variety. The necessary tests lasted for four years; since 2001, the Solnyshko apple tree has been listed in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements.
Description of the apple tree Sun
Many gardeners choose the Sun apple tree, focusing on the small size of the tree. This variety is suitable even for garden plots with a “classic” area of six hundred square meters.
Wood appearance
The tree grows to a maximum of 3.5 m in height. More often this figure is limited to 2.5-3 m. The crown of the Sunshine apple tree is not too thick and round. Leaves with a “wrinkled” surface.
The shoots droop as they grow, often the branches of an adult apple tree hang almost to the ground, but they rarely break under the weight of the harvest.
Description of fruits
The fruits are one-dimensional (weighing about 170 g), slightly elongated, with a few “ribs”. Often you come across specimens with a “bevel” on one side.
The skin is thin and elastic, moderately strong, with few, but large and clearly visible subcutaneous points. As the apples ripen, they change color from lime green to pale yellow. But this shade is almost completely hidden by a “vague” raspberry-crimson “blush”.
The skin of ripe fruits feels oily to the touch, with a slight glossy tint.
Characteristics of the apple tree variety Sun
Experts rate the “presentation” of fruits higher than the taste – by 4.8 points. The description of the Sun variety apples and the photos taken by the gardeners confirm their presentability. However, it is not only the attractive “appearance” that contributes to sustained popularity.
Taste qualities
The pulp is creamy-white, fine-grained when cut, very dense and juicy, crispy. The aroma is pronounced, typically “apple”.
The taste is sweet, but not insipidly cloying, with a clearly visible “balancing” refreshing sourness. Professional tasters rated it 4.3 out of five, but many gardeners who have tried the fruit agree that it deserves better.
Ripening time for the Sunshine apple tree
Based on the period of fruit ripening, the Sun is classified as a winter apple tree. Depending on the climate in the region and the weather in summer, the harvest can be harvested from mid-September to early October.
Productivity
The “official” yield of the Solnyshko apple tree, demonstrated during variety trials, is 128 centners per hectare. According to this indicator, the variety chosen as a reference turned out to be unable to “compete” with it (the difference was 85 c/ha).
Amateur gardeners can count on 80-120 kg of apples per season from a mature tree. When grown on an industrial scale, the yield increases to 170-200 kg.
The first fruits can be tasted 6-7 years after planting (the tree is considered medium-fruitful). The “peak” of fruiting begins at 8-10 and lasts up to 20 years.
The period of “productive life” of the Sunshine apple tree is 25, maximum 30 years
Frost resistance
In terms of frost resistance, the Solnyshko apple tree is comparable to the Antonovka variety, which has long been well known to Russian gardeners. It survives winters with cold temperatures down to -35-40 °C successfully or with minimal damage, especially if there is sufficiently dense snow cover.
Trees damaged by frost are completely restored over the next season. This fact does not affect the yield in the future.
Pollinators of the Sunshine apple tree
The Solnyshko apple tree belongs to the category of self-fertile varieties. Without “outside help,” the percentage of fruit “set” is a maximum of 20-25%. Trees planted nearby and blooming at the same time significantly increase productivity:
- Antonovka vulgare;
- Orlik;
- In memory of a warrior;
- Imrus;
- Moscow Grushovka.
Growing regions
Officially, the Sun apple tree is recommended for cultivation only in the North Caucasus. However, the experience of gardeners shows that it successfully adapts to both the temperate climate of central Russia and more severe conditions.
The Sun apple tree is also quite popular among gardeners in the former Soviet republics. It has long “taken root” on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.
Disease resistance
The tree has an “innate” immunity to scab. Other fungal diseases are also extremely rare for it, even in the absence of preventive treatments with fungicides.
Immunity to scab is ensured by the presence of a special gene
Pests do not have a special “love” for trees of this variety. But in the event of “massive” attacks on the garden, the Sun’s apple trees will not be bypassed. Therefore, prevention cannot be neglected here.
Advantages and disadvantages
The height and appearance of Sunshine apple trees varies slightly depending on whether they are a dwarf, semi-dwarf, or columnar species. She also has a “clone” variety, Orlovskoye.
Fruits from Solnyshko apple trees are suitable for any homemade preparations; after heat treatment, the characteristic refreshing sourness in the taste is retained
Pros:
- general “stress resistance”, endurance in relation to any negative external influences;
- very high winter hardiness;
- good transportability and keeping quality of fruits;
- small dimensions of the apple tree, relatively sparse crown, which facilitates the process of care and harvesting;
- “friendly” and annual fruiting;
- yield close to record, especially considering the small size of the apple tree;
- “innate” immunity to scab, resistance to other fungal diseases;
- presentable appearance, one-dimensionality of apples;
- balanced sweet-sour taste, versatility of fruit use
Minuses:
- average fertility;
- sensitivity of apples to mechanical damage;
- the need for preventive treatments against pests;
- low fruit set without the “help” of pollinating varieties;
- tendency to quickly shed after full ripening.
Planting an apple tree Sun
The correct choice of location for the Sunny apple tree has a positive effect on both the volume of the harvest and the quality of the fruit. The tree requires:
- good lighting (drafts and gusts of wind do not harm the apple tree);
- a substrate that is both breathable and sufficiently fertile;
- acid-base balance of the soil is close to neutral.
The tree reacts most negatively to a “heavy” substrate (clayey, peat), as well as to constant waterlogging of the soil. The latter is facilitated by groundwater lying less than a meter below ground level and planting in lowlands, at the foot of the hills. It is there that melt water, rain water, and cold damp air constantly stagnate.
With a lack of light, the fruits become smaller, the taste deteriorates significantly
You can plant the Sun apple tree in both spring and autumn. The gardener determines the timing based on the climate and personal preferences. The approximate dimensions of the planting hole are 50-60 cm in depth and diameter.
The hole is always dug and filled with a mixture of soil with humus and fertilizers in advance, allowing it to “stand”. When planting in the fall, 2-3 weeks are enough; if the procedure is planned for spring, the hole is left for the winter. Directly planting the Sun apple tree does not have any fundamental differences from a similar procedure for seedlings of other fruit and berry crops.
Immediately after planting, it is recommended to trim existing side shoots and mulch the tree trunk circle.
Care Tips
The Sunshine apple tree does not require specific labor-intensive care. Can be limited to standard agrotechnical measures:
- Watering. The tree tolerates “drought” better than constant waterlogging of the soil. If the soil turns into a “swamp”, the roots stop functioning normally, which negatively affects the yield. In the absence of rain, an adult tree is watered once every 10-12 days, in extreme heat - every 5-7 days.
- Loosening and weeding. If the tree trunk circle is not covered with mulch, the soil is loosened after each watering, combining this procedure with weeding 2-3 times a month. The presence and timely renewal of a layer of mulch allows you not only to abandon these activities, but also to water the Sunshine apple tree less often.
- Feeding. Despite the high yield, the tree does not need large doses of fertilizers.Fertilizing is applied according to the standard scheme: soon after the “awakening” of leaf buds (nitrogen), before flowering, during the formation of ovaries and 2.5-3 weeks after harvesting (complex preparations).
- Preparing for winter. Due to the high frost resistance of the adult Sunny apple tree, you can limit yourself to cleaning the trunk circle from debris, updating the mulch layer and whitewashing the trunk. For the first winter, seedlings are prepared more carefully, providing thermal insulation with the help of special covers, homemade “huts,” and covering material.
- Preventive treatments. To protect against pests, both folk remedies and other drugs are used. Preventive treatments are carried out at the peak of insect activity, when the weather is favorable for them for a long time, as well as during “mass” attacks on the area.
- Trimming. The variety is not characterized by high growth rates and a tendency to thicken the crown, so you can limit yourself to sanitary pruning in spring and autumn.
Autumn water-recharging irrigation is an important stage in preparation for winter
Collection and storage periods
The fruits of the Solnyshko apple tree reach technical ripeness from mid-September to early October, depending on the climate in the region and the “luck” of the weather during the season. The variety is distinguished by its “friendly” and massive ripening of apples.
They are sensitive to even minor mechanical damage, so the Sunshine apple tree is harvested manually, preserving the stalks. You need to act carefully so as not to “disturb” the fruits on neighboring branches: at the stage of full maturity they are prone to shedding.
The minimum shelf life of fruits from the Solnyshko apple tree is 2.5-3 months. However, you can extend it until the end of winter if you provide them with optimal conditions:
- temperature 5-8 °C;
- air humidity 75-80%;
- good ventilation;
- lack of light.
Apples are stored in any container that allows air to pass through. They are placed in boxes or boxes in 1-2 layers and “isolated” from each other, sprinkled with sawdust, wood shavings, scraps of newsprint, and sand. Once every 2-3 weeks, the fruits are sorted, getting rid of specimens that have begun to deteriorate.
Fruits even with minimal mechanical and other damage are not suitable for long-term storage
Conclusion
Apple tree Solnyshko is a variety of winter or late autumn ripening. Among its main advantages are “innate” immunity to scab, annual fruiting and stable yield indicators, little dependent on the vagaries of the weather. These qualities, coupled with the balanced taste and presentable appearance of the fruit, make the variety interesting not only for amateur gardeners, but also for professional farmers.
Reviews from gardeners about the Sun apple tree
