Content
- 1 History of selection
- 2 Description of the apple tree variety Ural Bulk
- 3 Characteristics of the Ural bulk apple tree variety
- 4 Advantages and disadvantages
- 5 Planting an apple tree Ural liquid
- 6 Apple tree care Ural liquid
- 7 Collection and storage periods
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Reviews from gardeners about the Ural bulk apple tree
The Ural bulk apple tree is an autumn variety common in the northern territories of our country. This hybrid has outstanding characteristics that are valued when growing crops in harsh climatic conditions.
History of selection
At the end of the 40s of the last century, at a breeding station in Chelyabinsk, as a result of crossing the Ranetka Krasnaya and Papirovka apple tree varieties, the Ural Bulk variety appeared. Its author was the famous breeder Professor P. A. Zhavoronkov.
Since the late 50s, the hybrid has been zoned in the Volga-Vyatka, Far Eastern, West Siberian, East Siberian, and Ural regions.
The variety has become an excellent donor for obtaining new fruitful, frost-resistant varieties of apple trees.
Description of the apple tree variety Ural Bulk
The Ural bulk apple tree is classified as semi-cultivated, that is, only half is cultivated. The tree is medium in size, characterized by moderate growth vigor. The hybrid bears fruit abundantly with small yellow fruits.
Height and appearance of the Ural bulk apple tree
The Ural bulk apple tree is a medium-sized tree, but without pruning it can grow to a height of 8 m. Its dense, rounded crown reaches a diameter of more than 4 m and is prone to excessive thickening.
Numerous photos of the Ural Bulk variety reflect its main features - abundant fruiting of small apples
On average, the growth per year is 40–60 cm. The skeletal branches grow almost perpendicular to the trunk. During the fruiting period, under the weight of the fruits, they droop greatly.
In recent years, growing standard forms of fruit trees has become increasingly popular, and the Ural Bulk hybrid apple tree can be successfully grown on a standard. Such specimens not only look impressive in gardens, but also bear fruit better due to a well-formed crown.
The bark of the trunk and skeletal branches is greenish-gray, young shoots are brownish-greenish.
The leaf blades are light green, smooth, without pubescence, and have an elongated shape. The edge of the leaf has small rounded notches.
Description of fruits
The hybrid bears fruit with medium-sized apples weighing about 60 g. With age, their size becomes even smaller; in old trees, the fruits weigh no more than 40 g. The apples are on a long, strong stalk, round in shape, with barely noticeable ribbing. The fruit is covered with a smooth, glossy skin with faint subcutaneous points.The color of apples changes from greenish-yellow in unripe fruits to golden with a soft pink blush when they reach consumer maturity.
Characteristics of the Ural bulk apple tree variety
Ural liquid has a number of features that distinguish it from other varieties of culture. First of all, this is the phenomenal resistance of the apple tree to unfavorable environmental conditions and high productivity.
Taste qualities
Ural bulk apples have a pleasant sweet taste with honey, spicy notes and slight sourness. The pulp is medium density, tender, juicy, with a light aroma.
Ripening time
The Ural bulk apple harvest can be expected around the second half of September. There are three stages of maturity:
- Technical. Hard, juicy fruits collected at this stage are processed into compotes and juices.
- Consumer maturity. The apples are extremely tasty and ready to eat fresh.
- Slightly overripe. The fruits become loose and are suitable for making preserves, jams, and marmalade. In this variety, the stage of slight overripeness begins in the first ten days of October.
You can determine the degree of ripening of fruits by appearance
Productivity
Ural bulk is a fast-growing variety. Often in the second year, gardeners harvest the first crop, but in order for the tree to take root better, it is recommended to remove the ovaries for several years after grafting.
The variety is characterized by stable fruiting. Each season the harvest volume increases. Under favorable conditions and good care, one adult apple tree can produce up to 250 kg of fruit.
Frost resistance of apple tree Ural liquid
The outstanding resistance of this apple tree variety to low temperatures is one of the key characteristics of the variety. It was noted that even with frosts below -50°C in one of the harshest winters, the apple trees only froze slightly. The variety is also distinguished by its plasticity, which allows the tree to adapt to environmental conditions and quickly recover from exposure to unfavorable factors.
Apple tree pollinators Ural liquid
Ural liquid refers to self-sterile varieties of the crop. To bear fruit, the apple tree needs pollinators, the best of which is the Uralets hybrid. It has the same frost resistance and blooms at the same time as Ural Bulk. It is recommended to plant these two trees no more than 5 m apart.
Growing regions
Thanks to its unique frost resistance and excellent adaptive capabilities, the Uralskoye Nalivnoe variety has become widespread in the Southern Urals, the Far East, and the Northwestern part of Russia. He is also well known in Kazakhstan.
Disease resistance
The Ural Bulk variety has average resistance to the most common apple disease - scab. However, the risk of infection increases in unfavorable years and in the absence of garden care. With proper, timely formation of the crown, trees are rarely affected by scab.
Sometimes the plant suffers from moniliosis, a fungal disease that leads to rotting of the fruit.
Advantages and disadvantages
Apples of this variety can be consumed fresh and processed. They store well and are easily transported.
Due to their small size, the fruits of the Uralskoye Nalivnoye variety have low marketability
Pros:
- adaptability to various growing conditions;
- frost resistance;
- high productivity;
- stable fruiting;
- good taste, versatility of use.
Minuses:
- the tendency of branches to break off under the weight of fruits;
- small fruit;
- need for pollinators.
Planting an apple tree Ural liquid
The hybrid is propagated by grafting into the crown or seedlings.
Since the apple tree of the Ural bulk variety is characterized by an early start of the growing season, it is preferable to plant young trees in the fall.
The best place for an apple tree will be a warm area, protected from strong winds. Like other fruit trees, the variety is very sensitive to excessive soil moisture, so lowlands and places with close groundwater are not suitable for it.
Planting a young apple tree in open ground is not difficult:
- prepare a pit measuring 70x80 cm;
- a soil mixture of fertile soil and fertilizers is poured onto the bottom;
- the seedling is placed in a hole and filled with the remaining soil;
- the trunk is tied to a small peg.
Apple tree care Ural liquid
Ural liquid requires specific care due to the characteristics of the variety. Since the variety is high-yielding, in order to avoid breaking off the shoots under the weight of the fruits, supports should be placed under the skeletal branches.For the same purpose, many gardeners manually remove some ovaries, especially in the first few years after planting the plant in open ground.
This variety is prone to thickening of the crown, so annual pruning is mandatory.
Since Ural liquid does not have strong immunity against some diseases and pests, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment with fungicides and insecticides.
Preparing an apple tree of this extremely frost-resistant variety for winter comes down to protecting the trunk from rodents, hilling and mulching the tree trunk circle.
The tree needs watering, fertilizing, loosening of the surrounding area, and preventive treatments against diseases and pests.
How to shape the trunk of an apple tree Ural liquid
Pruning is one of the most important components of caring for the Ural Bulk apple tree. The first stage of tree design is the formation of the trunk. In order for the apple tree to grow well and bear fruit effectively, the first pruning of the seedling is carried out according to the following rules:
- The procedure begins in early spring, before the sap begins to flow, immediately after planting the tree in its permanent place. If planting is done in the fall, pruning must be done at the beginning of the next season.
- Determine the height of the trunk in the range of 50–60 cm.
- If there are no side branches, the crown is cut off at a height of 80–100 cm; small seedlings are not shortened.
- If there are side branches, select several of them in different directions, located at a level above the intended height of the trunk. These will be the skeletal branches of the first tier. The rest must be removed.
- The ends of the remaining branches are cut into 3–5 buds.
A correctly formed trunk of the Ural bulk apple tree is the key to a healthy, effectively fruit-bearing tree
Collection and storage periods
To ensure that apples are stored well, you must adhere to the following rules when harvesting them:
- You can only remove dry fruits from the tree, so it is best to choose a clear sunny day for work;
- apples on the south side of the tree ripen a little earlier than the others. They should be removed first;
- all damaged fruits, as well as carrion, must be discarded. Not only will they not be stored, but they will also become a source of infection for other apples.
Pre-harvest shedding is not typical for this hybrid, so the fruits can remain on the tree until full maturity.
Apples of the Ural bulk variety are stored for about two months.
Conclusion
The Ural bulk apple tree rightfully takes first place among varieties growing in areas with harsh climatic conditions. The hybrid's legendary ability to withstand cold, recover from the most adverse environmental influences, and high productivity make it attractive not only to amateur gardeners, but also to farmers and owners of large garden farms.
Reviews from gardeners about the Ural bulk apple tree
