Content
Among the apple varieties there are those that are known to almost every gardener. One of them is the Chinese Bellefleur apple tree. This is an old variety that used to be often found in the gardens of the Central regions. It has become popular due to its simple cultivation techniques and good quality fruits.
Description of the Chinese Bellefleur apple variety with photo
The description and characteristics of the Belfleur Chinese variety will help gardeners understand what the apple tree and its fruits look like and what they taste like. Information about this is necessary to decide whether to choose a tree to grow in your garden or not.
History of selection
The author of Bellefleur-Chinese is the world-famous Russian breeder I.V. Michurin; the breeding work was carried out in 1908-1921. The parent forms are the American variety Bellefleur yellow and Kitayka large-fruited. It was included in the State Register in 1947 and zoned in the North Caucasus region.
Appearance of fruit and tree
The Bellefleur Chinese apple tree is tall and powerful. Dense rounded or widely rounded crown. The bark is brown, with a reddish tint; the leaves are dark green with a grayish tint. The apple tree bears fruit on fruit twigs and last year's growths. The size of the fruits is above average or large, the average weight is 190 g (maximum 500-600 g). Apples are round and oval-round, with a ribbed surface. The funnel is free of rust. The skin of the fruit is light yellow, with striped and speckled blush on one side.
The Bellefleur Chinese apple tree on a semi-dwarf rootstock has a height of approximately 3 m, which makes tree care and harvesting easier. More plants can be placed per unit area, and the total volume of the harvested crop will be higher. The fruits ripen 2 weeks earlier.
The ripe fruits of Bellefleur Chinese look like early Striefel
Lifespan
The maximum age of an apple tree as a species can reach 100 years, but in practice such specimens are rare. Basically, fruit trees live 50-60 years, fruiting time is 20-40 years.
Taste
Bellefleur Chinese fruits are used for dessert purposes; their pulp is fine-grained, white, and juicy. The taste was noted by tasters as very good, sour-sweet, winey, with spicy notes, there is an aroma.
Productivity
The productivity of the Bellefleur Chinese apple tree is good, the young tree bears fruit annually, and with age the frequency appears. It also depends on the region of cultivation: in the south more fruits are harvested, in the middle zone - less. In general, from 1 sq. m. of area occupied by an apple tree, you can collect 15-20 kg of fruit.
Frost resistance
Winter hardiness is average. In the central zone and northern regions, the apple tree can freeze out in frosty winters, and in damp winters it can be affected by fungus.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The variety is not resistant to scab, leaf damage is moderate, fruit damage is severe. Rot resistance is good.
Flowering period
The Bellefleur Chinese apple tree blooms in late April or May. Flowering, depending on the weather, lasts approximately 1-1.5 weeks.
When to pick Chinese Bellefleur apples
Fruit ripening time is the second half of September. Fruiting is abundant. After ripening, the fruits usually do not fall off and adhere well to the branches. It is recommended to keep them for 2-3 weeks before using them. During storage, the skin of Bellefleur Chinese apples turns white.
Pollinators
The variety is self-fertile and does not require pollinators. According to breeders, it itself can be a good pollinator.
Transportation and keeping quality
The transportability of the fruits is high; they can be transported for storage or for sale. Apples do not last long - only 1-1.5 months.
Features of cultivation in the regions
When bred, Bellefleur Chinese was intended for cultivation in the Middle Zone and southern regions. In the Russian Federation, the variety is distributed in the Central Black Earth Region, the Northern Caucasus, and the Lower Volga region. Apple trees are also grown in Ukraine, Belarus, and Armenia. They are usually found in private gardens; they are used for industrial cultivation in the North Caucasus.
In the southern regions, the variety is considered a late summer variety, its fruits ripen at the end of summer, in the central zone - autumn, since the apples ripen at the end of September.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Bellefleur Kitayka variety has both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is the commercial and consumer qualities of apples, the use of the variety for breeding new varieties of the crop, and high drought resistance.
Disadvantages: tall growth, low precocity (begins to bear fruit late, at 6-8 years of age), susceptible to scab.
Ripe apples do not fall off the branches and remain intact and undamaged until harvested.
Planting and care
Bellefleur Chinese seedlings are brought to the site in spring or autumn. The preparation of the plant and the sequence of work are standard: the dried ends of the roots are cut off from the apple tree, and the roots are dipped into a solution of a root formation stimulator for 1 day.
For planting, you need to choose a warm spring or autumn day. First, it is important to prepare a planting hole measuring at least 0.5 by 0.5 m. If the root system of the seedling is larger, then the hole must be made wider and deeper. Place a drainage layer of broken brick, slate, and small stones on the bottom. Sprinkle a layer of fertile soil mixture on top, consisting of dug up soil and humus (50 to 50), add 1-2 kg of wood ash. Mix everything.
Landing sequence:
- Place a seedling in the middle of the hole.
- Spread the roots so that they spread freely in all directions.
- Cover with soil.
- Pour water when it is absorbed, lay a layer of mulching material on top, for example, straw, old hay, sawdust.
- Place a peg nearby and tie the trunk to it. This is necessary so that the plant grows straight until it takes root.
Caring for an apple tree includes watering, fertilizing, pruning and spraying against diseases and pests. The frequency of watering in the first month after planting is approximately once a week, but may be more or less, depending on the weather. You need to ensure that the soil always remains moist, not dry, but not soggy.When the Bellefleur Chinese tree takes root (after 1.5 months), it will be enough to water it several times a season when the ground dries out.
The first feeding of the apple tree is carried out in the 2nd year after planting, in the spring after the snow melts. Humus is added to the tree trunk circle in the amount of 1.5 buckets per plant and 1-2 kg of ash. Adult fruit-bearing apple trees need to be fertilized at least 2 more times per season - after flowering and in the middle of the period of fruit formation. You can use complex mineral fertilizers or organic matter.
The first pruning is carried out the following spring after planting. The central and side shoots of the tree are shortened, this stimulates the growth of new branches. In the future, pruning is carried out once a year, in the fall after leaf fall or in the spring before the buds swell. Remove all shrunken, frozen and damaged branches, excess shoots that grow inward and thicken the crown.
The incidence of scab can be prevented by preventive treatments with Bordeaux mixture, fungicides, and mandatory pruning. If the disease appears, it must be treated. Among the pests, the Chinese Bellefleur apple tree can be attacked by aphids, spider mites, flower beetles, codling moths, and sawflies. Control measures include spraying with insecticide solutions at the first signs of insect appearance.
Collection and storage
Bellefleur Chinese women collect apples in September. The fruits do not fall off, which allows you to pick them intact directly from the branches. Store apples in a cellar or basement at temperatures from 0 to 10 ° C and humidity up to 70%.It is advisable to place them separately from vegetables and other fruits so that they do not lose their flavor. In the cold, apples can last until December at most.
It is advisable to store apples in shallow boxes, laid in one layer.
Conclusion
The Chinese Bellefleur apple tree is an old variety that has not lost its attractiveness for modern gardeners. Despite its shortcomings, it is still popular due to the high quality of its fruit. In a private garden, you can plant an apple tree of this variety on a semi-dwarf rootstock; it has all the valuable characteristics inherent in the variety, but does not grow so tall.
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