Apple tree Pepin Saffron

Pepin Saffron apple tree is a winter variety with fragrant, appetizing fruits. For a long time, it was the most cultivated plant both by amateur gardeners in their summer cottages and on an industrial scale in state gardening farms. Juicy, crisp apples were used fresh as a dessert and for making juices, jams, and preserves. In recent years, interest in the variety has been undeservedly decreasing and lovers of these particular apples are increasingly cultivating Pepin saffron.

History of selection

The Pepin Saffron apple variety was developed by the famous Russian scientist, breeder and geneticist I.V. Michurin in 1907 in the Tambov province, Michurinsk. The new variety inherited the best qualities of the parent pair - Reneta d'Orleans and a hybrid variety. Obtained from Pepin Lithuanian and Chinese apple. The breeder received the first fruiting in 1915.

Important! Of the numerous varieties of apple trees bred by Michurin, Pepin Saffron is considered the most successful in many respects and taste characteristics.

Subsequently, based on it, breeders developed about 20 varieties of aromatic apples, widespread throughout the country.

Description of the variety and characteristics

Apple trees of this variety reach medium size with a round, rather dense crown and drooping branches. Young shoots of Pepin Saffron are light olive in color with a grayish bloom. The leaves are small, oblong, with a sharp tip, matte. The shoots and leaves of the Pepin saffron apple tree are heavily pubescent.

Mature tree height

During 5-7 years of growth, the Pepin Saffron apple tree reaches medium height. Mature trees can also be characterized as medium-sized. Young shoots are long and hang to the ground. The fruits are set on fruit twigs and spears.

Crown width

The crown of young apple trees is spherical, while that of adults takes on a wide, rounded shape with many shoots reaching the ground.

Attention! Trees need annual pruning of branches, otherwise the crown becomes too thick.

Self-fertility, pollinators

Apple trees of the Pepin Saffron variety are self-pollinating and have high self-fertility, but good pollinators help increase productivity. The varieties Calvil snowy, Slavyanka, Antonovka, and Uelsi have proven themselves best as pollinators. Apple tree rootstocks begin to bear fruit 4-5 years after grafting.

Fruit

The fruits of Pepin Saffron apple trees are medium in size, more often small than large. The weight of apples reaches 130-140 g, but the average weight usually does not exceed 80 g. The fruits have an oval-conical, slightly ribbed shape. The surface of the apples is smooth, the skin is quite dense and shiny.

The characteristic color of Pepin Saffron is green-yellow, with a pronounced dark red blush, through which darker lines, strokes and dots clearly appear. During storage, ripening, they take on an orange-yellow color with a blush. The apple stalk is long, 1-2 mm thick, emerging from a deep funnel-shaped hole with rusty edges. The fruits are held very firmly on the tree.

The apple pulp is juicy, dense, fine-grained, firm and crisp, creamy in color. The chemical composition of the pulp is quite rich:

  • sugar – 12%;
  • ascorbic acid;
  • organic acids – up to 0.6%;
  • vitamin C – 14.5 mg/100g;
  • vitamins of the PP group – 167 mg/100g;
  • dry matter – about 14%.

Tasting assessment

Pepin Saffron apples have a wonderful wine-sweet dessert taste and a subtle spicy aroma. Lovers of the variety appreciate the balanced, pleasant taste. Fruits of universal use - suitable for both fresh consumption and processing. Juicy, aromatic apples will decorate any table, and thick purees and jams have a unique, unique aroma.

The fruits have excellent transportability, long shelf life - up to 220-230 days. During the storage process, they improve taste and retain their presentation. The harvest is usually harvested in mid-to-late September, and by the end of October, Pepin Saffron apples acquire an even richer taste.

Productivity

The first fruits from young Pepin Saffron apple trees can be obtained 4-5 years after planting or rootstock. It begins to bear fruit fully from the age of 7 years. With proper care and sufficient humidity, from 220 kg to 280 kg of fragrant, juicy apples are harvested from each tree annually.

Advice! Pruning the crown of apple trees can significantly increase productivity. The main principle of proper pruning is to remove all branches growing vertically upward, since they are not fruit-bearing.

Frequency of fruiting

The Pepin Saffron variety does not bear fruit periodically - you can get stable high yields every year. But, according to some data, in arid climates, without sufficient soil moisture, trees bear fruit with pronounced periodicity.

Winter hardiness

Apple trees of the Pepin Saffron variety have average winter hardiness, so they are not suitable for the northern regions, but in the regions of central Russia they are cultivated quite successfully. In the southern regions, in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Transcaucasian countries, they are winter-hardy, easily tolerate winter and quickly regenerate (recover) after branches are damaged by frost and spring pruning.

Disease resistance

Apple trees of the Pepin Saffron variety are more susceptible to scab and fungal diseases (especially powdery mildew) than other varieties. Resistance to the codling moth is average - the pest damages the seed pod most of all. It is necessary to carry out treatment with fungicides and other means to avoid damage to trees and crops.

Landing

Since the apple variety has average resistance to low temperatures, one- and two-year-old seedlings are planted only in early spring. Seedlings planted in open ground in the fall may die in winter. Soil preparation and planting are carried out in two stages.

Attention! Apple trees of the Pepin Saffron variety prefer well-leached fertile soils such as chernozem or light loam. Acidic soils must be alkalized by adding ash or lime.

Selecting a location, preparing the pit

Taking into account the average winter hardiness, a place for seedlings should be chosen that is sunny, well protected on the north side (by a house wall, a fence). Low-lying areas should also be avoided as cold air accumulates there.

Groundwater at the planting site should be no closer than 2 m from the surface of the earth. Melt or rainwater should not accumulate in the tree trunk circle to avoid damage to the root system.

Important! When planting, the root collar of the Pepin Saffron seedling is placed at the very surface of the soil. With a deeper location of the root system, fruiting of young seedlings is delayed for 2-3 years.

in autumn

The soil for planting seedlings is prepared in advance, in late autumn. Organic fertilizers (rotted manure) are distributed on the soil surface at the rate of 4-5 kg ​​per 1 square meter. m, ash for alkalizing the soil - 200-300 g per 1 sq. m and 1 table. a spoonful of potassium phosphate fertilizers. When digging, fertilizers are embedded in the soil and left until spring.

in spring

In early spring, the ground is dug up again to enhance aeration and planting holes with a diameter of 1 m and a depth of 0.75-0.80 m are prepared. Drainage is laid at the bottom of each hole - 2-3 cm of expanded clay or pieces of brick. Mix equal amounts of sand, humus, peat and 20 g of nitroammophoska, lay the composition on top of the drainage. The pit is covered and left for 10-15 days.

Pepin Saffron apple tree seedlings must be planted in prepared planting holes before the buds open. To do this, planting material is lowered into a hole and a bucket of water is poured over the roots so that the roots, along with moisture, naturally go deeper into the soil. The roots are sprinkled with earth on top and the top layer is well compacted.Then the apple tree must be watered with at least 30 liters of water and mulched.

When planting, you should try to place the root collar at soil level. Young seedlings are watered every week with 10 liters of water until complete rooting.

Care

Apple trees of the Pepin Saffron variety are demanding when it comes to feeding. To obtain stable, abundant harvests, additional nutrition must be added in a timely manner.

Watering and fertilizing

Young and mature trees are watered as needed, once every 10 days, keeping the soil normally moist (earth compressed into handfuls should not disintegrate). Pepin saffron apple trees are fertilized as follows:

  • every 2-3 years in the fall after harvesting, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the tree trunk circle;
  • annually after flowering, water with infused bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15;
  • in the fall, organic fertilizers (humus or compost) are added to the tree trunk circle, adding 1 cup of ash;
  • To avoid shedding of the ovaries, the tree is watered with an infusion of slurry diluted with water 1:3.

Trimming

Trees are very demanding when it comes to pruning. In the first few years after planting, the crown is formed, and then annually pruned in the spring before the buds open, shortening the shoots and freeing the trunk and skeletal branches from excess branches. It is recommended to trim up to 25% of the apple tree crown annually.

Attention! Thickening of the crown leads to shredding of fruits, frequency of fruiting, and more frequent infections by fungal diseases.

Prevention and protection from diseases and pests

Scab and other fungal diseases, to which the Pepin Saffron apple tree variety is most susceptible, most often occur in thickened, poorly ventilated crowns, so pruning serves as a good prevention of infection.Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers improve the health of the crown of apple trees and prevent the spread of diseases.

In the fall, after leaf fall, all dry leaves are removed, the soil around the tree is loosened, fertilized and watered well - this will help the roots survive the winter. The trunk and skeletal branches must be whitened in the fall with slaked lime with the addition of copper sulfate.

Eradication spraying with a 3 or 5% solution of copper sulfate, and in early spring - with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, will help to completely clean the crown of the apple tree from pests and diseases.

Advice! It is advisable to alternate fungicidal preparations in order to affect all types of fungal diseases.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

When choosing seedlings of this variety for planting, gardeners are guided by the positive and negative qualities of Pepin Saffron apple trees. The main advantages of the variety:

  • good self-fertility;
  • stable high yields;
  • excellent presentation;
  • good transportability and shelf life;
  • fast regeneration.

The disadvantages of the variety include:

  • low frost resistance;
  • the need for annual pruning to avoid fruit crushing;
  • relatively low resistance to scab and other diseases;
  • The older the tree becomes, the weaker the aroma and taste of apples.

This variety of apples has good taste and quality characteristics. With constant care, it pleases with generous harvests that are perfectly preserved until spring. It is these qualities that Pepin Saffron has attracted gardeners for more than a hundred years.

Reviews

Dobrovolsky Vladimir, 59 years old, Krasnodar
Truly an unforgettable taste of childhood. These apples are still my favorite. Standing next to a tree, you feel their fragrant aroma.Every year we received rich harvests and enjoyed the excellent taste of apples until spring. For several years now I have been wanting to buy seedlings of Pepin Saffron apple trees, but I come across other varieties.
Kiryukhina Victoria Petrovna, 48 years old, Astrakhan region
My grandmother grew a Pepinka Saffron apple tree in the village - I still remember the taste of these apples. Two years ago I was lucky enough to buy a seedling, I hope to please my family with magnificent apples, for which I take very careful care of the tree.
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