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Among twenty thousand varieties of apples, this one stands out. And it's not all about appearance. Apples Pink pearls inside an unusual rich pink color. Depending on the conditions in which apple trees grow, they may have completely red fruit pulp.
History of the variety's creation
In the creation of all varieties of apples with red flesh, a descendant of the Niedzwiecki apple tree, the red-fleshed variety Surprise, was used. Niedzvetsky apple tree originally from Dagestan, where it grows wild. It is also widespread in China. In gardening, the Niedzwiecki apple tree is used not as a fruit tree, but as an ornamental plant with unusual leaf color. It is especially beautiful at the time of flowering, all strewn with bright pink flowers. The fruits of this apple tree, although small, are quite edible; they are used to make jam and compotes.
The Pink Pearl apple tree was created in California more than 50 years ago by US breeder Albert Etter. He spent almost 25 years on the selection process, patented the created variety, and then gave it to The California Nursery Company for propagation. A year later, the apple variety was presented in catalogs of fruit crops and quickly spread throughout the country.This productive and unpretentious tree is most often grown in the states of Oregon, California and Washington.
The unusual reddish-pink color of the apple pulp prompted the creator of the variety to give it the original name - Pink Pearl, since due to some heterogeneity in color, the apple pulp acquired a shimmering effect. The Pink Pearl variety appeared on the Russian market quite recently, so this variety is not widespread.
To be fair, it must be said that Albert Etter was not the first to develop red-fleshed apple varieties. The outstanding Russian breeder Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin did this and succeeded well in this. The goal of his work in this area was to increase the frost resistance of apple trees, and the production of red-fleshed apple varieties turned out to be a side effect.
The varieties he bred: Bellefleur red, Yakhontovoye, Red Standard, Komsomolets, Bellefleur record were distinguished not only by their decorative properties, but also by the good taste of the fruits. And the Bellefleur red variety is still the standard among apple varieties with red flesh.
Among modern varieties of apple trees with fruits that have red flesh, the Pink Pearl apple variety stands out, which has collected many positive reviews. Let's get to know him better. To do this, we will give the Pink Pearl variety a full description and description, but first we will look at the photo.
Description of the variety
The Pink Pearl apple tree is a tree of weak vigor, a semi-dwarf tree, and can also be grown on a dwarf rootstock. It has green leaves. The Pink Pearl apple tree begins to bear fruit early - 3-4 years after planting. In the first 3 years, the growth of branches ranges from 0.8 to 1 m.
The fruits of this apple tree are quite large - from 150 to 200 g, and have a conical shape.The skin of apples is translucent, its color varies from light yellow to pink, thanks to a slight blush. The peculiarity of the fruit is the numerous white dots that cover the entire apple. The color of the fruit pulp greatly depends on the light level of the tree. If the amount of light is 50% of normal, the coloring will be weak. Under normal lighting conditions, the color of the apple pulp has different shades - from bright pink to red. The pulp is granular and resembles a watermelon in cross section. The apple is very juicy, and the taste depends on the timing of picking. The fruits begin to ripen in the third ten days of August and at this time they have a sweet taste with quite pronounced sourness and astringency. The taste of this apple has good notes of grapefruit.
If you bite into a ripe apple, you can taste a hint of ripe raspberries. These apples can be stored for quite a long time - up to 5 months. Apples of any degree of ripeness have a pronounced fruity aroma.
The Pink Pearl apple tree needs a pollinator. In the vicinity of other apple trees, the yield increases significantly. Pink pearls tolerate frosts well - down to -30 degrees, but are not resistant to powdery mildew and scab. If you couldn’t find Pink Pearl apple tree seedlings, but you were lucky with cuttings for grafting, then it is better to graft them onto varieties of apple trees with reddish or pink fruit pulp:
- Streifling, popularly called Streifel;
- Borovinka;
- Malinovka;
- Pink filling;
- Susleipskoe.
Apples of the Pink Pearl variety not only have an excellent and original taste, but also a lot of useful properties.
Chemical composition and beneficial properties
Everyone knows about the healing properties of apples. But the Pink Pearl variety is special. Anthocyanins, which determine the original color of apples of this variety, are not synthesized in the human body, however, they are extremely necessary for the human body. For a healthy person, their daily intake is 200 mg, and for a sick person – 300 mg. Anthocyanins do not have a cumulative effect, that is, they cannot be accumulated for future use; foods containing them must be consumed daily. Anthocyanins have an amazing ability to help with many diseases:
- being strong antioxidants, they restore cell membranes, thereby preventing many diseases, including cancer;
- strengthen the immune system and fight harmful bacteria thanks to its bactericidal properties;
- strengthen the walls of capillaries, including those located in the eyeballs, therefore useful for diabetic retinopathy;
- help reduce intraocular pressure, helping in the treatment of glaucoma;
- can improve the condition of connective tissues, and there are many of them in the human body.
Pectins, which are abundant in the Pink Pearl apple variety, remove harmful substances from the human intestines, improving the condition of the digestive system.
But for these apples to be useful, the trees need to be properly cared for.
Selection of seedlings
Apple tree Pink pearls are still rarely found on the fruit crops market, so when purchasing, it is better to contact trusted sellers with a good reputation.Otherwise, there is a risk of getting something completely different from what you expected. If you plan to make a purchase in an online store, be sure to check customer reviews to understand how conscientious the sellers are. Young seedlings of Pink Pearl do not have any characteristic varietal characteristics. Therefore, when choosing, you need to focus on their quality.
There are certain indicators of healthy planting material:
- a one-year-old apple tree seedling should not have branches from the trunk, a two-year-old one must have at least 2 lateral branches, for Pink Pearl apple tree seedlings - at least 3. Older apple tree seedlings take root much worse and, due to their high altitude, are not sent by mail;
- the bark of Pink Pearl apple tree seedlings should not be damaged, the color should correspond to the variety. To make sure that the bark is in good condition, you need to lightly pick it up; the green color will indicate a healthy seedling, but this must be done carefully so as not to leave damage;
- in the spring there should be no open leaves on the apple tree, and in the fall the tree should finish falling leaves;
- a very important indicator is the condition of the roots of the apple tree; they should not be overdried, but overmoistening is also detrimental for them, as it causes rotting; root length - at least 30 cm, color - light, special attention - to preserve the thin suction roots of white color;
- it is important that the Pink Pearl apple tree seedling is grown in the same region in which it will be planted; southern seedlings in the middle zone, and even more so to the north, are simply doomed to death.
Be careful: sometimes an apple tree seedling is placed in a container immediately before sale. You cannot buy such specimens; their root system is probably damaged. This is quite easy to understand: when grown in a container, the soil compacts a little. For a newly planted apple tree it will be loose. It is not easy to remove a tree grown in a container, since the entire earthen ball has sprouted roots. Lightly pull the apple tree by the stem; if it yields easily, refuse to purchase.
Planting and care
It is better to plant pink pearl apple tree seedlings with an open root system in the spring - due to not very high frost resistance, a poorly rooted tree will freeze in severe frosts. It happens that you managed to buy an apple tree seedling of the Pink Pearl variety in the fall. Then, until spring, it should be buried in a horizontal position, sprinkling the roots with a thick layer of soil. Under a layer of snow it will be preserved well until spring.
Preparing a seedling for planting
If the young apple tree has been stored in proper conditions and its roots are not overdried, then before planting it is enough to cut off the damaged roots and sprinkle the sections with crushed charcoal. If the roots of the apple tree are dried, the root system of the tree should be soaked in water for a day. It is good to add a root formation stimulator, diluted in accordance with the instructions on the bag.
Preparing the planting hole
When planting an apple tree of the Pink Pearl variety in the spring, the hole must be prepared in the fall so that the soil has time to settle over the winter. The depth and width of the hole is 80 cm. The place for it should be well lit throughout the day, and the groundwater should lie low - deeper than 2.5 m. The Pink Pearl apple tree grows well on light and medium loams with a neutral soil reaction .The soil must be well supplied with moisture, as this variety of apple trees is sensitive to drought.
Planting a seedling
We install a high peg in the center of the hole, to which we will tie the seedling after planting. If the soil is fertile, just add a 0.5 liter jar of ash to the bottom layer and mix well. Poor soil should be mixed with humus in a 1:1 ratio. We make a mound of soil, on which we place the seedling, spreading out the roots well.
Pour 10 liters of water into the hole. Gently add soil, adding 2-3 tablespoons of complex fertilizer with microelements to the last portion. There is no need to be overzealous here. It is better to feed the apple tree additionally later. The top layer of soil needs to be compacted; you can simply trample it with your foot, but without unnecessary zeal. We mark the trunk circle with a side made of soil, and pour another 10 liters of water into the resulting depression.
Further care
First of all, you need to shorten the central conductor by 3 buds, and if there are side branches, cut them too, but to a shorter length. This is necessary to maintain balance between the above-ground and underground parts of the seedling. We must mulch the tree trunk circle with humus, peat, hay, straw or mown grass.
If there is no rain, water the young apple tree weekly for 2 months, pouring a bucket into the circle around the trunk.In the future, you can do this less often, based on the needs of the tree. If the roots are exposed, add soil. In the first year, additional fertilizer is not required for young apple trees. We weed out weeds, if they appeared.
In the fall, we make sure to protect the tree from hares by wrapping the stem with any available material, carry out moisture-recharging irrigation and autumn fertilization of the soil.
For many gardeners, rare and unusual varieties of fruit trees, including apple trees, are of great interest. But the Pink Pearl variety will be needed not only by advanced gardeners. Everyone will like this tasty and healthy apple.
