Content
Rowan Rubinovaya is a Michurin variety that was lost, but then found and propagated. This type has a slight astringency in taste, inherent in all old Michurin varieties.
Description of Rowan Ruby
Ruby rowan is a tree of medium height, not exceeding 3 m. The crown is drooping.
The foliage is colored in a light green shade. The edges of the leaves are finely serrated, the petioles are pubescent. The bark on the branches is light brown.
According to the description, the flowers of Rubinova rowan (pictured) are small, pinkish-white. The inflorescences are corymbose and bloom in late May or early June.
The fruits that appear on the tree have a rounded-flattened shape. The weight of each berry does not exceed 1.3 g. The peel on the fruit is ruby-colored, and the flesh is yellow.
The taste of the berries is sweet and sour, with a slight tartness. They are used for making juices, jellies, and alcoholic drinks. For long-term storage, the berries are dried. The fruits ripen at the end of September. The tree bears fruit annually and produces a bountiful harvest.
The culture is resistant to winter frosts.
Pros and cons of the Ruby rowan variety
Rowan Ruby has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Among the advantages are the following:
- decorative look. Rowan differs from other varieties in the beautiful color of its fruit;
- average resistance to frost, which allows the crop to be grown in regions with cold winters;
- pleasant taste of fruits. This variety is obtained as a result of cross-pollination of rowan and pear, so the berries have a dessert taste.
Among the disadvantages, experts note the presence of bitterness in the berries, as well as the impossibility of growing the crop in wetlands.
Planting and caring for Rubinova rowan
Rowan can be planted in spring or autumn. The timing of autumn planting depends on the climatic region:
- in the central regions of Russia, planting is carried out from mid-September to the first ten days of October;
- in the south, planting is postponed until October - November;
- in northern latitudes they are planted a little earlier - in early September.
If autumn planting was missed, the seedling is stored until spring. There are several ways to preserve planting material:
- in the basement. To do this, the roots are placed in a container with a damp substrate: peat, sawdust, sand. The room temperature should be from +1 to +8 °C, humidity 80-90%. It is necessary to ensure that the substrate does not dry out; to do this, it is periodically moistened (once a week);
- The method of digging is as follows: a deep hole is prepared in the area and the seedling is placed at an angle of 45°. A moistened mixture consisting of equal parts of peat and sand is poured into the pit;
- When snowing, the seedling is wrapped in a damp cloth and buried in the snow. It is necessary to control the level of snow above the seedling.
Preparing the landing site
Before planting the seedling, be sure to prepare the planting area.It is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm, all weeds are removed, and fertilizers are applied.
Landing rules
The height of this variety of rowan is approximately 3 m; this should be taken into account when choosing a place for planting. Rowan trees can shade other seedlings, so it is better to plant them on the border of the site. If you plan to plant several specimens, maintain a distance of at least 4-5 m between them, and the same distance should be from other trees.
Average dimensions of the planting hole:
- diameter from 0.6 to 0.8 m;
- depth from 0.5 to 0.7 m.
These figures are indicative; in each case, the size of the root system, as well as the condition of the soil, should be taken into account.
For planting, you will need to prepare a nutrient soil mixture:
- 1 bucket of turf soil;
- 5 kg of peat or compost;
- 150 g superphosphate;
- 2 kg of rotted manure;
- 1 cup wood ash.
The components are thoroughly mixed. The planting hole is filled 1/3 full with the prepared mixture, then a little ordinary soil is added, the seedling is placed vertically, the roots are spread over the mound of soil and sprinkled with nutritious soil mixture on top. 10 liters of water are poured into the planting hole.
Watering and fertilizing
If the seedling is planted in the spring, it is watered regularly, this will help the roots recover and the tree will grow. When planting in autumn, water before frost sets in. Watering is carried out only if there is a dry autumn without precipitation. If it rains regularly, additional watering is not required.
Mature trees are watered as needed. During the season, 2-3 waterings are sufficient: at the beginning of the growing season, 20 days before harvest and 2-3 weeks after harvest.
Water into grooves dug around the trunks. An adult Ruby rowan will require 20-30 liters.Water consumption is approximate. The amount of water is determined by the condition of the soil and the age of the trees.
To increase the productivity of Rubinova rowan, you need to take care of fertilizing.
In the spring, 5-6 kg of compost or humus, as well as 50 g of ammonium nitrate, are laid under the tree.
In June, mullein (1:5) or bird droppings (1:10) are diluted and a bucket of the diluted mixture is poured under the rowan.
After fruiting, wood ash (0.5 l) and superphosphate (100 g) are added to the root circle.
Trimming
Pruning is necessary for rowan not only to form a crown. A sanitary procedure will prevent the development of diseases.
If the weather does not predict severe frosts, Ruby rowan can be pruned at the end of winter. During this period, mature (3-5 year old) trees are pruned, and it is better to postpone pruning of young seedlings until the end of March. It is better to prune old trees in the summer, this will reduce the risk of infection.
It is recommended to thin out seedlings after planting, as young branches grow rapidly and lead to thickening of the crown. The shoots stretch upward and become very thin and fragile, which subsequently leads to problems in the formation of the crown.
When carrying out the first pruning, you need to select the main trunk - this will be the thickest and tallest shoot in the center of the seedling. It should be vertical and dominant over the other branches. It is not pruned in the first year after planting. The remaining side shoots are shortened, leaving no more than three buds. All shoots that are located at a distance lower than 40 cm from the ground must be removed.
Young Ruby rowan is pruned moderately. The main task is to form the crown and prevent it from thickening. To do this, remove:
- old branches;
- shoots located towards the ground;
- branches competing with the central conductor;
- broken, damaged and diseased shoots.
Mature trees need rejuvenating pruning. To do this, several old side branches are removed once every two years. This stimulates the growth of new shoots and improves fruiting.
Preparing for winter
To prevent young rowan seedlings from freezing in winter, they need shelter. Preparing for winter is as follows:
- the trunk is wrapped in burlap, then covered with spruce branches;
- In winter, the tree trunk circle is covered with snow and compacted. It is necessary to periodically add snow so that the lower part of the trunk is not exposed;
- whitewashing trees avoids sunburn;
- To protect against rodents, pesticides are spread around the area.
Pollination
Rowan requires cross-pollination, so to increase the yield it is necessary to plant different varieties that bloom at the same time. You can use grafting cuttings on one tree. This method allows you to save space and get a harvest of different varieties.
Harvesting
Rowan Rubinovaya is a variety with an average ripening period of berries. Fruiting occurs 3-4 years after planting. The harvest is annual and consistently high.
Diseases and pests
The following insect pests parasitize the mountain ash:
- weevils, moths. To combat them, treatment with Karbofos is necessary;
- bark beetles. You can eliminate them with Confidor;
- gall mites. Colloidal sulfur will help get rid of the invasion;
- apple aphid. Actellik or Decis is required;
- rowan moth. Chlorophos will help eliminate the insect.
Rowan diseases can be the following:
- spotting (brown and gray);
- anthracnose;
- rust;
- moniliosis;
- scab;
- necrosis;
- ring mosaic.
Weak seedlings are susceptible to diseases. Buying a healthy plant and properly caring for it is a guarantee of the absence of diseases.
Reproduction
Reproduction is possible by generative or vegetative methods. Planting seeds does not guarantee that you will obtain a seedling that matches all the qualities of the mother plant.
Vegetative methods of breeding Rubinova rowan:
- cuttings. In this case, green or lignified cuttings can be used;
- vaccination. For the rootstock, varieties of mountain ash Nevezhinskaya, Mooravskaya or ordinary are suitable.
Conclusion
Rowan Ruby is an ornamental variety used in landscape design. The fruits of this variety have an unusual color and a pleasant sour taste, so they can be used for making tinctures, fruit drinks, juice, and jam.
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