Melba apple tree familiar from childhood
Content
Species characteristics
Melba was bred by Canadian breeders in the city of Ottawa at the end of the 19th century. The apple tree got its name in honor of the Australian opera singer Nelly Melba. Such a fruit tree is valued for its stable and high yield. Please note that the plant does not tolerate severe frosts so easily, therefore it requires special conditions and protection from low temperatures. The apple tree is susceptible to the invasion of scab, which is why it is treated for such an ailment. The plant reaches a height of 3-4 m.
The first two to three years after planting, vertical shoots are formed on the tree. The spreading crown appears later. The leaf plate of the plant is elongated, smooth to the touch, and has a light green tint. The flowering period lasts from April to June. The fruit is round and has a white waxy coating. Ripe fruit acquires a pink hue, its taste is sweet and sour. Another key characteristic of the fruit is the caramel flavor of the pulp.
Up to 50 kg of apples are harvested from a mature plant in season. Harvesting begins in mid-August, while apples continue to ripen until September. It is important to root another summer apple variety next to Melba, which will act as a pollinator.
Video "Apple-tree Melba"
From this video you will learn about the peculiarities of planting the Melba apple tree.
Varieties of varieties
This category includes the following types of apples:
- Melba's daughter. This is a hybrid plant with improved characteristics: the tree is able to overwinter in a cold region, and is not affected by scab. Ripe fruits are covered with pink spots or light stripes.
- Melba Red. Ripening fruits are light green in color, but a reddish blush is present. This species gives up to 80 kg of yield per tree, but the fruits are not too sweet.
Some gardeners are convinced that it is realistic to root the columnar Melba apple tree in the garden. In fact, confusion arises, since the seedling, which is not yet 3 years old, has the shape of a columnar apple tree.
Advantages and disadvantages
The first harvest from such a tree is obtained in the fourth year after planting. The yield of this variety is high: up to 70-80 kg of fruits are harvested from one plant, they are stored for a long time, have excellent taste characteristics. Such fruits are safely transported over long distances, because during transportation they will not lose their presentation.
This variety also has disadvantages:
- the tree is not able to withstand the scab;
- low resistance to frost - at low temperatures in winter and in the absence of snow, trees of this type often freeze out.
Growing features
To grow the Melba apple tree, it is important to treat the tree in a timely manner from diseases, especially from scab. Control the intensity and frequency of watering: excess moisture is harmful to this tree, so only moisten the substrate in dry weather.
Melba does a good job of resisting diseases, the biggest problem is scab. Prevent this disease by sanitary pruning of the tree.
Do not forget about the benefits of regular feeding and the need to clean fallen leaves from the near-stem circle. Otherwise, caring for an apple tree does not require much effort.
Gardeners reviews
Alina, 45 years old: “My husband and I bought several Melba dwarf saplings. It is generally easy to take care of them, in the fall we try to carefully prepare the trees for wintering, remove damaged and dry shoots. The fruits are very tasty! "
Andrey, 62 years old: “Our whole family adores apples. On the site we have about 25 apple trees of various varieties. We appreciate melba for sweet and sour fruits with an amazing aroma. And we cook compotes from them, and preserves, and eat fresh. We definitely recommend this variety. "
Stanislav, 38 years old: “I do not advise planting such a tree in regions with frequent and heavy rains - this weather is ideal for scab, and Melba does not resist it well. As for the rest, I was satisfied with the variety ”.