Secrets of growing apple trees of the Dream variety

About the grade

The description should begin with the fact that it is a hybrid of the varieties “Papirovka” and “Pepin saffron”. The apple tree grows not very tall, rarely higher than 4.5-5 meters, with a conical, rather spreading crown. The fruits are large, weighing about 140-200 grams. It is curious that the largest fruits appear on a dwarf rootstock.

From the point of view of beauty, this variety will delight lovers of the harmony of the shape of the fruits - they are round, pale yellow or light green. On the side that faces the sun during ripening, they turn red. The flesh of the fruit is white with a splash of pink, loose, not very aromatic, sweet and sour. Ripening occurs at the beginning of August, however, it will be possible to keep the variety fresh until the end of October at the most.

In order to get a harvest for 4-5 years of tree growth, you need to plant an apple tree on a seed stock. It is also noted that with stable warm weather on a dwarf rootstock, fruits can appear in the 2nd year of the tree's life. With proper care from one tree, you can harvest 120 kilograms. But if the care was not thorough enough, the variety can go into “hibernation” and miss fruiting for a whole year. At the same time, "Dream" shows good resistance to low temperatures, so it easily survives the winter. Also, it is highly resistant to scab and various diseases. It should be noted that in addition to the dependence of fruiting on care, the variety is characterized by deformation of the fruit during ripening - cracks appear on them.

100 g of fresh apple contains: 86.3 grams of water, 9.8 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of sugar, 0.4 grams of protein.

Where to plant

When choosing a planting site, keep in mind that the variety prefers well-lit places. This greatly affects how sweet the fruit will be and how much will form on the tree. Also, there should be no stagnation of water in the selected area, since Dream does not tolerate high soil moisture.

When choosing a soil, focus on its breathability. Preference should be given to loamy or suspended soils, or to plant the variety in black soil with an acidity of pH 5.6-6.0.

Planting and leaving

The site requires preliminary preparation. Dig it up in the fall and add humus in large quantities. In the spring, about a week before planting, you need to dig a hole for the seedling. Its depth should be at least 70 centimeters, and its width is about 1 meter. If you plan to plant several seedlings of "Dream", then observe the step of 4 meters between the holes. The bottom of the pit is filled with eggshells mixed with humus, superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium.

Just before placing the seedling, moisten the hole and then gently cover the apple tree with earth. It is not recommended to deepen the seedlings into the ground; make sure that the root collar is at least 5 centimeters above the ground. For the first time, it is worth tying it up until it takes root in a new place.

The first few weeks after planting, young trees require abundant watering.However, make sure that the water does not stagnate, as this increases the risk of developing diseases or banal decay of the roots of the seedling.

Preventive treatments for pests are an important part of caring for a young apple tree. As well as top dressing, especially in the first two years of growth, in the spring it is necessary to carry out foliar dressing with nitrogen fertilizers.

A few helpful tips for inexperienced gardeners when planting and caring for seedlings:

• after purchase, tear off the leaves from the branches, leaving a maximum of 2-3 leaves on each. However, in no case touch the roots, as this can cost you the entire seedling;
• when planting a variety in your garden, make sure that another apple tree (at least one) grows nearby, always of a different variety, in order to pollinate during the flowering period;
• feeding the apple tree is carried out in the spring, while adding urea, nitrate or nitroammophos, any organic fertilizers. If you are worried about how the apple tree will survive the winter, you can fertilize it in the fall, but remember that the fall feeding should not contain nitrogen;
• when the apple tree blooms for the first time, it is necessary to cut off all flowers in order to increase the survival rate of the tree. In the following years, it is recommended to cut off about half of the formed fruits, until they are more than a centimeter in diameter. Such a strange procedure will help the apple tree to form larger fruits in the future;
• water this variety 4 times a month, pouring at least one bucket of water under each tree. Pay particular attention to watering in July and August, when the apple tree is bearing fruit, a lack of moisture will lead to a decrease in the yield both this and next year;
• for the first few years, the hole must be mulched with horse manure in order to protect young roots from freezing.

Pruning

Any variety of apple trees needs to be pruned, let most gardeners now recoil from their monitors in fear. Correct pruning of the branches will help the tree develop more easily and bear fruit better. Moreover, it increases the immunity of the tree, which means that you should not ignore this healing procedure. Step-by-step description of trimming:

• for the first time, the branches are cut off from the seedlings, shortening them by ⅓;
• prune branches in early spring before buds bloom;
• if you remove the entire branch, do not leave hemp, cut at the base;
• do not cut branches with fruits;
• thin out the crown every year;
• do not cut many branches at a time, it is better to divide them into several groups.

Video "Apple-tree variety Dream"

Watch this video to learn what Dream apples look like and how to harvest them properly.