Universal apple tree Asterisk

Breeding history

The selection of the Zvezdochka apple tree was carried out by Professor Chernenko. The parents of the apple tree were the varieties “Anis Aly” and “Pepinka Litovskaya”. Combining the strengths of both varieties, "Zvezdochka" has turned out to be vigorous with a spreading, rounded crown. Work on improving and studying the variety was carried out at the Michurinsky Scientific Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding of Fruit Plants. After the trial period, the Zvezdochka variety was zoned for the Central, North-West, Middle Volga and Volko-Vyatka regions of Russia. However, it is possible to grow apple trees in the southern regions, subject to the irrigation schedule. But in the north of the country, the variety cannot be found, since “Zvezdochka” cannot boast of high winter hardiness.

Description and characteristics

The Zvezdochka apple tree grows about 3-3.5 meters high. Young trees have a rounded crown, but over the years it grows and sags. The basis is made up of large skeletal branches and a large number of small branches. Fruits are formed on fruit twigs and spears in the middle of the crown, often on the outside. Shoots are thin, covered with reddish-brown bark, very pubescent. The leaves of the apple tree are small, oval, serrated along the edges.

The variety bears fruit with medium-sized apples of a rounded, somewhat flattened shape with practically no pronounced ribbing, weighing up to 130 grams. The peel is smooth, light green in color with a blurred deep red blush, distributed over the entire plane of the fruit, the waxy bloom is pronounced. Apple stalks are short, thin. The pulp is light green in color, very juicy, fine-grained, with a rich sweet and sour taste.

For 100 grams of apple pulp, there are:

• 10% sugar;
• 0.7% titrated acids;
• 13% dry matter;
• 15 mg of ascorbic acid;
• 135 mg of P-active substances.

Variety "Zvezdochka" ripens in early autumn, and then the fruits can be stored quite easily for 200 days. Apple trees begin to bear fruit as early as 5 years after budding. And if you grow the variety on a dwarf rootstock, then the first crop can be harvested as early as 3 years. The peak yield of the "Zvezdochka" apple tree falls on the 12-14 year of life, from one tree you can get up to 100 kilograms of apples.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

A rather attractive description gives an idea of ​​what the “Zvezdochka” variety is. However, no matter how good the variety is, there are also disadvantages that you need to be aware of before purchasing seedlings. Fortunately, there are not very many of them:

• over the years, the size of the fruit decreases markedly;
• the older the tree, the less the harvest;
• over time, the taste of apples is lost.

It should be noted that we are talking about trees older than 15-20 years.

On the other hand, the undeniable advantages of the variety should be noted:

• long shelf life;
• high commercial qualities of fruits and their taste;
• regular yield.

Thus, knowing the full description of the variety, you can make your choice.

Planting and leaving

Having dealt with the characteristics of the apple tree, you should carefully study the description of planting and the favorable conditions for growing it in your garden.

The site must be prepared for planting in April, when the snow has completely melted.

Two prerequisites for good apple growing: a well-lit area and deep groundwater.

Also, given that the variety is winter, it will need pollinators. It is good if trees of the Bogatyr, Antonovka or Zhigulevskoe varieties grow nearby. Pollinating trees should make up a third of the planted "Stars", because it is the pollinators that play an important role in the further growth of the trees.

For planting, you need a hole about 90 centimeters deep, which must be filled with a mixture of fertile soil, sawdust and peat. Before planting, you need to straighten the roots, then place the seedling in the center of the planting pit and carefully cover it with earth, tamping it. After that, you need to tie up the seedling and water it abundantly.

For the first few years, trees will need abundant watering and regular feeding. In autumn, the trunk circle is fertilized with complex fertilizers, which do not include nitrogen. In the spring, it is good to apply phosphorus, potash and nitrogen fertilizers.

In spring, it is also necessary to prune old and dead branches and shape the crown to increase the yield of the trees. For the winter, it is necessary to mulch the trunk circle, and if forecasts report a very cold winter, then additionally insulate the trunk.

Disease and pest control

The variety has good scab resistance, but other fungal and viral diseases still pose a significant danger to trees. To avoid the development of fungal spores, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with fungicides three times a year:

• in spring: before buds bloom;
• on the eve of flowering / during flowering;
• in autumn: before the first frost.

In this way, you will support the trees during the most dangerous periods of fungal spores. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to carefully examine the lower branches, as well as the trunk of the trees, since most of the symptoms of fungal diseases appear in the lower part of the apple trees. Moreover, this way you can find insect nests and destroy them.

It is recommended to use “Horus”, “Topaz”, “Fundazol” as preparations for treating trees against fungus. And in order to prevent the reproduction of insects, trees need to be treated with preparations based on "Karbofos".

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This video will tell you what kind of care a young apple tree needs in spring.