Apple Champion

Very often, gardeners want something new, and sometimes old apple trees simply cease to delight with their fruits. So the moment has come for a change. An excellent choice for updating an apple orchard is the Champion apple tree, a variety that is especially appreciated in Europe and is included in the top 10 best apples in this region.

As you understand, the Champion apple tree is used to records. This variety has excellent taste qualities of fruits, apple trees are not demanding, they have many advantages. Today we will tell you why the Champion apple tree got such a name, what kind of yield should be expected from the tree, and how apple trees tolerate low temperatures and diseases.

We will share with you the secrets of planting and care, the peculiarities of the development of plant subspecies, as well as the specifics of growing apple trees in different regions. Be sure to study this article, perhaps the Champion apple tree will conquer you, and you will definitely plant this record holder in your garden.

Apple Champion: variety description

Variety "Champion", apple fruit photo

This apple variety was bred by Czechoslovak breeders, and for 50 years it has been gaining immense popularity. It is grown in completely different climatic conditions. However, this tree is considered to be weak. His crown is elongated, oval, rather small, so the trees are perfectly located on the site, they are very compact.

The branches are also evenly distributed along the trunk. Skeletal shoots grow at an acute angle, so the branching of the tree is not very strong. Thanks to this, it is easy and simple to care for the culture.

The Champion's yield is truly champion. A lot of ovaries are usually formed on an apple tree, and apples are always very tasty and aromatic, ripen together. It should be said that the culture begins to bear fruit in the third or fourth year.

The Champion apple tree grows to a height of about 5 meters, and the crown reaches 4 meters in diameter. As you understand, it will be necessary to form the crown. This must be done so that you can harvest the fruits with comfort, besides, the increase in the volume of the crown does not depend on the increase in yield.

So, despite the small growth of the variety, the shoots develop more than intensively. However, pruning should be done carefully, do not forget to process the cut sites with garden varnish so that no infection gets into the wounds. Sometimes crushed coal is used for the same purposes.

Usually, before the beginning of fruiting, the growth of the shoots is intense, up to 40 centimeters per year. And starting from the age of three, the development of the tree slows down. Moreover, in unfavorable climatic conditions, after intensive fruiting, the shoots may not grow at all. This is due to the fact that the tree gives all its strength to the formation of ovaries and the pouring of fruits.

As you remember, the Champion's yield is champion, so very often these apple trees are grown on an industrial scale. An adult tree is capable of giving its owners 25 kg of ripe and aromatic apples. The quality of the fruit is always excellent. The crop is usually harvested annually, so this crop does not bear fruit cyclically.

The apples are also quite large. The weight of one fruit can reach 200 grams, small fruit is not formed. When the apples ripen, they turn greenish-yellow, sometimes there is a blurred, striped, orange-red blush on the sides. However, this redness only forms in the sun. Therefore, if you want to grow just such ruddy apples, then do not forget to cut the trees, they do not like thickening of the apple tree.

The flesh of the fruits is quite dense, tasty, sweet and sour, with a beautiful creamy color, sometimes white. The culture is quite winter-hardy, so usually apple trees are not covered. However, in harsh climatic conditions, not only the trunk of the tree is covered with a blanket, but also the base branches. The Champion does not like severe frosts.

Do not forget to carry out moisture-charging irrigation in late autumn. This reduces the risk of freezing of the root system, so the plants winter better.

The resistance to diseases and pests in trees is average, so you should always remember about preventive examinations and treatments. Powdery mildew practically do not get sick of apple trees, but bitter pitting - quite often. Sometimes pests settle on the apple tree.

During the laying of the buds, the apple trees should be fed with calcium fertilizers. This increases the resistance of plants to major diseases.

If we talk about the life span of an apple tree, then the maximum duration has not yet been established, however, it is believed that apple trees of this variety are not at all long-lived. In order to extend the life of an apple tree, you need to carry out anti-aging pruning, as well as properly care for the plants.

Trees sometimes begin to bloom as early as the second year after planting, however, in order not to weaken the plant, you need to remove the peduncles. The fruits have not only a beautiful appearance, but also a pleasant aroma. Many gardeners note that sometimes apples can be harvested already in August, without waiting for autumn.

Therefore, at Yablochny Spas, you will be able to please yourself with the first fruits. The yield is getting better every year. You can make jam from these fruits, use fresh apples. However, it is not very convenient to preserve them, but it is quite possible to dry them.

Do not forget about preventive pruning and shelter for the trunk for the winter. You can get rid of pests with ordinary folk remedies. Sometimes trees should be treated with insecticides. The tree will always have excellent yield. Apples can lie subject to all storage rules until the New Year. And sometimes until spring.

Do not forget about the props, as the fruits of the apple tree are large, the branches often break under the weight of the fruit.

How to plant the Champion apple variety and how to care for it

Variety "Champion", apple tree photo

To get a good harvest, first of all, you need to properly plant the seedling. And for this you need to choose the right place. It is best to plant this crop in a well-lit area, sheltered from the wind. If the groundwater on the site lies close to the surface of the earth, then the apple tree should not be planted there.

Usually these crops are planted in open ground in the spring. At a time when the cold will finally recede, and the low temperatures will not disturb the plants. If you purchased a seedling in the fall, then you can dig it in until spring, and plant it in its permanent habitat in April.

If you plant the tree correctly, it will start growing immediately. First, you should prepare a planting pit, it should be 40-60 cm deep, 90-100 wide. If you plan to plant dwarf rootstocks, then the planting hole should be shallow. It is advisable to lay the top layer of earth at the bottom of the hole. And then form a hill from a fertile mixture of soil and compost, ash and other fertilizers.

The root system of the seedling should not come into direct contact with the fertilizing, as this may cause the plant to burn. In the planting hole, the seedling is placed in the center, it is advisable to spread the roots well. After that, you can sprinkle the hole with earth, tamping the earth well. When you fill the hole in half, it is advisable to raise the tree a little, shake it so that air chambers do not form in the thickness of the earth.

After planting, the apple tree will need to be watered intensively. At this time, the plant needs a lot of moisture. The soil must be well tamped, and the trunk circle must be mulched. To do this, use dry grass, straw, sawdust.

Do not forget that the root collar of the plant should remain on the surface, rising above the soil by about 5 centimeters. Immediately, you should install a support in the form of a wooden peg in the planting pit so as not to damage the roots and in the future to tie the plants to it.

Do not forget that the apple tree needs a lot of free space for growth and development. However, the planting pattern looks different for different types of rootstocks. The distance also depends on the shape of the crown, the size of the plant. The very minimum should be backed off about two and a half meters in a row. But it is desirable that the distance be at least three or three and a half meters. If we talk about the width of the row spacing, then in the garden it should be about 5 meters.

Apple trees need such remoteness for normal growth and development, so do not compact the plantings. Trees should develop without hindering each other. In addition, it is easier to care for the garden only if the trees grow freely on the site. It is not recommended to plant new apple trees where the same old crops grew before. The soil is self-poisoning over time, therefore crop rotation should be observed, even in gardening.

Young plants will be healthy and strong only if stone fruit crops grew nearby, and not pears or apple trees. Therefore, alternate fruit trees and change their location on the site.

As you remember, before the beginning of fruiting, apple trees of this variety grow more than intensively. From the age of five, trees do not develop as actively. Therefore, at the first stage, you should form the crown on time, because the quality of future fruits depends on this.

In the early years, two types of pruning are mainly used: thinning and pruning. If we talk about thinning, then this must be done so that the crown does not thicken, because of this, the yield drops, trees often suffer from various diseases. After all, the area is poorly ventilated, which means that the air does not circulate.

Any old branches that grow at an acute angle to the main trunk should be removed. Fruiting shoots should also be pruned. However, you need to shorten the branches by no more than one third of the length, otherwise the crown will not recover well. Annual shoots are recommended to be removed more often than thick branches. However, the knots for replacement must still be left. Indeed, in their place, new branches usually develop.

This variety always blooms intensely, but not all peduncles produce fruits. Typically, no more than 30 percent of flowers form ovaries. Therefore, in order for the tree to bear fruit better, additional pollinators must be present nearby. Teremok, Alva and Gloucester , as well as a number of other types of apple trees.

The culture begins to bear fruit already in the third year after planting the tree, so you can eat the first apples early enough. This culture is maturing very quickly. At the age of five, 15 kilograms of apples are harvested from one tree, then the yield grows every year. At its peak, one tree is capable of producing 30 kilograms of ripe and aromatic fruits.

The apple tree blooms when there is a massive emergence of bees, so all flowers are usually well pollinated. It should be noted that the apple tree blooms very abundantly. Therefore, in order for the peduncles not to fall off naturally, it is advisable to thin them out. The apples are usually very large and tasty and ripen in early September. However, depending on the climatic conditions of a particular region, the timing may vary.

You need to remember that when apples reach technical ripeness, they often fall off. This is especially true for old trees. Therefore, literally in 2 days, the entire crop can be on the ground. So you need to look after apples, control the degree of ripening. Usually apples come off very easily, after just one touch.Therefore, no harvesting equipment is required.

Apples are stored for a long time, for six months, but you need to maintain an optimal temperature regime. Apples can be stored longer, but taste may be lost after 6 months.

Subspecies

Variety "Champion", photo of an apple tree on a dwarf rootstock

Of course, breeders rarely stop there, so every year they work intensively to develop new subspecies and varieties of apples.

We are glad to present you Renault - a new Champion variety, which is distinguished by increased frost resistance, these apple trees tolerate well even -30. Trees are usually tall, their crown is spreading and wide. Fruits weigh about 200 grams, apples are very intense, deep pink.

And this variety was bred by Polish breeders, the name was given by the names of the authors. These apples are considered very sweet, which is why they are loved by both adults and children.

The next subspecies is Arno... It is very similar to the parent variety, however, the fruits are greenish-yellow at first, and when ripe they become orange-red. A beautiful pattern is observed on apples, usually they are in a small dot. The flesh of the fruit is dense, creamy, very juicy.

And here are the apples Jayta can reach a weight of up to 1 kilogram. Moreover, in terms of taste, these fruits are excellent. However, the variety is not very hardy, an oval crown is formed on the trees, the shoots usually do not grow very densely.

Of course, you should not ignore and dwarf rootstock, because it is these trees that do not take up so much space on the site, they are very compact, for which gardeners love them. The fruits of the plants are of excellent quality, the weight of one apple reaches 200 g. It is easy and simple to take care of the plants, and it is a pleasure to harvest a bountiful harvest.

It is believed that apple trees are very unpretentious, so even a novice gardener can cope with the cultivation of this variety. The fruits are formed right along the trunk, so it is always very convenient to pick them.

There is and semi-dwarf rootstock apple trees, his fruits are just as beautiful with wonderful taste. An adult tree grows to a height of no more than 5 meters. Plants are resistant to many types of diseases, so they practically do not need preventive treatments.

It is worth mentioning about columnar varieties of apple trees. The trees usually grow no more than 3 meters in height, the crown reaches 50 cm in width. But the yield is very high, up to 15 kg of ripe fruits are harvested from one tree.

The culture begins to bear fruit in the third year after planting seedlings in open ground. The fruits are large enough, the weight of one apple is 150-190 g, the skin of the fruit is soft, orange-red in color. The pulp of the fruit is sweet and sour, dense, juicy. The plant is very easy to care for, so these varieties are very fond of summer residents.

In addition, the apple tree will perfectly fit into the design of any garden, since the apples are very nicely arranged on the branches. However, a significant disadvantage is that these crops do not bear fruit for long, the trees live no more than 15 years.

How the Champion apple tree is grown in different regions

Variety "Champion", apple fruit photo

Of course, apple trees grow differently in different regions. Therefore, it should be said about the peculiarities of growing these varieties of apple trees in different climatic conditions. It is best, of course, to grow apple trees in southern areas, sheltered from the wind, well lit by the sun. It is undesirable to plant apple trees in wetlands, since in such places the culture will begin to bear fruit later.

The Champion is perfectly grown in the suburbs, however, in order to be on the safe side, it is recommended to cover the tree trunk with insulating material for the winter, you can use ordinary burlap. Pay attention to the fact that it is young seedlings and the most ancient trees that are affected by frost. So don't forget to cover your plantings in late fall.You can, of course, not do this, but it does not interfere with being insured.

But in the southern Urals, plants do not need to be insulated. In these regions, it is warm enough, so plants overwinter normally. Usually trees recover well in spring. That is why the Ural gardeners are so fond of planting these apple trees in their personal plots. By the way, the Champion apple tree is considered one of the most popular varieties here.

And in neighboring Ukraine, this variety is also very popular. Therefore, all the relatives of this apple tree bear fruit well in this area. It is warm enough there, so it is not necessary to cover the trees for the winter.

In Belarus, these varieties are often grown in nurseries, so it is easy and simple to buy a Champion sapling there. The climatic conditions in this country are quite mild, so apple trees take root here well and bear fruit well. The champion is grown by both amateur and professional gardeners.

Conclusion

The Champion apple tree is considered an excellent variety. The trees are frost-resistant, the taste of the fruits is excellent, the plants are not susceptible to many diseases and pests. The culture begins to bear fruit already in September, the fruits truly amaze their owners with their shape and beautiful color. So, if you decide to plant an apple orchard, then be sure to plant at least one Champion sapling in it. Believe me, the yield will also be champion.