Content
The apple variety Kitayka golden is an unusual kind of culture, the fruits of which are popularly called "paradise apples". The tree itself also has highly decorative qualities, therefore it is widely used in landscape design. At the same time, this culture is characterized by increased frost resistance and undemanding care, therefore it can often be found on personal plots.
The golden Chinese woman is especially pleasing to the eye during the period of flowering and ripening of fruits
Description of the apple variety Kitayka Zolotaya
There are many types of Kitaets, but this variety stands out noticeably against their background in the color of its fruits, as well as other characteristics. Therefore, you should study its main features, which will allow every gardener to get a complete picture of him.
Breeding history
The golden apple tree Kitayka was obtained thanks to the efforts of IV Michurin at the end of the 19th century. This happened in the nursery of the famous breeder, which is located in the city of Kozlov (now Michurinsk), in the Tambov region. The variety Kitayka gold was obtained by pollination of the flowers of the White filling with pollen of the classic type Kitayka. And already in 1895, the collected seeds sprouted, and 12 years later, the seedling of the new variety gave the first harvest.
Fruit and tree appearance
This variety is characterized by a medium-sized tree. At the initial stage of growth, its crown has a broom-shaped shape, and branches from the main trunk branch off at an acute angle. The bark of the shoots of a young tree has a yellowish tint. But in the process of further growth, thin branches lengthen, which turns the crown into a spreading one. In this case, the shade of the bark changes to yellow-orange.
The golden apple tree reaches a height of about 5 m, and the width of its crown is 3-3.5 m. The annual growth of news is 30-40 cm, depending on the care. The leaves of this variety are oval-elongated with a pointed end, light green in color. There is a slight hairiness on the surface of the plates, and there are jagged edges along the edges. The stipules are large, and the petioles are elongated and thin.
The fruits of this type of apple are round, small. Average weight - 30 g. The color of apples is whitish-yellow, there is no integumentary. The peduncle is short.
Life span
This type of apple tree begins to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting. The productive life cycle of Kitayka gold is 40 years. And in the future, the yield of the tree decreases sharply. But with the observance of care, this figure can be significantly increased.
The difference between late and early apple trees
There are 2 varieties of Golden Kitayka: early and late. The difference between the first is that its fruits ripen much earlier than many summer species. According to reviews and descriptions, the early golden Kitayka apple tree (pictured below) is characterized by amicable ripening of fruits, but at the same time they quickly crumble from the tree.
Harvesting of an early variety should be carried out at the stage of technical maturity.
A late variety of this type of apple belongs to the autumn. The first fruiting, according to the description, in the Kitayka Golden apple tree late (photo below) comes a year later than in the early one. The variety has a stable and high yield. At the same time, the crumbling of apples is insignificant. The taste of the late variety improves upon further storage.
Fruits have a yellow tint with a slight reddish tint.
Taste
The early variety has a sweet and sour pleasant taste. But after a few days it becomes "wadded". In the later Kitayka Zolotoy, apples are more sour with a slight hint of sweetness.
Yield
In this species of Kitayka, fruits are formed only on the peripheral part of the crown, so the yield is average. The volume of fruits in a tree up to 10 years old is 25 kg, and by 15 years it doubles.
Frost resistant
According to the declared characteristics, the golden apple tree has an average level of frost resistance. When the temperature drops to -40 ° C, the crust freezes, resulting in the formation of deep cracks. The tree does not die from this, but requires a long recovery.
Disease and pest resistance
The golden Chinese woman is not distinguished by high immunity. Therefore, if the growing conditions do not match, it can suffer from pests, scab, powdery mildew and other common crop diseases.
Flowering period and ripening period
An early apple variety blooms in the first half of May. And the ripening of its fruits occurs by mid-July. The flowering period for the late species occurs in early June. And the first fruits ripen in mid-September.
Pollinators
Apple-tree Kitayka golden self-fertile. Therefore, for the ovary of its fruits, it is necessary to plant other pollinating varieties nearby. It is best to use White filling, Moskovskaya Grushovka for this.
Transportation and keeping quality
The golden harvest of Kitayka cannot be transported. Early fruit should be processed within 2 days of harvest. Late variety apples can be stored for 2 months at a temperature not exceeding + 9 ° C.
Kitayka fruits lose their commercial qualities during transportation
Features of growing in the regions
Caring for the Kitayka golden apple tree, regardless of the region of cultivation, is the same. The only thing is that the planting dates may differ, as well as the preparation of the tree for winter. Therefore, you should study these features.
In Siberia
In this region, planting a seedling should be carried out in the spring after the air temperature will confidently keep at the level of + 7-9 ° C at any time of the day. This usually happens in early May.
For successful wintering, the tree trunk must be insulated with roofing material, and the root circle with a layer of humus 5-7 cm thick.
In outskirts of Moscow
In this region, the cultivation of the Golden Kitayka apple tree does not present any particular difficulties. Planting a seedling for better survival should be carried out in the fall, namely at the end of September. There is no need to insulate the tree for the winter.
In the Urals
Planting an apple tree in this region should be carried out in the spring, after thawing the topsoil. This will enable the seedling to grow stronger during the summer and prepare for winter. To protect the apple tree from strong Ural winds, it is necessary to tie it to a support.
For the winter, you need to insulate the trunk with roofing felt and cover the root circle with a thick layer of humus or peat.
In the north
Planting an apple tree Kitayka golden in the northern regions should be carried out in the spring, in the first half of May. Since the soil here is quite heavy, humus and wood ash should be added to the site in advance.When landing on the bottom of the pit, you need to lay a layer of rubble, and cover it with an inverted sod on top.
For successful wintering, the apple tree needs insulation of the trunk and root circle.
In the middle lane
Growing Kitayka gold in this case does not require complex actions. Planting should be carried out in the third decade of April. This procedure follows the standard scheme. The tree does not require insulation for the winter.
Subspecies
There are several subspecies of the Golden Kitayka apple tree. They differ in the height of the tree, the shape of the crown, which depends on the rootstock used.
Decorative
A low-growing species that does not require the formation of a crown, since it does not thicken in it. The leaves of this apple tree are smooth, light green, elliptical in shape. The flowers are large, pink, exuding a rich aroma.
The decorative look is mainly used as an element of landscape design.
Columnar
Apple-tree columnar Kitayka golden is an early ripening species with high decorative qualities. The tree grows at a level of 2.0-2.5 m and has almost no lateral skeletal branches. At the columnar apple-tree Kitayka, golden fruits grow in clusters along the main trunk.
The shape of the tree of the columnar golden Kitayka greatly facilitates care and harvesting
Semi-dwarf
The height of this variety of Kitayka golden does not exceed 3-4 m. Initially, the development of a young seedling is no different from the standard species, but after the first fruiting it noticeably weakens.
Experts recommend timely removal of old branches of a semi-dwarf species, which will stimulate the growth of new shoots.
Large-fruited
It is a low tree that easily tolerates low temperatures. According to the photo and description, this variety of Kitayka golden apples differs from other species in larger fruits, the average weight of which is 60-80 g. The yield of the large-fruited species is high
Large-fruited Kitayka can withstand frosts down to -50 ° С
Advantages and disadvantages
Apple-tree Kitayka golden has a number of advantages and disadvantages. When choosing this type, you need to study them in advance.
Chinese Golden, when ripe, exudes a pleasant apple aroma
Pros of the apple tree:
- high decorative qualities of fruits and trees;
- increased frost resistance;
- stable fruiting;
- long productive cycle;
- early maturity.
Disadvantages:
- low resistance to disease;
- fruits are not subject to long-term storage, transportation;
- needs pollinators;
- the early variety has a quick shedding of ripe fruits.
Planting and leaving
Apple-tree Kitayka gold does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil. Therefore, when planting, the groundwater level should be at least 2 m. For a tree, you need to select a sunny area with protection from drafts. This species prefers loam and sandy loam soil with good air and moisture permeability.
In 2 weeks, you need to prepare a planting pit 80 cm deep and 70 cm wide.It is important to lay a broken brick on the bottom with a layer of 10 cm.And 2/3 of the rest of the volume should be filled with a nutrient mixture of turf, sand, humus, peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: one. Additionally, add 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulphide.
Algorithm of actions:
- Make a small elevation in the center of the landing pit.
- Put a seedling on it, spread the root processes.
- Sprinkle them with earth so that the root collar is at the level of the soil.
- Compact the soil at the base, water abundantly.
Further care involves timely watering in the absence of seasonal rains. Feeding the seedling should be started from the age of three. To do this, in the spring, nitrogen fertilizers should be used, and during the ovary and ripening of fruits - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
This tree does not require cardinal pruning. It is enough only to clean the crown from broken and damaged shoots.
Collection and storage
Harvesting of the early species should be carried out in the second half of July, and the late harvest at the end of September. In the first case, the fruits cannot be stored, so they must be used to make jam, preserves, compotes.
In the second case, the apples must be placed in wooden boxes, re-stacked with paper, and then lowered into the basement. In this form, they retain their qualities for 2 months.
Kitayka fruits are ideal for whole-fruit canning
Conclusion
The apple variety Kitayka Zolotaya is an unusual species with small fruits that are ideal for winter harvesting. Graceful ranetki trees can decorate any site and diversify landscape design. According to experienced gardeners, the yield of other varieties increases markedly when planted near Kitayka golden, since the aroma of its flowers attracts a large number of pollinating insects.
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