Content
Apple Dream is a well-known variety that bears harvest at the end of summer. To obtain a high yield, a suitable planting site is chosen and the tree is regularly looked after.
Breeding history
The apple tree of the Dream variety was bred by the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture named after V.I. I. V. Michurin. Parent varieties: early ripe Pepin saffron and winter Papirovka. The Dream variety became widespread in the central region of Russia.
Description of the variety and characteristics with a photo
Apple Dream is a popular summer variety that produces crops before fall. Apples have good marketability and taste.
Adult tree height
The apple tree is of medium size and reaches a height of 2.5 m. Rarely do trees grow higher than 3-4 m. The trunk of the apple tree is straight and strong, the vigor of growth is average. The bark is reddish-gray, young branches are greenish-brown in color.
Fruit
Medium and large-sized Mechta apples. The average weight of fruits is from 140 to 150 g. The maximum weight of apples is gained when growing a seedling on a dwarf rootstock.
Fruits are one-dimensional, rounded. The color is greenish-yellow. Under the sun's rays, a pink blush appears in the form of strokes. The pulp of the apples Dream is white with a pinkish tinge, loose, with a weak aroma.
Yield
The average yield of the Mechta variety is 120 g of fruits from each tree. With good agricultural technology, up to 150 kg of apples are removed. The crop is stored in cool conditions for no more than 1-2 months.
Winter hardiness
The Dream variety has good winter hardiness. The apple tree tolerates cold winters without additional shelter.
Disease resistance
Apple Dream is not very susceptible to fungal and viral diseases. For the prevention of diseases, it is recommended to carry out regular spraying.
Crown width
The Dream apple tree has a spreading crown, about 1 m wide, round-conical in shape. Regular pruning of the tree helps to shape the crown. The shoots are highly leafy. The leaves are large with a matte surface.
Pollinators
The Dream variety is not self-fertile. To obtain a crop, pollinators must be planted within a radius of no more than 40-50 m from the tree.
Varieties that bloom at the same time as the Dream are chosen as pollinators: Melba, Antonovka, Borovinka, etc.
The frequency of fruiting
Fruiting of the apple tree The dream begins at 4 years old. Under favorable conditions, the first crop can be removed 2 years after planting.
The yield is influenced by weather conditions and agricultural technology. Fewer apples are harvested after a cold winter or during a drought than in more favorable years.
Tasting assessment
Mechta apples are characterized by a sweet and sour taste. The tasting properties were given a rating of 4.5 points out of 5. Apples are suitable for a daily diet, juicing, jam and other types of processing.
Landing
A place for growing an apple tree Dream is prepared in advance. If necessary, change the topsoil and start digging a hole. Works are carried out in autumn or spring.
Site selection, pit preparation
A seedling of the Dream variety is planted in a sunny place, protected from the effects of the wind. The apple tree grows well on light fertile soils.
A hole is dug 3-4 weeks before planting.The optimal diameter is 50 cm, the depth is from 60 cm, depending on the size of the root system.
Sand is introduced into the clay soil, and a drainage layer of expanded clay or crushed stone is arranged at the bottom of the pit. Any type of soil is fertilized with humus and wood ash.
In autumn
The Dream apple tree is planted in the fall, in September or October after leaf fall. Before the beginning of winter, the seedling will have time to adapt to new conditions.
For autumn planting, it is not recommended to apply nitrogen-based fertilizers to the soil. Otherwise, the kidneys will swell before the winter cold.
In the spring
Spring planting is carried out after the snow melts and the soil warms up. It is important to plant the apple tree before the sap flow begins.
It is better to prepare the planting hole in the fall so that the soil shrinks. After planting, the seedling is watered with a solution of any complex fertilizer.
Care
The yield of the Dream variety largely depends on care. The apple tree needs watering, feeding and pruning. Preventive treatments help protect the tree from diseases and pests.
Watering and feeding
In spring and summer, the young tree is watered every week. A bucket of water is poured under each apple tree. In a drought, the volume of moisture is increased to 2-3 buckets. After watering, the soil is mulched with compost or humus, dry grass or straw is poured on top.
Mature trees are watered during flowering and early fruiting. In late summer and autumn, moisture application is stopped so as not to cause excessive shoot growth.
The dream apple tree is fed according to the scheme:
- in the end of April;
- before flowering;
- during the formation of fruits;
- autumn harvest.
For the first feeding, 0.5 kg of urea is used. Fertilizer is scattered within the trunk circle. Urea promotes shoot growth.
Before flowering, the apple tree is fed with complex fertilizer. For 10 l of water add 40 g of potassium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate. The solution is poured over the tree at the root.
The third feeding provides the Dream apple tree with useful substances necessary for pouring the fruits. In a bucket with a volume of 10 liters, 1 g of sodium humate and 50 g of nitrophoska are dissolved. The solution is used to water the apple tree.
The last dressing helps the trees recover from fruiting. Wood ash is embedded in the ground. Of the minerals, 200 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are used.
Preventive spraying
To protect the dream apple tree from diseases and pests, preventive treatments are required. The first procedure is performed in early spring before the swelling of the kidneys. Add 700 g of urea to a bucket of water. The solution is poured over the soil in the trunk circle and the tree branches are sprayed.
After flowering, the Dream apple tree is treated with Karbofos or Actellik insecticides. For the prevention of fungal diseases, preparations based on copper are used. Spraying is repeated in late autumn after harvest.
Pruning
Thanks to pruning, the crown of the Dream apple tree is formed and the yield increases. Pruning is carried out with an early vein before the buds swell or in the fall after leaf fall. Sections are treated with garden pitch. In the summer, dry branches and leaves that cover apples from the sun are removed.
Full pruning begins at the age of 2-3 years of the apple tree's life. The shoots are shortened and leave 2/3 of the total length. They also eliminate shoots growing inside the tree. With this treatment, a five-year-old apple tree will form a crown, which does not need further pruning.
Shelter for the winter, protection from rodents
The trunks of young trees in the fall are obliged with spruce branches to protect against rodents. In an adult apple tree, the trunk is treated with a solution of lime.
The Dream variety tolerates winter frosts well. For additional protection, they carry out podzimny watering and spud the tree trunk. The soil in the trunk circle is mulched with humus.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of the Dream apple tree:
- commercial and taste qualities of fruits;
- good productivity;
- early maturity of the variety;
- resistance to winter frost.
The disadvantages of the Dream variety are:
- the need to plant a pollinator;
- limited storage period for fruits;
- unstable fruiting;
- tendency to crack apples in high humidity.
Prevention and protection against diseases and pests
The main diseases of the apple tree are:
- Fruit rot. The disease manifests itself in the form of brown spots that appear on the fruit. The result is crop loss. Against fruit rot, prophylactic spraying of the apple tree with Bordeaux liquid or Horus solution is performed.
- Powdery mildew. It has the appearance of a white-gray bloom that appears on leaves, shoots and buds. Gradually, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. For powdery mildew, preparations Topaz or Skor, which contain copper, help.
- Scab. The presence of a lesion is evidenced by a brown bloom on the leaves of the apple tree. The disease spreads to the fruit, on which gray spots and cracks appear. To protect the apple tree, spraying with fungicides Horus, Fitolavin, Fitosporin is carried out.
- Rust. The lesion appears on the leaves and is brown spots with black blotches. The fungus spreads to shoots and fruits. A solution of copper oxychloride is used against rust.
The apple tree is attacked by many pests:
- Aphid. Insects quickly spread throughout the garden and feed on plant sap.
- Fruit mite. The pest sucks the juices from the leaves of the apple tree, as a result of which its immunity to diseases and cold snaps decreases.
- Fruit moth. It feeds on apple pulp, spreads quickly and leads to the death of up to 2/3 of the crop.
Insecticides are used against insects. Spraying is carried out in spring and summer. All treatments are stopped 3-4 weeks before harvesting.
Conclusion
Apple Dream is a time-tested variety. Dream apples are not suitable for long-term storage, so they are best used for home canning or included in the summer diet.
