In 1960, the Canadian gardener Vazhek, while observing apple trees, discovered a branch on one McIntosh variety that differed in structure from others due to its unusual structure.
The gardener made a rootstock using buds taken from this branch for another variety of apple tree, and this is how the first columnar apple tree was obtained. Next, breeders, taking this subspecies , began to develop new varieties of columnar crops. This is how the Moscow Necklace variety turned out.
To find out the uniqueness of the plant and its distribution , you should familiarize yourself with the apple tree in more detail.
Description of the variety
The columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace is a winter variety of apple tree that was bred by Russian breeders and agronomists. The author of the variety is considered to be M. V. Kachalkin.
The fruit crop was zoned into different regions of Russia, but gained great popularity in the middle zone and in the Siberian regions.
Important! The variety is considered quite frost-resistant, with good immunity to various diseases.
Columnar apple tree “Moscow Necklace”.
The apple tree is considered a semi-dwarf or dwarf fruit crop. Thanks to the compact size of the crown, it saves enough space on the site.
The tree has the shape of a column on which round and medium -sized fruits are located. In the early stages of ripening, apples are green with a red blush.
The root system of the plant is quite strong, which allows the tree to be transplanted .
Advice! Due to the color of the fruit, gardeners often confuse the Moscow Necklace variety with the Vasyugan apple tree. To avoid this, each variety should be marked .
To find out the advantages and disadvantages of an apple tree, you should find out its additional characteristics.
additional characteristics
Peculiarities
The fruit tree is highly valued among gardeners for its many advantages .
The best indicators of the variety are the following:
- High frost resistance ;
- Scab resistance;
- Good yield ;
- Fruit quality;
- Decorative type of tree.
When purchasing a seedling, you should pay special attention to its shortcomings .
The disadvantages of the variety include:
- High price of seedlings;
- Short lifespan of an apple tree.
Tree height
The fruit crop, like all columnar apple trees, has a short stature. The height of the tree ranges from 2 to 3 meters.
Crown width
On a small but fairly strong trunk there is a neatly shaped, oversized crown.
Crown of a columnar apple tree.
Self-fertility
The Moscow Necklace apple tree cannot be called a self-fertile variety. varieties are required for fruit set .
Productivity
The apple tree bears fruit regularly, without periodicity. The apples are large , spherical in shape, weighing 170 - 250 g. Up to 10 kg of fruits are collected from one tree per year.
Tasting assessment
The taste of the fruit is excellent dessert type. The apple pulp is fine-grained, dense, white and so juicy that the fruit splits when dropped.
Winter hardiness
The frost resistance of the apple tree is quite high . The variety can withstand sub-zero temperatures of 45 degrees, which is very important for the northern regions.
Disease resistance
Placing columnar apple trees on the site in rows.
"Moscow Necklace". The Moscow Necklace variety of columnar apple tree is very rarely affected by diseases, so the tree does not need to be treated with chemicals.
Important! Without chemical treatment, apples remain safe and environmentally friendly.
Lifespan
The lifespan of a tree is short . The maximum tree can live up to 25 years as an ornamental plant. Fruiting ends much earlier - 15 years after planting.
Diseases and pests
Apple trees of this variety, judging by reviews, are resistant to diseases, but sometimes, if unfavorable conditions arise, they can develop scab, spotting or moniliosis. In order to protect trees from diseases, they should be sprayed with the following preparations: “Lepidocide”, “Fitoverm”, “Healthy Garden”.
When leaf rollers, Schlechtendahl mites, and aphids appear on the apple tree, the trees are treated with a solution of karbofos, Baksin, Dendrobacillin, and Bordeaux mixture.
Plants that repel insects with their smell, such as garlic, marigolds, wormwood and calendula, are planted next to the tree trunk as additional protection.
Reviews
How attractive is the columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace: consider its description, photos and reviews from gardeners:
Vyacheslav. Khabarovsk Territory: “When choosing fruit crops at the market, I really liked an unusual-looking apple tree seedling. Let’s just say that I’m quite an experienced gardener, I’ve heard about the columnar variety, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. Noticing my interest, the seller began to praise this apple tree in every possible way. As a result, I bought it and did not regret it. The tree is quite compact and occupies a small space on the site.
I received my first apples literally the next year . Now it is a mature tree with regular fruiting. Despite the ease of care, the plant produces a high yield of tasty and large fruits.”
The columnar apple tree serves as a wonderful decoration for the garden.
Tatiana. Cheboksary: “My mother is an agronomist by profession and loves to grow various ornamental plants. The columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace appeared with us 7 or 8 years ago. Not only my mother, but the whole family were satisfied . Of course, the taste of apples is important to us. They are very juicy, aromatic, sweet and beautiful. Besides its fruits, my mother loved the apple tree because it was easy to care for.”
Natalia. Lesosibirsk - “I’ve heard about columnar apple tree crops for a long time, but because of the climate I still didn’t dare to purchase them. On the advice of a friend, and she is a professional gardener, I nevertheless planted the Moscow Necklace variety. Over time , I fell in love with because:
- Firstly , you don’t have to wait long for the first fruiting; it occurs 2 years after planting.
- Secondly , with proper care, the variety does not freeze in the winter, which is so typical for our region.
- And thirdly, the fruits are tasty not only fresh for 3 months, but also when cooked in all kinds of preserves.”
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the variety include:
- Disease resistance.
- Regular fruiting.
- Taste qualities of apples.
- Universal use in cooking.
- Duration of crop storage.
- Transportability.
- Resistance to severe frosts.
Among the disadvantages is the life expectancy of the plant. After 15 years, yields begin to decline.
How to plant and care
Deadlines
The fruit crop blooms in the first year of life, which is undesirable according to the advice of gardeners. To do this, it is recommended to plant an apple tree in the autumn .
The best timing is late September - early October.
Technology
The columnar apple tree “Moscow Necklace” is perfectly located near the fence.
To plant an apple tree, choose a well- lit area with loamy or sandy loam soil. Dig a hole so that the roots of the seedling are deep and free. Compost are added to the dug soil , mixed and the resulting mixture is poured over the installed tree.
Important! grafting level is not buried; it should be above the ground.
Distance between apple trees
Moscow necklace is a compact plant that allows you to plant a large number of fruit crops in one area. How to plant a Moscow Necklace apple tree in large quantities? When planting several seedlings at the same time, maintain a distance of 40–50 cm between them.
Scheme
Planting scheme for columnar apple trees.
Features of cultivation
To ensure that the seedling takes root well, it is watered warm water for a month after planting. To avoid freezing of the fruit crop in winter, in the fall the tree trunk circle is mulched with mineral fertilizers.
Agricultural technology
For high fruiting, the apple tree should be fed throughout the entire period. For different seasons, certain components are added:
- In the spring, when loosening the tree trunk circle, urea ;
- In summer, they fertilize with wood ash, scattering it near the trunk;
- dolomite is added to the soil .
Mulching around the trunk is mandatory.
Pruning and crown formation
The first pruning is carried out after planting the apple tree. To avoid freezing in winter, cut off the top of the seedling to the first strong shoot.
Further pruning is carried out extremely rarely, removing the growth of fruiting branches and weak shoots.
Pollinator varieties
pollination varieties are columnar apple trees. Vasyugan and President are considered the best varieties.
Columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace: planting
The flowering of the Moscow Necklace apple tree variety can begin from the very first year of the tree’s life. One way or another, you should not follow all the advice that gardeners give. Sometimes it is best to plant a tree in the autumn, and it is best to do this either at the end of September or at the very beginning of October. That is, it is better to plant before very severe frosts set in, so that it is easier for the tree to get used to new conditions, adapt to them, and also, in general, to make it easier for the tree to rebuild its root system for growth in open conditions, since this is really very important.
For landing, you should also take care about choosing a place. It should be sufficiently illuminated, and also, if we talk about the composition of the soil, then it should, at best, be either sandy or loamy soil. The hole should be prepared in advance with the expectation that the root system should not only be deep, but it should also be located freely, that is, there should be quite a lot of space at the bottom of the hole for this. Also, humus and compost are then added to the hole, and the tree itself, which is installed in the hole, is then sprinkled with the same mixture. Again, you should not press the root system too tightly with soil, but there should not be any air pockets near the root system. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the root system will feel very uncomfortable and, accordingly, development will be inhibited.
Columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace: photo of the variety
As we have already noted, the Moscow Necklace apple tree variety is a very compact plant. You can plant several trees at once in a small area, and not worry at all that they will interfere with each other or shade each other. At the same time, when planting trees at the same time, it is worth remembering that the distance between them should be at least half a meter. Only in this case, not only will the plants feel comfortable, but the gardener will also have more space to care for the plants, as well as for subsequent harvesting. In order for the Moscow Necklace apple tree seedling to take root in the soil more easily and quickly, it is necessary to water it exclusively with warm water, which has already had time to settle. It is especially worth observing this rule in the very first month after planting the variety. To prevent the seedling from freezing in winter, it is necessary to mulch the tree trunk circle before the onset of frost. Ideally, mineral mixtures and fertilizers are suitable for mulching, as they will not only protect the plant, but will also give the soil more nutritional value, minerality, and richness.
In order for the apple tree to produce a sufficient amount of fruit, and the overall yield to be at a high level, the trees should be fertilized periodically. To do this, some components are introduced into the soil. For example, in the spring, a gardener loosens the soil, and during this process he also adds a little urea to the tree trunk circle. With the onset of summer, it is worth fertilizing the plant with wood ash, especially carefully scattering it right next to the trunk. Also in the autumn, a certain amount of dolomite flour is added directly to the soil. The advantage of these components is that they have a high level of efficiency, and at the same time they are completely inexpensive, very accessible to the gardener.
Pruning is an important step in plant care. For the first time, it is worth pruning the apple tree immediately after it has been planted in open ground. In order to prevent the Moscow Necklace apple tree from freezing, it is worth cutting off the top in winter until the very first and strongest shoot begins to grow. Further pruning should not be done very often. Here it is best for the gardener to focus on the general condition of the plant, its external properties and the characteristics of the Moscow Necklace apple tree. Mainly, it is best to remove the driest and weakest branches, since they not only spoil the appearance of the plant, but they also take away a lot of nutritional components from it, although they are of absolutely no use.
The variety needs trees that will become its pollinator varieties. the columnar are ideally suitable . At the same time, the best varieties are considered to be Vasyugan and President, since with them the Moscow Necklace has the most similar characteristics and properties, and this, of course, is very important. It is the pollinators that determine the abundance of fruiting and what quality and taste properties the future apples will have.
Experienced gardeners say that it would be better not to plant this apple variety in the spring. But still there are those who break this rule, and planting is carried out with the onset of the first warm days. In this case, you can taste the very first harvest of your own apples from this tree this year. Although they will not differ in any taste characteristics, since they simply will not have time to be saturated with energy and strength, they will be small and sour.
If you plant an apple tree of the Moscow Necklace variety in the fall, the fruits will appear next year. At the same time, their number will become even greater from year to year, and already in the seventh year of life the plant will reach its maximum in development and, accordingly, it is at this time that there will be a high chance that the gardener will receive the best, most abundant, healthy and, most importantly, a very tasty harvest, and this is, of course, very important. During the first harvest, you can collect no more than six apples from the plot, from one tree in particular, and you should not expect that the first harvest will be very tasty and sweet right away. Flowering occurs already in the first year of the plant’s life, but the very first flowers appear in May; they are very fragrant and quite large.
Columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace: when does it ripen?
We have already repeatedly pointed out that the Moscow Necklace is a winter apple variety; apples can be waited for quite late; they reach their full ripening from the end of September to the beginning of October. In this case, the fruits can be stored for a certain time, the main thing is to choose a suitable room and create suitable temperature conditions. If conditions are favorable, the fruits can last until next spring, and apples can be stored in the cellar for the next three months. At the same time, they do not lose their taste and external characteristics at all; the fruits remain very tasty and healthy. There are not very many subspecies of Moscow Necklace, but there are also several new varieties whose parents are Moscow Necklace and other special varieties. These varieties include Moscow Necklace-2 and Krokha.
Columnar apple tree Moscow Necklace: photo of the variety
The Moscow Necklace-2 apple tree is a mid-autumn type of apple tree that reaches a height of no more than three meters. At the same time, the crown of the tree is very compact, looks great, and even has some features, if we talk directly about the decorativeness of the variety. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that Moscow Necklace-2 is a very winter-hardy variety that can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. These conditions have absolutely no effect on the level of yield or on the taste characteristics of the plant. The fruits are very large, the weight of one varies from 250 to 300 grams. At the same time, at the peak of growth - in the sixth or seventh year of life, you can collect about 18 kilograms of excellent and tasty fruits from one tree. They have universal significance, but are most often consumed fresh.
The non-columnar variety of the Moscow Necklace is a bush apple tree. The small tree reaches a height of 65 centimeters, the branches are slightly raised above ground level, while the tree really has the shape of a bush rather than a full-fledged apple tree. The fruits can be harvested in the fourth year after the seedling has been placed in open ground. Moreover, even despite its tiny size, this variety is very productive. From one bush you can collect up to 18 kilograms of fruit. One fruit weighs one hundred grams, the pulp is ordinary, sour, but at the same time apples have a universal purpose, which is also their undoubted advantage. The variety is very valuable not only for its attractive and decorative appearance, but also because it is very resistant to sudden temperature changes and frosts. The variety is also resistant to fungal diseases and is not afraid of scab.
Due to the fact that the variety can withstand sudden temperature changes, and is generally quite unpretentious and not capricious, it is very popular in our country and, in particular, in some areas of the Moscow region. There are also some features of growing the variety that gardeners should pay closer attention to. The fact is that in summer it is worth monitoring climatic conditions and, if prolonged droughts are observed, then watering should be carried out about two and sometimes three times a week, and the addition of moisture should be quite intense. It is also still worthwhile to carry out preventive treatment of the plant against pests, and acaricide preparations are ideally suitable for this. In order to make the plant more attractive to insects that are pollinators, it is worth irrigating the apple tree with sugar syrup, which will attract bees. But this should be done very carefully, since generous application of sweet liquid can lead to burns on the green part of the plant. In the fall, it is recommended to thoroughly feed the apple tree with mineral components and mixtures, which can be purchased at specialized gardening stores.
The Moscow Necklace apple tree is excellent for growing both in the central zone of our country and in the North. Temperature drops are allowed down to -45 degrees, and even if the columnar apple tree of the Moscow Necklace variety freezes a little or gets damaged, it will recover on its own, which is also an undoubted advantage. In order to continue to receive a stable and, most importantly, tasty and plentiful harvest, it is also necessary to immediately carry out the very first, but loyal pruning of the tree when planting. Then you should also sometimes play it safe and, despite its resistance to low temperatures, cover the tree with agrofibre. Ordinary spruce branches may also be suitable for these purposes. In general, there are absolutely no other features and requirements when planting the Moscow Necklace apple tree and caring for it. Much in the future will depend solely on the attentiveness of the gardener and on his care procedures. The tree can grow with other varieties of apple trees, the most important thing is not to plant it too close to tall trees so that their crown does not cover trees or bushes of this species. Although, as practice shows, even in partial shade these trees feel quite comfortable, and this does not affect the level of fruiting at all. It is also worth feeding the tree periodically to improve its resistance to stress and strengthen its immunity. Otherwise, the Moscow Necklace apple tree variety remains just as unpretentious, and therefore very attractive.
Features of ripening and fruiting
Beginning of fruiting
Although spring planting is undesirable for apple trees, some gardeners still do it. If planting is carried out in the spring, the first harvest is harvested in the same year.
After autumn planting, the first apples appear the next year. Every year the number of fruits increases, in the 7th year the yield reaches its peak.
Attention! The first harvest is no more than 6 apples from one tree.
Flowering period
Columnar apple tree photo during flowering.
The Moscow Necklace apple tree blooms in the first year of life. the first flowers appear is at the beginning of May.
Deadlines
Fruit ripening
Moscow necklace is a winter variety. Apples ripen quite late, at the end of September - beginning of October.
Fruit storage
The shelf life of apples depends on the temperature and humidity of the room. With the help of a refrigerator, the fruits retain their consumer qualities until spring. Apples can be stored in the cellar for no more than 3 months.
The Moscow Necklace apple tree has few subspecies and varieties. New varieties are Moscow Necklace (X – 2) and bush Krokha.
Trimming
This procedure is carried out with the arrival of spring or mid-autumn. The top of the apple tree should be pinched immediately. If the top freezes in winter, new shoots will grow. When they reach 15 centimeters, you should choose the strongest shoot, which will become the new top, the rest should be cut off. If long side shoots begin to grow on the Moscow Necklace apple tree, they need to be cut back to the second bud. In autumn, 2 new branches will appear on the pruned branches, which should also be pruned in the spring. In the third year, fruits form on the horizontal branch, and 2 new shoots on the vertically pruned branch. The fruiting branch should be removed in the fall. Young apple trees are wrapped for the winter in order to prevent them from freezing and protect them from various types of rodents.
Subspecies and options
Moscow necklace (X - 2)
Mid-autumn ripening period.
Tree 3 m in height with a compact crown and dense foliage.
The variety is quite winter-hardy, tolerates sub-zero temperatures of -40 degrees.
The fruit crop begins to bear fruit in the 2nd year of life. A distinctive characteristic is very high yield.
In the 6th year from the beginning of fruiting, the fruits are harvested up to 18 kg. The fruits are large, weighing 250 - 300 g. with very high taste qualities.
Due to the abundance of fruits, the tree is prone to overload. To avoid injury to the apple tree, fruit branches are pruned and the ovaries are thinned out. The variety will take root well in central Russia.
Non-columnar variety
A new variety of apple tree, bush, is classified as a non-colonic type .
This is a fairly small tree, up to 65 cm high. The branches rise from the ground and form a bush. The foliage is leathery, gray-green in color.
Apple trees begin to bear fruit 3 to 4 years after planting. The variety is quite high-yielding ; 18 kg of apples are harvested from one bush.
The fruits are regularly round in shape, weighing 100 g. with white juicy pulp of sweet and sour taste. Apples ripen in early September and are stored for up to 3 weeks.
The variety is valued for its frost resistance , abundance of yield and resistance to scab.
Important! Apple trees grow in different regions of Russia, but each region has its own characteristics of growing fruit crops.
Features of cultivation in the regions
In outskirts of Moscow
Thanks to its high winter hardiness and ease of care, the Moscow Necklace has gained great popularity in the Moscow region.
The only peculiarity of growing the variety in this region is the following:
- In summer, during drought, regular watering 2 - 3 times a week;
- When controlling pests, the apple tree is treated with acaricides ;
- To attract pollinating insects during flowering, the fruit crop is irrigated with sugar syrup;
- In the autumn, they are fed with mineral fertilizers.
In central Russia
The Moscow Necklace apple tree can not only develop well in the middle zone, but also in fairly northern regions.
The variety tolerates low temperatures in winter down to -45 degrees. If slight frosting does occur, the tree tends to recover .
For higher yields in these areas, pay attention to the following:
- When planting, the first pruning ;
- Although the variety is quite winter-hardy, the apple tree is still protected. In the fall, is mulched and the tree is covered with special material.
additional main growing features
Variety Moscow Necklace.
