Until recently, it was impossible to grow a large apple in Siberia. The fruits were so small that they looked more like berries rather than fruits. Breeders have struggled with this problem for a century. As a result, the Altai Souvenir variety appeared, which is sometimes called the Altai Zarya.

History of appearance

The great-grandmother of all Siberian apple trees is the Sibirka variety. This tree, growing in the wild, is resistant to cold weather. It can withstand temperatures down to minus 50-55 ° C. But his fruit is no larger than a gooseberry.

The first experiments on selection were carried out with the help of Sibirka. The resulting varieties received a collective name - "Ranetki". These include: Bayan, Tolunay, Goronoaltaskoye, Pepin saffron, Bellefleur-Chinese. When the last three were crossed, the Altai Souvenir appeared.

Apple-tree variety "Souvenir of Altai"

The work was carried out at the Research Institute of Horticulture. M.A.Lisavenko. The selection was attended by Z.S. Yashchemskaya, I.L. Kalinin and N.V. Ermakova. In 1976, the hybrid was included in the State Register of Varietal Crops after being tested. The apple tree Altai souvenir was recommended for cultivation in the West Siberian region.

Zoning began in 1985 from the Altai Territory, the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Altai Republic. A few years later, the Surprise apple tree appeared in the rest of the West Siberian region.

Description of apple tree Souvenir of Altai

The Zarya Altai apple tree has an average height. The tree grows up to 5 meters. The rounded crown is compact in size. The branches extend from the trunk at almost right angles. On skeletal branches and trunk, the bark is smooth, colored in greenish-brown tones. Shoots of medium length, strongly pubescent, rounded and straight. Their color is brown.

Description of the variety

Apricot Zhigulevsky Souvenir

The green ovoid leaves are slightly pointed. They look very wrinkled, with coarse nerves, elongated and shiny. The leaf plate has crenate edges. It is gracefully curved at the bottom. The petiole is short and drooping.

Important! The tree grows on average by 50-60 cm per year. If the growth rates are more modest, it means that the apple tree was attacked by pests and diseases, or it did not take root well.

Fruit characteristics

The tree blooms late, around the end of May, and the apples ripen in the second half of September. The Altai Souvenir apple tree has small one-dimensional fruits, on average, they weigh 80-120 grams. The apple is of the correct rounded shape. At the same time, the peduncle is slightly oblique, it is straight and thin. The skin is smooth to the touch with a waxy coating.

Fruit color is light yellow. Blush takes up most of the surface. It has a dark pink color with intense yellow patches. The funnel is medium in size but wide. Apples have a slight rustiness.

The delicate flesh is white. It has a medium density. The fruits are juicy, sweet and sour in taste. Experts gave the Siberian souvenir apple a tasting score of 4.4 points.

Fruits are juicy, sweet and sour taste

This apple variety has an average yield, but it is stable and does not depend on weather conditions. On average, each tree brings 70 c / ha. The fruits lie within 4-5 months.

Agrotechnics

Choosing a seedling for planting

It is advisable to buy a young tree in local nurseries. The most optimal seedling for planting is a 2-year-old, the “older” ones may not take root in a new place. The most important thing in it is its roots.They must be intact, without damage or cuts. Mold, pests or rot are not allowed.

Apple tree VEM pink

The tree should not contain shoots, otherwise it will be difficult for him in a new place. It may not have time to grow before the onset of winter.

Important! If the roots of the seedling have dried up a little, then before planting they are dipped in a weakly diluted solution of potassium permanganate for a couple of hours, and then in a clay-dung chatter for the same time.

Landing

Gardeners recommend planting the Souvenir apple tree in April. At this time of the year, the sap is still not moving in the young tree, which means that it will take root faster. In addition, the weather is already pleasing with warm days, which is great for earthworks.

Planting an apple tree

Planting technology is the same as that of other varieties.

It consists of the following steps:

  • Choosing a place for the apple tree. It should be sunny, not too humid;
  • Well preparation. For a seedling, you need a hole 80x80 cm in size. The depth is about the same. Here you need to focus on the root system of the apple tree. Part of the dug land is mixed with fertilizer. For example, you can use: humus, horse humus, potassium, superphosphate or ash. Then pour this part back into the hole, forming a mound. It shouldn't be made tall;
  • Planting a seedling. We plant the tree in a hole on a mound, while carefully straightening the root system. It is very important not to damage it during transplantation. The root collar should be 5 cm above the ground level. The hole is covered with the remaining soil;
  • Peg installation. It is needed so that the seedling grows straight;
  • Abundant watering of the seedling.

Important! When planting, it is important to keep the distance between trees. It must be at least 3 meters.

When planting, it is important to respect the distance between trees.

Culture care

Proper planting is very important for the tree to grow well, but caring for it is much more important.

Among the procedures that must be performed are the following:

  • Watering the apple tree. It is carried out once a month with one bucket. If the summer is hot, then the soil is moistened every 3 days;
  • Top dressing. Each season has its own fertilizers: in the spring it is potassium, humus and superphosphate, during the flowering period - nitrogen and compost;
  • Pruning branches. One of the most important tree care procedures. In the first few years, all branches are shortened by about one third of the entire length. This will help to form the crown faster - more energy is spent on growth. When the tree has grown (somewhere after 4-5 years), then dried, diseased and old branches are removed;
  • Preparing for the winter. It consists in the fact that the ground around the tree is covered with mulch, and then covered with breathable material. It's a good idea to put a net for small pests.

Important! In the first flowering, all flowers are removed from the seedling.

The merits and demerits of culture

Apple tree Alesya

The most significant advantage of the apple tree is its ability to grow in adverse cold weather conditions. At the same time, the tree gives a stable harvest starting from 5 years. Apples are distinguished by their beauty and good taste. In addition, this variety is resistant to fungal diseases, in particular to scab.

Of the shortcomings, one can only single out: the apple tree will not stand up to moniliosis, in especially severe frosts the seedling can freeze, so it will not be superfluous to prepare it for the cold weather.

The hybrid has more advantages than disadvantages. This explains the popularity of the variety.