Chinese gold early: description, characteristics and reviews

For more than a decade, Kitayka and its varieties have won fans, thanks to their many advantages - high yield, undemanding care, the ability to endure both frost and drought, resistance to many diseases and pests, and extraordinary decorative appeal.
In Russia, Kitayka is successfully grown in different climatic zones, including the Urals and Siberia, without requiring special growing conditions. In the article we will talk about this fruit crop, we will give a description of the varieties of the variety - such as Kerr, Zolotaya and others, we will show a photo.

general description

The apple trees of the Kitayka variety are usually medium-sized, with a wide crown, in the springtime, strewn with unusually beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Thereby often Kitayka is also planted for decorative purposes... The leaves of the tree are pale green, oblong, with denticles along the edges. Fruits grow small, in one outlet up to 6 pieces, sweet in taste. The variety is distinguished by high yields, but at the same time there are no special requirements for cultivation.

If you are choosing a variety of apple trees for your garden, the following review article will be helpful.

Where and how it grows

In most cases, Bellefleur Chinese, apple tree (description, photo in the article), and other varieties grow in sunny areas. Golden Apple-tree Kitayka and other varieties begin to bloom in spring. Some of them are particularly exuberant in color, and the flowers give off a great scent.

The roots of the apple tree do not go deep, while the root system is quite branched and strong. Apple trees Kitayka are unpretentious and can grow in almost any soil. At the same time, trees are well preserved in winter, even at very low temperatures.

Chinese women can grow and bear fruit equally well in Siberia and in other northern parts of the world. You can grow such an apple tree on the slopes and plains. Saplings take root even in regions with an elevation of up to 1300 meters above sea level.

Breeding history

This variety was created by crossing Domashnyaya and Yagodnaya apple trees, and was brought by a gardener to the UK from New Zealand. Over time, the variety became widely known, began to spread in European countries and reached Russia. It got its name from the similarity of the leaves to the leaves of the Chinese plum. That is why Kitajka is also called the "apple tree".

Apple-tree Kitayka golden early variety description

Apple-tree Kitayka, full name "Chinese slurry" - is an unusual small-fruited variety. Small apples have an amazing taste, and the beautiful appearance of the tree during fruiting will be an adornment of any garden.
A short tree covered with quaint little apples is the Kitayka apple tree. Its fruits are similar to artificial ones, they are also called "paradise apples". The most delicious compotes and jams are made from them, thanks to the magnificent aroma of fruits.

Features of the variety

Kitayka is distinguished by unpretentious care and crop stability (and the harvest is annual, there are practically no rest periods). It tolerates frost and drought well. Possesses stable immunity to many diseases and pests.

You can find information about other varieties of apple trees, as well as how to choose them correctly, here.

Tree height

The trees grow highly branched, mostly of medium height, but some varieties of the variety reach a height of 10 m (Bellefleur, Pink).

Crown width

The crown is of medium density, spreading, up to 5 meters in diameter. In some varieties (Bellefleur, Long), the crown grows wide and dense, requiring formation.

Yield

Refers to high-yielding varieties - up to 80 kg of apples can be harvested from one healthy adult tree.

Tasting assessment

Most varieties of Kitayka have excellent taste and aroma (Kerr, Red, Long, Bellefleur, Early Gold, Cream, Honey).

The harvest is suitable both for fresh consumption and for preparing compotes, preserves, jams, dried fruits.

Winter hardiness

Kitayka and its varieties are highly frost-resistant, thanks to which they are successfully grown in the middle lane, in the North-West region, the Urals and Siberia.

Self-fertility

Kitayka belongs to self-fertile varieties. But pollinators will not be superfluous - White filling and Grushovka Moskovskaya are best suited.

Pollination

Thanks to its bright colors and sweet aroma, Kitayka perfectly attracts insects, which at the same time pollinate the plants in the neighborhood.

Description of apples

Fruits grow up to 40 g in weight, have the shape of a ball or oval... Fruits come in different colors depending on the variety - from yellow to red. The pulp is often white, has a sweet and sour taste.

The beginning of maturation

Begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting, although some of its varieties yield only the 6-7th year (Bellefleur, Saninskaya, Cream).

Would you like to know how to quickly dry apples in the oven? Then follow the link and read the following material.

The cost

The price of seedlings varies depending on the variety... In Moscow and the Moscow region, the average price for a seedling of Golden Kitaika 2-3 years old will be 800 - 1,000 rubles.

Variety When buying a seedling in a store or on the market for a long time, it will cost much more:

• two-year plan for 900 rubles;
• three-year plan - 2,000 rubles.

If you want to know about other popular apple varieties, for example, "Melbe", "Antonovka", "Anise" or "Borovinka" - read the materials on the links.

Growing an apple tree

Subsequent care of Kitayka saplings consists of:

• glaze;
• top dressing;
• trimming;
• prevention and control of diseases and pests;
• preparation for winter.

It is interesting to read about the cultivation of such summer varieties of apples as Medunitsa and Mantet.

Fertilization and watering

The Kitayka species are afraid of stagnant water in the roots and are tolerant of drought. These trees should not be watered often, limited to 4 buckets of settled warm water once every 10 days.... Each watering, as well as the last rain, must be accompanied by loosening the trunk circle to ensure good oxygen access to the root system. Before the onset of frost, the tree trunks of apple trees are mulched with a thick layer of humus.

The frequency of loosening can be reduced by mulching the soil, using:

• dry sawdust;
• crushed peat;
• hay;
• dry humus;
• chopped bark.

When the seedlings use up the fertilizers applied during planting for 2 years after planting, in the spring they should be fed 3 weeks before flowering with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, organic matter, ammonium nitrate.

Varieties of varieties

The merits of Kitayanka prompted breeders to develop varieties that would differ in their appearance and taste. This is how the varieties Kitayka Bellefleur, Yellow, Dolgo, Kerr and others appeared:

We offer you to watch a video about the Kitayka variety - the Kerr variety:

Advantages and disadvantages

Key benefits of the variety:

• incredible resistance even to the most severe winters;
• early ripeness of fruits, apples can be harvested already in the third year after planting;
• excellent appearance and taste characteristics of each fruit.

The disadvantages include the following:

• too short storage period for fruits;
• strong crumbling of fruits as they fully ripen;
• the risk of scab disease.

Photo

Next, you can see what the Chinese apple trees look like:

You may be interested in learning about another very fragrant variety - Cinnamon striped.

A wonderful decoration of your garden will be the Golden Kitayka apple tree

Chinese woman gold characterized by low consumer qualities.

However, these are the best apples for making jams, baby food and juices, and therefore the variety is widely used in production.

In the garden, such an apple tree often acts as decorative tree.

Testimonials

Marina, doctor: “We are growing Red Kitayka, which we love for its unpretentiousness, easy care, and for the fact that it does not need to be cut off. Apples are stored for 2 months. We love to eat right away, make jam - it turns out very beautiful. "

Elena, accountant: “We have two varieties growing in our country house - Bellefleur and Zolotaya. Both bloom very beautifully, give a good harvest. Conveniently, Zolotaya ripens early - we prepare marshmallow from her apples. We store the bellefleur until winter, and we also prepare jams and compotes. "

Oksana, auditor: “On the advice of friends, Kitaika Kerr was put in prison, and they didn’t regret it. Firstly, it blooms very beautifully, and in the summer it looks very beautiful. Apples are stored for a long time, so we eat all autumn. I also liked to make compotes out of it. "

Nikolay, pensioner: “We have planted Golden Kitaika long ago - now every year the apple harvest begins with her. The apples are delicious, the harvests are mostly large, but they are not stored for long. So what we do not have time to eat right away is used for preparation. "

Olga, teacher: “Instead of the old Golden Kitayka, they planted Red - it is even easier to care for, since it does not need to be cut off. Apples are stored longer, so we have time to gorge ourselves and prepare compotes for the winter. Both bloomed very beautifully - you can plant them even just for that. "

Varieties

Kitayka Zolotaya has several varieties of varieties, which have their own characteristics in the form of the structure of the tree and its fruiting.

Decorative

This is a stunted apple tree. The crown is not formed, since it is little thickened.

The foliage is light green in color, smooth, with pointed tips, in the shape of an ellipse.

The flowers are large, deep pink in color with a very fragrant scent.

The decorative apple tree beautifully decorates the garden with its appearance.

Semi-dwarf

The semi-dwarf golden Chinese woman has an average height of 3 to 4 meters. In the initial stage of development, growth occurs as in ordinary varieties of apple trees, with the first appearance of fruits, growth weakens. To avoid this, you should prune weak branches to the maximum.

Columnar

An apple tree on a columnar rootstock is considered a fast-growing and decorative tree. This variety is considered medium-sized or below, on average 2-2.5 m. Very easy to care for and harvest. The fruits grow in small clusters along the trunk.

The Chinese woman is golden columnar.

Large-fruited

The large-fruited Chinese woman is a low-growing tree, resistant to severe winter frosts. Has a weakly dense crown with ringed fruiting. It is famous for its abundant harvest and average ripening period. Apples are eaten in September. Fruits of good taste, weighing 40-50 gr.

Creeping

The creeping apple tree is considered a summer variety. Ripening occurs in August. Fruits are larger 80 gr, with a sweet and sour taste.

The tree is considered a fairly winter-hardy crop.

Due to their creeping crown, the branches are under the snow and do not freeze over during rather strong prolonged frosts.

Collection, transportation and storage times

After ripening, the apples begin to crumble rather quickly, so you cannot delay the harvest.

When stored in the refrigerator, some varieties (Kerr, Bellefleur) can lie until winter (provided there is no mechanical damage). But in general, the fruits are not stored for long - no more than three weeks. Transportation is well tolerated, but in case of injury, they will quickly deteriorate.

Another good summer variety is the Candy apple tree. Follow the link for detailed information on this variety.

Kerr

1. This Chinese variety was brought to Russia from Canada. The Chinese Kerr was bred by crossing the Chinese Haralson and Dolgo. Kerr is recommended for growing in the Urals (which includes: Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk regions, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug) and West Siberian (it includes: Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk , Tyumen region,
2. Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, Altai Republic, Altai Territory) regions, as well as in the Moscow region.
3. The tree is not tall, the branches are sparse. It bears fruit in 3-4 years. It has elliptical leaves, they are pale green, smooth, small notches at the edges, the top of the leaves is pointed. The flowers are large, crimson pink, with a strong aroma.
4. Fruits are slightly elongated, their weight is 35-40 g. The skin is claret. The pulp is sweet, with acidity and astringency. Jams and compotes are made from apples.

Dignity

• Chinese Kerr is resistant to a variety of diseases and drought;
• trees are frost-resistant;
• fruits do not crumble;
• give high yields;
• fruits are tied 4 years after planting;

Disadvantage

Fruit ripens late.

Collection and storage

• Apples are harvested from about September 15, but this depends on the planting area;
• fruits are stored for a long time - 3.5 months;

Feedback - Sergey, Ryazan region

Kerr has three advantages

• Decorativeness. It blooms very profusely. It has many small but very bright apples.
• Since it blooms profusely, it serves as an excellent pollinator for other varieties of apple trees.
• Apples can be eaten or made into jam.

Features of cultivation

In the first 4-5 years after planting, it is recommended to remove up to 80% of the fruits - this will allow the apple tree to strengthen and give bountiful harvests in the future.

In addition, it is extremely important for Kitayka to carry out formative pruning so that the crown develops evenly. The branches should be pruned to approximately the same length to channel the strength of the tree towards fruit growth. Preventive treatment against diseases and pests is required already in the first year of the tree's life.

When to plant and how to choose a seedling?

Planting a young apple tree is best done in autumn, late September or early October.

But planting in early spring is also allowed... Seedlings should be chosen 2-3 years old with a well-developed root system, as they take root faster.

Site selection and preparation, distance to other trees

Chinese women love well-lit places in which there is no likelihood of accumulation of melt water or groundwater passes nearby. The most suitable soil is loam or sandy loam, non-acidic, moderately moist. When planting, the distance between trees or to outbuildings and fences should be at least 6 m.The depth of the pit is 70-80 cm, the width is up to 100 cm.

Expert opinion

Klimkina Elena Vladislavovna

Florist, businessman. Organized my business on a suburban land plot

A layer of fertile soil must be added to the bottom of the pit - mix three parts of humus, two parts of river sand, one part of deciduous soil. To this mixture add 250 g of wood ash, 250 g of superphosphate, 100 g of potassium sulfate. Fill the hole in a third with the resulting mixture, place a seedling in it, and then carefully fill the hole, gradually compacting the soil.

It is important to make sure that the root collar is 5-7 cm above ground level. After planting, you need to water the seedling abundantly with settled water, and mulch with humus.

Can it grow in one place for a long time?

If the apple tree is immediately planted in a permanent place, then there is no need for a transplant. Moreover, trees over 3 years old do not tolerate transplanting well... If a transplant becomes necessary, this should be done in early spring before the start of sap flow.

1. The tree is dug up with a large clod of earth (the diameter of the clod should be approximately equal to the diameter of the crown) and carefully transferred to a piece of burlap.
2. Then they are dragged to a new place and placed in a previously prepared hole.
3. The pit is prepared as in the initial planting of the seedling.
4. It is recommended to do a small pruning almost immediately - this will allow the tree to recover faster.

How to prune and shape the crown in the fall?

Such varieties of Chinese as:

• Bellefleur;
• Gold;
• Long;
• Saninskaya;
• Pink.

In these varieties, the crowns themselves grow wide and spreading, and under the weight of the harvest, the branches can easily break. They begin to form a crown a year after planting, in March, when the temperature is at least + 10 ° C. The first pruning removes the competing branch. The main branches can also be shortened if they are too long.

The secondary branches should be evenly spaced around the center to form the correct crown shape.

There are two ways to trim, depending on the type of Chinese:

• 
  To the external kidney - it is used when it is necessary to expand the crown, to make it less dense. In this case, the upper kidney is left, which is directed away from the trunk.

• To the inner kidney - used when you need to strengthen the center of the tree. To do this, leave the upper kidney directed towards the trunk.

Later, on a mature tree, pruning is carried out annually, with the help of which they maintain the shape of the crown and prevent it from excessive thickening. After pruning, it is necessary to lubricate the cut points with garden varnish or oil paint.

Top dressing

The first two years, the apple tree does not need feeding.... Then fertilizing is carried out annually - for this in the spring, 3 weeks before flowering, mineral (urea or ammonium nitrate) and organic fertilizers are applied.

Then, at the stage of ovary formation, a second feeding is carried out - it is best to take 250 g of nitrophoska and dilute in a bucket of water. After harvesting, fertilizers are applied for the third time - 250 g of superphosphate and 150 g of potassium sulfate can be taken in a bucket of water.

Graft

Kitayka is often used for grafting - summer and autumn varieties are well suited, for example, Melba, Pepin Saffron. Antonovka, on the other hand, is poorly compatible with Kitayka. Vaccination rules are standard as for most varieties.

Permissible groundwater level

Apple trees do not like excessively wet areas or those places where groundwater passes close (less than 2 m), since these factors negatively affect the quality of the crop.

Protection from cold weather and rodents

Despite the fact that the variety tolerates frost well, the trees need to be prepared for winter. The roots should be covered with a layer of mulch - peat, humus, rotted sawdust are suitable for this. In the spring, the mulch is removed. The trunks can be covered with spruce branches or wrapped with old newspapers - this will protect the trees from rodents.

Correct care

Let's clarify in more detail a few points that relate to the features of care. If the seedlings of the Kitayka apple tree were bought from a trusted seller and planted correctly, then they are accepted without any problems.

Watering the apple tree.

Watering

The introduction of moisture for the Kitayka variety is no different from watering other apple trees. Usually, it is enough to add moisture three times a season, starting in spring, during the ripening of fruits, and in autumn, to prepare the apple tree for the cold weather. Sprinkling can be done in summer, especially in dry weather. After adding moisture, you need to loosen the trunk circle, and, most importantly, prevent stagnation.

Top dressing

It is necessary to fertilize the apple tree according to the standard scheme: in spring, summer and autumn.At the beginning of the growing season, fertilizer should be applied with nitrogen, in the process of the appearance of ovaries with nitrophosphate, and after harvesting with potassium and superphosphate. Fall fertilization will help the apple tree adapt to low temperatures. And in the summer, you can make mineral dressings on the leaf, which will have a positive effect on the immunity of the apple tree.

Pruning

Some varieties of Kitayka tend to thicken the crown, while others form a lot of overgrowth from the crown. Therefore, the strength and depth of pruning can be more accurately determined based on the specific grade. But there are a number of general principles that should be considered:

1. It is necessary to cut off damaged and frozen shoots or those that have suffered from pests.
2. You need to remove shoots that grow up and interfere with others.
3. It is necessary to thin out the crown so that all the shoots have enough sunlight and air circulates freely.
4. It is important that the shoots grow evenly from all sides, do not stand out from the general picture.

It should be borne in mind that even the slightest pruning is still an injury to the plant. Therefore, it must be carried out even when the temperature in spring is warm. The procedure should be carried out with sharp, clean scissors. If large branches were cut off, then the cut points must be treated with garden varnish. Many varieties contain many vitamins, so the beneficial properties of apples can be used for good.

Apple tree pruning scheme.

Diseases and pests

Chinatown and most of its varieties have good immunity against diseases.However, spring prophylaxis with Hom preparations and a solution of copper sulfate against cytosporosis will not be superfluous. The variety is well resistant to scab, but if the tree still gets sick, the following means are used:

• copper sulfate;
• Horus;
• "Speed";
• "Hom";
• "Nitrofen";
• urea.

Among pests, Kitayka can be overcome by aphids, for which a soap solution with tobacco is most often used. Apple moth and apple blossom beetle are afraid of chlorophos.

What activities need to be carried out in the first spring after planting a seedling

In the first spring, apple trees require careful maintenance. When the temperature no longer drops below 10 degrees, it is necessary to form the crown of the tree and cut the ends of each branch to create the desired shape. The first spring pruning removes all branches of the seedling that may compete with the main branch. Remove in such a way that no stump remains. Otherwise, new shoots "start" from this hemp, which is completely undesirable.

First cut

Apple tree Delight

The purpose of the first cut:

• the main trunk of the apple tree should be without "competition" of accompanying branches;
• secondary branches form a crown of a regular shape and are located evenly around the center;
• the branches of the crown do not interfere and do not obscure each other.

Important! In the first year after planting, the Chinese apple tree should not bear fruit. To do this, all flowers are plucked at the beginning of the flowering period. In the future, this procedure guarantees high and stable yields.

In the first year, at the time of swelling of vegetative buds and ripening of flower buds, the seedling must be treated with copper sulfate or another fungicide. In the summer, it is extremely important to carefully monitor the tree and manually remove diseased leaves, insect pests, and clear the weeds from the near-trunk circle. At the same time, it is absolutely impossible to use herbicides!

In the future, in a grown tree, crown formation is carried out in order to make it less dense. It must be remembered that it is better to prune a little every year than to carry out a "general" pruning every few years. It is important to know not only when to prune, but also where exactly to prune an unwanted branch. It is cut off at the very base, where a circle-shaped influx can be seen near the branch. So, cut off on top of this influx. It is there that cells capable of rapid growth and regeneration are concentrated.

You cannot cut higher or lower!

Annual spring pruning, especially after a frosty winter, should be started after the possible extent of damage to the apple tree is clearly visible. In places damaged by frost, vertical thick shoots begin to appear intensively. You should also remember to whitewash the trunks from sunburn. They are whitened either with slaked lime, or painted with water-dispersed white paint.

The nuances of growing in different regions

1. In outskirts of Moscow landing conditions and care rules are standard.
2. In the southern regions it is important to follow the rules of watering - you need infrequent, but abundant watering - 3-4 buckets per tree. After watering, the ground around the tree should be mulched.
3. In the middle lane the conditions for care are not different. The only thing is that the planting of young plants should be carried out not earlier than the first half of April.
4. In Siberia it is recommended to take 3-year-old seedlings for planting, which are immediately treated with growth stimulants. Since in the northern regions the soils are predominantly heavier, so the planting hole is dug deeper and wider.
   For the winter, trees must be insulated with a covering material and the soil is mulched. Also, additional feeding in the fall with potassium and phosphorus will be useful. The varieties Long, Kerr, Pink are best suited for growing.

The variety of Kitayka varieties, as well as their general adaptability to growing in almost any weather conditions, make this variety extremely attractive. The sweet taste and aroma of the fruit will suit both those who like to eat fresh apples and those who prefer to make preserves, jams and compotes.

Useful Tips

There are some simple tips for landing:

1. It is better to plant not annual seedlings, but older ones. Let them be 2 or 3 years old. So it is much more likely that they will take root.
2. The place should be lit, but closed from the wind.
3. The Chinese woman does not like stagnant moisture, so in some cases it is better to underfill.
4. It is necessary to prune seedlings from the second year, but not after birth, but after planting.

Some varieties bear fruit quite late. Although they bloom and form fruits early, even the next year, it is better to cut them off. So it is more likely that the apple tree will develop good immunity, and, as a result, fruiting will be regular and abundant.

Region of natural growth

Zones of natural growth for the golden apple tree are North-West and Volgo-Vyatka region of Russia.

However, the cultivar is well adapted in other sunny regions.

For planting in these regions, apple varieties are suitable: Pepin Saffron and Cinnamon New, Young Naturalist, Siyanets Solntsedara.

If the climatic conditions are not suitable enough. It is important to provide proper care, and above all, the planting of the tree (see below).