Apple tree "Vasyugan" refers to the columnar varieties of apple trees, which are becoming increasingly popular due to its compactness, fertility, early ripeness and unusual appearance. And "Vasyugan", in addition, also has a high frost resistance. Let's take a closer look at this variety.
Breeding history
The first columnar apple varieties came to Europe from the American continent in 1964. And the Vasyugan variety was bred about thirty years ago, at the end of the 80s, at the Moscow Institute of Horticulture by crossing the undersized Brusnichny and KV-5. 
Apple tree immediately fell in love with amateur gardeners for its pleasant dessert fruit flavor, affordable care and frost resistance. Tests of the variety ended in 1995, after which its mass breeding began.
Biological features
Apple trees "Vasyugan" are low, abundantly fruiting trees. Due to the shortened internodes and the complete absence of branches, it seems that the fruits grow directly on the trunk of the tree.
Important! Prevention of diseases and pests of apple "Vasyugan" Treating trees with fungicides and insecticides.
Tree description
Its semi-dwarf tree reaches its greatest height at the age of 6-8 years, while it does not exceed three meters. The crown is formed into a single trunk, without side branches and with abundant foliage. Kollyach depart directly from the barrel. Due to the lack of side branches, the tree occupies a small area, which is an advantage when growing it in conditions of limited space, for example, in the country. A feature of the variety is its increased frost resistance: "Vasyugan" well maintains temperatures up to -42 ° C, which allows it to be grown in the conditions of northern latitudes. In addition, the unusual appearance of the variety will be a wonderful decoration of any garden.
You may also be interested in such ornamental apples as: Nedzvetskogo apple tree and “Royalties” varieties, and such kolonovidnye varieties of Currency varieties and President. Certain varieties of pears, plums, apricots also have a columnar form.
Fruit Description
The description of the fruit of the columnar apple variety "Vasyugan" is as follows:
- weight - 100-150 g;
- shape - conical, elongated;
- color - yellow-green with a partial reddish blush;
- the pulp is juicy, fine-grained, white or slightly creamy;
- taste - sweet-sour, saturated;
- the aroma is pleasant.
Yield
Fruit ripening periods range from the last decade of August to the beginning of September. Neatly harvested fruits, when properly stored, can be stored for up to 30 days. The average yield of one adult tree is 5-6 kg, maximum - up to 10 kg. Fruits are quite hard and tolerate transportation. They have a classic taste and perform well in any form. The first signal fruits may appear already in the first year, but the tree begins to truly bear fruit in the third or fourth year after planting and continues to do so for about 15 years. To obtain continuous crops from the plantation, it is worthwhile to plant new seedlings every ten years.
Check out such varieties of apples as "Rozhdestvenskoe", "Ural Bulk", "Krasa Sverdlovsk", "Orlinka", "Orlovim", "Zvezdochka", "Kandil Orlovsky", "Papirovka", "Screen", "Antey" , Rudolph, Bratchud, Robin, Red Chief, Glory to the Victors.
How to choose seedlings when buying
It is best to buy seedlings in nurseries from trusted vendors who have the appropriate documents for their products. When buying a well inspect the seedling so that it is not dry or with a damaged root system. In the presence of stains or any traces of infection should abandon this instance. It is not worth saving and buying trees in random places, because the funds invested in the seedling will more than pay off with a high yield of tasty fruits.
Did you know? Apple peel contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are anti-oxidants with anti-cancer effect.
Rules for planting apple seedlings in the area
The columnar apple "Vasyugan" requires proper planting and further care:
- care should be taken to preserve the apical bud, since the apple has no side branches;
- when planting seedlings need to make fertilizer;
- after planting should be plentifully pour water over the tree.
Optimal timing
The best time to buy and plant seedlings of the same age is spring, namely: the second half of April or the beginning of May. In this case, it is possible to see the first flowering of the seedling this year, however, the first flowers must be removed so as not to overload the plant. The next suitable period for planting seedlings is September-November. 
Choosing a place
It is necessary to plant seedlings in quiet, windless corners of the garden, since young trees are still afraid of frost. Like all columnar apple trees, the Vasyugan is better to plant on a flat, well-lit area, located as far as possible from wetlands and cool lowlands. This tree feels uncomfortable on the slopes, the sun and in places where the groundwater is located closer than 1.5 m from the surface level. The soil in the area should be of neutral acidity, chernozem soils are well suited, since they are saturated with all the nutrients necessary for the development of apple trees. In addition, there should be convenient access to the trees, as they require constant thorough care. 
Site preparation and seedlings
Selected seedlings carefully inspect the absence of disease and damage. Slightly dried up roots can be rehabilitated by holding them for a day or two in the water. If there were numerous plantings in the selected area, then it is necessary to cultivate the soil by adding nitrogen fertilizers and compost. Then you should dig up the site well. The pit for planting should be prepared in advance (10-15 days before planting), since the ground can crumble and injure the seedling.
Process and scheme
The pit for planting should be large enough (not less than 0.9x0.9x0.9 m in size) so that the root system of the seedling can easily fit in it and the tree does not lack nutrients. When digging a hole, the upper soil fertile layer must be discarded separately. If the ground is heavy enough, then drainage from coarse sand or gravel should be provided at the bottom. Then 3-4 buckets of compost or humus, superphosphate (50-100 g) and potash fertilizers (50-80 g) are brought into the soil fertile layer. Dolomite flour (100-200 g) is also added to the acidic soil. The resulting mixture is laid in the pits. The trees should be planted at a distance of not less than 0.5 m from each other with a minimum distance between rows of 1 m. The root neck of the apple should be slightly above the surface of the plot. After planting, water the trees abundantly. 
Seasonal care features
According to its characteristics, the Vasyugan columnar apple requires careful seasonal care in order to preserve its fruitful qualities.
Important! "Vasyugan" - one of the few varieties, well acclimatized in areas of the north with long and frosty winters.
Soil care
Vasyugan has a shallow surface root system, which requires more intensive watering than a regular apple tree. Ideal in this case would be the use of drip irrigation. However, it is not worth over-watering the tree, because stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots of the plant. If it is impossible to install drip irrigation, it is necessary to water the tree once every 3-4 days in the dry and hot period and once a week - at other times. After watering, you need to mulch pristvolny circle with straw, which is removed for the period of wintering. Due to the weakness of the roots of apple trees, it is not necessary to loosen the soil around them, you need to tin it. For this purpose, cereals are planted around the trees, which are carefully mown from time to time. Instead of cereals, you can plant spices - lemon balm or dill, which, moreover, will be an additional protection against pests.
Top dressing
The yield of the garden is directly dependent on fertilizers, so in the spring you need to remember to add nitrogen, which activates the vegetative growth of plants. The source of nitrogen can be - humus, bird droppings and mineral fertilizers. When using fresh manure, fertilize trees in the fall. In addition, before and after flowering apple trees should be applied potash fertilizers. And one of the activities to prepare the garden for the winter is the introduction of superphosphate. By the way, specialized shops offer ready-made forms of feeding for any plants and trees. 
Preventive treatment
To prevent diseases of the apple, it is necessary to regularly spray them with fungicides and insecticides. This should be done twice a year - in the spring before the first flowers appear, and in the autumn - after the harvest. As a preventive measure against scab, spring trees are treated with Bordeaux liquid. The same tool together with "Fundazol" will help in the fight against other diseases of apple trees - powdery mold and rust.
Did you know? The grains of one apple contain the required daily dose of iodine, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the heart and brain.
Cropping and crown formation
Pruning varieties "Vasyugan" has some features: since these trees do not need side branches, it is worth cutting them into two buds. By the end of the first year of growth, several upward shoots appear on this site, which must also be trimmed. Thus, in the summer of the third year after planting, the uncircumcised horizontal twig will begin to bear fruit, and the trimmed vertical will bring several young shoots. If the frost has damaged the apical bud, then it is necessary to remove all new shoots, except the most viable, and to treat the cut sites with lime. 
Protection against cold and rodents
An apple tree, especially in the first year after planting, must be protected from the cold and various rodents by wrapping it with fir branches, straw or wood chips. It is important that the shelter remains dry from the inside and has no gaps. 
An excellent protection against mice is also a grid of metal wire, which protects each tree trunk to a height of approximately 120 cm and is buried in the ground to a depth of 30 cm. Also, many amateur gardeners use dense nylon nets or cut plastic bottles.
In addition, in the winter, you can thoroughly powder the root circle of the apple tree with snow. However, when trampling on snow, one should be very careful not to damage the root system of the tree located close to the surface.
Despite the seeming complexity of caring for the Vasyugan variety, by planting these trees, you will get an excellent result in the form of delicious, fragrant and early ripe apples. And the unusual appearance of the trees will be an interesting decorative element of your garden.
