Garden

Features of planting and caring for the apple tree Jonagold

One of the most common varieties of apple trees, which is grown on a large and small scale in an area with a temperate and warm climate, is the Jonagold apple tree. Large and lush trees become a real decoration for the garden, and their sweet fruits are eaten and used in industry for the production of juices, fruit purees and even baby food.

The main characteristics of the variety, the characteristics of its planting and the rules for caring for apple trees, as well as methods to overcome the possible difficulties encountered in growing a crop, are listed in this article.

Description and characteristics of fruits and tree

The Jonagold variety quickly gained popularity among gardeners in Europe, Ukraine, the USA, Belarus and Russia due to its positive qualities, so over time, clone varieties began to appear, which have similar characteristics, but differ from the original in the color intensity of apples, some taste characteristics and the ripening of the crop .

Did you know? Apple seeds contain powerful poison, which leads to severe intoxication of the body when it enters the stomach, therefore apple bones should not be eaten. One of the most famous clones of Jonagold is the Decosta variety - these fruits ripen a little earlier and have a rich dark red skin color.

Calorie content

One of the positive qualities of the Jonagold variety is that its fruits can be eaten by people who are struggling with excess weight, so when fresh, these fruits can be a useful vitamin supplement to any dietary diet. The calorie content of Jonagold apples is 45 kcal.

Nutrition value of 100 g of a product:

proteins - 0.5 g;
fats - 0.5 g;
carbohydrates - 12 g.

Taste and color

The peculiarity of the Jonagold variety is that its fruits can have a different taste and color, depending on the region of cultivation. If during the day the difference between day and night air temperature is insignificant, then the peel of the fruit becomes paler, and the taste of the pulp will not be very saturated.

Important! Sometimes the surface of a ripe Jonagold apple may be covered with a fine orange mesh, but this does not affect the taste of the fruit.

The characteristics of the appearance of the peel and taste of Jonagold apples are presented below:

the fruits are covered with a smooth and dense peel of medium thickness with a thin layer of wax coating;
ripe fruits have a light green or light yellow color with a red blush located in the form of stripes or over the entire surface of the fruit;
the flesh of apples is very juicy, has a dense granular structure and is painted in a light green or yellowish color;
sweet and sour taste with a pronounced tart aftertaste;
the pulp of ripe fruit exudes a light aroma;
on a 5-point scale for assessing taste, this variety of apples received 4.6–4.9 points (depending on growing conditions).

Fruit Sizes

Fruits of this variety delight the gardener with their large size and regular shape. Due to these qualities, they are in demand among buyers and are often grown on a large scale for fresh sale through large retail chains.

Description of Jonagold apples is presented below:

the fruits are large or medium in size;
the weight of a ripe apple is about 170–220 g, but there are also specimens weighing up to 250 g;
fruits are one-dimensional, and their size does not decrease as the tree grows older;
the diameter of the fetus is about 9 cm;
the shape of the apple is round, slightly elongated;
a small rib is visible in the calyx of the fetus.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the winter apple of the Lobo variety.

Tree height

The height of the adult representatives of this variety depends on the rootstock on which they were grown, and can range from 3 to 6 m. The tree is very tall and large, quickly grows up and in width. The apple tree buds are characterized by good excitability, but the rate of formation of new shoots is average. The main trunk and skeletal branches are covered with gray-brown bark, and flexible annual shoots are brown in color.

Crown width

The Jonagold apple tree has a voluminous crown, which is formed by powerful skeletal branches extending from the trunk almost at right angles. As a result of this, the tree, as it were, grows in width, therefore it requires a lot of free space.

The main characteristics of the crown of the Jonagold apple tree are listed below:

before the fruiting period, the green part of the tree has the shape of a wide oval;
after the apple tree begins to bear fruit, its crown becomes spherical and increases in volume;
in the process of growing, the branches become drooping under the weight of numerous fruits;
crown density is average, on skeletal branches an average number of small vertically growing young shoots appears each year;
the green leaves of the tree are large and have a matte surface, and their tip is pointed.

Video: Jonagold Decost apple tree

Tree life

The Jonagold variety has an average life expectancy, which depends on the growing conditions of the tree and compliance with the basic rules of care. Most often, the apple tree lives up to 25 years, but when grown on Antonovka seedlings, which are notable for good frost resistance, the Jonagold tree can grow and bear fruit abundantly until the age of 35 years.

Did you know? The age of the world's oldest apple tree is more than 350 years. The tree grows in Manhattan (USA) and still bears fruit.

Productivity

When grown in regions with a suitable climate, the Jonagold apple tree provides a consistently high yield of ripe fruits. She early enters the fruiting phase and annually brings a large number of ripe apples to the gardener.

The yield characteristic of the variety is presented below:

the first portion of ripe fruit is harvested already 3 years after planting a seedling;
yield indicators of a young tree are steadily increasing every year, there are no interruptions in fruiting;
young trees that have reached the age of 5–7 years give up to 15 kg of fruit;
after reaching the age of 10-12 years, up to 55 kg of apples can be obtained from the apple tree;
peak yield is observed after the tree reaches the age of 16–25 years - up to 100 kg of fruits are harvested from one apple tree;
the number of apples does not depend on weather conditions, but when the tree freezes in winter, the yield drops sharply to 7–10 kg.

Frost resistance

The Jonagold variety is characterized by poor winter hardiness and receives severe damage when grown in regions with frosty winters, so it is recommended to plant it only in areas with a warm and temperate climate.

The frost resistance characteristics of the apple tree are listed below:

trees react negatively to a sharp drop in air temperature;
in frosts below -30 ° C, the wood of the apple tree becomes brown, and serious damage appears on the bark;
the tree is very poorly restored after freezing, its shoot growth slows down and branches dry out;
when growing in areas with a temperate climate, it is necessary to take care of the winter shelter for the apple tree - mulch the trunk circle with a layer of humus, and wrap the stump and skeletal branches with several layers of burlap or roofing felt, placing layers of straw between them.

Pollinators

The apple tree begins to bloom in May. Medium-sized flowers with white petals bloom on the fruit twigs and glove. This variety belongs to triploid and for fruiting it needs at least 2 pollinators.

Important! The apple tree Jonagold itself cannot act as a pollinator for other varieties.

With free pollination, only a fifth of all possible ovaries is formed, therefore, to obtain a good harvest, other varieties of apple trees are planted next to Jonagold, the flowering period of which falls in the same period. They must be located no further than 20 m from the tree in order for pollination to take place successfully.

The best pollinators for this variety are:

Jonathan;
Gloucester
Melrose
Champion;
Spartan
Idared
Elstar

Features of planting, growing and care

Planting and growing Jonagold varieties do not require special skills from the gardener. To get a generous harvest of fruits, you need to take care of choosing a quality planting material, plant seedlings correctly in a site with suitable conditions, and provide growing trees with minimal care, which consists of regular watering and top dressing.

And in order to facilitate the access of the sun's rays to ripening fruits and give the apple tree a beautiful shape, formative pruning is performed. All the subtleties of tree care are listed later in the article.

Landing time

Planting seedlings of Jonagold apple trees can be carried out both in autumn and spring and depends on specific climate conditions. If the winter in this region is not too severe, it is recommended to carry out this procedure in the fall, so that the young tree has time to take root and grow stronger by the arrival of spring.

The planting of the Jonagold variety is carried out in the following terms:

in spring, seedlings are planted 5-7 days after the soil has thawed and becomes loose;
a suitable period for spring planting lasts from late April to early May;
in the fall, planting is carried out no later than 2 weeks before the first frost;
it is recommended to plant young trees on a site in the fall after falling of leaves - in the second half of October;
the wells of seedlings begin to cook about 2-3 weeks before planting.

Preparing planting material

The success of growing Jonagold apple trees on the site largely depends on how good the planting material was.

When buying seedlings of this variety, you need to evaluate their appearance, choosing only strong specimens with a branched root system and an elastic smooth trunk. There should be no mechanical damage or signs of damage by diseases and pests on the tree.

Did you know? The birthplace of the apple tree is the southern part of the territory of modern Kazakhstan, and people began to grow it more than 8500 years ago.

Immediately before landing in open ground, the following preparatory actions are performed:

inspect the roots of the seedling and shorten them if they are too long;
in the presence of rotten or broken areas, they are carefully removed using a secateurs;
if the root system of the tree is slightly dried, then before planting it is lowered into a container of water;
if there are leaves on the seedling at the time of planting, then it is recommended to remove them so that they do not draw moisture from the tree in vain, and it is more quickly rooted in the soil.

Landing pattern

The planting procedure of the Jonagold apple tree is practically no different from the planting of other varieties of fruit crops. In this case, you need to choose a suitable plot for the seedlings and correctly place young trees on it.

A place to grow Jonagold must meet the following requirements:

loose and fertile soil of neutral acidity - sandy loamy or loamy soil is best suited, providing air access to the roots;
good sun exposure - helps to obtain a large number of large and sweet apples;
the depth of groundwater is at least 1.5–2 m from the surface of the soil, otherwise the roots of the apple tree may be flooded and begin to rot;
a sufficient amount of free space - a lush and large crown of trees needs a place for growth in width;
lack of drafts - the variety reacts poorly to low air temperatures, so in winter trees can freeze in the cold wind.

Step-by-step instructions for planting seedlings are presented below:

Dig planting pits in advance — their diameter and depth should be about 1 m. At least 5–7 m of free space should remain between adjacent holes so that adult trees do not obscure each other from the sun.
The bottom of the planting pit is well loosened to a depth of 25 cm - this will help the roots of the seedling to penetrate deeper into the soil.
The top layer of the earth, taken when digging a hole, mixed with 2 buckets of rotted manure, a handful of wood ash and complex fertilizers. From the resulting fertile mixture, form a small mound at the bottom of the landing pit.
Drive a wooden pole into the bottom of the recess to tie the seedling and leave the hole in this condition until planting.
When the time comes for planting a seedling, place its roots in a pit and spread them on the surface of a mound from fertile soil. The root neck should be 5-8 cm above the ground.
Sprinkle the roots with loose earth and ram it a little around the trunk with your hands. Form a landing circle around the tree and limit its edges with a small earthen roller.
Pour the seedling with 3 buckets of water. When the liquid is completely absorbed into the soil, mulch the trunk circle with a thick layer of humus or dry hay.

Watering

Fast-growing trees of this variety need a lot of water. In moist soil, seedlings grow shoots and leaves faster, and fruit-bearing specimens form a large number of large and sweet fruits.

The basic rules for irrigation of the Jonagold apple tree are listed below:

It is recommended to water plantings in the absence of heavy rains for 20 days or in hot climates;
the frequency of watering of adult trees is 1 time per week;
young seedlings that have not entered the fruiting period are irrigated every 3-4 days;
at least 60–80 liters of water are brought under each adult tree;
40–50 l of liquid is consumed per seedling;
after each watering, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the trunk so that it remains wet and loose longer.

Important! Jonagold is characterized by drought tolerance, but a prolonged lack of moisture in the soil will make apples less juicy and worsen their taste characteristics.

Top dressing

When planting seedlings of this variety, enough fertilizers are laid in the soil, which enrich the soil with necessary nutrients for a whole year, so the first top dressing of seedlings is carried out only the next year after planting.

The basic rules for fertilizing are listed below:

organic fertilizers are applied in early spring - during digging up the trunk circle, 6 l of bird droppings or 40 l of compost are added to the soil, as well as 150 g of potassium and phosphorus;
before flowering, the apple tree is watered with an aqueous solution of nitroammophoski - about 1 g of the trunk circle requires about 50 g of a substance that is dissolved in water for irrigation;
after flowering is completed, the apple tree can be sprayed with a solution of preparations containing boron - this will have a beneficial effect on the number of fruits;
if the tree branches were frozen in winter, then 2 weeks after flowering is completed, the apple tree is sprayed with a 0.5% urea solution - this procedure is repeated after another 10-14 days;
in the autumn after harvesting, you need to dig the soil around the tree and make humus at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 m² of the area of the trunk circle.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied only in the first 4 years of a tree’s life, since they only contribute to the growth of green mass and prevent the formation of apples.

Cropping and shaping the crown

Due to the fact that the branches of the apple tree grow perpendicular to the main trunk, the tree does not need serious pruning. But in order to prevent excessive thickening and give the tree crown a beautiful and neat shape, it is recommended to remove excess shoots and leaves.

Did you know? The apple orchards of the planet occupy an area with a total area of about 5 million hectares.

This procedure must be carried out according to the following rules:

formative pruning is carried out in early spring until the kidneys swell, and sanitary - in late autumn;
the first pruning is carried out the next year after planting a seedling;
during the first 4 years after the start of trimming, the main conductor is shortened so that its upper edge is 40 cm from the last upper branch;
4–5 strongest shoots are left in the bottom row - they will become skeletal branches. Each subsequent year, in a similar manner, the following tiers of the crown are formed, and the remaining shoots are cut;
on the 5th year after planting, the conductor is cut at a height of about 2.5 m so that it passes into the side branch - this allows you to limit the height of the apple tree and stimulates the growth of side shoots;
in adult fruiting trees, dried parts and shoots growing inside the tree are annually removed;
pruning is carried out using a sharp tool, and all places of the cuts need to be spread with garden varnish for disinfection.

Growing difficulties

With improper care or inappropriate growing conditions, the Jonagold apple tree may be exposed to disease or pest attack. In this case, the gardener needs to notice the problem at an early stage in order to start treatment on time and to prevent the spread of infection to other trees.

The most common diseases and pests of this variety include:

Scab . Symptoms of this fungal infection are discolored spots on the leaves and shoots of the tree. Over time, they increase in size and acquire a black color, and the affected areas begin to fade. The fruits are deformed and become unsuitable for storage and eating. Infected areas of the tree are removed, and the crown is sprayed with fungicides.
Powdery Mildew The disease is manifested by the appearance of a white coating on the green part of the apple tree, which in appearance resembles flour, but in fact is a spore of the fungus. Affected areas begin to darken in the future, which leads to premature falling of leaves and lower crop yields. To prevent the spread of infection, all affected leaves and shoots are pruned and then sprayed with fungicides on the apple tree.
Apple aphid is green . This insect can appear on the green leaves of the apple tree and feeds on their delicate pulp. Листья становятся обгрызенными, а их поверхность покрывается липким налётом. Зелёная масса дерева при этом погибает, вызывая снижение урожайности. Для борьбы с тлёй используют инсектициды.
Red apple tick. Вредитель имеет красное туловище и размещается на листьях дерева, уничтожая их. Признаком заражения является красный налёт на заражённых участках дерева, который представляет собой скопление этих мелких насекомых. В дальнейшем лист покрывается тонкой белой паутиной и засыхает, что отрицательно влияет и на показатели урожайности яблони. Чтобы истребить клеща, нужно использовать водный раствор инсектицидов.
Яблонный цветоед . Взрослое насекомое уничтожает почки яблони, а самки откладывают яйца внутрь цветочных бутонов. Вылупившиеся из яиц личинки выедают цветы изнутри и препятствуют образованию завязей. При появлении яблонного цветоеда на дереве цветы превращаются в липкие склеенные комочки. Для борьбы с вредителем уничтожают все поражённые соцветия, а затем обрабатывают яблоню инсектицидами.

Для профилактики появления перечисленных трудностей осуществляют такие профилактические меры:

осенью удалять опавшие листья и растительные остатки из области приствольного круга;
осуществлять осеннее и весеннее перекапывание почвы вокруг ствола для уничтожения зимующих в земле личинок вредителей и спор грибка;
обработать крону дерева 3% бордоской жидкостью перед распусканием почек весной;
своевременно проводить обрезку ветвей для улучшения циркуляции воздуха в кроне;
перед началом цветения и после его завершения яблоню обильно орошают раствором медьсодержащих препаратов;
выполнять побелку штамба 2 раза в год — весной и осенью;
при выращивании в регионах с умеренным климатом укрывать деревья на зиму, чтобы защитить их от обмораживания.

Harvesting and storage of crops

Спелые яблоки Джонаголд начинают собирать с дерева во второй половине сентября, а потребительской зрелости они достигают только в январе во время хранения.

Important! Чтобы яблоки Джонаголд хранились дольше, рекомендуется срывать их с дерева вместе с плодоножками.

Основные рекомендации по сбору и хранению урожая такие:

плоды нужно собирать руками, оберегая их от механических повреждений;
рекомендуется осуществлять сбор фруктов в сухую погоду;
для хранения подходят только яблоки с ровной кожурой без повреждённых и гнилых участков;
каждый плод заворачивают в слой бумаги и укладывают в подготовленные деревянные или пластиковые ёмкости плодоножками вверх;
в тёмном и прохладном подвале при температуре воздуха около +5°С срок хранения фруктов составляет 4–5 месяцев;
в холодильнике яблоки могут храниться до 7–8 месяцев при температуре +2...+3°С.

При длительном хранении фрукты данного сорта становятся менее вкусными и сочными, поэтому яблоки Джонаголд употребляют в пищу только в течение первых месяцев после сбора урожая. Остальные плоды рекомендуется переработать в соки, фруктовые пюре и консервированные заготовки.

Яблоня Джонаголд может порадовать садовода щедрым урожаем вкусных и полезных плодов, обладающих высокой транспортабельностью и отличной лёжкостью. Чтобы вырастить красивое и стабильно плодоносящее дерево, достаточно придерживаться перечисленных рекомендаций по уходу и своевременно осуществлять борьбу с болезнями и вредителями.

Network user reviews

У меня растет данный сорт.Добавлю-чем дольше плоды хранятся, тем больше покрываются восковым налетом.На рынке не залежываются-очень красивые. storojh //forum.vinograd.info/showpost.php?p=786141&postcount=2