The ancient Melba variety, bred by Canadian breeders back in the 19th century, was registered and entered into the State Register in 1947. Experiments on the variety have been carried out in Russia since the early forties.
The ancestor of Melba is the famous McIntosh variety, which was valued for its taste. On its basis, many popular varieties loved by gardeners were obtained: Spartan, Orlovskoye Polosatoe, Orlik. The apple variety Melba appeared as a result of open pollination.
The Melba apple tree is known in Russia under several names. The apple tree is called Azure, Melba, Melba. There is also a name – Malba. This is due to the translated nature of the variety’s name – Melba, given to the apple tree in honor of the opera singer Nellie Melba, a world-famous Australian.
Description of the variety
Detailed characteristics Melba apple trees will give you an idea of the appearance of the tree, help you understand for what qualities the variety is valued by experienced gardeners, and what disadvantages it has.
Features of the appearance of wood
A characteristic feature of Melba is a change in appearance depending on the age of the seedling and the selected rootstock. At the same time, the quality of the leaves and fruits does not change.
Tree structure
Under natural conditions, the apple tree is medium-sized, rarely reaching a height of four meters. The crown of an adult Melba is rounded and well leafy. Until the age of three, the trunk is straight, the shoots tend to be vertical, which resembles columnar varieties in structure. At the same time, the trunk and branches are quite thick and strong. The bark color is cherry. At the beginning of development, the foliage of shoots is average.
Leaves
The general shade of foliage during the active growing season is light green, tending to yellow. The leaves have an elongated round shape. Young leaf blades are flat, but with age they can slightly bend upward. Healthy leaves are shiny and smooth, the pubescence is almost invisible to the naked eye.
Flowers
Melba begins to bloom in May. The flowers are large, beautiful white and pink. If the weather is cold, a more intense color of the buds is noticeable. The petals are located close and often overlap each other.
Depending on the region of growth, flowering dates may shift to mid-April and early June.
Fruit
The bulk of the fruits are medium in size, the weight of which ranges from 140 to 200 grams. The shape of Melba apples is round or slightly oblong. The fruits may be slightly ribbed. The peel is smooth, the waxy coating is clearly noticeable.
The main tone of the apple at technical ripeness is yellowish-green, with clearly defined red veins on the peel. A fully ripened apple has a dark pink color, the veins remain visible and become more saturated.
The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour, with a caramel tint. Depending on the care of the tree and weather conditions, the fruits may be more sugary or have a rich sourness. Melba apples are classified as dessert varieties. The pulp is white, medium density. At the same time, the fruits are quite juicy and have a pronounced aroma, reminiscent of caramel.
Fruiting
The variety is perfectly adapted to different climatic conditions. It is thanks to them that the variety differs in terms of flowering and fruiting. Regarding the ripening period of the Melba apple tree, descriptions in books and on the Internet vary. This often confuses inexperienced summer residents. They cannot understand why a summer apple tree produces a harvest in the fall.
It's actually simple. In the southern regions, the variety begins to bear fruit in mid-summer. In colder climates it is considered late summer or even early autumn. In the conditions of the Moscow region, the ripening period for Melba falls on the second ten days of August - early September. And in Volgograd, apples appear already in July.
It is important to know that Melba is only partially self-fertile; the apple tree requires a pollinator to obtain good harvests. It can be any summer variety that blooms at the same time as Melba.
If your neighbors have a similar tree, 10-15 meters from Melba, you don’t have to take any action. If not, then you can graft several branches of a different variety onto the apple tree or plant full-fledged seedlings. Good pollinators for Melba are Bellefleur Chinese, Antonovka, Quinti and Borovinka.
Varieties that bear fruit in the same period can bloom in different time and perform poorly as pollinators for each other.
You can increase productivity by attaching a flowering shoot of a summer variety to an apple tree in a bottle of water.
top scores can be obtained if the gardener carries out additional pollination by hand. The mixed type of fruiting, that is, the presence of both male and female ovaries on the tree, provides this opportunity without the need to plant additional varieties.
Young Melba trees produce a harvest every year; with age, the apple tree bears fruit less often. At poor care you may not have a harvest with mature apple tree up to 5 years in a row.
Harvest storage
Often in literature, Melba is referred to as summer quarrels. This is not entirely true. The apple tree, indeed, behaves like a summer variety, but only in regions with a warm climate, where there are no sudden temperature changes. Long-term storage of crops under such conditions is unlikely.
In the central zone, the variety shows itself as an early autumn variety. Shelf life of fruits optimal conditions can reach two months. In regions with cold climates, Melba shows all the signs of autumn apple trees and the harvest can be preserved until the New Year.
IN middle lane Melba apples collected in the technical ripeness phase can be stored at low positive temperatures for up to four months without losing their taste.
Winter hardiness
The variety exhibits good frost resistance in regions where winter negative temperature does not fall below 30 - 32 degrees. An adult tree can withstand temperatures down to minus 35. The variety showed the most successful growth in the southern, central and northwestern regions.
For more harsh conditions Growing Melba without additional effort will not work. Flower buds and shoots will freeze regularly. If the climate does not allow it, but you want to have this variety, you can grow Melba on dwarf rootstock or its columnar shape. There is an option to use container planting, with winter storage in a suitable room. Or cover the plant for the winter with several layers of non-woven material.
Types of rootstocks
The quality characteristics of the tree depend on the selected rootstock. A dwarf or columnar rootstock can dramatically change appearance and quality of the apple tree.
The rootstock affects:
- fruiting speed;
- tree height;
- crown diameter;
- landing distance;
- lifespan of a tree.
An apple tree can live on a seed rootstock for 40-50 years, and with good care, even longer. Moreover, it will bear fruit two-thirds of the time if you provide it decent care. Semi-dwarf Melba is unlikely to live longer than 20 years.
The dwarf apple tree has an even shorter lifespan. It is recommended to change the planting of dwarf trees every 10-15 years.
Before you find out what year Melba begins to bear fruit, you should inquire about the type of rootstock:
- On seed rootstock, Melba can grow up to 4 meters and form a crown up to 7 meters in diameter. Therefore, trees should be planted at large intervals so that they do not touch. The first harvest can be harvested only after 5-6 years.
- Melba on a semi-dwarf rootstock begins to produce crops at the age of 3-4 years. The height of the crop reaches three meters, and the width is significantly less - 1.5-2 meters. Such trees should be planted no closer than four meters from each other.
- Dwarf species begin to bear fruit a year, and sometimes two, earlier. The apple tree rarely grows above two meters, the crown in diameter is up to 1.5 meters. Can be grown in gardens intensive type with a close fit.
Columnar forms of Melba can also be found on sale. When planting them, it is enough to maintain a distance of 0.5-1.2 meters for the successful growth and development of apple trees.
Among gardeners there are opponents and supporters of growing apple trees on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks. If the main thing is the rapid onset of fruiting, and the need for careful care and a short life span are not a concern, you should choose dwarfs and semi-dwarfs. If it is important that the tree grows and bears fruit for many years, you should choose Melba on a seed rootstock.
Planting and care
Planting and caring for the variety complies with the standards of agricultural technology for pome crops. The tree is unpretentious in terms of soil structure and is tolerant of irregular watering. Melba on a seed rootstock is required good drainage, she is afraid of intimacy groundwater.
Dwarf and semi-dwarf seedlings are quite tolerant of short-term flooding.
To plant Melba correctly, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- It is better to plant an apple tree of this variety in early spring.
- The size of the planting hole should be slightly larger than the root ball of the apple tree: the approximate dimensions for a two-year-old seedling are 60x60x60.
- The soil must be removed, the fertile layer separated and mixed with fertilizers.
- A peg is driven into the hole, which will later give the tree a vertical position.
- Part of the prepared soil is poured into the hole, a seedling is placed in the center and covered with the remaining soil.
- The soil is carefully compacted to eliminate “air pockets” in the root area.
You won’t have to actively care for Melba in the summer. You just need to water the planted specimen regularly, especially in the first month. To warn possible diseases, in the fall it is necessary to remove fallen leaves from the tree trunk circle, loosen the soil at the roots and whiten the trunk.
The tree will need pruning next spring. Fertilizing should also begin only a year after planting the seedling.
The main negative indicator of Melba is its poor resistance to scab. Therefore, trees need preventive spraying with fungicides.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages of the variety include: unpretentiousness, productivity, taste, storage.
Melba grows well in different soil types and different climate zones. The first few years the variety produces a bountiful harvest every year. The fruits have excellent taste and the right conditions are stored for quite a long time.
Disadvantages of Melba: average winter hardiness, interruptions in fruiting, partial self-pollination and a high probability of the apple tree being affected by scab.
With good care, Melba can grow for a long time and bear fruit every year. The variety is time-tested and appreciated experienced summer residents for stability and amazing taste.
Melba is one of the oldest varieties in the world, obtained back in the 19th century and still invariably delights gardeners with delicious, juicy fruits. The birth date of the Melba apple tree is considered to be 1898. Already the first apples that seedlings produced from open pollination of the McIntosh variety pleased Canadian breeders in Ottawa so much that the variety was registered and named after the popular singer Nellie Melba in those years. And a few years later the seedlings unpretentious variety late summer ripening appeared in Europe and Russia.
During times Soviet Union The Melba apple tree, well known to today's gardeners from the photo, was included in State Register and is zoned in many regions of the country. Due to the average frost resistance of the variety and the risk of seedlings freezing, planting apple trees is not recommended in the north of Russia, including the Siberian and European parts of the country, as well as in the Far East.
Description of the Melba apple tree and its fruits
Medium-sized trees of this variety have a rounded or slightly conical crown shape in young plants. How older tree, the wider the crown becomes and the more powerful the trunk. But annual Melba seedlings are almost straight, covered with large leaves of rich green color and smooth reddish bark.
Both the lignified skeletal branches and the trunk of adult plants themselves are covered with brown, relatively dark bark with a reddish or orange tint. Melba apple tree shoots:
- have an average length;
- slightly pubescent;
- covered with large, slightly curved, oval-shaped leaves;
- with a large number of ovaries they can bend strongly.
Flowering of the variety begins relatively early and is accompanied by the appearance of large buds of a beautiful pink or purple hue, characteristic of the Melba apple tree, as in the photo and in the description.
Melba is distinguished by its rapid entry into fruiting season and high yield. Already in the third or fourth year, the first apples can ripen on a young tree, and gardeners collect from 85 to 150 kg of fruit from an adult apple tree.
Moreover, until the age of 12, apple trees produce harvests annually, and then abundant fruiting is interspersed with a period of dormancy. Fruiting in this type of fruit tree is mixed, but occurs mainly due to the ovary formed on the ringlets.
In the middle zone, the aromatic fruits of the Melba variety ripen in the second half of August. The average weight of slightly ribbed, round-conical apples is 130–180 grams.
Apples are attached to the shoots using elongated flexible stalks. According to the description of the Melba apple tree, the fruit has a smooth, thin skin, covered with a waxy coating that is clearly visible against the background of a carmine blush with stripes. The main color of apples, which have a pronounced candy aroma and a pleasant sweet and sour taste, is light green or almost white in ripe fruits.
Snow-white, and in some cases with pink veins, Melba's pulp has a delicate consistency, highly valued both by lovers of fresh fruits and by chefs who prepare jams, purees and aromatic marmalades from apples of this variety. The taste of Melba apples is rated by experts as excellent, which is confirmed by the composition of the fruit, per 100 grams of which there are 10.5 grams of sugars, 13.4 mg of ascorbic acid and about 10 grams of pectins.
Fruits removed from the branches can be stored for up to 100 days, tolerate transportation well and do not lose quality until winter; spruce trees are stored at slightly above-zero temperatures.
With a lot of advantages, Melba apple trees, according to the description, have two disadvantages:
- low resistance to such a common disease of fruit trees as;
- possibility of freezing in harsh and light winters.
However, with proper care and attention to planting apple trees, Melba produces good harvests of tasty, aromatic apples for a long time and regularly.
Description of the Melba apple tree variety
The popularity and high value of the Melba variety is evidenced by the fact that several interesting varieties and varieties:
In addition, in garden plantings apple trees, you can see Melba clones with larger and brightly colored fruits, increased winter hardiness and resistance to scab, which is dangerous for the fruit tree. These are Red Melba and the Daughter of Melba variety, common in the vicinity of St. Petersburg and other areas of the North-West of the country.
Planting Melba apple trees and caring for seedlings
Planting and caring for Melba apple trees does not require any special skills or knowledge from the gardener, however, choosing a site for growing fruit trees should be taken seriously.
In a well-lit area, Melba apple trees, as in the photo, will definitely delight you with large ruddy fruits. If there is not enough light, the apples become smaller, less sugar accumulates in them, which negatively affects their taste.
It is unacceptable for a tree to suffer from stagnant moisture, which may be caused by:
- spring melting of snow;
- prolonged autumn precipitation;
- proximity of soil waters.
If there is such a risk, powerful drainage is provided in the area intended for planting apple trees or artificial hills are installed. An apple tree requires soil that not only has a good supply of nutrients and conducts moisture, but also is sufficiently breathable. If a fruit tree is planted on dense clay soil or chernozem, you cannot do without adding sand, as well as dolomite and lime flour in case of excessive acidity.
The growth rate and crown size of the Melba apple tree determine the planting scheme for this crop:
- When setting up a garden in rows, it is recommended to maintain a distance of at least 8 meters between rows and 3 meters between plants.
- If a square pattern is used, the distance between the planting holes is about seven meters.
When planting and caring for apple trees, organic and mineral fertilizers are subsequently used, which are applied to the soil in the form of root fertilizers and contribute to the rapid adaptation of the plant, rapid growth and active fruiting.
By the time the apple tree is planted, the soil should settle and the organic matter should be rotted so that the tender roots of the young tree are not damaged. The root system of the seedling is carefully and very carefully straightened out, and after filling the hole with soil, the root collar should not be covered with soil. Since apple trees of the Melba variety, according to the description, can be affected by frost, they should be protected in the fall young tree until a stable snow cover appears on the site. To do this, you can use any covering materials that allow air to pass through and do not allow rodents and pests access to the trunk.
In the first few years of life after planting an apple tree, the plant is normalized, first removing all, and then most of the formed buds in the spring. This measure will allow the young apple tree to acclimatize faster and gain strength for real fruiting. In subsequent years, the load on the tree is regulated by cutting off the green ovary, the size of a nut.
Feeding Melba apple trees
For consistent fruiting, the first feeding of the apple tree should be done in early spring. As during planting, rotted organic matter from 5 to 15 kg per meter is added to the soil under the crown. And when preparing a plantation for flowering, in addition to humus or manure, the feeding should include a comprehensive mineral fertilizer or separately about 45–55 grams of potassium chloride and 120–145 grams per apple tree. A good fertilizer for apple trees of the Melba variety will be wood ash. The gardener can adjust the amount and volume of fertilizing depending on the specific growing conditions of apple trees, soil fertility and climatic conditions.
During the summer, until the second half or August, apple trees are fed 2–3 times with liquid nitrogen-containing mixtures, for example, an infusion of humus, manure, chicken droppings or “ green fertilizer» based on nettle, cereal crops or forage grasses.
When mass ripening of fruits begins, it is important to limit the trees’ intake of nitrogen, which interferes with the ripening of shoots and the preparation of apple trees for wintering.
Features of watering an apple tree in summer
Trees need moisture from the moment the apple tree is planted and throughout the life of the plant. If in the spring the soil is filled with melt water, then by summer, when the ovary appears and the crop begins to ripen, apple trees cannot do without watering. Depending on the ability of the soil to retain moisture and weather conditions, each adult tree should receive 10–18 liters of water weekly.
Watering apple trees in summer is especially important from July to August, when summer varieties begin to ripen. active growth fruits If fruit trees do not receive enough water at this time, fallen unripe fruits can be seen under the crown.
But the loss of harvest awaits the gardener not only this year, but also in the next season, since in the summer months there is an active formation of flower buds, designed to ensure fruiting in the future. Apple trees are kept active in the summer until mid-August, and then the soil in the tree trunk is moistened only as necessary. Excess moisture at the end of the season no longer affects the quality of the fruit, but it does negatively affect the ripening of the resulting shoots.
It is in the summer that mulching the soil under the crown of the Melba apple tree becomes extremely important. This technique keeps the soil loose and prevents evaporation. necessary for the plant moisture.
Formation of the crown and pruning of the Melba apple tree
Proper and timely pruning of an apple tree is the key to tree health and regular fruiting. The best time for this procedure is early spring, when fruit trees The active movement of juices and the awakening of the kidneys have not yet begun.
The first few years of its life, an apple tree needs formative pruning, which results in a strong, healthy crown ready for regular fruiting.
For the fastest initiation of fruit branches, the central conductor is cut by a third, which limits the vertical growth of the tree and stimulates the development of lateral shoots. An adult tree gradually reduces its yield, and the main fruiting is transferred to the upper, inaccessible part of the crown. In this case, the Melba apple tree, as in the photo, needs both annual sanitary and anti-aging pruning. In order not to overly injure the plant, removal of large branches is carried out gradually, replacing several shoots per year.
Video about the Melba apple tree
The Melba varietal apple tree originates in Canada, namely in the state of Ottawa, where in 1898, with the help of open pollination of Mackintosh apple trees, Mackintosh was bred new variety tree. “Melba” received its name in honor of the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. Thanks to the wonderful taste and high yield The apple tree has gained immense popularity in our latitudes. There are many varieties of this variety, for example, the Melba Red apple tree, which is better suited to grow in cold climates. Read more about all the advantages and disadvantages of the Canadian variety below.
First of all, every gardener is interested in the characteristics of the Melba apple tree, which will allow you to find out all the features of growing the tree. Varietal apple trees reach medium sizes, have a rounded crown and brown-orange branches. The tree is different mixed type fruiting, but the fruits are mostly formed on the ringlets. Young annual apple trees are quite thick and straight. At this time, the columnar Melba apple tree differs from other varieties in its beautiful bark - shiny with a light cherry tint. The leaves of the apple tree have an oblong slightly curved shape, the edges hang down. The shoots are medium in thickness and medium pubescent. Often on stronger shoots, the leaves have a convex shape (slightly swollen upward), light green in color with a yellowish tint. The edges of the leaves are crenate.
Melba blooms incredibly beautifully: the buds are pale pink and slightly violet, the rounded and closed light pink petals are on top of each other. quite large, at the level of the anthers (or slightly lower) are the stigmas. 
Ripe fruits are different average size, but the description of the Melba apple variety indicates that apples can reach larger sizes. The fruit has a round-conical shape, it is flattened and slightly ribbed, the base of the apple has a maximum diameter.
But what do Melba apples look like, and how can you tell the real variety from the rest? The color of the fruit is uneven; on the light green apple there is a blush - a red or pink area that occupies half the surface of the apple (the blush appears striped). The apple funnel is of medium diameter and quite deep. The peduncle is thin, of medium length. Also noted is a narrow, folded saucer of medium depth, a closed calyx and a medium heart, shaped like an onion. Large and oblong seeds are placed in seed chambers, which are located closer to the top of the apple. 
Various reference books provide additional descriptions of the Melba variety:
- apple consists of 0.78% titratable acids;
10.5% sugars; - 10.1% pectin substances;
- 297 mg of P-active substances (per 100 g of product);
- 13.4 mg of ascorbic acid (per 100 g of product).
Advantages of the variety
Melba apples are mainly valued by gardeners for their excellent taste: the delicate white pulp is very juicy and aromatic (many people perceive a similarity to the smell of candy). 
The apple has a sweet and sour taste. The fruits are suitable for harvesting in the second half of August. This variety of apples is very popular in the preparation of juices and compotes. Unlike other summer varieties, Melba has good resistance to transportation - apples retain their presentation for a long time. At home, the fruits are stored in the refrigerator, where they quietly “survive” until November, and in some cases until the New Year.
In addition to the wonderful taste qualities that distinguish the Melba apple variety, experienced gardeners rapid precociousness is noted. If you properly care for the tree, then in 4-5 years the first harvest can be obtained from the planting field. And no matter what - Melba bears fruit very well. According to VNIISPK data, in the first 6 years from the start of fruiting, the yield of apple trees in the local orchard was 93 centners per hectare (the density of the trees was 8x3 m). Mature trees have distinguished themselves best performance– from 120 to 180 centners per hectare (tree density was 7x7 m). But if young apple trees produce fruit every year, then old ones do so periodically.
Disadvantages of the apple tree
In regions with severe winters, the Melba variety will most likely not take root: apple trees are poorly resistant to frost. Also, the disadvantages of the variety include periodic fruiting of old trees and lack of resistance to some diseases.
Basically, trees are affected by scab, however, like many other varieties of apple trees.
Fungus treatment
Scab is a fungus that can be seen on leaves, shoots and fruits. On initial stage appears as spots light shade, which many do not pay attention to special attention. If the spread of the fungus is not stopped in time, the spots will turn black over time. Severely affected leaves soon begin to fall off. Later, when the Melba apple tree ripens, dark round spots also appear on the apples. In places where the fungus forms, the fruit hardens, which prevents the spread of infection. If there are not so many foci of infection, the fungus is not dangerous, but apples often begin to crack in areas of hardening. In this case, the fruits begin to deteriorate - the cracks simply rot.
Scab can also appear on next year: if the fungus overwinters in the fallen leaves, it will again enter the apple tree through spores. Trees suffer especially badly in rainy weather - the fungus loves dampness. Old apple trees may even die. Therefore, the scab must be removed, and the sooner treatment begins, the better. The first step is to destroy diseased leaves, which become the main source of spore spread. 
In the fall, all rotten apples and fallen leaves must be raked, buried in the ground (to prevent the spread of fungus) or composted. Garden grass can be sprayed with a solution ammonium nitrate(10%), and trees – with the growth stimulator “Zircon” (during bud break).
Artificial pollination
Unfortunately, this apple tree variety does not self-pollinate well.
The fact is that a large number of fruit trees has natural protection against dust from its own pollen. If pollen from the same type of tree falls on a flower, then nothing will happen - the fruit simply will not set. This is laid down by nature at the genetic level: constant changes in climatic conditions require high plant survival. This advantage is ensured due to dusting from different varietal trees. To do this, gardeners plant pollinators for the Melba apple tree - these are trees of different varieties that pollinate well with the Canadian apple tree.
Having several varieties of apple trees in your garden will help you get a good harvest. The only thing you should pay attention to is the flowering period of the trees. If Melba blooms at a different time than its sister tree, pollination will not occur. So it is important to be more attentive to the choice of varieties and choose those pollinators for Melba, whose flowering calendar completely coincides with this variety. 
But the work doesn’t end there: often the owners personal plot The trees themselves pollinate. A cold, rainy spring can interfere with the natural pollination process of bees and other insects. In this case, gardeners will have to labor-intensively dust the flowers (for example, with a brush).
There is no need to pollinate all the flowers in the inflorescence - this is very long and not justified. It is necessary to pollinate those flowers that appeared in the first couple of days after the apple tree began to bloom. In inflorescences, only the central and a couple of lateral flowers are subject to pollination. If you overdo it with dust, after a few weeks you can see a huge number of fruits set. But it’s too early to rejoice—you’ll have to get rid of some of it. After three weeks after dusting, the gardener needs to thin them out: leave one or two fruits in a bunch (to improve the quality of apples) or leave one out of three bunches (for annual fruiting).
Varieties of the Melba variety
The Canadian apple tree has participated in the creation of many popular varieties. These include “Prima” with stable immunity to scab (USA), “Caravel” (Canada), domestic “Red Alaya” (VNIIS named after I.V. Michurin), “Early Alaya” (VNIISPK), “Zavetnoye” (Siberian Research Institute named after I.V. Michurin), bred in the Leningrad region “Melba’s Daughter”, etc. The most similar to the original is the red Melba apple tree, which will be discussed further.
Melba red
This variety is practically a clone of the original Melba, but significantly improved: the description of the Melba Red apple tree indicates that the variety has good frost resistance, as well as immunity to fungal scab. 
Melba red has a low vertical-oval crown of medium density. The leaves of the apple tree are wide, medium-length, oval, have a wrinkled and convex-concave shape with a crenate edge. The fruits are slightly larger than average (about 120-150 g, the maximum weight of an apple is 200 g), the height of an average apple is 70 mm, and the diameter is 70 mm.
The color of apples is greenish-white with a blurred dark red blush that covers almost the entire surface of the fruit. The following is a description of the Melba red apple variety: the apple pulp has average density, fine-grained structure of medium consistency and a greenish tint. The pulp is quite juicy and tasty (sweet with sourness), but still inferior in taste to the original variety. After harvesting, apples do not spoil for up to two months.
Melba's daughter
No less popular is the Melba's Daughter apple tree - this variety is distinguished by its rapid consumer maturity, which occurs after 10 days from harvest. The fruits are stored for up to one month in wooden boxes in a cool place. 
While the tree is young, the harvest can be harvested every year, but mature plant bears fruit intermittently. Just like an ordinary Melba, the “daughter” needs additional pollination. An average apple weighs about 130 g. It has a round shape and is larger than average in size. The fruit, in addition to the striped blush, is covered with reddish spots. They love “Melba’s Daughter” for its tasty and juicy pulp.
Unstable taste
Grade: 4
The tree is afraid of scab; it must be sprayed at the beginning of the season. It is not resistant to cold weather, I wrap the trunk, sprinkle the ground at the roots with a thick layer of foliage and then snow. My tree is not yet 10 years old, and bears fruit regularly, the yield is good, 50-70 kg. The crown is not dense and the tree is less than three meters in height. The fruits are small, ruddy, sweet and sour in taste, ideal for jam, preserves and pies fillings. Our weather in the middle zone is changeable, and in the cold, cloudy summer the fruits are small and sour. But when it’s warm sunny weather they become larger and sweeter. Caring for Melba is no more difficult than caring for other trees, the only drawback of the variety is the unstable taste of apples.
Nice apple tree, reliableGrade: 4
I planted Melba more than 10 years ago. It was well accepted, although I live in the Siberian region. They began to produce harvests after three years. To get a lot of apples, you need care. First of all, fertilizing and pest control should be carried out.
I fertilized the apple tree every spring and summer: mainly watered it with infused mullein and mulched the soil around the apple tree with humus. When the apple tree is strong, there are fewer pests on it. I had to fight scab every summer: treat it with preparations like HOM. I collected the harvest in September, several buckets from one apple tree. The apples are firm, but aromatic, sweet and sour. They are stored well.
Grade: 3
The Melba apple tree has been growing in our garden since ancient times. Previously, it produced a harvest every year, now, apparently, it has grown old, periodically “rests”, the harvest has become smaller. We don’t cut it down, let it grow alone, we have plenty of space. Also I like. how Melba blooms - with very beautiful pink flowers!
Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to spray it against pests, because ants become more active and a lot of green aphids appear. For treatment I use different preparations, alternating them: either Aktara or Fitoverm. For scab we use “blue” spraying.
I pour fertilizers into small depressions made specifically near the tree trunk. Apples are of average taste. There is a lot of care, so only three points.
Grade: 4
The crown is spreading, I did some form pruning, but the branches still grow almost at right angles. And if you delay in harvesting, the fruits may fall off; they have a very thin stalk, and the load of a ripe apple cannot withstand the load. Apple trees are capricious, it is necessary to maintain the water balance so that there is no stagnation of moisture, but drought cannot be allowed either, the soil at the roots must be loosened so that there is access to oxygen. Trees require a lot of space and light; they do not tolerate frost well, and in rainy and cold weather they can develop scab. But they give a bountiful harvest; I don’t harvest less than 50 kg from two trees. The apples are honey, the taste is wonderful and they last a long time.
Summer variety applesGrade: 5
I harvested my first harvest in the 4th year after planting. The fruits are medium-sized, with thick skin. The whole apple is covered on top silvery coating. The fruit is colored light green. At the end of summer the sides turn red, but green tint it is still clearly visible, especially in the core area. The stalk is medium and very thin. The flesh is tender and pure white. The aroma of the fruit is sweet, even candy-like.
It is interesting that the leaves on the branches are green and others have a yellowish tint. From a distance, it seems that the branches have dried up. The crown is lush and spreading. At the end of July we begin to taste the apples and slowly pick them off. And full ripening usually occurs in mid-August. If the summer is cold, then the ripening dates shift 2-3 weeks later.
What I respect most about the Melba variety is its excellent yield. The apple tree is strewn with fruits every year. While the tree is young, it does not rest at all. As we get older, the apple harvest should decrease, I hope not by much.
The tree was affected by scab, I managed to quickly spray it, and it went away. Now every year I spray it in advance for prevention, so as not to suffer later. The apple tree tolerates the cold well, I wrap the trunk in megaspan and make a large snowdrift.
Grade: 5
I bought Melba seedlings at a nursery. I settled on those that were 3 years old, as they looked stronger and more massive. Planting was done in the fall in September. Our winter in Krasnodar is warm, but just in case, the first year I wrapped the apple tree with covering material and covered it with wooden boxes. And he sprinkled a large layer of leaves on the surface of the hole. Melba overwintered well.
Pruning does not harm this variety; on the contrary, it is beneficial and helps beautiful formation tree. I trim not only dry branches, but also crooked ones.
In April, before the buds have yet appeared, I spray the apple tree against pests. Purely for prevention. I use the drug Inta-vir or Strobi.
I do it in May good feeding. This is ordinary saltpeter and copper sulfate. In fact, you can take a walk here. And the ash will go, and compost. Many people love superphosphate, but I am wary of it. Proven means are better.
The apples are very aromatic and have a pleasant sourness to them. The fruit is medium in size, perfect for canning. My favorite of these is apple jam. In the meantime, the apples are fresh, my wife is baking a finger-licking Charlotte pie.
Grade: 5
Classic Melba feels good only in warm regions; it is not recommended for planting in the north and central zone. The trees have average frost resistance; cold or snowless winters are destructive for them. They are medium in size and do not grow giant. The flowering is very interesting, the buds are of 2 colors - pink and purple. Mature trees, subject to agronomic tricks, allow you to remove 110-120 kg. Practice has shown that up to 12 years, trees bear fruit annually, after which there are years of calm, which are impossible to predict.
Apples ripen in early August, average weight 150 grams. The taste is rich, sweet and sour, the flesh is streaked with pink, the aroma is reminiscent of something confectionery. Apples are not suitable for everyone due to their high sugar content - 10 grams per 100 grams of weight. They also discovered terribly low resistance to scab. In general, the variety is unpretentious. Absolutely not suitable for long-term storage. Red Melba and Melba's Daughter were specially bred for colder climates; their fruits are larger and brighter, but otherwise the trees do not differ from the ancestor.
Grade: 4
To obtain a normal harvest, you need a lot of sunlight; the distance between planting holes should be at least 7 meters. Otherwise, the size of the apples decreases, and the taste deteriorates; the fruits do not gain sweetness. Not everything is simple with the soil either; stagnation of moisture is strictly unacceptable. Dense soil is also not suitable, good air permeability is needed, and high acidity of the soil is destructive.
Apples turn out to be universal. Suitable for use in fresh, for canning, for juice, do not boil in jam. Keeping quality is average, inferior to autumn and winter varieties. The harvest is easy, the trees are not tall. The shape of the apples is round and slightly elongated; they are wider on the stalk side. To the touch, the thin skin seems to be covered with a waxy coating. Optimal time planting - autumn before the onset of cold weather.
The peculiarity of the variety is that in the first year of growth the soil does not need to be fertilized. Shells were poured into the planting hole to improve drainage. walnut. The summer turned out to be dry, I had to water the seedling every 3 days, but not abundantly, 2-3 liters is enough.
Grade: 4
I consider the only drawback of this variety to be poor resistance to frost. In general, the variety is early ripening; my trees produced their first fruits 3 years after planting. I harvest in August, usually at the end. Basically, the apples are large, weighing 120-150 g, the ripe fruits have a predominantly yellow-green color with a large red blush, thin shiny skin, snow-white flesh and an aromatic sweet-sour taste. They are stored in the cellar for several months, sometimes they do not spoil until spring.
At first, when the trees were still young, I collected the harvest every year, at first 20 kg, now I can harvest 50-60 kg from one tree. With age, the yield will become periodic, after one year. The trees do not grow very tall, the crown is spreading and wide-rounded, not very dense. The leaves are oval, oblong, slightly curved, light green with a yellowish tint. This variety is not resistant to scab, so the tree must be treated in the spring by special means. It is better to buy seedlings in special nurseries (I always buy at AgroSad), it is better to do this in the fall - late September - early October. You can plant already one-year-old seedlings. The site must be selected in such a way as to protect the trees from the north wind and provide plenty of sun.
Grade: 4
This variety of apples is very popular in Russia, especially in the northern regions, perhaps due to the Canadian origin of this variety, where climatic conditions are similar to ours. To date, domestic agronomists have developed more than 20 varieties of this apple tree, but they are all united General characteristics. First of all, it's quite late maturation fruits, in warm summers the harvest can be harvested in mid-August; if the summer was cold, then fruit ripening can be expected until the end of September.
The tree begins to bear fruit already in the 4th - 5th year and with proper care, its fruits will be large. Personally, I don’t really like Melba apples; I use them more for making compotes and jam. If you pick these apples unripe, they keep well in the refrigerator until the New Year, so thanks to this variety you can pamper your family with charlotte even in winter.
Of the minuses, I would note that this apple tree bears fruit cyclically, i.e., if there are a lot of apples one year, then there will be very few of them the next. You can slightly increase the yield using artificial pollination methods. Although, if you want to harvest every year, then you need to have several such trees.
Apples are the most beloved and common fruit grown by gardeners. Among the huge variety of apple varieties, Melba is especially distinguished. The Melba apple tree gives you such juicy, aromatic, sweet apples, the taste of which you will not confuse with any others. And for many of our compatriots it became the taste of their childhood.
The world learned about Melba apples thanks to breeders from Canada, who developed it at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and gave the new variety the name of the famous opera diva from Australia Nellie Melba. Very soon the Europeans were landing them, and a little later, Melba was recognized in Russia.
For several decades it has remained incredibly popular, and has even given life to many apple hybrids.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Big harvests and excellent taste- the same ones characteristic features, which distinguish apples of this extraordinary variety. For those who grow them, it is very important to know that Melba is afraid of frost. This means that winter temperatures should not drop too low, below -30 ℃. Such extreme conditions will require additional protective measures from the gardener.
Height
This variety of apple trees is classified as medium-sized. The tree does not grow higher than three meters, less often four. On a dwarf rootstock - up to 2.
If provided good care, the Melba apple tree will live:
- up to 55 years - on a seed rootstock;
- 20 – semi-dwarf;
- up to 15 – dwarf.
In an adult tree, it is spreading, round, slightly elongated upward, reaches 7 meters in diameter, and is heavily leafy. This applies to Melba on seed rootstock. The semi-dwarf species has a crown up to 2 meters wide, and the dwarf species have a crown up to 1.5 meters.
Usually the average size Melba fruit - 120-150 grams, but larger ones can be found. They have a dense, but not at all rough skin, smooth and tender. You can easily recognize its red stripes and sweet and sour taste.
The average rating is 4.4 (on a five-point scale).
Self-fertility
The Melba apple tree is a self-fertile variety, but it is better if pollinating apple trees grow nearby.
Winter hardiness
Melba exhibits average winter hardiness, and even at -30 ℃ it is capable of producing good yields, although additional protective measures will need to be taken, as this threatens the freezing of flower buds and shoots.
And if you still want to grow an apple tree of this variety even in such conditions, it is recommended to grow Melba on a dwarf rootstock.
As a way out, container planting is often used when there is a suitable room for storage in winter conditions. In winter you can also cover non-woven material, folded in several layers.
Only the Melba apple tree variety grows and bears fruit much more successfully in regions located to the south.
Pollinator varieties
The greatest effect is achieved when apple trees of the following varieties act as pollinators:
- Antonovka;
- Borovinka;
- Bellefleur-Chinese;
- Quinty;
- Suislepskoe;
- Stark erlist.
Beginning of fruiting
As for the ripening period, the apple tree regularly bears fruit, on average, from the 4th year, and through:
- 4-6 years – on seed rootstock;
- 3-4 years – on semi-dwarf;
- in the 3rd year – dwarf species.
Melba blooms in early spring. And at the end of summer, from the second half of August and then another month and a half, you can harvest the fruits. The productivity of this variety of apple trees is high. At first, the harvests are harvested annually, from the 8th year - even abundantly, but after 12 years, an alternation is observed: one year the apple tree bears fruit, a year - without apples.
Prices (in rubles) for seedlings in different regions Russia differ:
Advantages and disadvantages
The Melba apple tree is highly popular, and all thanks to its advantages. So, the variety is characterized by:
- the first harvest - in just 4 years;
- apples are strong and durable, and therefore transportable;
- high productivity;
- wide possibilities for processing.
However, this variety cannot be called ideal. There are quite significant disadvantages:
- lack of resistance to scab;
- poor resistance to frost.
Gardeners have been fighting them successfully for a long time. So, it is enough to properly care for the apple tree, and it will delight you with high yields for many years.
Landing Features
Melba is considered a long-liver. It is not uncommon for her to live 70-80 years.
According to legend, the Melba apple tree, which was planted back in 1647, still bears fruit in Manhattan today.
In order for a tree to live and give its apples for many, many years, you need to know when, where and how to plant it and, of course, how to care for it.
Dates and place
Experienced gardeners call early spring best time for planting when the buds have not yet begun to bloom, or the period from mid-September to early October, when the tree sheds its leaves.
In both cases, being late can have very unpleasant consequences. Autumn planting preferable. When a seedling is dug up, its roots are inevitably damaged, but over the winter they have time to recover. So in the spring the tree is already able to provide for itself nutrients in full. It is important to remember that from planting to the first autumn frosts there should not be less than a month.
But if your winters are cold and the temperature is below - 20 °, it is better to plant an apple tree of this variety in the spring.
When choosing a place to plant a seedling, pay attention: no groundwater close to the surface. There is too high a risk that in the spring the roots will be washed away, and as a result the tree will soon die. Gardeners often dig channels specifically to drain excess moisture.
But it is better to plant apple trees on a natural hill, in a place protected from gusts of wind.
Loam is the best soil for Melba. Clayey or swampy is not the best choice. When the acidity level does not reach the norm, the soil should be fertilized by adding dolomite flour or slaked lime (500 grams per 1 square meter).
Only strong and healthy trees that meet the following parameters are selected for planting:
- age – 1-2 years;
- from half a meter to 80 centimeters in length;
- the presence of 2-3 side shoots,
- well-formed root system.
Two days before planting the seedling, its roots should be dipped in water, and immediately before planting, dipped into a clay mash, having first gotten rid of the leaves (cut them off).
The hole should be prepared 2 weeks before planting:
- in depth - up to 80 centimeters;
- wide – up to 1 meter.
A 30-centimeter layer of turf is cut off. The same amount of sand, peat, humus is taken, mixed with 1 kilogram of ash, plus 200 grams of potassium sulfate, 400 grams of double superphosphate.
A 20-centimeter thick drainage layer should be placed at the bottom of the resulting hole. Any of the following materials will fulfill its role:
- broken brick;
- coarse river sand;
- fine gravel;
- nut shell.
If the groundwater level rises, this layer will protect the root system of the tree from rotting.
Planting a seedling
The soil mixture, which was prepared in advance, must be poured into the hole and formed into a slide; 20 centimeters in height is quite enough. On its northern side, you need to drive a wooden peg so that it rises 70 centimeters above the ground. It will serve as a support.
The Melba seedling is placed directly on a hill, and the roots are carefully straightened, after which they can be covered with earth. It is recommended to shake the tree a little, since there should be no voids between the roots.
Now you can trample down the soil, and around the seedling itself, with a radius of half a meter, a roller of soil 10-15 centimeters high is formed.
All that remains is to tie the tree to a peg, water it with 2 buckets of water and cover the trampled soil with a layer of pine needles, dry grass or peat.
Plant care rules
Caring for Melba means fulfilling standard set actions that involve more than just watering, fertilizing and pruning. It includes preparation for winter, as well as prevention and control of diseases and pests.
Watering
From spring, when buds appear on the tree, until the first month of autumn, you need to water the apple tree once a month. If the tree is not yet bearing fruit, 2 buckets of water at a time is enough. With the appearance of fruits, 4 buckets are required.
First, the tree is surrounded with a roller with a radius of half a meter in order to pour water into the resulting circle. After this, the soil is leveled and covered with mulch.
Top dressing
If the land in which Melba seedlings are planted is fertile, then you will not have to feed them immediately.
But next year this procedure cannot be avoided. At the beginning of May, a urea solution is applied to the soil for the first time (half a kilo of the product per 10 liters of water); The procedure will have to be repeated again in the first days of summer.
By the end of July it is time to add dissolved chicken droppings(for 12 liters of water – 1 part of litter). It could be a solution cow dung(1 part per 8 liters of water).
When you dig up the ground at the beginning of autumn, you should simultaneously add:
- potassium sulfate (50 grams);
- superphosphate (100 grams);
- wood ash (0.7 kilograms);
- compost humus or peat.
Trimming
The next year after planting, young Melba apple trees should be pruned. And it is recommended to do this before the buds hatch.
Over the next 3 years, the tree’s crown is formed. In this case, a third of the central branch is cut off. As for the shoots on the main branches, they should have 3 buds left intact, and on all the others only one should remain. Those that grow crookedly or touch each other are removed.
In the future, damaged, improperly growing, dry branches should be pruned.
It is important to know! The cut areas must be treated with garden varnish.
The Melba variety is unpretentious, if not for one of its features. You should always remember that these apple trees do not tolerate severe cold and frost. Therefore, they must be prepared especially carefully for winter. Various measures are being taken:
- The trunk and lower branches are whitened.
- Additionally, they are insulated by wrapping the trunk with 3-4 layers of burlap or tarpaulin, and laying straw between the layers. The structure should be strengthened more reliably.
- Cover the apple tree with a snowdrift.
Let's talk about what threatens these fruit trees.
Melba's diseases and ways to combat them
All plants get sick, the Melba apple tree is no exception.
- Scab.
Gardeners call the lack of resistance to this infection the main disadvantage of this variety. It all starts with the appearance on the leaves brown spots, and ends with cracks in the fruit and dark gray spots.
Control methods: in the spring, spray with a solution of Oksikhom or Horus, prepared in strict accordance with the instructions.
- Powdery mildew.
Due to the plaque that covers the tree, oxygen access to the leaves is blocked. They also do not receive moisture; they cannot even bear fruit.
Control methods: Spray budding leaves with Topaz, copper chloride - after flowering.
It appears on apples as brown spots and whitish growths. Infected fruits should be destroyed immediately.
Control methods: spray three times:
- as soon as the leaves bloom - Soon;
- as soon as it blooms - by Horus;
- 3 weeks before harvest - Fundazol.
Apple tree pests and their control
The very names of the most common pests speak volumes about their dangerous effects. And the most common ones are:
- Apple leaf roller.
You can expect a lot of trouble from this little butterfly. She lays eggs on young leaves, causing them to curl. Newly hatched caterpillars are able to eat a leaf down to the veins.
They move from one apple tree to another too quickly. So you will have to treat, along with the sick person, all the surrounding trees.
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Their butterflies select flower buds to lay eggs. A caterpillar is born and breaks out, gnawing out the seed, and very quickly occupies the apple next door.
You can use a sticky belt. Placed on an apple tree, it will become a trap for pests.
If you clean the bark (twice a year - in spring and autumn), you can get rid of the cocoons remaining in it.
You can resort to the “help” of insects that are at war with the stalks by planting more in the area flowering plants to attract them. And it’s very good if tomatoes grow nearby. The stalks do not like their smell.
- Apple scale insect.
This pest feeds on apple juice. Once it is colonized, small dark growths are observed on the bark. The insect is unusually tenacious, its eggs easily survive in frosts of 30 ℃, and the strong shell makes the scale insect not particularly sensitive to the influence of various chemicals. If you do not want the growth of the apple tree to stop, you will have to chemically treat the apple tree with copper sulfate in the fall, and with Nitrafen in the spring.
You can make a solution from tar soap and ash and wash the trunk and branches of the apple tree with it.
- Apple flower beetle.
These bugs lay their larvae in the bud, thereby practically destroying it. Spraying with chlorophos solution helps a lot.
Sticky films are used to clean the bark. A solution of slaked lime works well (1.5-2 kilograms per 10 liters of water).
Harvest and storage
The end of August is time to harvest. It is not uncommon for the collection to drag on into September. Moreover, it is recommended to do this in dry weather; if collected after rain, they will not be preserved. If:
- pick fruits before they are fully ripe;
- Do not allow apples to fall or damage the skin when picking;
- place in a wooden container in 2-3 layers, wrapped in paper or layered with wood shavings so that the fruits do not come into contact with each other;
then, by ensuring the storage temperature is -1- +7 °C, you can store them without problems until early to mid-January.
The Melba apple tree has become very widely known due to its incredible taste. There are many apple varieties that ripen at different times and differ in taste characteristics from one another. But true apple connoisseurs will not stop growing Melba.
