Malus SARGENTII

Malus SARGENTII - Sargent crabapple, Sargent's apple.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Apple is a genus of plants of the Rosaceae family, numbering 62 species, the most widespread of which is the domesticated apple tree, which has a large number of cultivars thanks to modern breeding. The distribution range of wild species is broad - from Central Europe to Near Asia. According to researchers, the place of original origin is Kazakhstan or mountainous regions of China, from where the genus subsequently spread thanks to the Silk Road.

Trees have a height of 2.5-15 m (8.2-49 ft); wild species have thorns on the branches. Flowers are gathered in corymb or semi-umbel inflorescences; flower coloration varies from pure white to delicate pink and raspberry. The fruit is a pome (apple).

Apple trees are successfully cultivated in temperate climates where there are no temperature extremes, with fertile soil and favorable humidity. However, varieties suitable for drier and, conversely, colder climates are developed, thanks to which the apple tree can be grown almost anywhere provided proper care is given.

Sargent crabapple is a species with a rather dense, flat-globose crown and attractive three-lobed leaves at shoot tips. The smallest of wild apple trees. It grows as a shrub, about 2-3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) in height and width. Buds are rounded in shape, small, carmine in color, with protruding stamens. Flowers are white on a thin long pedicel.

Fruits are small, pea-sized, globose, dark red. They persist long on the branches. Autumn leaf coloration is yellow-orange. Ornamental in all phases of development. Resistant to scab. Looks splendid in solitary planting on a lawn or in front of tall trees. A drawback is low winter hardiness, so it requires sheltering for the winter. Native to Japan.

Propagation is possible both by seeds and by vegetative means: cuttings, layering, grafting. For a seed to sprout, soak it for several hours in a growth stimulant before planting, then plant it in the soil. Care for the seedling as usual - loosen the soil, water, and apply needed fertilizers.

Two weeks after sowing the seed, transplant them. To enhance root system development, pinch the taproot of the seedlings. This technique, called pricking out, promotes the formation of a well-developed fibrous root system. Pricking out is performed when a radicle up to 1.5 cm (0.6 in) has formed from the seed but the cotyledons have not yet opened, as well as at the stage of opened cotyledons before 3-4 true leaves appear - green pricking out. At a later stage, such pricking out yields no positive results.

During pricking out, seedlings are transplanted 5-7 cm (2-2.8 in) apart in a row, with 15-20 cm (6-8 in) between rows. Planting is done with a dibber 20-25 cm (8-10 in) long, 1.5-2 cm (0.6-0.8 in) thick at the upper end. With a rotary motion, make a hole with the dibber, lower the seedling into it almost to the cotyledons, press the soil against it from the side with the dibber, close the hole, and set the plant upright. Pricked out seedlings are watered abundantly, mulched, and shaded. During the first 3-4 days plants are watered 2-3 times a day, and in the following 5-6 days - twice.

After two years, saplings can be planted into open ground. The first flowering should be expected in 5-7 years, and fruiting even later. If you wish to save time, it is better to propagate the plant vegetatively.

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All species of the genus are light-loving and require fertile, fresh soils. They do not tolerate waterlogged or excessively dry soils. Groundwater should be no closer than 2.5 m (8.2 ft) from the surface. Apple trees grow quickly starting from the third year of life. Ornamental apple trees are resistant to frost and drought, tolerate dust, air pollution, and soil salinity. They prefer sunny spots and dislike stagnant moisture. Planting is fairly simple. Rare species, ornamental forms, and cultivars are propagated by grafting.

You can plant an apple tree in both spring and autumn, preferably in open spots without drafts, away from large trees that would block light from the sapling. The soil should contain sufficient nitrogen and should not be too acidic. It is also important to protect the sapling from frost, temperature fluctuations, and excessive moisture. If planting in autumn, do not forget protective covering material.

Autumn planting takes place after leaf fall: dig a pit 50 by 50 cm (20 by 20 in), lower the spread roots into the pit, and fill with earth. The sapling must be tied to a support and watered after planting. In spring planting, it is necessary to water the soil with a nutrient mixture before planting the saplings, then water the soil again with plenty of water after planting.

After planting, the sapling should be watered with a bucket of water every week, then once every 2-3 weeks, and in severe heat 1-2 times a week. Nitrogen fertilizers are best applied in late April, then before flowering, and during fruit watering and in autumn phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Pruning of the apple tree should be carried out annually, as it forms an abundant crown; it is better to do this in spring and autumn with pruning shears, or with a saw if the branches are thick enough, previously disinfected. Sawing must be done with sharpened tools so as not to damage plant tissues.

When planting, shorten the main shoot; then you can leave the tree untouched for 2-3 years, removing only dry and broken shoots. Later, when the apple tree becomes overgrown with branches, shorten them on average by 2/3 of their length, keeping those branches whose buds face outward.