Columnar apple tree (Malus domestica) VASYUGAN

Columnar Apple (Malus domestica) 'Vasyugan'

A Russian columnar variety with very high frost resistance and excellent flavour.

'Vasyugan' (Васюган) is a popular Russian columnar apple variety, valued for its very high frost resistance (down to -42 °C), high yield, and very early entry into bearing. It is also characterized by high resistance to diseases and pests. The fruits have an excellent, dessert-quality sweet-tart flavour.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Very high frost resistance.
• High yield and very early entry into bearing.
• Compact growth.
• High resistance to diseases and pests.
• Excellent, dessert flavour.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Russia
• Breeders: V. V. Kichina, N. G. Morozova
• Institution: All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding and Agrotechnology (VSTISP)
• Year of breeding: 1987
• Registration: Not included in the State Register.

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Growth: Grows to a height of 3 m.
• Crown: Columnar, compact, dense.
• Fruiting habit: Bears fruit on short fruiting spurs.
• Flowering: In the first half of May.
• Pollination: It is partially self-fertile.

Fruit

• Size and weight: Medium to large, with a weight of 100 – 200 g.
• Shape and colour: Conical to oblong-conical. Yellow-green, most of the surface is covered with a bright, pink-red striped blush.
• Skin: Thin but firm.
• Flesh: White-creamy, firm, fine-grained, juicy.
• Flavour: Excellent, dessert, sweet-tart, with a distinct aroma (rating 4.2/5).
• Use: Versatile.

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Very high (down to -42 °C), also suitable for very cold regions.
• Disease and pest resistance: High, especially to scab.
• Drought resistance: Good.

Cultivation Recommendations

• To ensure a high yield, it needs pollinators, for example, ‘Medok’, ‘Valyuta’, ‘Prezident’.
• It has a limited lifespan; yield decreases after 14–16 years.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Late August to mid-September.
• Storability: Short, approximately 1 month.
• Yield: High and annual, 6–8 kg per tree.
• Entry into bearing: Very early, 1st to 2nd year after planting.
• Transportability: Good.