Apricot is a deciduous fruit tree of the genus plum, family pink. It is quite common in our latitudes and is loved by both adults and children. With a little effort, you can plant and grow this fruit tree in the garden and enjoy the delicious and aromatic fruits of apricot every year.
Description of fruit culture
Apricot is a fruit tree that reaches a height of 8 m. The bark of old trees can crack and become gray. Young trees have a gray-brown color of the bark. Apricot shoots are shiny and bald.
The leaves of the tree have an ovoid shape, on the edge they are fine-toothed, no more than 8 cm long. The flowers have a diameter of about 30 mm, white color and pink veins. It is the flowers that first appear on the apricot and only after them do the leaves grow.
The fruit of the apricot is a juicy pulp of bright orange color with a slightly rough bone. The shape of the fetus can be round or obovate. The stone is mostly thick-walled, only in some varieties can it be thin-walled.
The tree bears fruit for about 30 years, and its life span is up to 100 years. Apricot is resistant to drought and can withstand temperatures as low as -30 ° C. Perfect for growing in our latitudes.
Apricots are undemanding to the composition of the soil and growing conditions. They love light, grow on deep, blown places with lime content. In order for the plant to transfer the transplant as best as possible, it needs to be planted in sunny space, so that it will receive the greatest amount of light per day.
What kind of apricot to choose for planting?
Most apricot varieties, seedlings of which are sold in the country's stores, are adapted for central Russia. They have high frost resistance, tolerate drought and stagnation of water.
We recommend reading an article about the best apricot varieties.
Early Apricot Varieties
Early varieties, such as Lescore, Alyosha and Melitopol early, have a pyramidal or reverse pyramidal crown. Fruits with a slight acidity, weighing from 40 to 55 g. The stone lags well from the pulp, the fruit is slightly flattened. Suitable for early conservation, also these are the most frost-resistant varieties.
Mid-season varieties
Mid-season grades - Pogremok, Pineapple, Dessert and others. They have a classic frost resistance, the wintering period is at an early age for transplanting seedlings into the ground. The pulp of the fruits is orange-yellow, closer to saturated amber. Harvest is good for cooking jams, compotes and preserves.
Late grades
Later varieties - Spark, Favorite, Success and others. These are winter-hardy hybrids with early abundant fruiting. Varieties are self-fertile with a spreading crown, suitable for winter harvesting, as they have an increased level of sugar content. They are resistant to fungi and pests.
Preparation for landing
In order for the tree to bloom and bear fruit, it is necessary to carefully prepare the place and planting material. It is important to observe the peculiarities of preparation for landing, taking into account certain weather conditions.
Soil selection and preparation
The soil is chosen not scanty, but also not supersaturated with fertilizers and humus, be sure to loosen it in a radius of 0.5 m in a circle from the landing pit. Do not plant apricots on clay soil.
It is recommended to avoid both lowlands and elevated surfaces. Lowlands threaten stagnation of water, and elevations by winds. If you need to make a choice between two such sites, then you should pay attention to the elevation.
Landing pit
A landing hole is dug up and formed in the fall. But direct preparation for planting a seedling occurs 2-3 weeks before planting. A classic landing hole is being prepared with a depth of 45-55 cm and a width of 65 to 85 cm, filled with a mixture of fertile soil in combination with fertilizers.
Ideally will use the following composition:
- 1.5-2 buckets of manure;
- 550-650 g of granular superphosphate;
- 450-550 g of potassium sulfate.
When to plant apricot?
Like other garden crops, it is better to plant apricot trees in the spring in the spring, before the buds swell, around April. If you choose autumn time for planting, then the probability of freezing the plant is high. The risk increases during periods of snowy winters, which is due to insufficient development of the root system for overwintering.
Features of planting in the spring
It is important during spring planting to do early watering and fertilize the seedling as quickly as possible. You can not plant a plant if it already has swollen buds - it is detrimental to him. Key spring planting tips:
- Prepare a pit for planting a tree in the spring in the autumn.
- To protect the apricot from excessive moisture, make a drainage pillow at the bottom of the pit.
- The dimensions of the pit for planting a tree in spring should be at least 70x70 cm.
Features of planting in the fall
Autumn planting of apricot seedlings will harden the plant. If it takes about a month between planting and the first frosts, then the root system can firmly and successfully take root in a new place. Key tips for planting apricot in the autumn:
- Plant apricot on the sunny side and on a small hill.
- Dig up the soil before planting a tree, to a depth of at least 20 cm.
- Fertilize the soil before planting with mineral fertilizers.
- The depth of the landing pit should be at least 70 cm.
Planting Apricot Seedling
The procedure for planting an apricot seedling is very simple and will not cause difficulties even for beginner gardeners. It is enough to adhere to the following scheme of actions:
- The day before planting, soak the root of the seedling in water to nourish it and give strength before strengthening in the ground.
- Trim all broken and dried roots.
- Restore the circulation and strength in the roots by dipping them in a mixture of clay and manure before being placed in the planting hole.
- When setting the plant, gently straighten the roots so as not to break and damage them.
- Tamp the soil slightly so that it fits between the roots, but do not apply a lot of force, otherwise there is a risk of kinks.
- Fix the seedling with twine in a certain position. This will protect the plant from displacement in the landing pit and prevent damage to the roots.
How to choose seedlings?
Seedlings choose only high-quality. Their branching branches should be uniform and at a slight angle with respect to the main trunk. Outwardly, the apricot should be healthy, without flaws, damage and wound surfaces.
It is extremely important to consider the angle of departure of the branches. If it is too sharp, then during fruiting they will break off under the weight of the crop, which can lead to the death of the plant.
Landing pattern
Since the apricot forms a standard rounded crown, it should be planted at certain intervals. Gardeners use a 5x5 m pattern, but the distance between the trees should be at least 3-4 m.
Often gardeners plant apricots in a row in a summer cottage. Even if you plant them after 4 m, after a few years their crowns will close and the trees will be an excellent protection from strong winds.
Landing time
Depending on the climate in which the plant will grow, the timing of planting is determined. Often on seedlings or packages with seeds, manufacturers indicate the planting dates in different countries for each variety.
It is important not to overexposure the seedlings and plant as early as possible. Every day, a seedling not attached to the ground weakens and loses its strength. The ideal time for planting apricot is considered the end of April or the beginning of May.
Seedling Depth
For planting, you need to dig a hole with a depth of about 0.5 m. A seedling is placed in the prepared hole and sprinkled with a mixture so that the root neck of the plant is at the level of the soil surface. Then a hole for irrigation and a mound around its circumference are formed so that the water flows to the seedling and does not flow beyond the roots.
The amount of water for irrigation after planting is 1.5-2 buckets per freshly planted plant.
Apricot care after planting
Further care of the seedlings consists of several stages. The first two years, the landing site is covered with a layer of mulch. It is a mixture of sawdust, peat, half-ripened manure and similar organic materials.
It is allowed to keep sapling roots under a layer of mulch for no more than 2 years, otherwise the roots will tend to loose soil and be located above the desired level. To further prevent this problem, it is necessary to loosen the soil on time and with caution. It is important to remove weeds from the hole in a timely manner and when loosening, be careful not to damage the roots of the seedling.
Watering and fertilizing with fertilizers is an important stage in the first years of growth. First, the seedling grows at a speed of 1 m per year, in order to prevent bare branches, cut 1/3 of the total growth.
This procedure must be stopped at the beginning of the fruiting of the plant, as active growth ends. Next, you will need to monitor dried and broken branches - they should be regularly removed.
Apricot is drought tolerant, but it is necessary to water it. Otherwise, it will fade due to dry winds and excessive dryness. Before the plant begins to bloom, it is watered for the first time. This watering will provide a supply of moisture, the number of ovaries and accelerate growth.
The next watering is carried out at the time of rapid growth and ripening of the crop. Watering is completed in August, before the growing process. Late autumn access to water will harm the trees - preparation for winter will not be complete.
Fertilizer
It is important to monitor plant nutrition. Excess or lack of microelements will lead to growth retardation, scarcity of fruiting, prolonged formation of flower buds. Fertilizer can be different:
- The first dressing is carried out in the spring using urea (700 g per 10 liters of water). First remove the broken, diseased, withered branches and perform calcium oxide treatment to control pests.
- Before you start feeding, make sure that the tree has not begun active sap flow and that its buds have not swollen. Otherwise, you can burn the plant, which will lead to its death.
- When everything is checked, enrich the soil with nitrogen. This measure will protect the apricot tree from diseases and pests.
- If you do not have time to enrich the soil before the sap flow begins, secure the tree in another way. Treat with specialized active compounds in combination with dry top dressing. It consists of 70-75 g of nitrogen fertilizer and 50-55 g of ammonium nitrate per tree. Dig the mixture into the soil to a depth of 30 cm in a circle evenly from the trunk of the seedling.
- The vegetative period of plant growth requires three mineral top dressings. Such a need for a high concentration of fertilizer arises due to the sharp growth and movement of juices:
- first fertilize in June with nitrogen fertilizers - 35-45 g of the mixture per 1 sq. km. m;
- perform the second top dressing with nitrogen-phosphorus-potash fertilizers;
- carry out the third top dressing at the beginning of August, only with phosphorus-potassium mixtures. This will accelerate the development and growth of shoots and increase their resistance to low temperatures. First use 1 liter of fertilizer in a bucket of water, then increase the dosage by 2 times.
Observing all conditions, the plant will begin bearing fruit for 5-6 years after planting in the ground. If you do not transplant the plant and fertilize in time, flowering will begin in 2.5-4 years.
Organic fertilizers are applied after 10 years of plant life, otherwise the tree will begin to freeze.
Watering
Before the plant begins to bloom, it is watered for the first time. This watering will provide a supply of moisture, the number of ovaries and accelerate growth. The next watering is carried out at the time of rapid growth and ripening of the crop. So gardeners improve the taste of fruits, increase the accumulation of sugars in them.
Watering is completed in August, before the growing process. Late autumn access to water harms trees and disrupts proper winter preparations.
Pruning
Pruning trees is one of the main and easy processes that require special attention. The procedure is annual and inevitable for an apricot if the gardener wants to achieve an increase in the quantity or quality of fruit bearing.
This variety of garden crops does not shed ovaries, which leads to congestion in the mass of fruits and may subsequently cause breakage of fruiting branches. If the apricot is not pruned, its mellowness is reduced.
Gardeners recommend forming a crown by trimming so that the shape of the tree resembles a ball. This is the most proportional and balanced cropping. The form of a sparse-tier crown is also popular.
You can find out how and when to prune apricot from this article.
Protection against diseases and pests
Autumn and summer are the main ones for treating plants from various diseases and pests. This is done with special concentrated preparations with high efficiency, which will allow you not to rely on the season or time and not to guess if there is a risk of infection in the soil or plant.
The first treatment is carried out with carbonic acid diamide before the plant wakes up. If the moment is missed and kidney enlargement begins, then use other drugs:
- diluted essence of Zircon concentrate;
- diluted essence of Ecoberin;
- Bordeaux liquid;
- copper sulfate (vitriol).
An important stage is the processing of the tree after winter before the beginning of its flowering. At an air temperature of at least 18 ° C, prodise the apricot. This is done with the help of colloidal sulfur or with Neoron if tick treatment occurs.
To get rid of leafworms and weevils, it is better to use the drug Kinmiks or Decis. Moniliosis can be prevented with the help of a tool such as Ridomil or Oxychom. After leaf fall, the plant is also treated with urea.
Apricot care in spring, summer, autumn
As the tree grows in summer, the density and crown area increase. This leads to a high density of greenery and to a decrease in the likelihood of crop ripening. In a dense crown, fruits are difficult and slow to ripen. Cut some new fruit branches to form a regular crown near the tree, which will be fully illuminated by the sun and freely blown by the wind.
The period before the wintering of the plant is important, especially in the first year after transplantation. Sanitary treatment of the tree is also carried out, sick and dried branches are cut. After the crown turns bald and the leaves fall off, it is necessary to remove the remains of plant origin. The soil around the plant is dug up and loosened.
In early August or mid-October, thorough preventive treatment with preparations for horticultural crops is carried out. This will give higher yields.
In summer, the temperature is high, so often water the plant. This is especially true in July and August, thanks to this, the fruits will be not only tasty, but also juicy.
In June, the growth of new branches begins. While they are green, cut some of them, so that the crown will not be too lush, and the yield of the tree will be higher. The appearance of the plant will also improve. If there is such a need, additionally process the apricot from pests.
Apricot care in winter
To protect the tree from low temperatures, cover it with garden or garden films and you need to hone the apricot trunk. In winter, the processing of wood from pests is not carried out.
In winter, it is better not to disturb the tree. It is very good if the winter is snowy, then the tree will need to be watered in the spring much less.It already has time to be saturated with moisture.
Diseases and Pests
Pests affect apricot fruits, leaf crowns, bark, roots and other parts. Gardeners advise looking at plants for foreign insects and traces of their presence - cobwebs, color spots, local destruction of the tree bark.
If there are suggestions that pests have been planted around the apricot or in the plant itself, it is worth additionally processing it with special means. Such unscheduled cases are separately described in the instructions for use with concentrated mixtures of drugs.
Moniliosis
Moniliosis is also called fruit rot - this is a disease of a fungal nature. It appears at the beginning or at the end of flowering - part of the leaves and inflorescences dry out. It causes brown spots on the fruits and then small yellow pads appear on them. It is treated with such drugs as Rovral, Abiga-Peak and Gamair, Bordeaux fluid also helps.
Gum detection
This is a non-infectious disease, which manifests itself by the release of a resin-like thick amber-colored liquid. It is bitter and viscous in taste, appears on the aerial parts of the apricot. The disease can be prevented by avoiding tree injuries. Effective prevention is the right choice of variety, it is important that it is zoned.
Mushroom Balsa
An infectious disease such as Balsa Mushroom is manifested by sores on the apricot cortex. It is treated with a solution of a concentrated drug Switch according to the instructions. Be sure to process before harvest at least 1-2 weeks.
Bacterial spotting
This disease is manifested by brown large spots, the area of which dries up. Around the affected area, the color of the foliage changes and turns yellow. The plant is treated by systematic spraying with a solution of copper sulfate.
Cytosporosis
Cytosporosis is a dangerous fungal disease. With infection, convex neoplasms appear on the trunk that change color around themselves to burgundy. A negative effect is also exerted on the inside of the tree - the lesion site softens, and thin branches dry out.
Prevention is whitewashing the trunk with concentrated lime and the systematic introduction of portions of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. When infected, the affected areas are eliminated by removing the bark and branches.
Holey spotting
This fungal disease is also known as kleasterosporiosis. It is manifested by the appearance of small spots throughout the area of foliage damage. Then they acquire a brown border around themselves and holes form inside.
Affected branches are cut and burned. Chemical treatment is carried out. Bordeaux liquid and copper sulfate are well suited. You can also treat the tree with Chorus.
Verticillosis
The causative agent of this disease are fungi. The leaves dry and twist in a vertical location, red spots appear inside the shoots, the fruits lag behind in growth or mummify.
The disease is prevented by avoiding waterlogging of the soil, infected branches are cut and burned. To cure the tree with a complete defeat, such chemicals as Topsin-M, Previkur, Fundazol and Vitaros are used.
For other diseases and pests of apricot, you can get additional information here.
Possible mistakes
The most common mistakes made when planting and caring for apricots are incorrect fertilizer application and pruning during the plant dormancy. If the gardener has chosen compost, manure or chicken droppings as fertilizer, then they should be used with caution. Compost is added to the soil according to the formula 5.5-6 kg per square meter. m, mixed with mineral fertilizers.
Manure, like other organic fertilizers, is applied no more than 2-3 times a year at the rate of 3.5-4.5 kg per square meter. m. It should also be not concentrated.
Chicken droppings are added as an impurity to compost weighing about 300 g per square meter. If you make concentrated litter or just dilute it with water, you can cause a chemical burn to the tree. Among the most common mistakes are:
- The lack of agricultural technology. It is necessary to provide the tree with timely watering and top dressing.
- Improperly organized power plan. For example, a lack of trace elements or a violation of NPK.
- Unsuccessful preparations for the winter.
- Incorrect pruning.
Compliance with all planting rules and features for the care of apricot, allows you to grow a strong and healthy tree. And after a few years you can enjoy the delicious, juicy and aromatic fruits from your own garden.