Apricot - planting and care in central Russia, frost-resistant varieties

It is impossible to find people who have not eaten or loved the fruit of the apricot. This is a delicious fruit that only brings joy and health benefits.

To acquire an apricot fruit tree in your garden means to provide yourself with delicious fruits for a long time in the summer, unique jam, compotes and jam for the winter.

We will teach you how to properly plant and care for an apricot tree so that every year it delights everyone at home with delicious healthy fruits.

Planting an apricot

In order for the tree to grow well and bear fruit abundantly, you need to take care of its correct planting. Apricots can be grown by seeds or by grafting.

Preparing a planting site for an apricot is slightly different from preparing a pit for other fruit crops. First, the soil must be well-drained to provide the root with an uninterrupted supply of oxygen. Secondly, you should carefully pay attention to the moisture in the soil, because excessive moisture contributes to the decay of the root system.

The depth and width of the planting pit should be at least 80 cm. Pour a layer of expanded clay, gravel or crushed stone at the bottom of the pit. Pour a small amount of wood ash or coal, ammonium nitrate in another layer - this will be a mineral fertilizing. In the third layer, the topmost one, pour a little soil to avoid contact of the seedling rhizome with top dressing.

For planting, it is best to use an annual apricot seedling. On the root system, visible damage or tears of the surface part must be removed. It is not recommended to update the existing cuts due to the fact that this negatively affects the growth and development of the tree.

If the roots of the seedling are slightly dry during transportation or storage, then dip them in a container of water for several days. To avoid drying out the root system, we advise you to dip it in a mash of black soil and mullein.

It is advisable to prepare the landing site in the spring so that the soil has time to collect the required amount of moisture. If you plan to plant an apricot in the fall, then dig a hole 20 days before the onset of the first frost. When digging a hole, discard the upper chernozem layer to one side, the lower to the other. When filling the roots of the seedling, use the surface layer of soil.

Remember, an adult apricot tree takes about 5 m within a crown radius. Therefore, do not plant a tree near dwellings and other trees.

Step-by-step instructions for planting a seedling

The scheme of spring or autumn planting of apricots is not particularly complicated. Every gardener, including a beginner, can plant this crop on his site without any problems. All that is required of you is desire, hard work and knowledge of the key stages. Information about them is below:

Seat selection

Comfortable growing conditions for apricots are very important. This determines the yield, quantity and quality of fruits, their taste.

An adult tree grows to a large size, its crown becomes spreading, wide, and the culture itself is thermophilic and photophilous. It is because of these features the landing site must meet certain criteria:

• The place should be perfectly illuminated by the sun, the culture does not tolerate growing in the shade.
• The site is reliably protected from cold, northerly winds.
• Moisture should not stagnate in the selected place, and the groundwater level should be at least 3 m from the surface of the earth.
• The selected area should not be shaded by any buildings, trees, shrubs.
• It is better to plant a tree on a hill; it is not recommended to grow a crop in the lowlands.
• It is optimal to plant a crop on the south or south-west side of the garden, it is desirable that a wall or fence protects the tree from the north or north-west side.

Soil selection

The culture does not like dense soils. Loose, crumbly soil with good water and air permeability is suitable for it. And also the soil should have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.

The best option is light chernozem soils, sandy loam, light loamy, medium loamy soils.

If your site does not have suitable soil for planting apricots, then you can correct the situation:

• if the soil is sandy, then you need to mix clay into it;
• and if clay, then sand should be added.

Sapling selection

When choosing an apricot seedling, you must give preference to varieties that grow normally in your climatic zone. If you do not live in the southern region, then the variety must necessarily have good winter hardiness. In addition, in the northern regions, it is important to plant early ripening varieties, otherwise the fruits simply will not have time to ripen.

Note! When choosing a seedling for your garden, be sure to ask the seller for information about the variety you are interested in, it must be suitable for growing in your region.

When choosing an apricot seedling, you should pay attention to certain parameters that will help you choose a good, healthy specimen:

• Age is not more than 2 years.
• The height of the specimen is 1 or 1.5 meters, but no more.
• There should be a prominent inoculation spot on the trunk.
• The root system of the plant is well developed, it has no damage, and also has a main root and 2-3 lateral ones.
• The seedling should not show signs of wilting, damage, pests or diseases.
• The bark is healthy, without damage, cracks, its integrity is preserved.
• The central conductor is stronger and stronger than the lateral branches.

Important! The seedling must be in a dormant stage, otherwise, when planting in the growing season, it may not take root or even die.

Video: how to choose a seedling.

Recommended distance

Since an adult tree is large in size and a spreading crown, it is extremely important to observe the optimal planting scheme for planting a crop on the site.

The recommended distance between apricots is at least 5 meters. It is highly discouraged to reduce the distance, otherwise the trees will interfere with each other, and this will affect fruiting.

Planting pit preparation

The site and the landing pit should be prepared in advance. If planting is planned in the spring, then the preparatory work should take place in the fall. And if you plant in the fall, then it is better to prepare it in the summer or spring. If you do not have the opportunity to prepare in advance, then do it at least a month or 2 weeks before the main work.

First of all, it is necessary to prepare the planting site itself: dig up the site, remove debris, weeds, level the soil. And then you can start preparing the pit.

It is necessary to forge a landing pit 70 centimeters wide and 80 centimeters deep... At the same time, the land from the upper fertile layer must be thrown into a separate line. Lay a drainage layer (10-15 cm thick) at the bottom of the recess; for this purpose, crushed brick can be used.

Fertilizer should be applied three weeks before planting.... They will serve as sources of essential nutrients that will stimulate adaptation and survival. You can add the mixture to the pit (three quarters) with the following ingredients:

• fertile soil from the top layer (two buckets);
• humus (one bucket);
• nitroammophoska (400 grams).

A small layer of fertile soil must be poured onto fertilizers in order to make a small elevation. Now water and leave for three weeks for the earth to settle.

Seedling preparation

In addition to the planting pit, you also need to prepare a seedling. The day before the garden event, it is necessary to immerse the plant roots in clean water. Soaking activates biological processes.

Immediately before the procedure, it is recommended to dip the roots in a creamy mash (a mixture of water, manure and clay). Let the roots dry a little.

Landing scheme

The following step-by-step instructions will help you to make the correct planting of the apricot:

• We place the seedling in the hole, gently straighten the roots. The root collar should be 5 centimeters above ground level.
• We fall asleep with earth, while you can shake the seedling a little so that the soil is evenly distributed between the roots.
• Drive in a long peg on the side of the hole, which will be needed to support the young seedling.
• Now you need to tamp the ground with your foot.
• We tie the seedling to the peg using twine.
• We make a near-trunk circle and water it well.
• The final step is mulching.

Apricot seedling care

Caring for an apricot after planting consists of several activities. You will need to protect your crop from pests and diseases. You must promptly remove all diseased branches and shoots, as well as collect diseased leaves and fruits with their subsequent disposal. You also need to periodically carry out complete disinfection with chemicals and a solution of quenched soda.

Do not be lazy, regularly remove the dead and frozen bark. Loosen the soil in the near-stem area and remove weeds periodically.

Diseases and pests

Growing an apricot seems to be a very simple process, but sooner or later the gardener may face the problem of plant damage from pests and diseases. In order not to destroy the trees, you will have to immediately decide what to do with the affected seedling or adult plant. Several main, most typical diseases when growing the described crop:

1. Moniliosis (flowers, shoots, leaves suffer, and ultimately the whole tree cracks and dries up). Methods of dealing with a fungal disease depend on the stage of its development: for example, while the buds remain green, they are treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, and with the beginning of flowering, ready-made preparations, such as Teldor, are used. After flowering, it is successfully replaced by "Horus", and during the ripening of the crop - by "Switch".

   

2. Clasterosporium disease (also known as "perforated spotting") is characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the leaf plates, which gradually turn into holes. Over time, the same spots appear on the shoots, leaving behind unattractive cracks that release gum. In the fight against the problem, a 1% solution of copper sulfate and a 4% composition of the Bordeaux mixture are often used. In addition, Horus will be effective.

   

3. The Vals mushroom is an ailment of infectious origin, manifested by growths-ulcers of a rich orange color. The main preventive measure is the absence of pruning during the dormant period of the plant, but various fungicidal compositions and the "Switch" drug are used to treat the disease.

   

4. Verticillary wilting, characterized by massive yellowing of foliage on the lower tiers of the tree, while maintaining the rich green color of the apical leaf plates. Together with the leaves, the spores of the fungus enter the soil, after which there is a massive infection of other fruit trees growing nearby.In this case, Bordeaux mixture (2%) is often used for prophylaxis, and the treatment of affected apricot trees can be carried out using the chemicals "Previkur", "Topsin-M", "Fundazol".

   

5. Smallpox - manifested by depressed brown spots on the fruit of the tree and a deterioration in their taste. When treating an ailment, you will have to remove all affected fruits in a timely manner, and spray the plant itself with one of the above fungicides.

   

6. Tape mosaic is a viral disease that manifests itself in yellow stripes on the leaves, which soon take the form of a kind of lace pattern. All affected leaf plates dry out and die off over time. Since viral ailments are practically not amenable to standard treatment, in the case of a mosaic, it is easier to prevent a problem from occurring than to try to cope with its consequences. All the seedlings planted on the site should initially be in good health, and when preparing the planting site for them, it is advisable to additionally pickle the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate and then carefully monitor its purity.

Find out why the apricot tree does not bear fruit.

The most common pests:

1. Aphid - a sucking insect that can weaken not only the apricot, but also any other plant in the summer cottage. After the activity of small pests, a sooty fungus may appear on the foliage, actively feeding on the secretions of aphids. Together they can cause significant damage to the future harvest, and to prevent this from happening, at the very first manifestations of aphids, it is worth treating the foliage with an ash-tobacco mixture. In severe cases, special drugs can correct the situation, for example, Actellik or Karbofos.

   

2. Moth - a small butterfly actively laying eggs in the first half of June. In the second half of summer, the offspring of the next generation of the pest appears, which harms fruit trees no less than their predecessors. Regular digging of the soil in the near-trunk circle will help prevent the invasion of the moth, and copper sulfate or special insecticidal preparations (for example, "Calypso") can be used to eliminate the problem.

   

3. Hawthorn butterfly caterpillars - damage the leaves and buds of fruit trees, in particular apricot. The main means of control is the mechanical collection of the pest, with the further destruction of all its clutches in autumn (usually they are wrapped in twisted leaves). Among the drugs, the most effective for the fight will be "Chlorofos", "Phosphamide", "Dursban".

   

4. Leafworm (especially caterpillars) in spring, it actively eats leaf plates and apricot buds, causing significant damage to the future harvest and the tree itself. To combat caterpillars and adults of the pest, the base of the skeletal branches and the trunk of the tree are treated with a concentrated solution of Chlorophos, applying it to the bark twice a year: in spring (after the temperature rises to + 15 ° C) and in autumn, immediately after harvesting the fruit.

   

Despite the relatively large number of possible diseases and pests of apricot, it is not as difficult to fight them as it might seem at first glance. In addition, with proper prevention, they can be successfully avoided.

How to prune an apricot

Apricot pruning is another type of seedling care. The culture needs the formation of a crown and the elimination of parasitic shoots. It is imperative to prune in the spring before the onset of the growing season. Annual seedlings should be cut with a sharp garden knife at a height of about 70–80 cm from the ground. After the apricot has formed, the skeletal bones must be shortened by about a third of their length. Moreover, the length of the central conductor must be left at a level of 30 cm higher near the located skeletal branches.

In spring, cut back the fruiting branches in half to flower the rest of the crop.On the 5th day after planting the seedling, make a loose garter of the tree to a wooden stake, which must be previously dug next to the apricot when planting.

Soil preparation

A properly selected physical and chemical composition of the soil will increase the chances of apricot seedlings for germination. Prepare it 21 days before planting. The minimum depth is 2 cm higher than the size of the root system of the selected seedling. In the middle lane, the indicator ranges from 70 to 80 cm. As soon as the hole is dug, it is fertilized with a multilayer "pie". Top dressing of apricots in the fall is carried out using the following recipe:

• 2 buckets of humus;
• 500 g of potassium sulfate;
• 600 g superphosphate.

The components are mixed with the soil. The finished composition is poured into a prepared pit. In this state, it is left until planting. The earth will settle within 18 days.

Watering the apricot

A mature apricot tree, like its seedling, is able to withstand a significant drop in temperature. But this feature is possible only if there is enough moisture in the near-trunk soil zone.

When planting a seedling and adding drainage, mineral additives to it, it is necessary to immediately fill half of the planting pit with water. Experts distinguish several stages of watering:

• during flowering;
• during the period of active growth of shoots;
• 2 weeks before fruit ripening.

Watering in late autumn is carried out only if there is little water in the place of occurrence of groundwater.

When to replant apricots in spring

The question of transplanting apricots is controversial. Some believe that there is nothing difficult about this, and the tree will definitely take root, and this can be done throughout the season. Some choose between spring and fall. The majority of modern agricultural scientists agree that an extra transplant of an apricot is absolutely useless. You must immediately choose the right place and plant according to all the rules. Moreover, it is believed that the bones should be immediately planted in a permanent place. Among the polar judgments it is necessary to choose the mean. And the average consists, apparently, in the fact that young trees (maximum three years old) can be transplanted, but very carefully and better in early spring.

This should be done before the buds spill out, and the planting hole, as usual, should be prepared in the fall. Since this procedure will be quite stressful for the tree, it will need increased nutrition. The amount of pre-planting fertilizers applied to the pit must be increased by one and a half times. It is necessary to dig up the apricot from the old place of residence as carefully as possible, preserving all the main roots. And plant in a new place immediately, watering abundantly. Not forgetting, of course, to cut the broken roots and branches.

Video: correct planting of apricot

How to care for an apricot in winter

Apricot is a frost-resistant crop that can be grown both in the south and in the Moscow region. Despite this, the young seedling should be protected from the cold during the winter period.

To begin with, choose a planting site for an apricot seedling in such a way that it is reliably protected from the north wind. For the first wintering of the seedling, build a pyramidal hut from wooden stakes and cover it with reeds or polyethylene, then sprinkle its lower edge with earth. Remove this structure at the end of March.

Spud the trunk zone of the grown tree with earth for the winter or wrap it with burlap.

Choosing planting material

Before planting an apricot on the plot, the gardener goes to the nursery. It presents young seedlings that have received proper care. Contrary to the assurances of the nursery staff, they inspect the seed:

• study the root system - there should be no traces of torn roots on it;
• a small incision is made on the bark - there should be white wood under it;
• there should be no extraneous growths on the bark;
• there should be no traces of mechanical damage on the bark.

In the middle lane, early maturing varieties are chosen.

Residents of southern latitudes plant apricot trees on the site without restrictions in terms of choice.

The best varieties of apricot

Can't decide which variety of apricot you want to plant on your garden plot? We will help you! The described apricot varieties are ideal for growing in the Moscow region and other regions of the country.

Georgievsky early

This apricot variety has medium-sized round fruits. Georgievsky early - resistant to pests and diseases.

Red-cheeked

In height, this apricot variety is capable of reaching 4 m. For the first time it begins to bear fruit in the third year, and does not need additional pollination and the presence of a number of other apricots. It begins to bloom late, which helps to protect it from spring frosts.

The red-cheeked apricot is not afraid of drought, it is frost-resistant. Suitable for growing in the Moscow region. It is susceptible to some infections, and bears less fruit in lowlands and on wet soils.

New Jersey

An American apricot variety with excellent frost resistance. It can be grown in heavy and waterlogged soils. New Jersey is practically unaffected by root rot.

Ripening occurs in the first decade of July, the average weight of one fruit is 50 g.

Early apricot

This early apricot variety ripens in mid to late June. It has a pleasant aroma and sweet taste.

Triumph North

This unpretentious apricot variety does well in the middle lane. It also grows well in northern latitudes, and is able to withstand temperatures down to minus 33 degrees. But the culture is not able to withstand severe frosts.

In height, the Triumph Severny reaches 4 m, the weight of one fruit is 60 g. Most often, the life expectancy of this variety is 25 years. Fruit ripening occurs at the end of July and lasts until mid-August. Up to 60 kg of harvest can be harvested from one tree.

Black apricot

This apricot variety is also called the "Black Prince". But this is not even a purebred apricot, but its hybrid, crossed with cherry plum and plum. This is a rather rare crop that is afraid of frost, it needs to be covered for the winter, and even then these measures do not always fully protect the tree.

Harvesting and storage

Knowledge of how to plant and care for apricots on your site will be incomplete without information regarding the correct and timely collection of fruits. The timing of the procedure depends on the variety and region of growing fruit trees. The early varieties ripen in mid or late June, and the late ones can be harvested not earlier than mid-August, sometimes closer to the end of summer or even the beginning of autumn.

We advise you to find out how much apricot kernels can be eaten per day.

For long-term storage, only freshly picked, incompletely ripe fruits, without any spots or other defects, are suitable. True, the shelf life, even if all these conditions are met, will depend on the varietal characteristics of the culture. For example, late-ripening apricots lie longer - of course, if you do not leave them in bulk, but in order to maximize the shelf life of the crop, it can always be processed for conservation, frozen or dried, for which almost all varieties of crops are suitable.

The fruits are plucked slightly unripe, exclusively by hand, being careful not to leave dents on the surface. Having covered the apricot with the whole hand, it must be carefully separated from the stalk and just as neatly placed in a plastic or wooden box.And how exactly to use them - each housewife will be able to decide on her own.

Where to buy apricot seedlings

You can buy apricot seedlings by mail in the KFH Fruktovy Sad online store.

We offer only high-quality seedlings at affordable prices with delivery by Russian Post. Our apricots are suitable for growing in the Moscow region and other regions of the country.

As a bonus, we give advice on proper care, planting and cultivation of apricots. It is quite simple to place an order in our online store of seedlings. To do this, go to the Store section, select the Fruit Trees and Apricot section. Select the required number of apricot seedlings, place an order. After that, our specialist will contact you.

Do you want to get a bountiful apricot fruit crop? Buy seedlings of this culture from us, and then your wish will come true!

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Site selection

Planting apricot seedlings in the fall should take place in a pre-prepared area. The place should be well lit by the sun, protected from strong winds and drafts. In addition, you do not need to plant an apricot in a low-lying, breathable, because the roots of trees need air for normal growth. The ideal option is light loamy soils. The soil should have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Also, underwater waters should not lie high, since apricot, although it reacts well to abundant watering, does not tolerate excessive moisture. Through this, the plant can wilt and growth deteriorate. Due to the above-mentioned feature of apricot, you should not plant it on clay soils, where moisture is excessively retained.

Care features

Further care depends on how quickly the apricot grows. The trunk and skeletal branches must be whitewashed. This will protect against pests and burns. The trunk must be protected from rodents. For this purpose, spruce branches are attached to the trunk.

The plant must be insulated for the winter. Up to 5 years, the planting needs formative pruning. By the age of 6, the plant should be fully formed. Damaged and diseased branches are removed annually. The shoots are burned away from the garden.