Along with other fruit crops, apricot occupies an honorable place in the gardens of Russian summer residents, which is explained by the juicy and healthy fruits of this tree. The effectiveness of its cultivation in the country depends on many factors, but first of all it is worth paying attention to the rules of planting and further care of the plant. What exactly is worth knowing about the nuances of placing apricot on the site and how to achieve the most positive result from this activity - read in this article.

Description and characteristics of fruits and tree

There are no specific growth standards and sizes of apricot fruits, since much in this matter depends on the variety variety of the plant. At the same time, there are certain averaged values ​​that you should be guided by when choosing a varietal variety of a plant and place on a site.

Did you know? Dried apricots - apricot fruit cut in half and dried, and apricot - whole dried apricot with a seed.

Crown Height and Density

Apricot belongs to the group of deciduous trees that can actively develop over 100 years. The average height of an adult plant ranges from 5–8 m, with a crown circumference of about 3-4 m. The old branches and trunk are covered with gray-brown bark, with longitudinally cracking marks. Young branches, on the contrary, are shiny and bare, red-brown in color and with a large number of lentils scattered on the surface.Active fruiting of the crop occurs in 5–40 years of cultivation, later yields fall. Leaf blades - saturated green color (different shades are possible), ovoid or more round in shape, slightly elongated at the tips. In addition, a characteristic feature of the leaves is the presence of small teeth on the edge. The petioles holding the leaves are relatively thin, with glands and grooves at the base of the plate.

During the flowering period (may occur in March or April, less often at the beginning of May), sessile flowers located on separate pedicels appear on the shoots. The color of such flowers varies from light pink to deep pink, and the shape is always round-elliptical (in some cases obovate). The flowering of most varieties of apricot falls on the period before the appearance of leaves.

Did you know? According to official historical data, the first apricots in Russia were planted in 1654 in the Izmailovsky Orchard.

Taste qualities of fruits

Apricot fruits are represented by yellow-red drupes with round or elliptical shapes (less often obovate), and the thick-walled bone inside can be smooth or slightly rough. The skin of most apricots has a slight velvety pubescence, yellow or orange, with a small browned area on one side. The pulp of cultivated fruits is sweet and juicy, or slightly dry, depending on the variety selected.The weight of one ripened fruit of the cultivated apricot reaches 50–80 g, and they are usually harvested from June to August. Wild varieties are characterized by a large number of coarse fibers that give the fruit a slight bitter taste and make them unsuitable for culinary purposes. For growing at home, it is advisable to choose only the most juicy and sweet varieties of apricot, so that their fruits are equally well suited both for fresh consumption and for processing for all kinds of preservation (important when creating blanks for the winter).

Frost and drought resistance

The modern cultivated apricot comes from warm countries, so it is not surprising that frost resistance of most varieties is average. The flower buds of such trees will not be able to endure long-term temperature drops to -16 ... -21 ° C, and only some frost-resistant apricots will be successfully grown during winter frosts within -25 ... -30 ° C. Some varieties are cultivated in Siberian regions, where winters pass with values ​​below -35 ° C.

Did you know? Mention of apricot fruits is found in the Byzantine chronicles - folk healers recommended them as a rejuvenating agent, believing that their regular use helps to restore the strength of a dying organism. For this reason, the Byzantine rulers drank apricot juice daily to extend their life allotted.

Arid times for apricots are not as scary as frosty days, because thanks to a well-developed rhizome, the culture is able to extract moisture from the deepest layers of the soil. This means that most varieties popular in Russia will be successfully grown in regions with a hot climate and short rainfall. On the territory of the Russian Federation, trees feel good in the southern regions of the European part and in the Caucasian lands, although recently they have been increasingly found in the suburbs (you just need to choose a suitable variety).

Pollinators and productivity

Like many other crops, apricots have self-fertile and self-infertile varieties that require the presence of other trees for pollination. The only condition is the same flowering period of all planted specimens. Famous examples of self-pollinated apricot varieties are Krasnoshchekiy, Pineapple, Melitopol early, which, subject to all growing conditions, allow you to collect about 100-145 kg of crop from one adult tree.However, there are varieties characterized by not so high productivity: for example, Tsarskiy self-fertile apricot gives up to 30 kg from one tree, and the Northern Triumph - 50-60 kg. Most apricot trees belong to self-fertile plants, but representatives of other varieties will not hinder the presence of other varieties in the garden to increase their productivity.

Advantages and disadvantages

Apricots have many advantages over other fruit trees, but this cultivar is not without its drawbacks.

• The list of advantages of growing apricot include:
• high sweetness and juiciness of fruits, many of which are characterized by universality of use;
• high yield of popular varieties;
• rich vitamin composition;
• the possibility of growing both in the southern and central regions of the Russian Federation (the main thing is to choose the right variety variety correctly);
• ease of landing and further care;
• relatively small dimensions, which allows you to place apricot trees even in small summer cottages.

• As for the possible disadvantages of apricot cultivation, it is first of all worth noting:
• thermophilicity of most varieties and certain restrictions during transportation, although the possibility of shedding fruits during overriding is not excluded.
• other probable shortcomings, such as a late maturity or increased demand for pruning, are more dependent on the variety acquired (for example, a peach variety).

Features of planting apricot in the open ground

Before proceeding with the planting of the purchased seedling in a specific territory, it is worth choosing the optimal time for the procedure, prepare the landing hole and the seedling itself.

Recommended pick-up dates

The choice of the apricot planting season (spring or autumn) largely depends on the particular growing region of the selected seedling, but most often trees are planted in spring, starting in mid-April and ending with the beginning of the growing season. A long warm season will contribute to better rooting and development of a young tree, and the possibility of preparing a planting hole in the previous fall and sufficient shrinkage of the earth during the winter will create the most favorable conditions for this.With an autumn planting, which will be justified only in the warm southern regions, it is advisable to complete all the actions before the end of September or the beginning of October, so that the seedling still has enough time to adapt before the winter cold. Early winter or too late planting of seedlings will lead to freezing of young shoots. In this case, planting holes begin to be prepared approximately 2–3 weeks before planting works.

Selection and preparation of a site for landing

The selection of a suitable seedling and preparation for planting the site itself are very important pre-planting measures, the final result of growing apricot depends on the correctness of which. Choosing planting material it is worth giving preference to young specimens, not less than 1–1.5 m high and 1-2 years old. If the two-year-old seedling is much lower than the declared values, it means that it was not grown correctly and in the future will not be able to meet the hopes of the gardener. A healthy plant always has one main root and 2-3 lateral roots, which should be evenly distributed in relation to the tree trunk.

Important! Seedlings, whose shoots have sharp angles of departure, are considered unsuitable for planting, as when the crop ripens they will break, thereby causing significant damage to the whole tree.

Planting a suitable apricot is best done in a well-lit area, evenly heated by sunlight during the entire spring-summer season. Any drafts or exposure to sudden gusts of wind should be excluded. As for the ideal version of the soil substrate, if possible, it is better to give preference to loam or chernozem, bypassing peat and sandy soils.The nutritional area of ​​an adult plant is calculated based on the maximum possible crown size of a particular variety, so try to plant seedlings in an open place so that you do not have to replant a tree in the future (such procedures are highly undesirable for apricot). The optimum level of groundwater occurrence during apricot cultivation is at least 2.5–3 m.

Distance and depth of landing pits

Apricot planting scheme is selected taking into account the specific goals of growing plants. So, in industrial cultivation the best solution would be to place seedlings 3 × 5 m or 5 × 5 m (the distance between adjacent copies in a row and the rows themselves). For tall trees, increases in these values ​​are permissible, in accordance with the possible size of the crown.

Given the small area of ​​most summer cottages, it is not surprising that on average no more than 3-4 apricot trees are grown on one territory at a time, while the distance between neighboring plants may decrease to 3 × 3 m. If in the future the crowns of neighboring trees touch, it will only be left perform forming cropping.

Important! According to some gardeners, the close placement of apricot trees is sometimes even useful, since thickened plantings increase the frost resistance of each individual plant.

The preparation of the apricot seat begins with the cleaning of the area from vegetable debris and weeds, after which you need to dig the landing pit itself. Average dimensions are values ​​within 70 × 70 × 70 cm; True, a few tens of centimeters can be added to these figures, depending on the size of the root system of planting material.After digging the right hole, even on a high site, you will have to lay a drainage layer of broken brick, gravel or crushed stone at the bottom of the pit. Above it, you can place the cut branches of other trees (necessarily healthy, without signs of any disease). A nutrient mixture prepared from 2 kg of ash, 1 kg of lime, 0.5 kg of superphosphate, 0.2 kg of ammonium nitrate, 0.1 kg of potassium salt and 20 kg of soil removed from the hole is laid on the drainage layer. Having mixed all the components to a homogeneous state, it is necessary to fill the mixture back, forming a small mound from it, on which the apricot seedling will be grown.

Important! The nodes at the junction of the rope and seedling should not be tightened too much, always leaving room for an increase in the size of the tree trunk.

Direct landing

If the place for the apricot is ready and the tree seedling is already with you, it remains to wait for the right time and you can begin planting activities. In this case, all actions are performed in the following order:

1. The roots of a young tree need to be dipped in a talker made from clay and a small amount of rotted cow manure, and soak them in this mixture for no more than 5-10 minutes.
2. Then drive into the center of the prepared hole a one and a half meter wooden stake, but only so that it deviates from the center point of the soil hill by about 10-15 cm, being a little to the side.
3. Next to the prepared support, install the seedling itself, carefully spreading all its roots (they should not be tangled or broken).
4. Fill the hole evenly with soil, making sure that there is no free space between the individual roots of the seedling.
5. Fill the hole with soil to the very top, leaving only the neck of the plant above the surface of the earth.
6. Compact the soil around the tree and pour it abundantly, pouring at least 2-3 buckets of slightly warm water into the trunk circle.

As soon as it is completely absorbed, and the root neck is lowered a little, tie the trunk of the seedling to the support, using soft twine or twine for this

Video: planting instructions for apricot seedlings

Further tree care

Soon after planting apricots on the site, a long phase of care for fruit trees begins, providing for the timely implementation of watering, top dressing, pruning and other activities that are required for the normal growth and development of each plant.

Watering

Despite the high drought tolerance of the crop, regular watering to apricot trees is simply necessary, especially when it comes to young plants in the summer. In spring and autumn, the intensity of humidification is significantly reduced, but with the obligatory consideration of weather conditions and natural precipitation. The best option for applying irrigation fluid is to use annular ditches with a diameter equal to half the size of the crown of the tree itself.

In the future, this value increases annually by 0.5 m, further retreating from the stem. Watering is carried out for the first time before flowering plants or immediately after it, the second - with intensive growth of all branches (approximately in May), and the third time - several weeks before the harvest ripens, which usually occurs in late June or early July. Special attention should be paid to water-resistant irrigation, aimed at better resistance of the root system to winter frosts.Late autumn wetting is carried out 2-3 weeks before the first frost, and provides for the consumption of 5-6 buckets of water per 1 m² of the territory of the near-trunk circle. . After the fruiting starts, it is useful to add 0.5 kg of ammonium nitrate in one bucket of water during the first watering and the same amount of potassium sulfate or superphosphate during the third watering.

Fertilizers

Most fruit trees perceive fertilizers with organic substances, including bird droppings infused in water at a ratio of 1:10. After 4-5 years of apricot cultivation, manure or compost can be introduced, starting with 1-2 buckets per trunk circle and increasing this rate annually by one bucket.

Important! Nitrogen-containing fertilizers have a positive effect on the growth and development of the apricot tree, but do not forget that their excessive amount negatively affects the condition of the plant, often causing gumming, delayed fruit ripening, ultra-fast growth (more than 1 m).

When choosing fertilizer and the optimal amount of its application, the age of the plant must be taken into account:

1. For two-three-year-old trees, 10–15 kg of organic matter (for example, humus or compost), 130 g of superphosphate, 50–60 g of ammonium nitrate, and 50 g of potassium chloride will suffice.
2. Starting from the fourth or fifth year of cultivation, these values ​​are approximately doubled, bringing the amount of humus to 30 kg, nitrate to 100 g, superphosphate to 200 g, and potassium to 50-60 g.
3. When a tree reaches six to eight years of age, the amount of organic substances is again increased to 15–20 kg, saltpeter to 110 g, superphosphate to 210 g, and potassium to 140 g.
4. After ten years of growing, adult apricots need about 80 kg of organics, 350–370 g of ammonium nitrate, 850–880 g of superphosphate and 250 g of potassium chloride.

When grown on acidic and heavy soils, apricots can be fertilized with calcium, which is preferably used in liquid form. When using dry matter, mixing with the soil is allowed and only before heavy watering.

Whitewash

Whitewashing the trunk of fruit trees is one of the obligatory measures when caring for them, since the presence of a protective layer protects the bark of the plant from sunburn and from the appearance of frost on the cold season. The stone fruits, to which apricot belongs, even with minimal damage to the surface, gum gum begins to release, which does not benefit the plant. Whitewashing can solve this problem, but for this you will have to color the bark to a height of at least 1-1.5 m.

A whitewash composition is prepared on the basis of slaked lime (the substance is diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 1), with a small addition of mineral fertilizers, and sometimes clay. During the whitewashing procedure, the solution enters into all cracks in the bark, exerting antimicrobial and antifungal effects in the deep layers of the wood tissues. This helps to eliminate some existing problems and prevent the formation of new ones.Often, apricot whitewashing is performed twice a year: in spring (early March) and in autumn (October - November), immediately after cleaning the surface of the bark with a spatula. Large wounds that have appeared can be covered with garden varieties or special garden paint for treating trees, not only the stem part, but also all large shoots

Cropping and shaping

A properly formed crown and regular sanitary removal of damaged branches are no less important conditions for obtaining an abundant and high-quality fruit crop, therefore, maximum attention should be paid to this issue. Typically, the crown of apricot trees is formed in the form of a ball or a pyramid, for which they begin to prune the branches almost immediately after planting a seedling on the site.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. In the first year after planting a young apricot (including specimens grown from seeds), you need to form a powerful central shoot, completely removing the side branches. In early September, the new season will need to be cut to ¼ of the entire length.
2. In the second year of cultivation, seedlings again remove all shoots except the two central ones, thereby enhancing the growth of the latter.
3. In the future (in subsequent years), 3-5 more skeletal branches are laid on the tree, forming new branches of the second order.
4. After laying the last skeletal shoot, the conductor is cut at the same level with it.

So that the formed crown retains its attractive appearance for as long as possible, and the crop that appears in the future is characterized by abundance and high quality of fruits, it is worth considering the nuances of the annual sanitary apricot pruning:

1. With the advent of spring, all weakened and old shoots, more than three years old, are subject to removal.
2. Trees grown in the southern regions of the Russian Federation are re-pruned in summer, half-shortened branches, starting from 40 cm long. When grown under warm conditions, fruit trees are quickly restored after pruning and by the beginning of autumn they have time to grow leaf cover and lay buds.
3. They begin to perform autumn sanitary pruning from the periphery, cutting off all weakened shoots and shortening adult branches, which helps to avoid overloading the tree with fruits. The places of cuts should immediately be treated with garden varieties, which will prevent infection of the deeper layers of tissues.

Important! With the forming and sanitary pruning of apricot, the regularity of the procedures is very important, otherwise, with the slightest thickening of the crown, problems with the abundance of the crop and its regularity will begin.

Diseases and Pests

Growing apricot seems to be a very simple process, but sooner or later, the gardener may face the problem of plant damage by 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. A few basic, most typical diseases when growing the described crop:

1. Moniliosis (flowers, shoots, leaves suffer, and eventually the whole tree becomes covered with cracks and dries out). Ways to combat fungal ailment 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 Chorus, and during the ripening of the crop - Switch.
2. Kleasterosporiasis (aka “hole spotting”) is characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the leaf plates, gradually turning into holes. Over time, the same spots appear on the shoots, leaving behind unattractive cracks that emit gum. In the fight against the problem, a 1% solution of copper sulfate and a 4% composition of Bordeaux mixture are often used. In addition, the drug Chorus will be effective.
3. Valsa mushroom is an infectious disease, manifested by growths-ulcers of a saturated orange color. The main preventive measure is the absence of pruning during the dormant period of the plant, but for the treatment of the disease, various fungicidal formulations and the drug “Switch” are used.
4. Verticillin wilt, characterized by massive yellowing of foliage on the lower tiers of the tree, while maintaining a saturated green color of the apical leaf plates. Together with the leaves, the spores of the fungus fall into the soil, after which there is a massive infection of other fruit trees growing nearby. In this case, Bordeaux mixture is often used for prophylaxis (2%), and treatment of affected apricot trees can be performed using the chemicals Previkur, Topsin-M, Fundazol.
5. Smallpox - manifested by pressed brown spots on the fruits of the tree and the deterioration of their taste. When treating an ailment, you will have to timely remove all affected fruits, and spray the plant itself with one of the above fungicides.
6. Ribbon mosaic - a viral ailment, manifested by yellow stripes on the leaves, which soon take the form of a kind of lace pattern. All affected leaf plates dry out and die 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 appearing than to try to cope with its consequences. All seedlings planted on the site should initially be in good health, and when preparing a seat for them, it is advisable to additionally etch the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate and then carefully monitor its cleanliness.

The most common pests:

1. Aphid - a sucking insect that can weaken not only apricot, but also any other plant in the country. After the activity of small pests, a sooty mushroom may appear on the foliage, actively feeding on aphid secretions. Together, they can cause significant damage to the future crop, and to prevent this, at the first manifestations of aphids, it is worth treating the foliage with an ash-tobacco mixture. In severe cases, special preparations, for example, Actellik or Karbofos, can correct the situation.
2. Moth - A small butterfly that actively lays 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-stem circle will help prevent the onset of the codling moth, and copper sulfate or special insecticidal preparations (for example, Calypso) can be used to eliminate the problem.
3. Caterpillars of the butterfly hawthorn - 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 subsequent autumn destruction of all its clutches (usually they are wrapped in twisted leaves). Among the drugs the most effective for the fight will be “Chlorofos”, “Phosphamide”, “Dursban”.
4. Leafloader (especially caterpillars) in the spring, it actively eats leaf plates and apricot buds, causing significant damage to the future crop and the tree itself. To combat the caterpillars and adult pests, the base of the skeletal branches and the stem of the tree are treated with a concentrated solution of Chlorofos, applying it to the bark twice a year: in spring (after raising the temperature 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 deal with them as it might seem at first glance. In addition, with proper prevention, they can be successfully avoided.

Harvesting and storage

The knowledge of how to plant apricots on your site and care for them 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. Early varieties ripen already in the middle or end of June, and later ones can be harvested no earlier than mid-August, sometimes closer to the end of summer or even the beginning of autumn.

For long-term storage, only freshly picked, not fully ripened fruits are suitable, without any spots or other defects. True, the shelf life, even if all these conditions are met, will depend on the varietal characteristics of the culture. For example, late ripe 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 preservation, frozen or dried, for which almost all varieties of crops are suitable.They pluck the fruits slightly unripe, exclusively by hand, trying not to leave dents on the surface. Having covered the apricot with the whole hand, it must be carefully separated from the stem and neatly placed in a plastic or wooden box.So, with proper care, the apricot seedlings planted on the site will be able to please you with tasty and juicy fruits in 4-5 years. And how exactly to use them - each housewife will be able to decide for herself.