Apricot in the Moscow region: cultivation, planting and care in the open field, pruning

Apricots are considered one of the he althiest delicious fruits. The tree is widespread everywhere in gardens, summer cottages or vegetable gardens. Fragrant ripe fruits are used as the basis for compotes, jams, preserves, fillings for pies, casseroles. Growing an apricot in any region has its own subtleties, for example, in the Moscow region, you need to know the features of choosing a variety, conditions, planting sites, and care in order to prevent the plant from dying.

Choosing a variety for the Moscow Region

Before you start growing an apricot crop, you need to choose the right variety. To do this, consider the following factors:

1. Only frost-resistant varieties are suitable for the region, so the air temperature can vary: +45 to -30 degrees. A seedling near Moscow must endure early thaws, intense heat and a sharp drop in temperature. You also need to know that:

• South Asian nectar has a short winter dormancy. The first thaws will lead to the appearance of buds and the growth of shoots. The subsequent cold snap will cause damage to the plant or its death;
• crop bark is sensitive to high humidity, which provokes rotting. Therefore, the snow cover thawed in early spring will harm the plant.

2. When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to the origin of the seedlings. Only plants grown in the Moscow region will adapt to local conditions.
3. The main sign of a good tree is high fruiting. Apricot flowers should be pollinated independently, and produce fruits in July-August.
4. It is better to look for a suitable variety in a nursery. Thus, the plant will be grafted, able to tolerate any temperature regime, excessive moisture.

Therefore, suitable for Moscow and the region of culture, originating from the crossing of an ordinary apricot variety with highly frost-resistant species. For example, they use Siberian apricot sprouts, hybrid varieties of trees in combination with cherry plum or plum.

The frost resistance of properly selected apricot trees can reach 48 degrees below zero.

Verified varieties are:

• Red-cheeked - withstands freezing temperatures, gives a good harvest, large fruits from the third year after planting;
• Hardy - suitable for places subject to constant temperature changes. The tree bears fruit in 5-6 years;
• Honey seedling - not affected by strong winds, cold weather;
• Calyx - a small tree up to 150 centimeters high, can grow even in the northern part of the Moscow region under cover;
• Snegirek is a small compact plant that grows well even without shelter. It is enough to wrap the crown in the winter.

Apricots are referred to as "fruits of he alth". Apricot berries help maintain he alth, prevent and cure various diseases.

When and how to plant

In order to grow an apricot tree, you also need to consider the conditions necessary for planting, the choice of a place for planting, the requirements for a planting hole and seedlings.

Planting conditions

Apricot planting in the suburbs takes place in the spring. Also, when choosing the time when to plant a plant in the ground, you need to take into account that the seedlings need to settle down in a new place, put down additional roots, and gain a foothold in the ground.By winter, seedlings will get stronger and will be able to protect themselves from freezing and death.

Place to land

Another important condition for how to properly plant a plant is to choose a suitable landing site. To do this, several factors are taken into account:

1. The landing area must be protected from strong winds. The southern, southeastern and southwestern directions of the Moscow region are suitable for landing.
2. Low-lying areas where groundwater is closer to the top of the earth closer than 2 meters are unsuitable. It is optimal to grow a tree in an elevated area, a flower bed. In this case, the roots will not reach the groundwater.
3. It is better to grow a tree on loamy soil. Soil reaction - neutral.

If pear, ash, maple grow near apricot seedlings, then the soil and the neighborhood are not suitable for growing.

4. Check in the open field you need the level of fertility and moisture permeability. The fertility factor is the abundance of earthworms. By loosening the soil, sufficient moisture is achieved. In addition, an adult seedling is less demanding on watering than other trees.

Apricot is an early flowering crop. Therefore, in order to protect the tree from frost, you need to prepare frame beams for shelter and a film in advance.

Requirements for planting a plant in open ground

To transplant seedlings into the soil, the following conditions must be met:

1. Prepare a landing site 70 centimeters deep, 50 centimeters wide.
2. Throw a few stones of broken bricks on the bottom of the excavation so that the roots hold well.
3. The distance between seedlings is 5-6 meters.
4. Rhizomes to a depth of 40 centimeters.
5. Prepare the pit in advance, add fertilizer from several layers of humus with nitroammophosphate.

Pour fertilizer into planting holes, mix, compact. Next, moisten the soil, cover it with earth.

6. Place the tree in the soil carefully, trying not to damage the root system. Fix the roots with your hands.
7. After planting, compact the soil. Then water the landing site by making trunk circles.

To retain moisture, crush the ground with grass or hay.

Technology of growing a tree from a stone

Sprouting an apricot from a seed is simple, observing a number of factors:

1. Landing in autumn.
2. Select seeds from overripe nectars of those varieties that are adapted to the climate near Moscow.
3. Before planting, rinse the seeds well, dry and check for suitability, filling the raw material with water. Those bones that float up are not suitable for planting.
4. Make a trench in the soil. Pour vegetation, manure, sand, earth on the bottom.
5. Plant the seeds on prepared areas. Pour humus, grassy layer.

Not all seeds will sprout in the spring, but only the strongest seeds suitable for growing in the Moscow region. It is these sprouts that will become the basis of a bountiful harvest, if you properly care for the apricot.

Care

Necessary apricot care is:

1. Water young plants at least 1 time in 2-3 days, 2 buckets for each tree. From August 10, do not moisten the soil to prepare the tree for winter. The exception is a non-rainy autumn.

Pay the most attention to the cultures of the first year of life. At this time, the tree receives immunity, affecting the quantity, size, quality of fruits.

2. Keeping soil free of weeds.
3. Loosening the soil. Use mulch for this.
4. Formation of the crown, pruning - during the period of abundant growth.

To attract more insect pollinators, you need to spray the plants with a solution of water with honey during the flowering period.

5. Preserving seedlings from freezing or frost. For example, for the winter, wrap a tree with airtight material.
6. Fertilizing plants with horse manure, mullein. Dry top dressing is practiced, based on the needs of the plant. On average, one tree needs 70 grams of nitrogen fertilizer and 50 grams of ammonium nitrate.
7. Caring for the bark - treating wounds, open cuts with garden pitch. You need to constantly check the condition of seedlings, as plants are susceptible to a number of diseases:

• clusterosporiasis;
• moniliose;
• cytosporosis.

Only timely and proper care of an apricot tree will allow you to get a quality harvest.

Preparing for winter

Winter is the most difficult period of time for gardeners growing apricot fruits in the Moscow region. To properly prepare an apricot for the winter, you need:

1. Remove foliage from root soils in autumn, thereby protecting the trunk from pathogens.
2. Dig the ground around the apricot crops.
3. As a preventive measure, spray the tree against pests and diseases. Spray trees with chemicals such as:

• He althy Garden;
• Agravertine;
• Avertin.

Before wintering, whitewash the trunk with a solution of lime.

4. Wrap small trees for the winter. There are many options for how to shelter a plant from the cold. For example, make a shelter from sticks near the culture, stretch the film material from above.
5. Wrap burlap for adults.
6. Scatter snowballs around the tree to keep the roots from freezing and for extra moisture.

What are apricots grafted on in the Moscow region?

Seedlings of apricot trees are grafted onto Chinese or domestic plums, onto cherry plums. Thus, the root system will be more stable than in crops grown without grafting.

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