Apricot: planting and care in the Middle Strip, the best varieties for growing

Apricot is a nutritious and valuable fruit for human he alth, so gardeners are trying to cultivate it in the Middle Strip. However, summer residents doubt whether to plant a whimsical seedling. Also, the question often arises, how to properly plant an apricot, and what kind of care is needed in the Middle Strip?

Choosing a place for an apricot

Before planting a plant, experts advise choosing the area where the apricot will grow. She should:

1. Be on a hillock.
2. Definitely be warm.
3. Solar.
4. Unblown by constant cold winds.

It is advised to plant on the south side of rooms, fences or structures painted white - this is necessary for the reflection of the sun's rays in order to evenly warm the crown.

The soil at the planting site should be well breathable, that is, be drainage, as this is required by the root system during plant development.

Important! Temporary flooding or excessive soil moisture around the root system is unacceptable. Due to an excess of moisture, the plant dies.

In the virgin soil containing clay, you should add: peat and sand. And it is advised not to plant trees in sandy soil, as they decay and get burned, as a result of which they die and do not produce a crop. It is best to plant in soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

Seedlings required to be planted: 6 meters between rows and 4 meters in a row.

Apricot should be planted in the spring. Plants are placed in pre-dug soil to a depth of 45 centimeters. A hole for the plant is dug before planting. 10 kilograms of humus and 1 kilogram of superphosphate fall asleep.

The best varieties of apricots for the Middle Strip

Triumph north is considered the best variety of apricot by summer residents - a tall self-pollinating tree with a spreading crown. Thanks to good immunity, the plant is not affected by pests and various diseases. Tolerates any frost. It begins to bear the first fruits after three years, the harvest reaches 60 kilograms. Apricot is juicy, bright and colorful, large. Ripens from July to August.

Introducing some more popular varieties:

1. Iceberg reaches a height of 3 meters, the crown is wide. Blooms profusely, but few ovaries. The fruit weighs 20-25 grams, round, covered with yellow villi with an orange tint on top. Soft and delicate aftertaste. The ripening period is at the end of summer (last week of July-first week of August).
2. Alyosha is a tall tree (it can reach four meters). Its crown is lush, spreading. Inflorescences are large. Fruits weigh 15-20 grams, rounded, bright yellow with a blush. Delicious, the villi are small, the fruit from afar seems shiny. The fruits ripen from the end of July to the first decade of August.
3. Variety Aquarius, hybrid variety Lel. Large tree, reaches a height of 5 meters. Gives a big harvest. The color of the fruit is yellow with a slight blush. Astringent taste. The bone is moving away from the pulp. Ripe in the second half of August.
4. Royal apricot - begins to bear fruit after 4 years. Winter hardy look. The fruits are small, oblong, bright orange. The pulp is hearty, sweet and sour.
5. Red-cheeked apricot is a self-fertile variety resistant to low temperatures, a tall tree. Bears fruit in 3 years. The size is larger than average, rich orange color. Among the advantages, it is worth highlighting self-pollination.
6. Snegirek is a stunted plant, reaching a height of one and a half meters. Fruit size is medium. It has excellent taste and juiciness.
7. The Countess ripens in August. Brings enough crops. It is required to thin out the fruits - if this is not done, they will be small. It grows up to 6 meters, the crown is round. Pollinated by other plants. It is considered the most sensitive variety to frost. Fruit weight - up to 25 grams. The skin is pale yellow with a blush. The pulp is tasty, juicy, sweet. In dry weather, the apricot will feel good, and during the rainy summer it will suffer from diseases.
8. Monastic - depending on the temperature, it ripens during August. The tree is tall, the crown is heavy and wide. High yield, fruits weighing 30 grams. The skin is covered with pile. Bright yellow with a reddish side.
9. Favorite - fruits ripen late. The height of the tree is 4 meters. Harvest large, weighing up to 30 grams, orange with a red barrel. The pulp is compacted, juicy, the stone is small, easily separated. Late ripening, in cool and rainy years, the crop does not have time to ripen.

For the Middle Volga region, frost-resistant plants should be chosen, such as:

1. Iceberg.
2. Alyosha.
3. Aquarius.
4. Royal.
5. Lel.

Before planting, an artificial hill should be made, and the pit should be insulated with slate so that the roots do not freeze through.

Planting and care

You must first choose a place isolated from drafts. It is desirable that the soil contains trace elements of potassium. Spring is considered a favorable time of year for planting seedlings.

Before buying a tree, you need to decide which seedling is suitable for this region, and how to care for it?

It is necessary to create drainage, for air to penetrate into the soil; you should also periodically loosen the soil around the plant.

Preparation for planting an apricot begins in the fall, by creating a hole to plant in the spring. Drainage should be laid out at the bottom, then the soil is mixed with humus, s alt containing potassium, lime and superphosphate.

Water the apricot sparingly. Excessive watering will lead to the death of the fruit plant. During the summer season - 4 times:

1. In the middle of spring.
2. In the second decade of May.
3. 2-3 weeks before fruit fully ripens.
4. In autumn, before preparing the tree for winter.

Pruning apricot should be done annually. In early spring, branches frozen after winter are removed. Gardeners advise pruning a tree to stimulate the movement of juice, this helps to awaken dormant buds.

Summer pruning is required at the end of August. In the autumn, pruning branches has a fruitful effect on the winter hardiness of the plant.

Strong seedlings withstand low temperatures. Before the cold weather, you should wrap the trunk with burlap and sprinkle it around with soil. Young seedlings should be given more attention. It is required to make a structure of wooden boards and stretch a film on them, pour earth on top. Cover the crown with agro fabric in two layers.

Within five years after planting a tree, it is required to fertilize the near-trunk zone. Next, increase the area for fertilizer. In the spring, add up to 4 kilograms of humus, combining them with 6 grams of nitrogen and 5 grams of phosphorus, 8 grams of potassium.The resulting mixture is intended for 1 square meter.

Important! To increase the yield of apricots, regular mineral supplements are required.

1. In the second year of life, you need to fertilize with 0.06 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 0.04 kilograms of potassium chloride, 0.13 kilograms of superphosphate.
2. For 4 and 5 years - 0.1 kg of ammonium nitrate, 0.06 kg of potassium chloride, 0.2 kg of superphosphate.
3. Following years, contribute 0.37 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 0.25 kilograms of potassium chloride and 0.88 kilograms of superphosphate.

How to dig in a seedling for the winter period:

1. Requires a well ventilated trench.
2. Lack of groundwater.
3. A little bit of moss, sawdust is spread on the bottom. You can also put coniferous needles.
4. Should be spilled with water.
5. After the first slight frosts, sprinkle with earth, forming a hill.
6. You need to get seedlings after sufficient warming up of the soil.
7. Before putting the plants in the pit for storage, cut off the leaves, cut off the damaged roots and put them in water for a day.

Apricot is a very capricious tree, but thanks to selection it can be grown in Central Russia. The needs of the plant should be taken into account and a future variety should be selected that is suitable for the climate of the region in which it will grow.

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