A crop such as apricot, belonging to the genus Armeniaca Scop, is part of the plum subfamily. The most common in the world are twelve species of this fruit. The main cultivated variety is Avulgaris, or common apricot.
About this fruit was known seven to eight millennia ago. He was brought to Europe from Armenia, and this happened about two hundred years ago. In this country, one of the symbols is apricot. This tree is also called the "Armenian apple." In our country, culture is most often found in the North Caucasus and Crimea.
There is no such person who would not like to enjoy such fruit as apricot. A tree strewn with yellowish-pink Avulgaris is the dream of every gardener. Delicate, like velvet peel and juicy fragrant flesh - all this makes apricot a favorite fruit of many. And since childhood. And if earlier this fruit tree could be grown only in the southern regions, in recent years, breeders have bred varieties that tolerate relatively harsh winter conditions.
general information
Winter-hardy apricots immediately fell in love with gardeners. The most popular of them are “red-cheeked”, “Russian”, “hardy”, “beloved”, “honey”, “snowball” and “calyx”. An equally useful property of this culture is its ability to self-pollination. This characteristic is a guarantee of excellent harvest, even if the apricot tree is the only one on the site.
In terms of ripening, this culture is early, mid-ripening and late. Experts recommend growing several varieties in the garden at once, differing in this parameter. Then for almost the entire season you can have sweet apricots on the table. Early varieties include Alesha, June, Lescore, Tsar’s, Early Sambur, Alliance, Early Melitopol and Iceberg. “Red-cheeked”, “Goldrich”, “monastic”, “altair”, “Zaporozhets”, “petrel”, etc. are considered mid-ripening. The late varieties include “spark”, “Kiev red”, “costume”, “special Denisyuk "And the favorite apricot." Many of them grow well in gardens near Moscow and delight with their harvest.
The best apricot for Moscow region
For each region, you need to choose specific varieties that can withstand the climatic conditions of this zone. For example, for cultivation in the Moscow Region, only those varieties that have a sufficiently high winter hardiness and tolerate frosts are well suited, which are quite common in the cold season. Apricot "favorite", belonging to the group of varieties with a late ripening period, is characterized by unpretentiousness and early maturity. Its fruits are appreciated for their excellent palatability, great aroma and good appearance. Apricot “favorite” was bred in early 2000 by breeder Kramarenko. The originator of the variety is the main botanical garden of the country. In 2004, the culture was included in the State Register of the Central region. Judging by the reviews, this is the best apricot for the Moscow region.
Grade description
This fruit tree has moderate growth power. In height, an adult plant reaches three to four meters. Apricot "favorite" of late ripening has a medium spread crown. It has branched annual shoots, shiny, without pubescence and having a brown color. The bark on old trunks gradually becomes gray-brown and is covered with longitudinal cracks. The leaf plate of this apricot variety has an elongated shape, with a sharp point at the end and serrated edges. The petiole is thin. The tree of the “favorite” apricot variety is covered in spring with white flowers having an average size (up to three centimeters in diameter). The buds open before the leaves appear.
Apricot fruits, whose weight reaches thirty grams, are quite large. They have a round shape, uneven surface and slight pubescence. Favorite apricot fruits have an orange color with a pronounced blush. They have a bright flesh and a dense juicy texture. The stone in the fruit is quite small, while it can be easily separated. Apricot "favorite", as already mentioned, refers to self-fertile, so it does not require additional pollinators. However, many experts advise: for a good ovary, plant varieties such as "lel", "royal" or "monastic" next to it. Judging by the reviews, this apricot is best suited for the Moscow region.
Advantages, disadvantages of the variety
In the list of positive characteristics of the “Favorite”, first place belongs to early maturity. In addition, this variety has high frost resistance, which makes it possible to grow it in the Moscow region, self-fertility, excellent presentation and good transportability.
In addition to the advantages, experts name a number of disadvantages that characterize the apricot “favorite”. These are late ripening, the need for regular pruning and thinning of the crown, as well as the dependence of the taste and quality of the fruit on the weather.
Everything about the time and place of landing
Favorit, like most fruit trees, is a light and heat-loving crop. Therefore, planting apricot in open ground should be carried out in early spring. In the conditions of the Moscow region, these works are best done in early April. Planting an apricot during this period will enable the seedling to take root better, and the risk of damage to the trees by frost is minimized. In the fall, experts consider the placement of seedlings in open ground less favorable.
In order for the self-made apricot “favorite” to grow normally and give a good harvest, it is better to take the south side of the site, where there is free access to sunlight. This fruit tree can be planted both along the hedge and near buildings. The main requirement during landing is that the site must be protected from wind and draft.
For fast rooting, young trees can be protected from the north side with small shields painted with white. Such structures reflect sunlight well and prevent seedlings from freezing.
Apricot “favorite” develops well and successfully bears fruit in elevated areas and small slopes. This culture should not be planted in lowlands or in places where there is constant flooding. At the same time, the groundwater level at this place should not exceed 3-4 m.
The soil
Sweet apricot varieties are quite demanding on the nutritional composition and structure of the soil. Light fertile soil — loam or sandy loam soil — is perfect for them. The optimum acidity of the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic with a pH level of 6 to 7. At the same time, the soil must pass both water and air well. For the cultivation of this apricot variety, sandy or clayy areas will not be practical.
If a crop is planted on non-irrigated chernozem, then the tree will not only enter the fruiting period too late, but will also produce irregular and meager crops. Good "neighbors" for apricot of this variety are oak, old pears, as well as maple and ash. “Favorite” has a developed and deep root system, therefore, in areas where these plants are present, it is usually always well established.
Choose seedlings
Healthy planting material is the key to the successful rooting and development of a strong tree. Apricot “favorite”, the yield of which also depends on this condition, must meet certain criteria. When choosing seedlings, you should first of all pay attention to the external state of the branches and trunk. They should be smooth, free from damage, wounds. For cultivation in the suburbs, it is advisable to choose planting material on the formers. During the stock, frost-resistant, non-heating crops should be used, for example, cherry plum, plum, peach, almonds and, of course, apricot. So experts increase frost resistance, as well as drought resistance of the variety. Apricot grafted on almonds have the best resistance to drought, slightly lower peach. When buying seedlings, you need to pay attention to the development of the root system. Roots should not be damaged. Moreover, the presence of dried or frozen parts is also unacceptable.
Based on this, we can say that it is better to buy seedlings in nurseries or in specialized stores. The trees that are offered on the market by private traders are not always of good quality. For planting, you need to choose annual or biennial seedlings with an open or closed root system. Those trees that nurseries sell in containers today take root much better and enter fruiting much earlier.
Landing site preparation
It is best to carry out preparatory work on the site a year before planting an apricot on it. For example, in the Moscow region, one-component soil is more often found, which should be structured. First, a landing pit is excavated with a diameter of about eighty and a depth of up to seventy centimeters. Its size is best increased in the case when the soil of the plot is not enriched with nutrients. In general, the poorer the land, the more you should dig a hole. The bottom is filled with drainage from expanded clay, coarse gravel or broken brick. For backfilling into the pit, you should prepare a soil mixture of clay, peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. Many also add lime or wood ash, fifteen to twenty compost grams, superphosphate and potassium salt. On top of the pit is covered with a layer of clean soil.
Disembarkation: step by step instructions
Before placing seedlings in the ground, damaged and dried roots should be trimmed on them. Slice updates of previously processed shoots are not required. The roots of the seedlings should be dipped in a soil mash. It must be prepared immediately before disembarkation. To do this, fertile soil should be diluted with water until a thick sour cream is obtained. Experts recommend adding to the mixture and heteroauxin at the rate of 0.1 grams per ten liters of water. This tool will stimulate root formation and contribute to better development of young trees.
Then, in the prepared hole at the bottom, a small earthen mound is made. A peg is driven in at a distance of ten centimeters from the center. A seedling is placed in the center of the planting fossa, whose roots are neatly straightened on the knoll. It is necessary to make sure that the root neck is four to six centimeters higher than the bottom.
Filling the hole with soil, the seedling should be shaken periodically to fill the soil with all voids. The soil should be carefully trampled with your foot. After this, the sapling is tied to the peg with a twine. Then a hole is formed with a diameter of about forty centimeters, and an earthen roller is made at the edges.
Watering the seedlings after planting should be twenty liters of clean warm water. After this, the hole is mulched with dry earth, wood chips or peat. During the first month after planting, it is required to carefully monitor the soil moisture, in no case preventing the soil from drying out.
Apricot “favorite”: features of care
Like any other plant, this fruit crop also requires the right approach to growing. Only competent care for this apricot variety will allow the gardener to grow a strong and healthy tree on the site, annually pleasing with an abundant harvest of high-quality delicious fruits. The basic rules of agricultural technology are timely pruning, top dressing, protection from pests or diseases, and, of course, timely watering. The gardener needs to monitor the cleanliness of the bore site, regularly removing weeds and periodically loosening the soil.
Watering
Apricot “favorite” has a powerful and deep root system. Therefore, it may well get the moisture necessary for normal growth from the lower layers of the soil. Under normal climatic conditions, experts recommend conducting four main irrigation - in April, May, in early July and in October.
Irrigation is best done using a drip system or through annular grooves. The norm of water for annual trees is fifteen or twenty liters, for two-year-old - two buckets, three-year-old - three, etc. At each irrigation, the ground should be moistened thirty to forty centimeters deep. After any irrigation, the hole is mulched with needles, dry earth or wood shavings.
Pruning
This is one of the main stages in the process of caring for such a fruiting tree as the favorite apricot. Pruning is most often done in the spring. In autumn, it can weaken the tree, especially in the cold or rainy season. In the first years of life, the formation of the crown is carried out. Most often, a sparse-tier form is selected. In this case, five to seven first-order branches with an interval of forty centimeters are left for growing.
The next year after landing, all branches are cut at a level of about a meter from the ground. Initially, those that are located in the main row are shortened by half. Then the remaining branches are cut to the cambial ring. At the end of summer, minor processes and those growing at an acute angle are removed.
In the second year of apricot life, the laying of the second tier is made. At the level of forty centimeters from the first branch, a second order is formed. At the same time, small annual branches are not cut, and annual shoots with a length of sixty or more centimeters are shortened by half. Next year, a new tier is being formed in the same way. After the formation of the crown is completed, sanitary and thinning pruning is performed. This removes dry and broken branches, as well as those shoots that grow vertically or in depth.
Feeding
Fertilize the favorite apricot should begin after its first fruiting. Feeding should be done annually. The necessary norm is divided into two parts: the first half is added to the soil already in early spring, and the second only after harvesting. Organic fertilizers need to be given to apricots only once in three years. Top-dressing should be distributed evenly over the circumferential area and then sprinkle it with a layer of clean soil for seven to ten centimeters.
Preparing the culture for the winter cold
So that the apricot tree does not suffer from low temperatures, cold winds or snow, it is necessary to prepare it in advance for wintering. To do this, the gardener should whiten the stems and bases at skeletal branches in the fall with garden whitewash or slaked lime. Then the trunk section is mulched with peat, sawdust or spruce branches. The crown of young trees needs to be tied with twine.
If the winters in the region, for example, near Moscow, are cold, then it is required to form a cone from a garden shelter or spunbond above the tree, and fill the base with sand or earth. For mulching, experts do not recommend using hay, fallen leaves or straw, and you should not use wire or other metal products as a fastener.
Apricot yield
As already mentioned, this variety is premature. It begins to bear fruit in the third or fourth year after planting. Ripening of its fruits in most parts of our country begins in August and lasts until the end of September. In the case when the weather was cold or rainy in the summer, there is a risk that most of the apricots will remain on the branches in an unripe state. The average yield of each tree of the Favorite variety is from eighteen to twenty-three kilograms.
Fruits should be stored in sealed paper bags in the refrigerator. They are well stored in plastic containers. In such conditions, the favorite apricots remain fresh for six to eight days. At temperatures from zero to one degree and at a humidity of 85–95%, fruits can be stored for thirty to forty days. A longer shelf life is not recommended, since in this case, the destruction of the pulp structure begins.
Reviews
I must say that today many gardeners on the site grow apricot “favorite”. Reviews indicate that this variety is the best for growing in the Moscow region. Here it can grow into a luxurious tree, which in the summer gives rapid growth on average up to one and a half meters. According to reviews of gardeners, apricot “favorite” is a fairly unpretentious variety. If during its cultivation all agrotechnical norms are observed, then the tree will give regular harvests, delighting the owners with its sweet fruits. It tolerates fairly low temperatures and, even in a cool climate, bears fruit well.