In mid-summer, stalls in markets and shops are filled with various fruits and berries. One of the favorites is a bright and sunny apricot. We love the fragrant fruit in any form - fresh, dried, canned. It is a pity that it is cultivated mainly in warm regions. But it is possible to grow it in cooler regions. Let's find out how to grow apricot in central Russia. This is not difficult, but this is not the case when you planted and forgot.
Common apricot: characteristic
Fragrant orange fruits are often called the Armenian apple. This is primarily due to the issue of the territory of origin of the apricot. Modern scientists distinguish from 3 to 6 places where this tree could first appear. According to one version (most likely), in the Tien Shan (China). But in the recent past, Armenia was considered the birthplace of the tree, from where the apricot later came to Europe.
This culture is a deciduous tree, growing in height from 5 to 8 meters. The color of the bark on old specimens is gray-brown, cracking longitudinally. Apricot is a long-lived, in a warm climate, trees grow up to 100 years. The leaves are ovoid in shape, regular arrangement, up to 9 cm long. The flowers are sessile and solitary, the petals are white in color. The fruit is a yellow-red odontostrus having rounded outlines.
Apricot in central Russia
The tree is thermophilic, which determines its natural distribution. Apricot has long been grown in temperate countries. In our country, it is widely cultivated in the Caucasus and Crimea, as well as in the European part (southern regions) of Russia. They grow in almost every yard and are quite ordinary, because they are unpretentious and drought tolerant. But in order to grow apricot in central Russia, some effort will be required. Work on the creation of acclimatized frost-resistant hybrids was begun at the end of the 19th century by I. V. Michurin
In the future, breeding was able to breed a number of varieties with high quality fruits and relatively high winter hardiness. Apricot varieties for central Russia are currently quite numerous, so we will focus on only a few.
Hardy
The hybrid was obtained in the Nikitinsky Botanical Garden. Belongs to species with late ripening - the first half of August. The trees are medium-sized, grow quickly and have a dense lush crown. Fruits appear 5-6 years after planting. The harvest is plentiful - up to 80 kg from one tree. Fruits are medium in size, weighing 30-40 grams, flat-rounded in shape, golden-orange in color with a bright blush, carmine color. They have high palatability, are suitable for preservation and fresh consumption.
Red cheek
The cultivar is familiar to many gardeners due to its exceptionally positive qualities. The tree is tall, fruiting begins in the 3-4th year. High drought resistance and winter hardiness are characteristic. Fruits of orange color, with small red blotches have an oval shape, weight - from 40 to 60 g. Ripening period - July (second half).
Solar
Promising hybrid with increased winter hardiness. It is included in the best apricot varieties for central Russia. Fruits are yellow in color, with a slight blush, weighing up to 45 g. Ripening occurs in the second decade of July. Fruiting is frequent and plentiful.
Triumph North
A variety with high winter hardiness and medium in flower buds. It is zoned for the southern part of the Central Black Earth zone. Large fruits weighing up to 55 g have a yellow-orange color. They are used mainly fresh. This variety is characterized by the formation of vigorous trees and a spreading crown. Fruiting occurs in the 4th year of life.
Honey
Very frost-resistant variety developed by the South Ural Research Institute, free pollination. Tall tree (up to 4 m) with a spreading lush crown. Medium-sized fruits (up to 15 g) have aromatic and sweet flesh. Their color is yellow, with small subcutaneous blotches of red. High productivity is characteristic, up to 20 kg from one tree.
Snow flake
A true leader among all other varieties in terms of frost resistance. This apricot in central Russia will feel great and delight the owners with a harvest. A tree of small height: from 120 to 150 centimeters. With winter shelter, you can grow it even in the Urals and in the northern regions. The corresponding yield is 7-10 kg per tree, ripening begins in mid-August. The fruits are not very large (15-18 g), with excellent taste, have a dense pulp and average sugar content. Creamy skin with a crimson blush.
Cup
A typical dwarf tree, growing in height to just 1.5 meters, has a cup-shaped crown, which determines the name. The hybrid is winter hardy. Apricot of this variety bears fruit every year, the yield is quite high. Fruits weighing 25-30 g with creamy yellow skin and a slight blush. They have friable, delicate and sweet flesh with a strong aroma.
It is also worth noting the following best apricot varieties for central Russia: Tsarsky, Alyosha, Monastyrsky, Lel, Piquant, Ilyusha, Success, Russian.
Landing dates and seat selection
The best time for planting an apricot is the third decade of April, when the earth is already warming up and the threat of freezing frost disappears. Carefully choose seedlings, the buds should be slightly swollen, but not at the stage of leaf blooming. Give preference to trees in separate containers, rather than with an open root system. Experts advise to grow apricot from the seeds of local varieties, so it grows stronger and more resistant to various diseases and weather conditions.
Growing apricots in central Russia requires a careful selection of places at the initial stage. This southern guest in our gardens prefers the warmest, most lighted area, and preferably without northerly winds. Apricot normally tolerates the proximity of groundwater.
Pit preparation and landing
The landing hole for apricot should be quite spacious (70 * 70 * 70 cm). It is worth remembering that the root system of a tree is twice as large as its crown. Therefore, the distance between individual seedlings must be maintained, based on the characteristics of the variety, on average about 3 meters.
Prepare a landing pit in the fall. After digging, fill it with humus, add 2-3 liters of mullein, 400 g of potassium sulfide, 700 g of superphosphate, one glass of ash. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and leave under the winter. Be sure to pour a drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel at the bottom of the pit. During planting, the seedling must be kept upright and gradually covered with soil to the point of growth. As a result, the tree should be located on a certain hill, mound. According to its diameter, make a watering circle, after planting, pour 2 buckets of water.
Apricot in central Russia: care
The process of proper cultivation consists of three main components: watering, fertilizing and trimming the tree. Despite the fact that apricot is a drought tolerant culture, it needs water for good growth and fruiting. Watering should be frequent, but not too plentiful. It must be carried out either in the early morning or in the late evening.
Fertilizers are applied to the soil. The first time this is done when planting a seedling. Starting from the second year, complex mineral fertilizers are recommended to be applied in autumn and early spring. Organic wood is also useful, it is added as needed, but at least once every 3-4 years.
For apricot, a sparse-tier crown scheme is recommended. For this, 5-6 skeletal branches are left. Avoid their growth from one place on the trunk. Apricot fruits develop on the shoots of one year old, the highest yield - on the branches of continuation. Therefore, in the spring it is necessary to shorten them by half in order to stimulate the development of flower buds on the remaining part. Anti-aging haircut is carried out after fruiting is completed. In relation to mature trees, strong pruning should not be used.
Apricot in the middle zone of Russia can be grown subject to the correct selection of varieties and the availability of time to care for the tree. Therefore, before bringing this southern guest to your garden, you need to weigh the pros and cons.