Juicy and healthy fruits of the apricot tree can hardly leave anyone indifferent. And although apricot is considered a southern fruit, miracle breeders have long bred varieties that allow gardeners to enjoy delicious fruits in all climatic conditions. Apricot is truly a wonderful fruit.
All the components of the fruit find their application without a trace, even the seeds are used in cosmetology (aromatic oils are made of them). By planting this tree in your garden, you will provide yourself not only with a summer harvest, but also with tasty supplies for the winter in the form of compotes, jams and preserves.
Soil: preparation for planting, requirements for it
Planting apricot in spring naturally begins with soil preparation. Despite the fact that the plant is unpretentious to the soil and takes root in almost any, still some nuances should be taken into account. The groundwater level should not be high, which means that the location in the lowland will become undesirable. Otherwise, rotting of the rhizome cannot be avoided. A sufficiently illuminated hill, sheltered from cold winds, will be optimal for a seedling. Even a high fence can serve as a shelter from gusts of wind.
Planting apricots in spring should be done in a fairly light, well-ventilated soil. Advantage should be given to loamy soil. Clay and heavy loamy soil are categorically not suitable. Choose and prepare a place for planting in the fall. A pit is dug up with a depth and a width of half a meter or more. The correct size of the pit will allow the seedling to develop its root system and become a good foundation for the future tree.
Sapling: selection, preparation for planting
Proper planting of apricot in spring only half depends on a well-chosen location. An important role is played by the seedling itself, which also must be carefully and carefully selected. Initially, you should examine him, he must be strong and healthy. The root system should not be damaged or dried out.
If, after the purchase, surface cracks or diseased roots were found, then they should be cut to a living tissue before planting. Both two-year and three-year seedlings will be suitable for planting. The roots during the period of saving and transportation should not dry out, if this happened, then they should be lowered into the water for several days so that they restore strength for further rooting and growth. Immediately before planting, the roots of the seedling must be dipped in a talker, which includes fresh mullein, clay and water.
Planting apricot seedlings: optimal period, process
Planting dates affect how the tree takes root. Planting apricot seedlings in the spring should be carried out before the sap flow and the awakening of the buds. It should be taken into account both the features of the climatic zone and the period of the beginning of the vegetation of seedlings of each apricot variety. The optimal period for landing is considered the end of April.
At the bottom of the pit, a layer of drainage should be poured in the form of crushed stone, gravel or expanded clay. From above it is desirable to pour some mineral fertilizer on it: wood ash or coal, ammonium nitrate. This is all covered by a layer of earth so that the roots of the seedling do not come in contact with top dressing. A peg can be placed in the center of the pit as a support. Covering the tree with soil, closer to the roots should use the soil of the upper layers, as it is more nutritious. Apricot planting ends in spring irrigation. Volume - 15-20 liters.
Planting apricot in the spring in the suburbs is a test not only for the tree itself, but also for the gardener, as the plant needs constant attention. Patience and work will certainly bring worthy results. The pleasant honey aroma of apricot in the suburbs can be caught already in late April or early May. For effective pollination on the site, it is desirable to have at least three seedlings. If the care is correct and the tree has not been replanted, then it can bloom already in the 3-4th year after planting.
Fertilizing a planted tree
Planting apricot seedlings in the spring will not do without fertilizer and top dressing. The fact that the very pit for planting must be filled with mineral fertilizers has already been said. And in this case, the most important thing is not to overdo it. Improving flowering and ovary next spring will help spraying the tree with a 3% nitrogen solution before deciduous fall. In no case should fertilizers in concentrated form reach the crown of a tree or the roots of a tree. This can cause burns and damage any plant, not just apricot.
Watering a seedling
Both the already formed tree and the apricot seedling are able to withstand high temperatures, but only on condition that the near-trunk zone of the soil is provided with a sufficient amount of moisture. The rules for planting apricot in the spring imply the presence of water in the prepared pit (up to half). After the sapling is in the pit and completely covered with soil, a rim is formed around it around the perimeter, which will further hold water at the column during irrigation. Planting apricots in spring involves at least three times watering. It is obligatory at the end of May, during the period of active growth, and two weeks before the period of fruit ripening. During a drought, the crown of the trees should be sprayed whenever possible. The last time the seedling is watered at the end of summer, preparing the tree for cold and winter.
In middle latitudes, watering should be intensively carried out after transplantation and during the growth period. In the second half of summer zealous to irrigate in the suburbs is not worth it, since droughts are rare there.
Top dressing
As a top dressing for apricot seedlings, mineral and peat mixtures, which are introduced in the spring, are suitable. Organic fertilizers are best used after the tree has reached the age of five.
The first wintering of the seedling
The apricot root system is well adapted to winter cold, but the young seedling should still be protected from excessive temperature extremes. The first step in protecting it will be to choose the right place that will protect the seedling from the cold north wind. For the first winter, a kind of hut should be built for him. To do this, you will need wooden stakes and plastic film. Three pegs are inserted into the ground, fixed on top and tightened with a film, the end of which is sprinkled with earth. The design can be disassembled at the end of March.
A tree, whose age is several years, can be wrapped in a trunk with burlap, and during the winter the near-trunk zone requires earthing up with snow.
How to protect against diseases and pests
A good quality crop cannot be obtained without protecting the apricot tree from pests and various diseases. Planting apricot in the spring involves a series of preventive measures, consisting in the timely detection and removal of diseased shoots and branches. If the disease is provoked by wintering species of pests, then all removed leaves, branches and shoots must be burned. Periodically, a complete disinfection of the tree with chemicals and a solution of slaked lime is also necessary .
Apricot planting in spring: pruning
To form a crown, create good lighting, ensure normal growth and remove unnecessary shoots, any fruit tree, including apricot, requires pruning. A garter of the seedling to a solid base will provide harmony and a smooth trunk. Spring pruning should be given before the plant wakes up and the movement of juices begins. Damaged or diseased branches and those that grow vertically are cut off. After planting, young seedlings are cut at a height of 70 centimeters from the soil. After the apricot seedling formation process is completed, its skeletal branches are shortened by one third, the length of the central conductor should be 30 centimeters higher than the neighboring branches. There should not be branches from a single point.
Already at the fruiting tree, the branches are shortened by half. This provokes the appearance of flowers on the remaining parts of the plant.
Five days after planting a seedling and shrinkage, the tree can be tied to a wooden peg that was inserted into the pit at the time of planting. The peg will support the sapling in strong winds, and will prevent bending and fractures of the trunk.
Planting an apricot in spring is the best solution, since spring is the most favorable period for acquiring a beautiful fragrant apricot orchard. Not particularly whimsical breeding species can please their juicy fruits of gardeners not only in the southern, but also in the middle latitudes.