A beginner's guide to planting apricots in the fall

Apricot is a very capricious culture. However, it is realistic to grow a plentifully fruiting tree at your dacha, subject to the correct choice of the variety and regular care. We will tell you about when to plant an apricot tree and what are the features of choosing seedlings and planting sites later.

Choosing an apricot variety for autumn planting

Apricot is predominantly a southern fruit, so it thrives in warm climates. However varieties that grow and bear fruit in temperate latitudes have been bred, for example, in central Russia and even in the Urals.

When choosing a variety for planting, they rely primarily on the geography of the area.... We offer the top 5 best apricot varieties that are adapted to almost all latitudes, with the exception of the Far North and arid desert.

Northern Triumph

Self-fertile early variety. It is a tall, powerful tree... The fruit is slightly elongated, with a noticeable blush on one side. The pulp has a sweet taste with almond notes. It is successfully grown in the middle zone of the Russian Federation.

Dessert

This variety is native to France. However, it has taken root well in cold Russia. Winter-hardy Dessert apricot is a large tree with a spherical crown... The fruits are yellow, without blotches and blush.

Saratov ruby

Another representative of frost-resistant apricot. Partially self-fertile, therefore pollinator replanting is recommended, as an option - to plant a bud to a tree of a different variety. The fruits are bright orange in color with a ruby ​​barrel.

Academician

A variety adapted for the Far East and the Amur Region, frost-resistant... Differs in large fruits of an elongated shape with a characteristic "beak". The nucleoli are sweet.

Alyosha

A relatively new variety, universal, early maturing... Fruits are bright orange with red blotches. The stone is large, easily detached. It is grown in central Russia.

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Selection and preparation of seedlings

Planting material must correspond to the climatic zone in which the tree will grow and bear fruit.

When choosing an apricot tree seedling pay attention to the following nuances:

• the grafting zone should be expressed on the trunk - this indicates that the tree is pricked and belongs to a certain variety;
• planting a two-year-old seedling is more favorable;
• the planting material should not have cracks or other damage;
• the optimum height of the seedling is 1-1.5 m;
• the presence of a developed root system - a strong main process and several lateral 20-25 cm in length.

You should not buy a flowering or already fruiting tree... Such a seedling will soon die.

Important! By the bark, you can determine the frost resistance of the variety. A reddish or brown shade of the bark is a sign of winter-hardy varieties, and a light green stem is characteristic of southern apricots.

Site and soil selection

Apricot is planted in an open sunny area... The main requirement for the soil for planting apricots is air permeability. It is better to give preference to black soil; sandy loam or medium loamy soils are also suitable.

Clay soils are not suitable for the growth of the apricot tree... In such soil, the plant stops bearing fruit and dies.This is due to the fact that clay retains water, and the culture feels uncomfortable in a humid environment.

It is recommended to plant seedlings in slightly alkaline or neutral soil.... Acidic soil requires prior liming.

Attention! If you have to plant in unsuitable soil, a layer of humus is added to the sandy soil at the bottom of the hole, and sand is added to the clay soil.

When choosing a place, pay attention to the level of humidity.... The apricot tree is susceptible to decay, so its location in close proximity to water bodies or groundwater is unacceptable.

In cold regions, they choose a place for planting where the seedling will be sheltered from the wind, for example, near buildings, fences or other trees. But the distance between them should be at least 2.5-3 m.

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Disembarkation dates

When is it better to plant apricots - in spring or autumn? Planting time depends on the climatic characteristics of the region... In the southern regions (Kuban, Rostov region) they are planting in autumn, in colder regions - in spring, so that the root system gets stronger during the summer.

In order for the seedling to take root after planting, suitable conditions are necessary. The air temperature is stable and not lower than + 5 ... + 6 ° С.

The terms vary in different regions of the country:

• the middle lane, including the Moscow region, is the middle or end of April, the end of September, the first decade of October;
• Siberia and the Urals - early May and September;
• south (North Caucasus, Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, Rostov Region) - the last decade of March, all of October, early November until the first frost.

When planting apricots in autumn, it is important to have time 3-4 weeks before the first frost... Otherwise, the fragile root system will not withstand the cold, and the tree will die. The same principle is followed when transplanting a young plant to another place.

How to properly plant an autumn apricot

For planting, you need a minimum set of tools and fertilizers.

The process begins long before purchasing a seedling. Soil preparation is an important step. To create conditions for the fruiting of a tree, the land on the site is plowed in the fall to a depth of at least 15 cm.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Holes for seedlings are dug a week before planting. Sizes: 50-60 cm deep and 60-80 cm in diameter. Drainage from small pebbles or broken brick is placed at the bottom. A wooden or metal peg is driven into the center of the hole to support the seedling.
2. The finished pits are filled with a mixture: black soil - 1.5 shares, mullein - 1 share, humus - 4.5 shares. 60-70 g of wood ash and 50-60 g of superphosphate are added.
3. The purchased seedling is soaked in water for a day. Then the roots are cut by 1/3 and dipped in a mash made of water, clay and mullein. This will help the young plant adapt to the new environment and prevent drying out.
4. A hole is made in the hole according to the size of the rhizome, the planting site is watered and the seedling is placed in the center. In this case, the root collar should look out of the ground by 4-5 cm. The rhizome is covered with earth so that voids do not form between the branches. From above, the soil is tamped.
5. A border-side with a height of 10-15 cm is built around the landing hole.
6. The peg is tied to the trunk with a garden cord.
7. The seedling is abundantly watered and mulched.
8. When planting in the fall in the northern regions, film insulation is used.

Autumn planting provides favorable conditions for hardening the seedling... If the seedling is planted on time (a month before frost), this time is enough for the plant to adapt.

Taking care of the tree after planting

Young tree care includes regular watering without waterlogging.

In the first 2-3 years after planting, the apricot does not need feedingsince the necessary recharge was provided during the landing phase.At the age of 2-3 years, the tree is fed in the spring with a mixture of chicken manure, compost and peat at the rate of 300 g per 1 m², and in the fall 15 kg of organic matter, 130 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium chloride are added during digging.

Apricots are the most common fungal infections.... For prevention, trees are cut every year, whitened and sprayed with fungicides in the fall.

Major diseases:

1. Stone fruit cytosporosis: small gray-brown tubercles appear on the trunk, the leaves wither, the tree dries up. At an early stage, spraying with 1% Bordeaux liquid helps.
2. Bacterial necrosis. The plant becomes covered with burns and ulcers, from which gum flows. The bark turns brown. The affected branches are removed, the sections are lubricated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. The gum is removed in a timely manner.
3. Monilial burn. Leaves and young shoots turn brown and dry. The fruits are rotting. The crown is treated with Topsin-M, Strobi or Topaz.
4. Phylostictosis. Brown spots with a narrow dark border on the leaves. The tree is sprayed with 3% Bordeaux liquid, the leaves are torn off.

Apricot pests:

1. Aphid. It settles on the back of the leaves, sucks out the juice. Leaves curl and dry out.
2. Fruit moth. Appears in late summer and eats fruits. It hibernates in the soil of trunk circles or under the bark.
3. Leaf roll. Caterpillars eat buds and leaves in spring.

Insecticides are used to control pests: "Fitoverm", "Fufanon", 0.5% solution of "Entobacterin". For the purpose of prevention, damaged fruits are removed and destroyed in a timely manner, the stems are whitened, the old bark is cleaned off, and the trunk circles are dug up.

The nuances of planting apricots depending on the region

Apricot is a southern culture. The plant feels most favorable in warm latitudes.... In the Urals, Siberia and the middle lane, some climatic features are taken into account when landing.

In regions with severe winters trees are planted on hills, and in the cold period they are covered with non-woven material or film insulation.

In Siberia, the Urals and the central zone of the Russian Federation planting with nests is popular, when 2-5 seedlings are placed in the hole. This method has several advantages: plants are protected from sunburn and frost, saving space in the garden. The diameter of the planting hole is 1-1.5 m. The seedlings are placed at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. The process of planting in the soil is similar to planting one tree.

Planting apricots in different regions has its own nuances.:

1. In central Russia, because of the harsh winters, the thermophilic apricot is planted on a hillock. A mound with a diameter of 2-3 m and a height of at least 70 cm is erected on the site. This allows the roots to warm up quickly. Planting apricots in the lowlands is unacceptable.
2. In the Moscow region, apricot is also planted on a hill, but because of the groundwater, a slate or metal base is placed at the bottom of the planting pit.
3. The most acceptable planting method for the Urals and Siberia is with bones. Several pieces are placed in holes and, after germination, the seedlings are looked after.

Conclusion

Apricot is a thermophilic plant, but this does not prevent its cultivation even in the northern regions. Compliance with the rules of planting and care, protection from frost in winter and the prevention of diseases and pests are a guarantee of a bountiful harvest in any climatic conditions.