Apricot Academician

Growing apricots in cold climates has become possible thanks to the work of scientists who are working on the creation of winter-hardy varieties. One of the most popular is the Akademik apricot tree, which can be grown even by a novice summer resident.

Academician is a variety created at the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture in 1979. The authors of this variety are the well-known breeders V.A.Marusich and G.T. Kazmin. When crossing, the varieties Khabarovskiy and Sputnik were used as parental forms. Apricot Akademik joined the ranks of the State Register in 1996. The fruit and stone fruit culture has shown itself to be the most productive, growing in the Far Eastern region.

Akademik is a vigorous tree with a spreading crown of a rounded-elongated shape, which is characterized by moderate foliage with dark green leaves, flexible pale gray branches, a thickened trunk and a strong root system. A peculiarity of the tree is its pronounced tuberosity of the bark of a gray-brown color. An adult tree grows up to 5 meters in height.

The flowering period for the tree begins by mid-May. In favorable conditions, flowering can occur 10-14 days earlier. At this time, the neat crown is abundantly covered with large light pink flowers that look like a glass.

Far Eastern selection of apricots belongs to large-fruited. On average, fruits gain weight from 32 to 55 grams. The apricot has an unusual shape - rounded-elongated, with a sharpness in the form of a thorn at the top. Ripe fruits have an integumentary light orange color, diluted with a blurry carmine blush. The skin is dense, with a pronounced edge over the entire surface. The abdominal suture of the fruit is clearly visible.

The harvested fruits can be transported over medium distances, and also stored in a cool place for about 6-7 days. A longer keeping quality (up to 10-12 days) is possessed by fruits plucked slightly underripe. Apricot is eaten fresh, and is also ideal for conservation, processing into jams, preserves, for freezing and drying.

The taste of the fruits of this variety is memorable. The pale yellow flesh is tender, fleshy, slightly crunchy and fibrous, as well as a very juicy texture. The taste is dominated by summer sweetness, diluted with light sourness and a bright summer aroma. A medium-sized flat pit easily falls behind the apricot pulp. The fruit pulp contains almost 12% sugars and less than 3% malic acid.

Academician is a mid-season variety. The tree begins to bear fruit at the 3rd year of the scion's life, however, active fruiting can be expected at the 6-7th year of growth. Fruiting of the apricot is annual, stable. The fruits do not ripen at the same time, so the ripening period is somewhat extended. The period when massive fruit ripening occurs begins in late July or early August.

High yield is one of the many advantages of this variety. On average, one healthy tree produces up to 36.6 kg of delicious apricots. The maximum yield when grown on an industrial scale is 124 c / ha.

Apricot Akademik is a partially self-fertile crop. To ensure high yields, additional cross-pollination will be required, which donor trees can provide. The most productive varieties are Amur and Khabarovsk.

For planting, it is recommended to choose an apricot seedling up to 2 years old and with a closed type of root system. The tree is planted in the spring (first half of April) or in the fall (in the first week of October). When planting, it is important to maintain a distance between plantings - 2-3 meters, so that unwanted shading does not form over the years.

Apricot Academician requires careful care at all stages of growth and development. These are watering, fertilizing, shaping and thinning the crown, weeding and loosening the soil, as well as protecting against diseases.

With a normal amount of precipitation, watering will be required before flowering, during the period of active flower formation and at the fruiting stage. Top dressing is applied three times. The nitrogen-containing complex is given in the spring, during the flowering period, it is fed with an infusion of wood ash, and a complex fertilizer is applied before the beginning of fruiting. Loosening of the near-stem zone is carried out every time after watering. A dense layer of mulch will protect the root system in extreme heat. A year after planting, the crown is formed - one tier annually. Dry and weak shoots are removed in spring and autumn.

The immunity of the variety is average, so you should not forget about the prevention of diseases and insect invasions. The tree is characterized by moderate resistance to moniliosis, clasterosporium disease, and fruit rot. Treating diseases with fungicides will help. Spraying with insecticides will help to get rid of attacks of insect pests (galitsa, moth, moth).

The tree is highly frost-resistant, withstanding temperatures as low as -40 degrees, but only if it grows on mountain slopes and low elevations. When planting an apricot in lowlands, it should be borne in mind that its frost resistance will significantly decrease. In regions with long and harsh winters, it is recommended to protect the root system using a shelter. Frequent freezing of the bark is observed in trees growing in lowlands.

For planting an apricot tree, an area protected from gusty winds and drafts, which receives a lot of sun and light, is suitable. The tree grows comfortably in nutritious and loose soils with deep groundwater and neutral acidity. Wood ash will help remove soil acid. The optimal place will be the southern part of the garden with loam, black soil or sod-podzolic soil.