Apricot Dessert

Dessert apricot is a very popular variety among stone fruit crops, which is massively grown in the central part of Russia. The demand is due to unpretentious care, high frost resistance, as well as excellent productivity.

Apricot Dessertny appeared at the Voronezh Agricultural Institute. The authors of the variety are scientists A.N. Venyaminov and L.A. Dolmatova. In the process of pollination, the following parental forms were used - Lewise and a mixture of pollen (Best Michurin and Comrade). The variety is not listed in the State Register, but this does not affect its popularity. Dessert apricot is zoned in the Central Black Earth region, as well as in the southern part of Russia.

The apricot is a medium-sized, fast-growing tree, which is characterized by a spreading crown of a rounded shape with a weak foliage, bright green leaves. A characteristic feature of the fruit tree is the tendency to massive formation of new shoots, requiring regular thinning, and strong cracking of the bark of old plantations. In a favorable environment, apricot grows up to 5 meters high. The life cycle of a tree is 12-15 years.

The tree begins to bloom early, late April - early May. At this time, the spherical crown is covered with large five-petal flowers of a snow-white color. Blooming apricot has an incredibly sweet scent that attracts bees. Flowering lasts for 10 days.

Variety Dessert is a large-fruited apricot species. An adult tree grows apricots weighing 35 to 60 grams. The fruit has a rounded shape with flattened sides. At the stage of technical maturity, apricots have a uniform greenish-yellow color. Ripe fruits are covered with a rich yellow cover, which is sometimes diluted with a scattering of reddish dots (blurred blush). The fruit skin is thin, slightly shiny, with dense pubescence, which gives the fruit velvety. The apricot is kept on a thickened and short stalk.

Harvested apricots can easily be transported, and can also be stored in a cool place (8-10 degrees) for about 2 weeks. Dessert is ideal for eating fresh, for processing into preserves, jams, soufflés, compotes, fruit drinks, and they can also be frozen and dried.

This variety is famous for its good taste. The pale orange flesh has a tender, fleshy, moderately firm, slightly crunchy and juicy flesh. The taste is harmonious - sweet, perfectly combined with piquant sourness. A small pit with a bitter core is easily separated from the apricot pulp. The advantage of the fruit is a strongly pronounced fruity aroma that does not disappear even after heat treatment.

Apricot is characterized by a medium ripening period. Fruit crops begin to bear fruit in the 4th year after planting. Apricots ripen at different times, slowly, so the fruiting period is slightly delayed - it lasts up to 1 month. You can taste fruits in the first decade of July. Mass ripening begins in mid-July and lasts until mid-August.

Dessert apricot is considered to be a fruitful variety. Up to 45 kg of apricots can be harvested from one adult tree per season.

Apricot Dessert self-fertile. The fruit crop does not need cross-pollination, but apricot trees planted nearby with similar flowering periods can increase yields by a quarter. Productive pollinating varieties are: Lel, Countess, Northern Triumph, Children's, Monastyrsky.

For planting Apricot Dessert, a two-year-old seedling with a strong root and a height of at least 100-120 cm is purchased. The trees are planted in autumn (early October) or spring (April). It should be dry and calm on the day of planting. The distance between plantings should be 5-6 meters so that shading does not form, which harms the apricot crop.

Apricot agrotechnology consists of a number of standard measures - watering, feeding, crown formation, thinning and removal of dry branches, loosening and weeding of the near-stem zone, mulching, disease prevention and preparation for winter.

Fertilizers are applied in the 4-5th year after planting, since before that there is enough dressing made when planting a tree. The formation of the crown is carried out during the first five years. To prolong the life of the tree, anti-aging pruning is recommended.

In addition, it is recommended to protect the bark of the tree from rodents. For this, a fine-grained metal mesh is installed around the barrel.

Apricot is resistant to many fungal diseases and pests - aphids, leaf rollers and plum moths. The tree is extremely rarely exposed to coccomycosis and moniliosis, the main thing is that there is no source of infection nearby.

The variety has good frost resistance, withstanding a drop in temperature to –18 ... 20 degrees, but the flowers can crumble during recurrent spring frosts. Despite the cold hardiness, the apricot needs shelter for the winter. The root system is protected by mulching the peri-stem zone. Hay, sawdust or fallen leaves are used as mulch. The mulching layer should be thick - 15-20 cm. Young trees are wrapped with burlap.An apricot planted in the southern region does not need shelter, as this can lead to rotting of the root system or the appearance of fungal infections.

The apricot seedling is placed in the southern part of the garden, where there is a lot of sun, light and heat, but there is protection from the north wind and drafts. In addition, it is important that the groundwater table is deep, which will prevent the accumulation of moisture at the roots.

A loose, breathable, moisture-permeable, nutritious soil with a neutral acidity level will become favorable for the growth and development of a fruit tree. It is better if it is loam, sandstone or garden soil with humus.