Apricot "red cheek": variety description, cultivation, planting and care

Apricot is one of the most ancient fruit crops grown by man. Over the centuries, many different varieties of this garden plant were harvested. One of the most interesting and popular among summer residents is the apricot "red-cheeked". There are many advantages to this variety, but it is relatively unpretentious in nursing.

Varieties

The apricot "red-cheeked" was bred in the Crimea by Soviet breeders in 1949. Almost 70 years of cultivation of the variety from it, a lot of hybrids were obtained. At the moment on the countryside you can see the apricot "red cheeks later", as well as:

• "Nicholas";

• "Nikitsky";

• "Soligar", etc.

Cultivate all varieties of this variety mainly in the southern regions of Russia. It is in a warm climate that apricot "red-cheeked" shows all its best qualities. However, since this variety is resistant to low temperatures, it can be grown in the Central Russia. Very often, for example, you can see apricot "red-cheeked" in the suburbs, yielding good harvests. Not bad feel this variety in the Southern Urals or even in Western Siberia.

Apricot "red cheeked": description of the variety, advantages and disadvantages

The trees of the basic variety grow quite large. Their crown is spreading, round and sparse. The fruits of this apricot ripen in mid-July. Therefore, it is referred to the varieties of the average fruiting term. The first harvest from the tree planted in the summer cottage can be collected for 3-4 years.

The fruits of the apricot "red-cheeked" are rather large (30-42 g). The shape is round or ovoid, and the color is golden orange. "Krasnoshchekim" this variety is named for the presence of a faint blush on the fruits. The flesh of the apricot is light orange, tender and juicy. As for the taste qualities of the fruit "red-cheeked", the dacha's respond very well to them. Apricots are very sweet, with a little sourness.

In addition to tasty fruits and endurance in terms of low temperatures, there are other pluses of apricot "red cheeked." Description of the variety, given by breeders, allows you to judge it and how drought-resistant. Confirm the undemanding trees for moisture and gardeners. Even with minimal watering, these apricots give simply excellent harvests. Well tolerates this variety and arid years.

Advantages of the apricot "red-cheeked", thus, there are many. The drawback is he has only one - not too high degree of resistance to such common diseases as klyasterosporiosis and moniliosis.

How to plant properly

How can you grow apricot "red-cheeked" on your site? The description of the variety given above makes it possible to judge it as quite unpretentious. Therefore, care for him, even for an inexperienced summer resident, is surely not a particularly difficult task. To grow apricot "red-cheeked" it is possible from a bone or a seedling. In the first case, the tree is likely to exhibit all the qualities inherent in the variety. However, unfortunately, fruiting trees do not always grow out of the stone (in about half the cases). Therefore, most vacationers still buy apricot seedlings "red-cheeked."

The ripe fruits of this apricot, like most other varieties, do not hang too tightly on the branches. Therefore, if the villager does not want to harvest from the ground, place the seedling on the site should be in a place well protected from the wind. Not very fond of this variety and the near occurrence of groundwater.

April is the best time to buy seedlings of such a fruit plant as apricot "red-cheeked". Landing of the latter is made in pre-prepared pit width of 60-80 cm, depth 40-50 cm. Soil mixture is made from garden soil and a large amount of overgrown manure. Potassium fertilizers are added without fail. If desired, you can also use phosphorus.

After the trunks have been compacted, the apricot seedlings of the "red cheek" are thoroughly watered, spending at least 4 buckets of water. Then you can slightly adjust the crown of the tree. All branches on apricot in the first year of growth should be single.

How to water

Moisten the soil under the apricot "red-cheeked" should be three times a season. It is desirable to pour water into pre-made annular grooves. The diameter of the extreme should be equal to half the diameter of the crown. For the first time, apricots are watered during flowering. In the second - in the end of May and in the third - in the beginning of July, before ripening of fruits. To make the apricot well winter, you can also produce late autumn watering.

Save the moisture under the trees for a longer time, by grinding the near-a-line circle. The ground should be loosened beforehand. You need to do this carefully, as apricots have a lot of superficial roots. Produce loosening not deeper than 10 cm.

How to fertilize

Podkarmlivayut apricot also three times a season. In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are introduced. In late May, you can also feed the sludge with slurry. In the summer, crowns are sprayed with nitrogen containing compounds. In the fall, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are added to the roots of apricot. It is also possible to sprinkle the near-trunk circle for the winter with crushed chalk.

Crown formation

Apricot "red cheek", the characteristic of which allows you to judge it as one of the best varieties, it is desirable to periodically cut. Perform this procedure experienced summer residents recommend in spring or summer. If you remove the excess branches in the fall, the tree can go into the weakened winter.

In spring, pruning is performed before the sap move, in March. In trees from two years old and older one year increment is shortened. At the very beginning of June (1-4 numbers), they make a tweezers. In this case, pinch all the shoots of the current year with a length of more than 20 cm. A week after the procedure, the apricot "red-cheeked", as a rule, a large number of young strong shoots are formed, on which the crop will subsequently form. Such pruning, however, is recommended to be done only if the tree grows on nutritious soil and is sufficiently provided with water.

When forming the crown of an apricot, one should keep in mind that in this fruit tree the branches to the central conductor are not fastened securely. Therefore, when pruning necessarily lay single branches with a large angle of retreat.

How to fight with klyasterosporiosis

Apricot "red-cheeked", planting and care for which - the procedures are very simple, however, under unfavorable conditions can get sick. It is not too stable, for example, this variety to the clasterosporium. Therefore, gardeners, who planted a "red-cheeked" in their garden, should know about how to deal with this infection. The main signs of a cryosterosporium are:

• Appearance of rusty spots on the leaves with the subsequent formation of holes;

• Appearance on the fruits of small purple dents, with time increasing in size;

• Formation on the branches of round and elongated cracked spots dribbling with gums;

• Death of the kidneys and drying of flowers.

Before the beginning of the treatment of the clasterosporiosis from the tree, all diseased branches and fruits should be removed. Fight this disease usually with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid (1%). Spraying can be done at any time, but no later than 3 weeks before harvesting.

Treatment of moniliasis

The first sign of this disease, which also often affects apricot "red-cheeked," is the darkening of petals of flowers. After a while they begin to dry up. Then the same happens with leaves and young shoots. With serious development of the disease, whole branches die off. After a certain time, if not to take appropriate measures, the tree dies entirely.

In order to treat sick apricots, closer to the autumn they can be treated with 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. It is worth using and other fungicides. It can be, for example, copper chloride (5 liters of water 40 g). The tree should be treated before and after flowering. It is desirable to use different fungicides. In addition to the crown, you need to spill a fungicide and a near-barrel circle.

Prevention of diseases

Curing fungal diseases of apricots such as moniliosis and klyasterosporiosis, is quite difficult. It's easier to prevent them. For prevention:

• The trees are placed in a sufficient distance for each other to ensure good ventilation;

• Perform a rejuvenating light pruning;

• All removed branches, as well as weeds and dried leaves from the stump circle, are removed and burned.

During the care of trees should be as neat as possible. The bark of apricots can not be damaged. When pruning, use only well-disinfected tools.

Collection and storage

Ripe fruit of a plant such as apricot "red-cheeked", reviews about the taste of which the cottage dwellers have very good, are considered after they have taken a rich yellow-orange color with red blush. Indicates the ripeness and their pleasant aroma. Green fruit is not recommended for ripping off. Of course, during storage and transportation, they will mature. However, their taste will not change - it will remain sour and tart. The smell of the fruit will not be at all.

Harvest from a plant such as apricot "red-cheeked", whose height is significant (up to 3 m), you can use a ladders. If the fruits are to be processed, the tree is allowed to simply shake.

The shelf life of fresh apricots is very small. In the refrigerator they can be kept for no more than 2 weeks. Therefore, fruits not used for processing in jam or compote are simply dried. In the latter case, they can be stored in the refrigerator all winter.

Dedicated apricots are left on the tree for longer. After they are broken, they should be treated with SO ₂ solution. For drying, the fruits are laid out on paper or cloth in one layer and placed on a sunny spot.

Apricot "red-cheeked": reviews of gardeners

Most summer residents consider this variety to be one of the best of all available today. With proper care, there are usually no problems with it. You do not need to spend too much water on it. Winter, he also carries well. Many believe that even to form the crown of this tree is not necessary (except for rejuvenating spring cuts). Thus, care for apricots ("red-cheeked") is reduced to a greater extent to the prevention of fungal diseases and infrequent irrigation.

Thus, we found out what an apricot is "red cheeked". The description of the variety, as well as the rules of care for it, were considered in detail in the article. This species is best suited for cultivation in southern regions. But you can try to plant this variety with sweet, succulent fruits and in the middle strip of Russia.