Apricot Mountain Abakan: description, photo, planting and care

The description of the apricot variety Gorniy Abakan informs gardeners that this variety of crop can be grown in cold winter conditions. Many summer residents dream of having delicious fruits from apricot trees on their plots, but not all of them can grow and develop well in the northern regions. If the winter in the region is frosty, with the presence of unfavorable factors, then “Mountain Abakan” is exactly the variety that can withstand this.

Abakan apricot tolerates adverse weather conditions well

Description of the apricot variety Abakansky

The “Abakan” apricot tree has a medium size (up to 3 m in height) and a loose, spreading crown. The leaves are medium-sized, dark green in color, with a red central vein. It blooms in the second half of May with large, white, tinged pink buds. The self-fertility of the variety is low; “Kantegirskiy”, “East Siberian” (Oriens-Siberian) and “Sibiryak Baykalova” are most suitable for it as a pollinator. The tree does not remain in winter dormancy for long. If the thaw period is long, then the buds of “Mountain Abakan” may freeze.

The fruits of the tree are flattened (compressed on the sides), yellow-green in color. The seam is noticeable. On young trees, apricots are large, weighing up to 40 g, becoming smaller over the years - up to 30 g. The pulp is pleasant to the taste, dense, with a subtle sourness, orange in color, medium juiciness. Each fruit contains up to 15% dry matter, 9% sugars, 0.55% pectin.

The tasting score of Abakan apricots is high and is 4.6 points

Features of growing the variety

The variety Sibiryak Baikalova bears fruit consistently and annually pleases with a rich harvest . To ensure optimal conditions for the growth and development of trees, it is important to choose the right planting site. The culture takes root in areas protected from gusty winds, so it is planted on the south side, near outbuildings and houses. This will protect the plants from the cold wind and provide a high level of light.

The variety prefers fertile soil with a loose structure, neutral or slightly alkaline pH and low groundwater (not higher than 3 m). Before planting, acidic soil is limed by adding 400–500 g of slaked lime per 1 m². Clogged and heavy clay soil is lightened with river sand (10 kg per 1 m² for digging).

Planting holes are prepared in advance : holes measuring 70x70x70 cm are dug in the area, the soil from the hole is mixed with humus and superphosphate (30 g per 1 m²), wood ash (200 g) and backfilled. The holes are prepared in the fall, during spring planting, and in the spring, during autumn planting.

Advice! If you purchased the seedling too late and did not have time to prepare the planting hole, bury the young tree in the trench. This will make it easier for the plant to survive the time before planting in a permanent place.

The seedling is lowered into the prepared hole and covered with earth to the level of the root collar, without deepening it. Make a watering circle along the diameter of the hole and pour 20 liters of clean water into it.

Gardeners also practice horizontal apricot planting . The young seedling is bent to the ground and secured to the branches at an angle of 40°. This provides the young tree with warmth from the ground.

Characteristics

Judging by the photo of the “Mountain Abakan” apricot variety, it has good characteristics. The images show that the fruits of the tree are smooth, large and beautiful. In addition, they have a pleasant taste and are versatile in use. According to numerous reviews from summer residents, it is known that the tree has good yields and is resistant to drought and frost.

Drought resistance, winter hardiness

The culture has average drought resistance. If there is insufficient precipitation for the apricot to successfully form new roots, it is advisable to water it additionally. In spring, for shoots to grow, the tree needs regular moisture.

Thanks to the labor-intensive work of breeders, the Abakan variety has received high resistance to frost. Despite the harsh winter, the tree produces a good harvest every year. Able to survive at temperatures down to -38 °C.

Important! The variety is able to withstand drought, but can die from stagnation of water.

Pollination, flowering period and ripening time

For normal fruiting, the Abakan apricot needs a pollinator. “Sibiryak Baikalova” or “Kantegirsky” are best suited for this role. Buds on the tree begin to appear towards the end of spring, in May. The fruits are formed in June. 1.5-2 months after their appearance, it is time to harvest.

Productivity, fruiting

From one Mountain Abakan apricot tree, on average, you can harvest 15-18 kg of harvest, sometimes this figure increases to 40 kg. When planted on a hill, in winter conditions with little rainfall, the crop bears fruit abundantly every year. Harvest time is mid-August. The variety bears fruit 3-4 years after planting.

Apricot "Mountain Abakan" is a medium-ripening variety

Area of ​​application of fruits

Apricots collected from the Abakan hybrid are most often used for fresh consumption and canning. Compotes, jams and preserves are made from it. Some housewives add fruits to baked goods, less often dry them.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Many sources claim that “Mountain Abakan” has good resistance to diseases and harmful insects, but the variety has a chance of contracting the disease. In wet years, a tree can easily become infected with moniliosis, clasterosporiasis or cytosporosis; cases of spotting and cancer also occur.

If not properly cared for, the tree may be attacked by aphids and weevils.

Advice! For prevention purposes, gardeners recommend spraying the crop in the spring with Bordeaux mixture and in the fall with urea.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the obvious advantages of culture are:

• good taste;
• winter hardiness;
• large fruits;
• versatility of use.

Disadvantages include, in particular, instability to damping off and a decrease in fruit size over the years.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Judging by the description of the Mountain Abakan apricot variety, photos and reviews from gardeners, it can be argued that it has the following undoubted advantages:

• compactness of the tree, relatively low growth rates, average density of the crown;
• decorative during the flowering period;
• cold resistance sufficient for Siberia;
• relatively good immunity (albeit without “genetically built-in” protection against diseases);
• presentableness, one-dimensionality of fruits;
• excellent taste of apricots;
• versatility of crop purpose.

The taste of Mountain Abakan apricots is difficult to distinguish from fruits grown in the south.
The main disadvantages of the Mountain Abakan variety of apricots are considered to be instability to damping off and low self-fertility. It does not tolerate thaws and temperature changes in winter. Pollinator trees take up additional space in the garden.

Important! A relative disadvantage is that the fruits become smaller as the tree ages. But their taste does not suffer.

Landing Features

There are no special rules when landing “Mountain Abakan”. The principle of operation is the same as that of other apricot crops.

Recommended timing

It is advisable to plant Abakan apricot in late spring, in May, in warm soil. When planting in autumn, there is a possibility of seedling death. But if you decide to plant a tree before winter, then this must be done no later than 14 days before frost arrives in the region.

Choosing a suitable location

In order for the fruits of “Mountain Abakan” to grow well, you should carefully select the site for planting the seedling. The place should be sunny and quiet, windless. If the soil is rough and does not allow air to pass through, the crop will not grow well. It is desirable that the soil has a slightly alkaline reaction and is light. It is best if the planting site is located on a mountain slope or hill, on the south side, and the groundwater level is no higher than 250 cm.

Important! In order for the seedling to take root, it is better to give preference to a specimen with a closed root system.

Trees do not tolerate drafts and strong winds

What crops can and cannot be planted next to apricots?

There is an opinion among experienced gardeners that it is undesirable to plant trees other than pollinators next to apricots, including “Mountain Abakan”. This crop has very large roots, depletes the soil, and releases toxic substances into it. It is not forbidden to plant early flowers - daffodils, primroses, tulips - near the apricot.

Attention! You cannot grow the plant in a place where stone fruit trees previously grew.

Selection and preparation of planting material

Before preparing to plant an apricot, the gardener needs to choose the right planting material. Buying a quality seedling is a guarantee of half the success. It is important to take young trees only from nurseries. You need to pay attention to their roots, which should not be dry or frozen. A good “Mountain Abakan” seedling has no defects or thorns on the trunk, with smooth branches. It is better to buy a tree that is at least 12 months old.

Landing algorithm

Landing of "Mountain Abakan" is carried out as follows:

1. 20 days before planting, the soil is deoxidized with chalk or dolomite flour.
2. 3 days before planting, dig holes with a diameter of 0.7 m.
3. The top fertile layer of excavated soil, compost and river sand are used as a planting mixture.
4. Fill the hole with the mixture, add ½ bucket of ash, potassium sulfide and superphosphate to it.
5. After planting the tree, watering is carried out.

Warning! If the soil is clayey, then drainage should be added to the hole; if it is sandy, clay should be added.

Apricot Mountain Abakan

Agricultural technology Apricot

Planting dates
Apricots can be planted in both spring and autumn. In the spring - no earlier than the beginning of May, so that the soil has time to warm up, and in the fall - no later than two weeks before the start of frost in your region, since the young plant must take root well and prepare for winter.

In order for the seedling to quickly take root in a new place, give preference to planting material with a closed root system, then the apricot will undergo the adaptation process quickly and without much stress.

Selecting a location

This is a very important point, because apricot is a sissy plant that does not tolerate drafts, shading, close proximity and stagnation of groundwater. Apricot does not grow well in heavy clay and acidic soils. He will constantly get sick, and then he will simply die. Therefore, you need to choose the quietest, sunny and protected from all winds place for it. In most of Russia, it cannot be planted on flat areas (with the exception of the southern regions, where the soils are mostly light and highly permeable).

It is best to place young seedlings on a southern or southwestern slope if your site has a sloping surface. Well, if not, then an artificial hill should be created for each plant. Scientists recommend making it up to a meter high and up to two meters wide. But not everyone can do this, especially since taking into account the non-self-fertility of the crop, you need to plant at least two, and better yet, three plants of different varieties. Therefore, it is enough to limit yourself to mounds with a height of 45-50 and a diameter of 60-70 cm. In the fall, it is recommended to dig a drainage ditch between them, 2/3 of a shovel deep, so that in the spring the melt water flows faster into the general open drainage system.

Preparing for landing

The soil for apricots should be well permeable, light and have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction (pH 7-7.5). Even slight acidification can lead to the death of a young tree.

Important: at least 3 weeks before planting, the soil is deoxidized with dolomite flour or chalk (2 kg per 6 sq.m. area).

In two days, they begin to prepare planting holes with a diameter of 70 cm. On heavy clay soils, as well as on poor sandy and peat soils, the soil is removed with 2 shovels. The top fertile layer is placed on the side of the dug holes, and the rest of the unusable soil is taken outside the site. Then they begin to prepare the planting mixture. It is made up of the top fertile layer, river sand and compost (or rotted manure) in equal proportions. The planting hole is filled almost to the top with this mixture. Add half a bucket of wood ash, 4 matchboxes of double superphosphate and 3 potassium sulfate. All this is thoroughly mixed and poured well with water (2 buckets in one hole).

On clay soils, drainage in the form of gravel, broken brick and sand (10-15 cm) is first laid at the bottom of the pit; on sandy soils, a layer of clay 20-25 cm thick is placed to retain moisture.

Landing

Landing is carried out by two people.

1. One takes a seedling, places it in the center of a filled hole, straightening the roots well and distributing them over the surface of the soil. He holds the plant and makes sure that it is strictly upright. Another person drives a stake next to the seedling and begins to pour the remaining prepared soil mixture onto the roots. He must very carefully compact the poured soil between the roots of the plant.
2. When the entire root system is covered and a hill at least 60 cm wide has formed around it, the ground around it is strongly compacted, giving the hill a rounded shape with gentle slopes.
3. When planting on the top of the mound, you need to make a circular cushion of soil so that the water does not drain when watering. In the fall this roller is leveled.
4. The root collar (the border area between the roots and the trunk) should under no circumstances be covered with soil. It's okay if the first roots are a little bare. It’s scary if the root collar is underground. Due to the heating of its bark, apricots begin to get sick and may even die. Proper planting on mounds can save a young tree from this disaster.

Care

In subsequent years, you need to apply rotted manure according to the projection of the crown, focusing on the development of the tree:

• if the growth is very large, then feeding is first stopped, and after a year the dose is reduced.
• with weak growth, on the contrary, they increase.

It is recommended to annually apply half a bucket of wood ash under each tree in the spring, which not only perfectly deoxidizes the soil, but also serves as a valuable fertilizer containing potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as about 30 other microelements that the plant needs for proper growth and development. .

In general, fertilizers play an important role in the life of apricots. Under a fruit-bearing tree in early spring or late autumn per 1 sq.m. Organic fertilizers are applied to the trunk circle: 10 kg of rotted manure or compost. Mineral nitrogen fertilizers, which enhance growth and foliage, are applied in the spring before flowering at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq. m. m of tree trunk circle. Two more feedings with mineral complexes containing nitrogen are carried out after the end of flowering and after the massive fall of the ovaries. But you should not get carried away with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, as they prolong the period of active growth of shoots and thereby weaken the plant.

Potassium plays an important role in the life of apricot. Plants well supplied with potassium produce intensely colored fruits rich in vitamins and sugars. The shoots of such plants ripen well. They can easily endure the winter cold and get sick less. With a lack of potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are poorly absorbed. Apricots especially need potassium on light sandy loam soils. This element is extremely important during the period of fruit ripening and at the end of the growing season. During this period, up to 60 g of 40% potassium salt should be added to one tree (per 1 sq. m). In order not to damage the root system, this dose is applied in several doses with an interval of three weeks.

Important: apricot needs phosphorus more than other fruit crops. Double superphosphate is best suited, which is applied twice - before flowering and after the June fall of the ovaries (at the rate of 30 g per 1 sq.m.).

To eliminate excess acidity in the fall, the garden is completely deoxidized with dolomite flour.

Watering

It is believed that apricot is drought-resistant, but this is not true. It needs regular watering, because new roots can only form in moist soil. Apricots need the most frequent watering in the spring, when the main growth of shoots occurs, as well as immediately after harvesting. In dry summers, apricots are watered constantly. In the second half of summer, watering is stopped (or reduced in the heat), as the plant is already beginning to prepare for winter.

Important: When watering abundantly, remember that the water should not stagnate near the root collar, otherwise the plant may get sick.

Diseases

In wet years, apricot is susceptible to fungal diseases. The most dangerous of them is moniliosis

, causing drying of branches, flowers and rotting of fruits.
Clusterosporiosis
, which affects leaves and fruits, is also dangerous

Cytosporosis

most often appears on skeletal parts, forks of the main skeletal branches and the trunk of a tree. It causes necrosis, cracking and peeling of the bark, gum formation and drying out of the main skeletal branches or the entire tree. To prevent these diseases, you should spray the green cone in spring with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture, and in the fall after harvesting before the leaves fall off - with a 4% solution of urea.

Trimming

It is especially important in the climatic conditions of most of the territory of our country (except for the southern regions). At the same time, the fruits become much larger, better colored, and most importantly, they get sick less. Pruning allows the plant to be in a more vigorous growth state. At the same time, metabolism increases and immunity is strengthened. Apricots need to be pruned in early spring - from late February to mid-April.

Whitewashing trunks

In late autumn, it is imperative to whiten the trunks and main skeletal branches of apricots. Whitewash reflects the sun's rays, prevents the trunks from heating up, and prevents the tissues from leaving their dormant state beforehand. Copper sulfate, lime and other components contained in whitewash protect the tree from pests and pathogens.

Pre-winter preparation

At the end of October - beginning of November (depending on the weather), moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out for all stone fruit crops (at least 20 buckets for one adult tree). This agricultural practice contributes to better overwintering of the plant. Also, on the eve of winter, it is very important to protect the root system of 1-3-year-old young trees from freezing, this is especially important when the “black winter” sets in, when frosts strike and the snow has not yet fallen. Therefore, at the end of November, the trunk circles of young plants are mulched with leaf litter (20 cm layer) and spruce branches. At the same time, make sure that the mulch does not cover the root collar, leaving small holes for air penetration.

In winter, when there is heavy snowfall, the tree trunk circle is periodically cleaned, not allowing the height of the cover to exceed 15 cm.

Features of autumn planting of fruit tree seedlings

If you received your seedlings in late autumn or even after snow fell, we recommend that you do not rush to plant them in a permanent place, but save them until spring using the following methods:

A. Dig into the soil.

The place for digging the seedlings is chosen as high as possible, where stagnation of water is least possible. Dig a ditch 50 cm deep in the direction from west to east. The southern side is made sloping, the northern side is made vertical.

The seedlings are laid out in the groove one at a time (in no case in a bunch), in an inclined position (at an angle of 45 degrees), with their apex facing south. The roots and half of the trunk are covered with loose soil and watered well so that the moistened soil penetrates into all the voids between the roots; After this, the soil is added again.

To prevent the roots of buried plants from freezing, their location is covered with peat, humus or fertile soil. To protect against mice, spruce or juniper branches are placed between the seedlings and on top.

B. Storage in a snow pile.

To do this, the seedlings are placed in a bunch so that the root collars are at the same level. They are tied from top to bottom, carefully pressing the branches. The roots are covered on all sides with a damp substrate - peat, sawdust, or even better, moss - and wrapped in burlap. Then the entire bunch is wrapped in film, tied and buried deep in the snow, finding a place protected from the sun. To prevent the snow cover from melting longer, sawdust or peat is poured on top.

We advise you to pay close attention to the winterization of the label with the name of the variety. Before digging, they are wrapped in foil or plastic film and tied to the seedlings with twine that does not rot in the soil.

Subsequent care of the crop

Any plant, and especially the capricious apricot, requires attention and proper care:

1. In spring and autumn, the tree trunk must be whitened with the addition of copper sulfate.
2. Water young seedlings 2 times a month, two-year-old trees and older - as the soil dries.
3. It is necessary to add fertilizing to the water for irrigation: potassium and phosphorus during flowering, nitrogen in the summer, potassium-phosphate in the fall.
4. Loosen the soil once a month.
5. Before wintering, mulch the root circle with sawdust, straw, and dry leaves.
6. Perform pruning in a timely manner.

Attention! In cold regions, it is rational to form the crown of a plant in the spring rather than in the fall.

With good care, a tree can live up to 30 years.