What to do when an apricot freezes: the best tips for caring for a tree

Apricot is one of those plants that thrive in warm climates. Under favorable conditions, the tree produces a very bountiful harvest; many healthy, incredibly tasty and aromatic fruits are consumed raw, can be canned, and are actively used in cooking. It is difficult to surprise your neighbors with apricots; these trees are very often found in gardens, but this does not mean that cultivation is without problems. The acclimatization of this crop is considered successful, but it still has a hard time in a cold climate. Complaints that apricots are frozen and do not bloom in the spring are becoming more and more common. You need to know what to feed an apricot in the fall, how to insulate a tree, how to cover a young apricot for the winter and fight early frosts. Young trees do not tolerate late frosts very well, so advice on tree care should be followed.

Is it necessary to cover apricots for the winter?

Although apricot has ceased to be exotic, for abundant fruiting in regions with an unstable climate it must be covered.
Even winter-hardy varieties are difficult to tolerate: sharp temperature fluctuations, spring return frosts, cold drying winds, active solar exposure, and rodent attacks. The wood of an adult apricot can withstand frosts down to -35 degrees, but flower buds and twigs die with minor frosts. Young immature seedlings 100% need artificial shelter.

How to insulate an apricot

Many novice gardeners believe that there is a standard scheme for insulating plants. However, this assumption is incorrect. Covering technology depends on the varietal characteristics and age of the cultivated crop, as well as on the climatic characteristics of the growing region. Next year's yield indicators depend on the preparation of fruit and vegetable crops for wintering.

What materials to use

Dry fallen leaves, sawdust, pine branches, shredded cardboard, straw and trimmings of covering material can be used as mulch. To insulate a fruit tree, lutrasil, agrofibre, polypropylene bags, burlap, thick cardboard, canvas and various non-woven materials are used. In severe frosts, the protective shelter is covered with dry soil or covered with spruce branches.

Tree covering technology

The algorithm for covering an apricot tree for the winter is as follows:

1. Mulching the soil in the tree trunk circle with a layer of sawdust, fallen leaves and thin branches.
2. Wrapping the trunk and skeletal branches of a fruit crop with burlap or thick non-woven fabric. Fixing the material with twine.
3. Warming apricot with covering material.
4. Installation of additional protection in the form of a wooden box or slate sheets during prolonged snowfalls and severe frosts.

When to cover an apricot before winter

The table below indicates when and under what weather conditions it is necessary to cover apricots, taking into account the temperature characteristics of different natural and economic regions.

Caring for apricots in the fall in preparation for winter

Preparing apricots for winter consists of the following procedures:

• pruning;
• treatment against pests and diseases;
• whitewash;
• feeding;
• mulching;
• shelter.

Let's look at each type of work in more detail.

Autumn pruning of apricot

In the fall (September-October), sanitary pruning of the tree is carried out. The apricot crown is cleared of dried branches and shaped. Please note: in order for the cut areas to heal safely, the average air temperature must be above 8°C.

In addition to sanitary pruning, formative pruning can also be carried out on early and mid-early apricot varieties in the fall. This procedure is performed around mid-October, when the tree has already begun its dormant period and there are still about 3 weeks left before frost. We have already written in detail about pruning apricots in the fall:

• Pruning apricots in autumn - diagrams and useful tips for beginners

  Apricot is not able to regulate fruiting itself and may die from exhaustion. To prevent this from happening, it is important to trim the tree on time.

Protecting apricots from diseases

To protect apricots from pathogens and pests that hibernate in the folds of the bark, treat the trees with insecticides and fungicides after leaf fall.

Most of these drugs are effective at temperatures around 10°C. For this reason, trees should be treated before the onset of cold weather.

One of the most popular remedies is Bordeaux mixture. This fungicidal agent not only protects trees from many fungal diseases, but also destroys larvae and adult pest insects remaining for the winter.

Before the procedure, remove dried bark, mosses, lichens and diseased apricot branches. After this, prepare a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture and spray the trees with it. Pay special attention to the trunk and skeletal branches.

• Apricot diseases and pests: how to recognize and fight?

  We save apricots from dangerous diseases and insect pests.

Whitewashing apricot in autumn

Whitewashing is another procedure necessary when preparing apricots for winter. If spring whitewashing serves more of a decorative function, then autumn whitewashing is extremely necessary for the tree.

Firstly, a layer of whitewash protects the tree from the bright winter sun, which can damage the trunk. Secondly, during whitewashing, wintering insect pests and their larvae die.

The procedure should be carried out in dry and cool weather at an air temperature of at least 0°C. If you whiten trees with lime mortar, then add flour paste, clay, mullein or laundry soap to it so that the solution stays on the trunk longer.

When processing young apricots, the lime solution should be made less concentrated so as not to burn the bark. To protect young trees, some gardeners do not bleach them, but wrap the trunks with white spunbond or other covering material. This way they save apricots not only from bright sunlight, but also from rodents and hares.

• When is it better to whiten trees in the garden - in autumn or spring?

  Is it necessary to whiten trees and, if so, is it better to do it in autumn or spring and what compositions to use - read about it in our article.

Autumn feeding of apricot

After fruiting, apricots need additional portions of phosphorus and potassium. They will help restore the energy spent on fruit formation and prepare for winter. If for some reason fertilizing was not carried out in the summer, fertilizers can be applied in the fall.

There are special “autumn” fertilizers for the garden, which contain the elements necessary for trees during this period, in particular phosphorus and potassium, in the right proportions. In the absence of such fertilizer, you can use, for example, superphosphate and potassium sulfate.

If you are against “chemistry”, then feed the apricot with wood ash (a source of potassium) and bone meal (a source of phosphorus):

• Dilute wood ash (2 cups) in 10 liters of water. About 6 buckets are used for an adult tree.
• Add bone meal at the rate of 200 g of flour per 1 sq.m. However, remember that you can use it to feed fruit trees no more than once every three years.

• Growing apricots in the middle zone - how to achieve a good harvest in unfavorable conditions

  Even a novice gardener can grow fruit-bearing apricots. We will tell you what and how to do!

Unripe apricot shoots

If it was an unusually warm autumn, fruit trees may experience prolonged growth of shoots: winter is upon us, but they are still green, not lignified. Such shoots will certainly freeze at low temperatures. To prevent this from happening, foliar fertilize the apricot in the fall with a solution of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, for example potassium monophosphate. After this procedure, the ripening of the branches will occur faster and the growth of new shoots will stop.

Prolonged growth of shoots can also be caused by a large amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied. From the second half of summer, nitrogen fertilizing should be completely stopped.

Mulching the tree trunk circle

Before the onset of stable cold weather, the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, humus, compost or sand with the addition of sawdust. The mulch layer is about 20 cm. This will protect the apricot roots from freezing in the event of a harsh winter.

Why are trees covered?

Nature has endowed apricot trees with poor resistance to cold and low temperatures. That is why it is especially important to cover plants for the winter in the northern and central regions of the country. Trees that grow in the southern regions are covered extremely rarely. Summer residents whose plots are located in the central and northern regions should not ignore this procedure. Shelter is considered the most important step in preparing a tree for the upcoming cold weather. The richness of the harvest depends on the quality of this procedure.

How to preserve seedlings before planting in spring. Long-term storage

How to store seedlings before planting, if spring is still far away? The best place for storage is the basement, where the temperature is kept down to -2°C and the humidity does not exceed 80%. In such conditions, seedlings are perfectly stored, which allows you to start spring planting on time. Seedlings are placed along the wall in one or two rows. The roots are sprinkled with wet peat, sand or sawdust. For better preservation of seedlings, sawdust should be steamed in boiling water and cooled. This preventative measure allows you to maintain a healthy root system. Each seedling must be labeled with the name of the variety.

Long-term storage of seedlings should take place in the cellar

During winter conservation, planting material requires care:

1. When the covering layer of sawdust, sand or peat dries out, it must be moistened.
2. If air humidity drops, measures are taken to increase it. To do this, you can hang a wet cloth. If the humidity level is sufficient, condensation will accumulate on the ceiling. Then the fabric needs to be removed.
3. When the covering layer settles, the roots are exposed and can dry out. It is necessary to add sawdust, peat or sand so that the layer is 30 cm above the root collar.
4. In warm winters, the basement is periodically ventilated. Otherwise, the humidity there will increase, which will lead to rotting of the planting material. Ventilation holes are required.
5. Seedlings must be protected from rodents by placing traps and mousetraps. They scatter the bait and put down the branches of coniferous trees. You can just let the cats go.

You can place the seedlings in plastic bags of 10 pieces, pour 0.5 liters of water into them and tie them tightly. Store in a basement or cellar.

Rose seedlings are dealt with differently. They are placed obliquely in a box with wet sand so that it covers the root system well. They are also stored in the basement, monitoring the moisture content of the sand. The protective wax is not removed - it additionally protects the plant. Seedlings of herbaceous perennials are also stored in the sand.

Saplings on the balcony

Small plants can be stored planted in pots directly in the apartment or on a glazed balcony. They should be placed on a bright windowsill, preferably on the north side, or on a balcony, if there is no severe frost.

Apricot feeding in spring and autumn

Balanced nutrition is the basis for a stable fruit harvest. Apply mineral or organic fertilizers once a year according to the following scheme:

1. Water the trees at the roots with a solution of bird droppings, a year after planting. To prepare the solution, bird droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 (bird droppings and water);
2. In the third year of life, it is advisable to fertilize the seedlings with a mixture of ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride and superphosphate;
3. In the fourth year, the apricot again needs nitrogen fertilizers. Mullein infusion is great for these purposes. Mullein is bred in water and watered at the roots;
4. How to feed apricots in the fifth year? Again with a mixture of mineral fertilizers: 200 grams of superphosphate, 100 grams of ammonium nitrate and 60 grams of potassium chloride.

Mature trees (from 6 years old) are fed according to the same scheme. Only the dose of fertilizer is increased by 1.5 times.

Now you know how to grow apricots in Siberia. Despite the fact that this is a labor-intensive task, it is still possible to get a good harvest of tasty and aromatic fruits. The main thing is to properly care for and care for plants.

Autumn pruning of apricot

As you know, it is better to prune all fruit trees, including apricots, in early spring. However, in some cases, autumn pruning is also allowed.

The fact is that in the fall the trees stop all active defense (their defense mechanisms stop), while millions of fungal spores fly around. In addition, when frost sets in, the cambium freezes over, making it difficult for the wound to heal. In other words, autumn pruning weakens all trees and their winter hardiness decreases. Therefore, it is believed that only winter-hardy species that can tolerate frost well and are not at all afraid of freezing can be pruned in the fall (apricot is definitely not one of them, since the crop is quite thermophilic).

There is also a common, but not indisputable rule that pome trees are pruned in the fall, and stone fruit trees in the spring.

In general, in the fall, most often only sanitary pruning of apricots is carried out , i.e. get rid of dry, broken and diseased branches (especially those affected by moniliosis, which have monilial burn ).

Apricot moniliosis

Winter-hardy apricot varieties

Recently, domestic and experienced foreign breeders have developed frost-resistant and fairly winter-hardy varieties. They can also be grown in regions with unfavorable climatic and weather conditions. The most promising varieties include:

1. Darling.
2. Russian.
3. Delight.
4. Minusinsk amber.
5. Seraphim.
6. Polesie large-fruited.
7. Hargrand.

The Alyosha variety shows very good winter hardiness. It is quite common in the Moscow region. It is not afraid of either late return frosts during flowering or winter frosts.

The winter hardiness of Moscow apricots is slightly higher compared to their counterparts from other regions. This is proven by the very fact of the long-term existence and fruiting of trees in this area. Also, the death rate of Moscow annual seedlings is becoming lower from year to year.

Features of insulation

Let's figure out how to cover young and old apricots growing in different climatic zones.

For young and old trees

A recently planted seedling that has not yet had time to adapt to the new area and climate needs special care. In order for a young tree to cope with the upcoming cold weather and recover with the arrival of spring, it needs to be carefully insulated. In severe frosts, a protective structure made of a metal or wooden frame with a polypropylene or canvas covering is put on the tree.

The protective structure must have openings for air circulation. The absence of such gaps leads to the accumulation of moisture inside, which is fraught with the appearance of fungus and mold on the wood.

It is not possible to insulate fruit trees aged 4 years and older so thoroughly. A layer of mulch in the tree trunk circle and a protective covering of the tree trunk will be sufficient. But this technology for insulating apricots is suitable for the Krasnodar Territory, Kuban, Crimea, Stavropol Territory and other regions of the country with warm winters.

In different regions

Winter in central Russia, including the Moscow region, is characterized by frequent changes in temperature conditions. An unexpected thaw may give way to a sharp cold snap and severe frosts, which is detrimental to fruit crops. You can avoid the death of a fruit tree with the help of a properly selected shelter - medium-density non-woven material is suitable.

In the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia, mature apricots are cut to a height of 2–2.5 m, mulched with sawdust, pine branches and straw. The crown of the tree is covered with agrofibre or lutrasil.

Despite the harsh climate and cold winters in Siberia and the Urals, apricot may die with the arrival of spring warmth. A sharp thaw is accompanied by an abundance of melt water. The root collar, which is constantly in water, begins to rot. For this reason, it is recommended to plant apricot at higher elevations.

Insulation technique

Gardeners often mulch the soil using 20cm layers of sawdust, straw, humus or hay. Then it’s a good idea to wrap the root collar with material that allows air to pass through. With such insulation, the root neck of the trunk will not support. Otherwise, the tree will not survive the winter cold well, and there will be a crop failure. As for the northern regions, it is best to cover the tree completely. A film is thrown over it. Its ends are secured to stakes, which are covered with earth.

Young seedlings

Frail and young seedlings are covered especially carefully and efficiently. The root system of such apricot trees is still poorly developed. This means that in severe frosts it can freeze very much. Sometimes the young plant dies. The branches and trunk love warmth, so it is important to cover the plant with burlap or similar material.

Old plantings

If old apricot trees grow in the middle zone, there is no need to insulate them. In such cases, only mulch is used to protect the root system from frost and snow. Also, such a shelter is needed to drain excess water from the roots. As for the northern regions, both old and young trees provide shelter here. Before covering old plantings, they are cut to 2.4–2.5 m in height.