When and how to plant an apricot seedling correctly in autumn and spring

Selecting a location

The main requirement for a planting site for an apricot tree is good lighting and protection from drafts. Apricot loves moisture very much, but the soil for planting is chosen to be the driest. Groundwater should pass at a depth of no more than one and a half meters. This is due to the importance of keeping the roots of the seedling dry.

The type of soil also matters a lot. Sandy soils contribute to the rapid aging of trees; on chernozems, trees take a long time to ripen, but do not bear fruit for long. Clay soils are contraindicated for planting apricots. Loamy soils are the most suitable.

What can you plant nearby?

The apricot's roots go deep into the ground, and within a radius of at least five meters the soil around it is depleted. Accordingly, nothing will grow there. Therefore, daffodils, tulips and primrose can be planted next to the apricot tree, as they bloom in the spring, when the soil is still quite moist. You should absolutely not plant trees next to raspberries or currants, or in a place where plums, cherries, cherries or peaches previously grew.

The optimal number of trees on the site

On a plot of six acres, it is recommended to plant no more than two trees, since their root system grows very strongly and takes up twice as much space as the crown of the tree. Accordingly, nothing will grow on the site except apricots.

Is it possible to grow a new tree from an apricot seed and will it bear fruit?

The answer is, of course, yes (to both questions), but to do this, you need to know some of the intricacies of the growing process.

Note! It is worth considering that an apricot planted from a seed will begin to bear fruit only after 6-7 years.

If after this time flowering is still not observed, furrowing of the bark or similar procedures should be carried out, for example, as is the case with the absence of flowering in apple trees.

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that this method of propagating apricot trees is excellent only for “wild” ones. The fact is that it is impossible to grow cultivated varieties from seeds, since the tree has a diploid set of chromosomes, while the seeds have a haploid set. Therefore, wildflower seedlings, as a rule, are used more often as rootstocks.

Important! How to graft an apricot is described in detail here.

But it is possible that from an apricot kernel you can grow a beautiful tree with very tasty and juicy fruits. In the next video, the author talks about his successful experience of planting apricot seeds, when in the end he did not have to graft anything.

Video: fruiting of apricots grown from seeds

By the way! The main advantage of growing apricots from stones is the fact that such a tree will be fully adapted to your climatic conditions, that is, it will not be afraid of adversity and the unfavorable influences of the weather in your region.

Preparing for landing

Preparatory work before planting consists of preparing the soil, planting hole and seedling.

Soil preparation

The soil is prepared a couple of years before planting. Due to the deep location of the roots, the cultivation must also be deep, as this affects good soil fertility. In spring, the ground needs to be dug up at a depth of about 10 centimeters, and then less than 8 cm.

In autumn, the ground is dug up 15-20 centimeters deep. To preserve the condition of the soil, it is fertilized with humus or white lupine is sown. It is necessary to regularly clear the area of ​​weeds and irrigate the soil. In the autumn, it is necessary to saturate the soil with mineral fertilizers, which contain potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Wood ash is richest in potassium and phosphorus, and chalk is richest in calcium.

Planting hole

The planting hole is dug about a month before planting the tree. The depth is about 80 centimeters, and the diameter is up to a meter. The bottom is covered with branches and gravel or crushed stone, and soil is poured on top. The pit itself is filled with black soil, which is mixed with humus, ash and mineral fertilizers. Each layer must be compacted tightly. When planting, the root neck should be visible.

Seedling preparation

Some gardeners prefer to grow apricot trees from seeds, but this method is expensive. Therefore, preference should be given to seedlings. The seedling should be no more than three years old. This is due to the fact that this way they adapt to a new place faster.

The tree must have thick branches, mandatory grafting and living roots. Preparing a seedling involves removing old and rotten roots, pruning healthy ones and placing it in a vessel with clay and mullein.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Gardeners know several secrets of growing seedlings from seed:

1. Some of the seeds will not sprout, so it is recommended to sow planting material thickly. When shoots appear, weak specimens are removed.
2. To speed up stratification, apricot kernels are placed in the freezer several times and then placed in the refrigerator again.
3. When planting seeds directly into open ground in the first winter, it is recommended to completely cover the plants with mulch.

Sources

• https://countryhouse.pro/kak-vyrastit-abrikos-iz-kostochki/
• https://vseprokukhnyu.ru/kak-vyrastit-abrikos-iz-kostochki.html
• https://ferma.expert/rasteniya/derevya/persiki/kak-vyrastit-abrikos-iz-kostochki/
• https://heaclub.ru/kak-pravilno-vyrastit-derevo-abrikosa-iz-kostochki
• https://agronom.expert/posadka/sad/plodovye/kostochkovye/abrikos/kak-posadit-abrikos-iz-kostochki-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html
• https://DachaMechty.ru/abrikos/kak-vyrastit-iz-kostochki.html
• https://vasha-teplitsa.ru/virashivanie/sorta-ovoshhej/kak-sazhat-abrikos.html
• https://sadovod-i-ogorodnik.ru/137-obrezka-i-posadka-abrikosa-osenyu-kak-pravilno-provesti-podgotovku-k-zime.html
• https://diz-cafe.com/sad-ogorod/kak-vyrastit-abrikos-iz-kostochki-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

Landing technology

Planting any variety of apricot occurs in the following sequence:

1. Preparing a seedling.
2. Next, the tree is placed in the planting hole. In this case, the neck of the root should be approximately 6 centimeters above the ground.
3. It is important to place the root system along the entire diameter of the hole.
4. Cover the seedling with soil.
5. Compact the soil around the trunk and fill with plenty of water.
6. To retain moisture and fertilizers, it is necessary to mulch the soil with humus or compost.

In order for the harvest to be rich, it is necessary to follow all the rules for planting apricot trees.

Distance between seedlings when planting

When placing several trees on a site, it is necessary to maintain a distance between them of at least five square meters.

Recommended soil composition

The success of growing an apricot tree largely depends on the correct soil. The soil should be light and provide access to oxygen. If the soil on the site is heavy, it is better to purchase a ready-made substrate for seedlings or mix a special composition:

• 3 parts garden soil;
• part of coarse sand;
• 2 parts of turf;
• some wood ash;
• 2 parts peat;
• part of the clay.

It is recommended to add a little saltpeter (no more than a handful per 10 liters of soil mixture). Mix thoroughly - the components should be distributed evenly. The same soil composition is recommended to be used when transplanting seedlings.

Be sure to put a layer of drainage - small crushed stone, pebbles, crushed brick. Place the prepared soil mixture into the furrow, carefully place the seeds, and cover with a layer of soil. It is recommended to use mulch (peat, compost), which will allow you not to worry about the soil drying out.

Specifics of planting in different regions

Since apricot is a southern tree, there should be no problems with growing it in warm regions. In northern latitudes, there is a high risk of roots freezing, which leads to low yields or even death of the plant.

Moscow region

It is believed that the Moscow region is a less suitable region for growing apricots, even in contrast to Siberian ones. This is due to the fact that in the Moscow region there are constant temperature changes, which adversely affects the growth and fertility of trees. At above-zero temperatures, plants wake up and begin active life, and subsequent repeated frosts again slow down the growth process.

Therefore, for the Moscow region it is recommended to choose frost-resistant varieties, such as Serpukhov or Chekhov and others. Seedlings are planted exclusively after winter on an elevation of at least a meter and with a diameter of at least one and a half meters. Slate or sheets of metal are laid at the bottom of the planting hole to prevent the spread of roots.

Middle lane

Apricot, planting and caring for it in the middle zone is the most common practice in Russia. Such varieties as: Honey, Triumph, Lel, Alyosha, Pogrebok, Michurinets and others are the most famous and resistant to sudden changes in weather.

Trees should be planted at a height of at least a meter and with a diameter of about two meters. In the lowlands, frosty air and moisture accumulate. The soil should be loamy and very well fertilized with minerals and compost. It is better to plant in the spring, but in the fall it is also possible before the first frost.

Ural

Apricots in the Urals, planting and caring for them in harsh climates are quite risky, since there is a high risk of icing or poor survival of the seedling. In the Urals, it is recommended to plant not a tree, but a seed. Only varieties that are resistant to low temperatures should be selected. These include: Seraphim, Amur and Sibiryak Baikalova.

Planting is carried out until the end of October, subject to relatively warm weather. When snow falls, it must be removed within a radius of two meters around the seedling. The planting technology does not differ from the standard one.

Siberia

Growing apricots in Siberia is complicated by the fact that this region experiences extremely low temperatures - down to -40° and below. Therefore, varieties should be selected that are exclusively frost-resistant. These include the Khabarovsky and Sibiryak Baikalova varieties. It is recommended to plant several trees to be safe.

It is necessary to plant on a hill, and it is advisable to sow the entire hill with grass or spices to insulate the root system. During frosts, be sure to insulate the tree trunk circle with leaves or mulch. It is necessary to plant not seedlings, but seeds.

Storing seedlings in winter

What to do if the seedling could not be planted in the fall? There are different ways to preserve it until spring.

In the cellar

In a cellar or garage, apricot seedlings can be stored at temperatures from 0 to +10 ºC. The roots are moistened, placed in a container with sawdust, sand or peat and placed in a cool place. The container needs to be moistened about once a week.

When storing apricot seedlings in a cellar or garage, it is worth labeling each variety

Snowmaking

This method is used in snowy areas (snow thickness must be at least 15 cm). To ensure that the seedlings are well preserved, that is, do not freeze or rot, do this:

1. Before snowing, they are kept in water for 5 hours and the leaves are removed.
2. Then they select the snowiest area in the garden - where there is less sun, and prepare a hole, leaving a snow “cushion” 15–20 cm thick.
3. Apricot seedlings packed in burlap or agrofibre are placed in the prepared hole. You can also place them vertically, thus saving space.

Apricot seedlings are placed horizontally on a snow “cushion”

Vertically located apricot seedlings should be covered with snow by a maximum of two-thirds

In a snow pit, seedlings are stored until spring in conditions that are comfortable for them.

Burying in the ground

The seedling is buried with its tip facing south in an inclined position. For this:

Dig a ditch in the direction from west to east with a flat southern side and a vertical northern wall.

A ditch for digging seedlings is dug in the direction from west to east

Aftercare

In addition to following the rules and standard planting technologies, it is important to continue to care for the tree, water it on time, feed it and protect it during the frost period.

Watering

Apricots love moisture very much, so watering should be regular and plentiful. But from the end of summer, the amount of irrigation must be reduced, and towards the end of September it should be stopped altogether. In April-May the period of the most abundant irrigation begins. This is necessary to maintain water balance during active growth and maturation.

Top dressing

The plant should be fed in the spring to restore mineral balance and saturate it with vitamins after winter. Every year you need to add a complex of minerals, and every 4 years - fertilizers of organic origin - compost, humus or peat. Ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride or superphosphate are good mineral fertilizers.

Winter protection

There is no need to cover the tree for the winter. It is important to clear snow to prevent moisture stagnation in the root system. To protect the roots from freezing, it is advisable to sow various herbs or spices within a radius of two to three meters around the trunk.

Care in the first spring after planting

In spring, the tree requires more care, since after winter it is exhausted.

Spring care consists of the following procedures:

• pruning - removing old dry branches and shoots, as well as lightly trimming young branches, forming a crown or rejuvenating it;
• grafting - it is important to choose the right rootstock - cherry plum, peach, plum or sloe;
• if necessary, replant the plant;
• protection from pests and various diseases;
• fertilizing with potassium chloride, superphosphate, saltpeter, urea and nitrogen fertilizers;
• watering;
• loosening and mulching the soil.

Undesirable neighborhood

Compatibility with other fruit trees also plays an important role. It is not recommended to plant apricots near large crops - apple trees, pears, nuts. Wide crowns of neighboring plants prevent access to sunlight and fresh air, which causes diseases and poor fruiting.

On the site, the most recommended neighbors for apricots are cherries and plums. The crop does well near bushes - currants, raspberries.

Is it possible to replant apricots in the fall?

Apricot trees should be replanted in the fall before frost sets in and before the average daily temperature drops to 0°C. The transplantation period ranges from September to October. It is important that all the leaves have already fallen off - this will contribute to better survival. In dry weather, transplantation is not carried out. When the procedure is carried out in the fall, the tree adapts better to low temperatures and practically does not suffer from freezing in the future. If the weather is too warm, it is also not recommended to replant the plants.

Apricot is a very sweet and healthy fruit, and apricot trees are quite easy to care for, and planting them is not difficult at all with the right skills. It is important to choose the right location, variety and observe the necessary conditions when planting. It is also necessary to constantly care for seedlings and mature trees to maintain plant health and high fertility.

Protection from diseases and their prevention

Apricot trees have many enemies: excess moisture, drought, frost, winter cold, sharp winds, large temperature changes, as well as specific diseases. The cause of diseases is most often a violation of agricultural technology. Sick trees need feeding with potassium and lime more than others.

The following table presents the signs of common specific diseases of apricot trees and methods of combating them.

Apricot trees are very popular in home gardening. In recent years, the long-term work of domestic breeders has brought significant results. Winter-hardy varieties of southern fruits have been developed that produce large harvests even in Siberia. In spring and autumn - all year round, these plantings require attention and care. And the delicious, beautiful and very healthy apricot fruits obtained as a result of careful care will not disappoint hardworking gardeners.