How to care for apricots in the fall and how to prepare them for frost

How to care for apricots in the fall in order to properly prepare for winter: main autumn activities

So, here's what you need to do after harvesting your apricots to prepare the tree for winter:

• perform autumn fertilizing;

Important! In principle, all fruit trees are fertilized in the same way in the fall , so, for example, you can read this material about fertilizing an apple tree in the fall .

• trim;

Note! As a rule, apricots are pruned in the spring , which you can read about in detail in this article .

• clean the trunks of old dead bark, various mosses and lichens.

Important! Mosses and lichens do not pose any danger to fruit trees , however, various pathogens and insect pests can overwinter in them.

• clean the tree trunk from plant and other debris;

Important! If the tree is not sick, then the garbage (except for fallen fruits) can be thrown onto the compost heap. But if it hurt, then it needs to either be burned, or buried very deeply, or simply taken out of the area.

• carry out eradication treatment;
• whiten (necessarily after processing).

Advice! Everything about whitewashing fruit trees (including apricots ) is described in detail here .

• carry out water-charging irrigation and dig up the soil in the tree trunk circle;
• cover for the winter (including protecting young trees from rodents, sunburn and damping off of the root collar).

Next, we will analyze each of the activities for autumn care of the apricot tree.

Processing frequency

The tree is sprayed against diseases and pests several times a season. The first procedure is carried out in the spring. The purpose of the manipulation is the prevention of diseases and insects. The procedure is repeated after the fruit has set. Spraying can be aimed at both treatment and prevention.

The next manipulation is needed in early autumn. It will increase the plant’s resistance to frost and get rid of pests. The procedure is repeated in late autumn. The manipulation is aimed at the complete destruction of pests.

Important! Dates are approximate. When a tree is infected, it is recommended not to wait for the optimal time. Spraying will have to be done earlier. This will relieve symptoms of the disease at an early stage.

If there are no pests in late autumn, the procedure is carried out no earlier than November. Otherwise, there is a risk of premature leaf fall. The tree will weaken. There is a possibility that the plant will not be able to survive wintering normally.

Autumn feeding of apricot after fruiting

Immediately after the apricot harvest, i.e. Even in the second half of summer, it is advisable to feed apricot trees with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (in no case nitrogen fertilizers such as urea or ammonium nitrate).

If you did not do this in the summer, then, of course, you can and should fertilize in the fall, for example, in September.

Most often, superphosphate and potassium sulfate , or simply potassium monophosphate (it is more expensive, but also more effective), or they buy ready-made special “autumn” (=phosphorus-potassium) fertilizers for the garden. Naturally, there is also an organic analogue - wood ash (potassium) and bone meal (phosphorus).

Important! As a rule, all fruit trees are fertilized approximately the same in the fall , so, for example, you can read this detailed article about autumn fertilizing of an apple tree .

By the way! All stone fruit crops take a lot of calcium from the soil to build their seeds , so it is very advisable to periodically feed apricots with calcium fertilizers , for example, dolomite flour (it also deoxidizes the soil). Moreover, they can be applied at any time - both in autumn and spring.

Video: how to feed apricots in the fall

Foliar feeding for better ripening of shoots

If at the beginning of autumn you see that the shoots of a young apricot planted this spring are still completely green , i.e. unripe and non-lignified (and such shoots simply cannot overwinter and will definitely freeze), then to speed up their ripening ( they should turn brown in winter ), you must carry out foliar feeding (spray the solution on the leaf) with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (optimally - monopotassium phosphate ).

By the way! Summer chasing or pruning is also used to ripen apricot shoots . So, the length of young growth should not exceed 40-60 cm, everything else needs to be trimmed.

What drugs are used for diseases

Treatment of apricots in the fall with copper sulfate is the most common. It is advisable to spray the plant with several preparations at once for greater effectiveness. The most popular medicines for diseases are described in the table.

Not only the crown, but also the tree trunk circle is subject to treatment. The main thing is not to violate the dosages indicated on the packaging when preparing the planting. Otherwise there is a risk of burn injuries. The tree will not be able to obtain the nutrients it needs. The frost resistance of the plant will decrease significantly.

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

How to keep the soil moist

Watering itself is important, but it is equally important to maintain moisture in the soil so that the roots never suffer from changes in humidity, which is the most painful for them.

Mulching is one of the main techniques for maintaining soil moisture. It is wisest to use a variety of organic matter as mulch, because... This will also serve as additional feeding. This category includes mulching with grass clippings, straw, compost, sawdust, etc.

Another way to retain soil moisture is to sow ground cover perennials with shallow roots. This method is advisable to use in the southern regions to save apricot roots from drying out.

Whitewashing apricots in autumn

The purpose of autumn whitewashing of any fruit trees (including apricots) is to prevent frost damage (sunburn) , cracks in the bark that form due to temperature changes (plus or minus, plus or minus) during the transitional winter-spring period (in February -March).

Note! Whitewashing in the spring (April-May) has no meaning other than aesthetic. It’s another matter if you come to your dacha at the end of February or beginning of March and whitewash it. But does anyone really do that?

Accordingly, old trees, and especially young ones, need to be whitewashed. Moreover, when whitewashing the trunks of young seedlings, you should use weaker solutions (if you use lime, then its concentration should be reduced by 2 times) so as not to burn the young bark. Or you can use special paints for whitewashing garden trees: buy the same water-based or water-dispersion paint, or acrylic. In any case, it is necessary to whiten it, since young seedlings have the thinnest bark, which can very easily be damaged in late winter and early spring from sunburn (it will simply burst due to temperature differences).

By the way! There is a well-founded opinion that it is better not to bleach very young seedlings with smooth bark, but to wrap the trunk with white covering material (spunbond tapes) . In this way, you will not only prevent sunburn, but also protect the seedling from rodents (more on this in the next paragraph) .

Autumn moisture-charging irrigation

It is also called “moisture-recharging” irrigation or “winter” irrigation.

Autumn moisture-recharging watering of apricot is another useful measure that allows you to better prepare the tree for winter by “filling” it with moisture. The fact is that moist soil freezes less and has greater thermal conductivity, in other words, heat from the lower layers of the soil will warm the roots of your apricot tree during the cold period.

By the way! Moisture-charging irrigation is recommended for all fruit trees and berry bushes.

When?

• With the beginning or after leaf fall, on the eve of cold weather (at positive temperatures).

When is winter watering especially necessary?

• If you have sandy loam soil and autumn does not indulge in frequent and heavy rains, and the winter has little snow.

Worth understanding! Of course, if the fall is very rainy, then you can completely do without moisture-recharging irrigation.

How much water will be needed?

• Approximately 40-100 liters of water per 1 square meter of tree trunk circle (for young people - 40-50 liters, for adults - 80-100 liters), i.e. you need to calculate the area based on the projection of the crown (its perimeter). The more mature and massive your tree is, the more water will be required: approximately 50 to 200 liters.

Advice! Naturally, you don’t need to carry any buckets: take the hose and move it around the tree trunk (and first measure how many minutes it takes to fill one 10-liter bucket. For example, if it takes 30 seconds, then 5-10 minutes will be enough).

Video: what is moisture-charging irrigation and how to carry it out correctly

Advice! And after watering (for example, the next day), it is also very advisable to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle, because loose soil freezes less.

Of course, if you have a good layer of turf under the trees or just grass (lawn) growing, then you don’t need to touch it.

Sheltering apricots for the winter: protecting young trees from rodents and sunburn

The last stage of apricot care in the fall is its immediate preparation for wintering.

Of course, an adult apricot tree is quite a relatively frost-resistant crop that does not require any shelter for the winter. However, a young apricot seedling (for example, planted this spring ) still needs some protection, and primarily not from frost, but from rodents and hares, as well as from sunburn (which was described in detail in the paragraph on autumn whitewashing ).

So, in order to protect a young apricot tree from hares and rodents (mice) that like to gnaw on the bark, you need to wrap (more precisely, bandage) the lower part of the trunk from the very ground to the skeletal branches with a special protective non-woven (= breathable) material, for example, the same spunbond or lutrasil, some kind of burlap (but in no case film , otherwise your tree will dry out under it).

By the way! In this case, you don’t even need to whitewash the wood , because... white non-woven material and will perform a protective function to prevent sunburn (i.e. it will act as a reflector of sunlight).

Or you can buy ready-made tape for wrapping fruit tree trunks for the winter.

Features of overwintering apricot trees

The most destructive thing for apricots, regardless of their age, is the negative impact of winter thaws, which can provoke early biochemical processes. A sharp cold snap can cause irreversible damage, including the death of flower buds. Temperature changes are especially dangerous for young and newly planted fruit trees. In this regard, the question arises of how to properly insulate an apricot for the winter.

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of “winter hardiness” and “frost resistance”. The term “winter hardiness” refers to all the unfavorable factors of winter - winds, frosts, changes in humidity and temperature. The winter hardiness of the Apricot species, including its northern varieties, is still insufficient.

The concept of “frost resistance” is much narrower and means resistance to cold. In an ordinary apricot it is quite high. In the Volga region, apricot trees tolerate harsh winters quite well for many years.

The apricot's deep dormancy is quite short - until the beginning of December. All winter the trees are in a state of forced dormancy. This means that they are already capable of flowering and growing; only negative temperatures stop them from doing so. To start growth you need just a little heat. Even a thaw is enough for the apricot to begin to grow.

During the summer, fruit-bearing trees accumulate nutrients that are necessary for successful overwintering. Apricots in the south are covered with a “coat” of similar chemical compounds. In the middle zone, summers are moderately warm, so apricots do not have time to stock up on nutrients. They winter in a “light coat”.

It is worth noting the advantages of an early thaw. Apricot annually lays a large number of flower buds on annual shoots, regardless of the previous year's yield. If partial death of the buds did not sometimes occur, the tree would quickly become depleted and their lifespan would be shortened. This phenomenon is quite normal, this is the natural restoration of the apricot’s strength.

How often to moisten the soil in summer

If we are talking about apricot trees in the first 3-4 years of life, then to determine how much they need watering in the summer, you need to evaluate the soil moisture. It happens that after a light rain the soil seems wet, but in fact it is only a few centimeters wet. It also happens, on the contrary, that the soil seems absolutely dry on the surface, but if you dig even to the depth of a spade bayonet, then in the depths it is wet.

Therefore, a soil moisture test should be carried out regularly throughout the summer. To do this, you need to dig a hole between the trees to the depth of a spade bayonet or a little deeper, take soil from the hole and try to form a lump out of it:

• if it does not crumble immediately or does not fall apart at all, then there is enough moisture in the ground for the roots;
• if the lump falls apart almost immediately, then the apricot needs watering.

The most accurate way to find out humidity is a special device for measuring it.
It must be remembered that waterlogging of the soil is almost more dangerous for apricots than drought, therefore the amount of moisture in the soil is one of the main indicators for deciding the issue of watering a tree.

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.

How to cover apricots in different regions

Preparing apricots for winter differs depending on the climate of the region. The most important problems that need to be prevented during preparation are heating and freezing. It is necessary to cover the apricot for the winter.

Let's look at everything in more detail:

1. In the middle zone (Moscow region). Trees need to be covered well, as a sudden cold snap can cause branches and buds to freeze. To prevent this from happening, the soil must be mulched and the trunk wrapped in material that allows air to pass through well. For example, roofing felt, stockings, etc. If frost is expected, the apricot must be additionally covered with film.
2. In the Volga region. In this region, trees need to be shortened to a height of 2.5 m, and then insulated: mulched with a thick layer of sawdust, straw or spruce branches. Next you need to wrap it with agrospan, which is attached to pegs and sprinkled with earth.
3. In the Urals and Siberia. Apricots need to be covered in the same way as in the Volga region, but one nuance should be taken into account. In the northern regions, with the onset of spring, fruit-bearing trees run the risk of drying out. A lot of snow falls there, which can melt during a thaw and flood the root collar with water. It will begin to rot as a result of spring heating and the tree dies.

In the trunk circle of apricot trees in winter it is necessary to trample snow, especially around young plants. This will protect the trunk from mice and hares. When there is a threat of overheating (in mid-March), the snow from the root collar must be discarded.

When growing apricots in regions with severe snowy winters, preference should be given to frost-resistant varieties. In such areas it is necessary to insulate trees.

Some varieties of apricot trees have low frost resistance and require special care. On the eve of the onset of cold weather, many gardeners have a question about how to cover apricots for the winter. The process of protecting trees is one of the key stages of preparation for the cold season, since further development and fruiting depend on the shelter.

Apricot diseases and pests: prevention and control

Apricot is a rewarding stone fruit. It is early-bearing, actively develops, is not afraid of pruning and slight freezing, does not make any special demands on the soil, and is distinguished by decorative flowering and a dessert taste of the fruit.

However, insidious diseases and voracious pests can deprive gardeners of a tasty and healthy harvest. Trees that have been growing on the site for a long time are especially susceptible to damage.

Therefore, do not forget about preventive pruning, whitewashing, spraying and timely treatments.

Prevention of apricot diseases and pests

The manifestation of fungal diseases can be prevented by preventive pruning, whitewashing and timely processing.

• Carry out timely sanitary pruning in March - see 10 rules for pruning trees and shrubs.
• Whiten the trunks and skeletal branches with lime or water-based white garden paint - watch the video of whitewashing trees in the fall.
• Don’t forget to also remove fallen leaves, remove and burn spoiled fruits, and loosen the soil in the bush area.
• Always collect and burn all fruits affected by pests or diseases, remove old bark,
• Loosen the soil in the tree trunk area more often,
• Water the plants and apply fertilizers - read about proper care of apricots.

Rules for treating apricots against diseases and pests

• Carry out treatments as early as possible - in the morning, after the dew has dried.
• Use protective equipment (respirator, gloves).
• Apply the solution evenly, starting from the top of the crown and ending at the base of the tree.
• If the plant is in a leafy state, then always treat both the upper and lower parts of the leaf blades.
• Treatments must be stopped at least a month before harvesting. Treatments must be stopped.

Apricot diseases

Apricot plants are attacked by various fungal diseases: clasterosporiasis

,
moniliosis
,
verticillosis
, etc. The development of the disease is favored by warm weather with high humidity. Treatments with fungicidal preparations are effective against fungal diseases.

Apricot cytosporosis

• Signs of cytosporosis are small brown tubercles that suddenly appear on the bark.
• The development of the disease leads to premature withering and death of leaf blades and drying out of branches.
• If the disease spreads severely, the entire tree dies.

Control of apricot cytosporosis

I advise you to start the fight against cytosporosis by removing the affected branches and burning them outside the site.

• If the first signs of the disease are noticed in time and the affected areas of the bark are still small, it is necessary to treat the plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture or any other copper-based preparation as quickly as possible.
• In case of severe damage, you can increase the dosage by making the solution 2%.
• Plants can be treated with Bordeaux mixture in the spring, using this drug as a prophylactic agent.
• In case of very severe infection, it is necessary to treat the plants with fungicides (antifungal drugs) approved for the current season.

I noticed that wild apricots

, so-called perches never suffer from cytosporosis. In any case, during the 10 years of their growth in my area, there were never signs of this disease.

Sweet cherries in the middle zone can also suffer from cytosporosis. In case of cytosporosis of any fruit crops in any region, during gardening seasonal work in August, the bark is stripped, covered and preventive sprayed after harvesting. It is equally important to take preventive measures when working in the garden in March.

Fire blight on apricot

This disease affects absolutely all parts of the apricot plant. A bacterial burn can manifest itself in different ways.

• Usually dark marks are visible on the shoots, as if from a burn.
• Then ulcers appear in these areas, and gum formation begins.
• Brown bark can be seen on affected apricot plants.

If the disease spreads severely, the tree may die.

Fighting fire blight

I advise you to start fighting bacterial burns by cutting and burning the affected branches.

• In this case, all sections, before insulating with garden pitch or garden paint, must be treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  .
• Sometimes treating affected plants with 1% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  in early spring (April) and summer (a month before the fruits ripen) helps.
• You can also spray the plants after harvesting, as soon as the leaves begin to fall. Use 3% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  .

Prevention of fire blight on apricots

• To prevent this disease, always remove gum from the bark.
• If, as a result of the severe development of a bacterial burn, the apricot plants died and were uprooted, the soil at the place of growth must be disinfected.
• Sprinkle the ground with bleach
  at the rate of 150-180 g per 1 m² and embed it into the soil by digging with a shovel full.

Apricot varieties resistant to fire blight

A number of varieties, according to reviews from gardeners in various regions of Russia, are not affected by bacterial burn:

• Pineapple Tsyuryupinsky
  (North Caucasus region),
• Red-cheeked
  (North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions),
• Shindakhlan
  (North Caucasus region).

Monilial burn of apricot

Monilial blight on apricots develops during seasons with damp and cool weather.

• Most often, monilial burn appears at the height of flowering of the crop.

• The leaf blades and growths of the current year sometimes begin to acquire a brown color, gradually dry out, and the leaves fall off ahead of time.
• If the monilial burn appears when the fruits have already set and are developing, then they may soon rot.

Fighting monilial burns

The fight against monilial burn should begin with pruning and burning the affected shoots, removing and destroying fallen leaves and rotten fruits.

• To prevent monilial burn in the spring, during the period of swelling of the buds, you need to treat the plants with 3% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  .
• As soon as the shoots and leaf blades begin to dry out, you must immediately treat the plants with Topsin-M
  ,
  Strobi
  ,
  Topaz
  , etc.
• For greater effect, add half a bar of antibacterial soap
  .

Apricot brown spot

• Brown spot appears in the form of brown spots on leaf blades, on which a narrow dark-colored border appears after a few days.
• After some time, the leaf tissue inside the spots dies and falls out, forming through holes.
• This leads to the death of the leaf blade and its shedding ahead of schedule.

Fighting brown spot

I advise you to start the fight against brown spot by removing the affected leaf blades and burning them.

• with 3% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  during bud break .
• At the first signs of illness, repeat treatment.

Apricot hole spot

• The first signs of the disease - small brown-scarlet spots - are visible on leaf blades and fruits.
• After 8-10 days, through holes form in place of the spots.
• Spots on the fruits lead to their drying out and sharply reduce the yield.
• Affected leaf blades dry out and die prematurely.
• Trees affected by hole spot do not overwinter well and freeze heavily.

On plants that are severely affected by hole spotting, you can see red-violet spots already on the bark and on the shoots.

If no measures are taken, then active gum formation begins at the site of the spots.

Fighting hole spotting

I advise you to start the fight against hole spot by removing the affected leaves, shoots, fruits and burning them outside the site.

• Clean all wounds, treat with 3% copper sulfate
  or
  Bordeaux mixture
  , and then isolate them with garden varnish.
• They cope well with perforated spotting when treated with copper-containing preparations.
• Treatment with Horus
  and
  Mikosan
  .
• Preventive treatments can also be carried out with 3% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  in the autumn (after leaf fall) and in the spring (when the buds begin to bloom).

I also noticed that trees growing in poor soil suffer from this disease more often. Therefore, try to provide the plants with food.

For prevention, for each plant you need to add:

• in spring - 1 tbsp. l. nitroammofoski
  ,
• during the flowering period - 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate
  ,
• after harvesting 150-200 g of wood ash
  .

Apricot gum discharge

Gum may appear due to violations of pruning dates (later than March), freezing and cracking of the bark.

• The gum should be removed with a wooden scraper.
• Then clean the affected area and treat with 1% Bordeaux mixture
  or
  copper sulfate
  .
• If damage is visible on the bark, then after treatment you should isolate it with garden varnish.

Apricot pests

The most common aphids on apricots are aphids

,
codling moth
and
leaf roller
. Insecticidal preparations and treatments with laundry soap are effective against pests.

Aphids on apricot

• Aphids are most active in spring and early summer, when young leaves and growths are tender and have not yet matured.
• Aphids bite through the fabric and suck out the juice.
• As a result, the leaves and shoots become deformed and dry out.

Before you start fighting aphids, make sure there are no anthills in the area. It is ants that are often carriers of aphids.

Do not forget that aphids themselves can be carriers of various infections, so it is imperative to fight them.

Fighting aphids on apricot

Aphids can be controlled using a variety of insecticides. The main thing is that they are approved for use in the current season (for example Fitoverm

,
Fufanon
).

When processing, be sure to follow the instructions on the package:

• do not use insecticides near ponds and apiaries,
• do not use insecticides when there is less than a month left before harvest,
• During the harvest period, only safe products (for example, laundry soap) can be used.

Codling moth on apricot

It is not the codling moth itself that harms apricot plants, but its caterpillars.

• Codling moth caterpillars hatch from the ovipositor in the summer and try with all their might to get into the fruits, leading to their spoilage and rot.
• Caterpillars overwinter either in the soil or in crevices of the bark.
• Insecticide treatments help against codling moths: 0.5% solution of Entobacterin
  ,
  Decim
  or
  Inta-Vir
  .

Leaf rollers on apricot

• Apricots are also harmed by caterpillars that hatch from eggs laid by the leaf roller butterfly.
• The caterpillars are unusually voracious and actively eat not only leaf blades, but also buds.
• Caterpillars appear in the spring, and in the summer they roll up the leaves and pupate in them, so that after some time they fly out as butterflies and give birth to the second caterpillar offspring of the season.

To combat the leaf roller, you can use the same drugs as to combat the codling moth.

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Source: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/antonovsad/bolezni-i-vrediteli-abrikosa-profilaktika-i-borba-5cd59cba77f0d500b35138ec

Features of apricot care in autumn and preparation for winter

Pre-winter care of seedlings is carried out in order to prepare for the upcoming frosts. In addition to trimming foliage, it is necessary to ensure the safety of bark and wood. Comprehensive and proper care makes it possible to create optimal conditions for wintering plants.

When preparing apricots for winter, the soil around the seedlings is covered with a layer of mulch made from hay, sawdust, humus and straw. Mulching is necessary to protect the roots and improve the properties of seedlings. The root collar of the trunk is protected with a material with sufficient breathability to prevent rotting.

Warming up the lower part of the trunk leads to poor tolerance to cold and a drop in yield.

To protect the main part of the trunk, it is necessary to treat the bark with a solution of lime. The coating will reduce the risk of pests penetrating under the bark and strengthen the base of the branches. When wondering how to prepare a protective solution, just mix 10 liters of clean water, 2 kg of lime, 200 g of copper sulfate and 250 g of flour paste.

Apricot pruning in autumn

One of the integral stages of caring for fruit trees is crown pruning . When pruning vegetation, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances, since proper execution of the process contributes to the ripening of a good harvest.

Why is pruning needed?

Trimming foliage and old branches is necessary to create a decorative and neat crown. Pruning also has a practical purpose - it increases the degree of penetration of sunlight to apricots and has a beneficial effect on ventilation.

When is it better to prune - in spring or autumn?

Pruning is allowed twice a year. In autumn, the crown of trees is shaped and old branches are removed. At the beginning of March, with the onset of warmth, frozen shoots are removed after cold weather. When planting in northern regions, both prunings should be done during the spring to ensure the tree fully recovers during the warm season.

Timing of pruning

You should not delay the treatment of the crown for a long period, since the cut areas should be restored before the temperature drops below 8 degrees. The exact dates are determined taking into account weather conditions in a particular area. In the central regions, the procedure is performed during the first ten days of October, in the southern regions - from mid-October to November 10, in the north - in early September.

How to prune correctly

To trim the crown, just follow the step-by-step instructions. It involves the following steps:

1. After the first year of cultivation, the top part of the trees is partially cut off, the length of which reaches a quarter of the height of the entire trunk.
2. Several shoots are left on the trunk, shortened to at least 30 cm.
3. In the 3-5th year of apricot life, the shoots are partially removed, maintaining a distance of about 50-55 cm between the remaining ones.
4. Long shoots formed on the central part of the trunk are cut in half.

Features of pruning young and old apricots in autumn

On young seedlings during the period of active crown growth, skeletal branches are left, and the rest are cut off. The side shoots are partially trimmed so that they are in a horizontal position.

Mature apricots, unlike recently planted trees, are only periodically cultivated. This is necessary for the intensive growth of new branches.

Watering a seedling in spring

The above information concerned mainly adult, fruiting apricots. Young trees have their own watering requirements.

Apricots are traditionally planted in the spring and after planting the seedling must be watered abundantly, even if the soil is quite moist. This is done not only to saturate the plant with moisture, but also to compact the soil around the roots.

For the first watering after planting, 20 liters of water is usually sufficient. It is better to moisten the ground around the seedling using a watering can with a sprinkler for a more even distribution of moisture. Subsequently, during the first year of life, the apricot seedling needs regular watering - at least 4-5 times during the warm season, especially if the weather is hot and dry.

Shelter for the winter

The need for shelter is due to the insufficient frost resistance of apricots. The covering material protects the roots and maintains the optimal temperature in the lower part of the trees.

How to cover

Depending on weather conditions and the characteristics of a particular region, the method of covering trees depends. In the northern regions, entire trees should be covered. A film material is placed over the seedlings, the edges of which are fixed with stakes in the ground.

Features of sheltering young and old apricots for the winter

Young seedlings should be protected first, since their roots are at the development stage and can be destroyed during prolonged cold periods. The branches and trunk of immature apricots should be covered with burlap or thick cloth.

Old trees planted in the middle zone require weaker insulation. The area around the roots is covered with mulch, which protects ripening apricots from the cold. Mature apricot plantations planted in the north are protected in the same way as young ones, having previously shortened their trunks to a height of about 2.5 m.

Young trees up to two years old

At the age of two, the tree should not be watered so often. The first watering is carried out before the plant blooms. The second watering is carried out in the summer before the fruits ripen. The next application of moisture should be carried out only in the fall.

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However, if prolonged dry conditions occur, the soil needs to be moistened more often. Before irrigating, the soil around the trunk must be loosened. Otherwise, all the moisture will stimulate the appearance of fungus and damage the roots.

Important. If moisture accumulates in the soil, the plant will begin to shed its leaves. In such cases, it is necessary to revive the crop using fertilizers.

Features of preparing apricots for winter

Preparation for the winter season varies depending on the temperature characteristics of the region in which the crop is grown. The main problems that need to be prevented during the preparation process are freezing and heating.

In the middle zone

When growing fruit trees in the middle zone, it is necessary to take into account the likelihood of a sudden drop in temperature. To avoid freezing of branches and buds, you should mulch in advance, wrap the trunk with covering material and ensure air permeability.

In the Volga region

To get a good harvest of apricots when grown in the Volga region, it is necessary to prune the trees to a height of 2.5 m on the eve of winter. After removing old branches and excessive density of leaves, it is necessary to mulch with a dense layer of pine branches, straw and sawdust.

For additional protection, it is recommended to cover the mulch layer with agrospan and fix it to the soil surface.

In the Urals and Siberia

The climate conditions in the Siberian regions and the Urals require the same shelter as in the Volga region. It should be taken into account that in conditions of low temperatures there is a risk of fruits rotting with the onset of spring warming. A large amount of snow that falls in winter melts during warming, and the liquid waterlogs the root collar. Excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots and subsequent death of fruit trees.

• Author: Maria Sukhorukikh
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