Apricot is one of the favorite fruits, it is grown with pleasure in almost every garden. How to plant apricot in the fall to get a good harvest in the future? The advice of experienced gardeners will help answer this question.
How to plant apricot
The tree tolerates frost and drought well. In one place, apricot can grow up to 30 years without losing its yield. Therefore, before landing, it is important to determine the place and time.
Planting time for seedlings
The best time to plant seedlings is autumn. In each region, landing times are slightly different. In the southern latitudes, it is better to carry out all work in early October, and in the middle zone a little earlier.
Important! Work related to planting a seedling should end a month before the onset of frost.
Choosing an Apricot Orchard Location
Apricot is an oriental culture, therefore it is better to plant trees in well-lit places. The place for the future garden should be well protected from the cold northerly winds from all sides.
Despite the fact that apricot belongs to hygrophilous trees, it is preferable to plant it in a relatively dry area. The depth of groundwater should not be higher than 1.5 meters. The plant does not tolerate wetting of the root system, especially at a young age.
It is important to pay attention to the soil in which the cultivation of apricot is planned. On sandy soils without additional irrigation, trees age early, the risk of summer burns increases. On chernozem, apricot late begins to bear fruit, yield is very low. Apricot should never be grown on heavy clay soils. It is preferable to plant young trees on light loamy soils with a neutral reaction.
How to prepare a landing pit
The seedling pit is prepared in advance, approximately 2-3 weeks before the proposed work. The depth of the hole should correspond to the root system of the seedling. Experienced gardeners recommend a depth of up to 70-80 cm.
Before planting, the pit is well seasoned with fertilizers. To do this, the earth must be mixed with humus, superphosphate and potassium.
On one landing hole:
• Humus - 2 buckets;
• Potassium sulfate - 500 g;
• Superphosphate - 600 gr.
Fertilizers mix well with the soil and pour into the pit. The pit is left until landing. During this time, the earth will settle.
How to choose an apricot seedling for planting in the fall
For planting a tree, it is better to give preference to purchased seedlings that are grown in compliance with all requirements. In addition, self-growing apricot from seed is a troublesome business that requires special knowledge.
The best material for planting is young seedlings, whose age does not exceed 3 years. They quickly take root in a new place, it is easier to care for them. What to look for when buying a seedling, so that instead of a cultivated tree you do not get a wild bird:
1. A young seedling of varietal apricot has thick skeletal branches without thorns.
2. Pay attention to the place of vaccination. At its base should be a small spike.
3. In addition, the root system of the seedling must be alive, otherwise the plant will not take root.
Autumn planting apricot: how to spend
Before boarding prepare the seedling. It is necessary to carefully examine it, to remove all rotted and dry roots. Healthy roots need to be cut by 1/3. Next, the seedling is placed in a clay mash, into which it is desirable to add mullein.
Apricot is planted in pre-prepared hole. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the position of the root neck. It should be 5-6 cm above the soil level. If deepened, the risk of fungal diseases of the tree increases.
It is more convenient to carry out all the work associated with landing together. The seedling is carefully placed in the pit, straighten the roots and fall asleep with earth. After that, the soil around the tree is tamped and watered abundantly. To preserve moisture, the stem circle is additionally mulched with humus.
If you plan to plant several trees, it is important to observe the distance between the seedlings. Adult apricot requires a large area, up to 5 square meters. m. on one tree.
How to care for apricots in autumn after planting
After the plant is planted, it must be prepared for winter. Particular attention must be paid to the trunk and skeletal branches. They need to be whitened to protect against spring burns. Copper sulfate is added to the working solution. Such a mixture helps to destroy pests that winter under the bark of a tree. The whitewashing of the tree is carried out when the weather is established, and the rainy season passes.
In addition, young seedlings need to be protected from rodents that cause harm. To do this, fir branches are tied to the trunk. Despite the fact that apricot is a frost-resistant plant, at a young age it needs additional insulation. When the snow falls, they are wrapped in a tree trunk circle.
Important! During periods of thaw, it is necessary to remove the melted snow from the root neck of the plant so that moisture does not stagnate in this place.
Protecting Apricot from Pests and Diseases
Apricot is unstable to damage by pests and diseases. In the autumn, after planting, apricot is treated with complex preparations. Use in the fall copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. Simultaneously with the treatments, additional spraying is carried out with the Zircon, Ecoberin preparation. They increase the resistance of seedlings to weather conditions and diseases.
How to prune apricots in autumn
Pruning is an important event when growing apricot. It is carried out in the spring, summer and autumn. Autumn pruning is carried out at the stage of preparing the tree for winter.
During this period, it is important to pay attention to broken and damaged shoots that need to be removed. Also cut out all sick and dry branches. In addition, cut all growing inward and thickening shoots.
Important! The first pruning of the tree is carried out a year after planting.
Is it possible to transplant apricot in autumn?
In one place, the tree grows long enough and does not tolerate transplanting. But if there is a need, then you can transplant young seedlings. This is best done in the fall. In addition, it is important to adhere to some apricot transplant rules.
1. An apricot transplant can be carried out if the seedling does not exceed 5 years of age.
2. When transplanting, it is important to maintain an earthen lump with roots.
3. The apricot is carefully removed from the ground and transferred to a new place, dodging an earthen lump in burlap.
Observing these simple rules, you can make the apricot transplant less painful. Thanks to this, the plant will recover faster.
Apricot trees have been very popular lately. New breeding allows you to grow this culture even in northern regions. Apricot constantly requires care, especially in the fall, when the tree needs to be prepared for winter. Observing all the rules of planting and care, the hardworking gardener will be rewarded with delicious fruits. It's a shame when in spring it turns out that the apricot withered.
