This light-loving plant belongs to the fruit crops of the Pink family, the genus is plum. Also called apricot or common apricot. The birthplace of the tree is China and Central Asia. For the growth of the culture, a well-drained, slightly alkaline soil is desirable, which has a high moisture retention capacity. The plant rarely needs watering, as it is quite drought tolerant. The maximum recorded apricot height is 12 m, and the average life span is 35 years. You can grow an apricot tree by planting seeds or grafting.
You can find many references in the literature about this tree. It is believed that apricot was first found in China, from where it was brought to Asia, and then to Armenia and Greece. From Greece, the tree was brought to Rome, and from there later throughout Europe, where the climate is dry and hot in summer. Among the names that were used in relation to the apricot, the following can be distinguished: “Armenian apple”, “Armenian plum”, “sunny fruit”, “morela”, “yellow cream”, “fat”, “dried apricots”.
Description of the apricot tree
The apricot is a fairly tall tree with roots that go deep into the ground. Even the bushy varieties of the apricot tree are large, thanks to the spreading crown.
The trunk diameter can be up to half a meter. The color of the bark varies from grayish to brownish brown. Young shoots are colored reddish or brown-olive. It is noteworthy that the root system is twice the crown of the tree.
Apricot leaves are ovoid, flowers are pink and white. The calyx is red on the outside and green-yellow on the inside. The fruit of the apricot tree is juicy, fleshy, sweet with sourness to taste, fragrant, round in shape, with a stone inside. By shape, they distinguish between ovoid, ellipsoidal, rounded and spherical apricots. The skin is thin, velvety. Fruit color can be white, yellow, reddish, orange, with a blush.
In cultivated varieties of the apricot tree, there is a good separation of the pulp from the stone when the fruit reaches maturity. Apricot bears fruit once a year, fruit ripening lasts from May to September (depending on the variety, temperature and humidity).
How to grow an apricot tree
Apricot bears fruit for about 35 years, but more often gardeners change trees earlier. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to care for and harvest from an overgrown plant. In small areas, dwarf apricot varieties are preferable. But it is worthwhile to take a responsible approach to the selection of dwarf seedlings, as they can grow up to three meters in height and five meters in width. The best option for planting would be partially formed seedlings grafted onto a plum tree, which will provide a small sprouting capacity.
The apricot tree is sensitive to frost, therefore, it is recommended to cover the roots of young plants, for example, with plastic wrap for the winter period. A mature tree can withstand a short-term frost of about 30 degrees, but small spring frosts can destroy buds and flowers.
In the spring, you need to feed fruit trees and the apricot is no exception. Organic fertilizers (manure and compost) are used for it. Manure is applied once every two to three years at four kilograms per square meter. Compost is applied at the rate of five to six kilograms per square meter, you can add mineral fertilizers. When using chicken manure, do not exceed the dosage of 300 grams per square meter. If the fertilizer contains a lot of phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen, then it is mixed with peat or compost before application.
Nitrogen fertilizers increase the growth period of shoots, and this reduces the apricot tree's resistance to frost. To prevent the occurrence of reduced frost resistance, nitrogenous fertilizers are applied in the spring at 35 grams per square meter three times (before flowering, after it and after the ovary falls).
Apricot pits
The apricot kernel is about a quarter of the size of the fruit. Its shape varies depending on the variety. There are three ribs on the dorsal suture of the bone - one of a pointed central shape and two less pronounced lateral ones. The main color is brown, but there are shades that appear on only one side.
Inside the seed there is a white seed (usually one, but two are also found). It is covered with a dense yellow skin containing brown blotches. The seeds can be either bitter or sweet in taste, which tastes like almonds. In cooking, almonds are sometimes replaced by such apricot seeds.
Small bones with bitter seeds from wild apricot trees (fatty trees) are of the greatest value. The higher the bitterness, the higher the content of amygdalin, which is also called vitamin B17. The concentration of bitterness is different in larger bones.
Apricot cultivars have a large kernel with a sweet taste. It does not have any useful properties, therefore it is used as a dessert nut. A sweet seed can be made up of two-thirds of the edible oil and one-fifth of the protein.
It is worth remembering that in addition to useful properties, apricot kernel also has a poisonous ability due to the content of poison (hydrocyanic acid). The maximum safe dosage of apricot kernels for an adult is 10-20 pieces.
Collection of apricot fruits
The average yield of apricot from one tree is about 90 kg. When fully ripe, the fruit is evenly colored, juicy and soft. In this state, it can be eaten, processed or sent for drying. For the purpose of transportation and storage, it is necessary to select slightly yellowed fruits.
For preservation, fruits with dense pulp, not overripe, are used. Harvesting apricots is mainly carried out in dry weather, in the morning, after the dew has melted. Such measures ensure the reduction of the risks of violation of the quality of the fruit.
