Common Apricot

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Common apricot (Latin Prunus armeniaca) - fruit crop; a representative of the genus Plum of the Pink family. It is the most common type. It is widely cultivated in China, Japan, Russia, the Caucasus (Armenia and Azerbaijan), in many countries of Europe and Asia. Presumably, Armenia is considered the birthplace of common apricot, according to other sources - China.

Characteristics of culture

Common apricot is a tall tree up to 15 m high with a trunk covered with gray-brown longitudinally cracking bark. Leaves are ovoid or rounded, double-toothed or fine-toothed, up to 9 cm long, sitting on thin grooved petioles, arranged alternately. The flowers are solitary, regular, large, white or white-pink, up to 3 cm in diameter. The petals are elliptical, rounded or obovate. Hypanthium is greenish-red, cylindrical in shape.

The fruit is an elliptical or rounded odnostienka, has a pronounced longitudinal groove. The skin is velvety, pubescent, yellow or orange, with a reddish tan on one side. The pulp is fibrous, sweet, juicy. The stone is rough (smooth in some varieties), thick-walled, easily separated from the fruit. Flowering occurs in March-April (before the leaves appear), the fruits ripen in July-August. Timing may vary depending on climatic conditions.

The flowers of common apricot are sensitive to frost, but in general the culture is relatively frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -25C (sometimes up to -30C). The trees have a powerful deeply penetrating root system, so they are resistant to prolonged drought and are suitable for growing in regions with hot climates with minimal rainfall. Common apricot is relatively fast-growing, the first harvest with proper care can be obtained 3-5 years after planting.

Popular varieties and their description

* Iceberg - the variety is represented by trees up to 3 m in height, which do not differ in rapid growth. Fruits are oval or round, slightly flattened, weighing up to 22 g, with an easily detachable stone. The peel is pubescent, thin, yellowish-orange in color, often with a blush. The pulp is light orange, loose, tender, juicy, sweet. The fruits ripen in August. The variety has a high yield and frost resistance.

* Countess - the variety is represented by medium-sized trees up to 8 m high with a rounded crown. Fruits are oval or round, weighing up to 25 g, less often up to 40 g, with a large, easily separable stone. The peel is pubescent, thin, pale yellow or cream, with a slight blush. The pulp is juicy, orange, rather dense. The fruits ripen in the second decade of August. The variety is sensitive and capricious to growing conditions; in cold and rainy summers, the fruits are affected by clasterosporiosis. Relatively frost-resistant.

* Lel - the variety is represented by trees up to 3 m high with a compact rounded crown. Fruits are round, glossy, weighing up to 20 g, with a large, easily detachable stone. The skin is orange, without blush and pubescence. The pulp is sweet, tender, juicy, medium density, orange in color. The fruits ripen in early August. It boasts medium to high yields and frost resistance.

* Monastic - the variety is represented by vigorous trees with a spreading crown. Fruits are medium or large, oval, often asymmetric, flattened from the sides, weighing up to 40 g, sometimes up to 50 g, with a hard-to-remove bone. The skin is rough, pubescent, yellow, with a reddish blush. The pulp is juicy, loose, orange, sweet and sour. The fruits ripen in the third decade of August. Under favorable growing conditions and proper care, the crop produces good fruit yields.

* Samara - the variety is represented by medium-sized trees with a dense spreading crown. Fruits are small, ovoid, weighing up to 20 g, with a prominent abdominal suture and a short peduncle. The skin is yellow, slightly pubescent, rather dense. The pulp is juicy, yellow, sweet and sour. The fruits ripen in the first or second decade of August. The variety is partially self-fertile; in order to obtain high yields on the site, at least two representatives of the genus must be planted. The variety is winter-hardy and drought-resistant.

* Favorite - the variety is represented by trees up to 4 m high. Fruits are round, relatively large, weighing up to 30-35 g, with an easily separable stone. The peel is slightly pubescent, orange, with a blush. The pulp is juicy, dense, orange, sweet. The winter hardiness of the variety is average. Long-term storage. In a cold and rainy summer, the fruits do not have time to ripen.