You can do this in the spring, when the daytime temperature will not fall below 5 ° C heat. It is advisable to have time to plant a tree before the buds on its branches begin to swell. Approximate dates for the southern regions are from mid—March to mid—April; for the middle band — the second half of April; for the north — the end of April - the beginning of May.
Apricot can be planted in autumn, when the temperature will not exceed 10 ° C during the day and 5 ° C at night. In the north, suitable conditions usually develop in September, in the regions of the middle zone — from the end of September to mid-October, and in the south, "relocation" is carried out throughout October. It is important to finish 3-4 weeks before the arrival of autumn frosts, so that the seedling has time to settle down and endure the winter cold.
Go to nurseries or garden centers for trees — so you will be sure that the purchased specimen corresponds to the declared variety.
To get a guaranteed fruit harvest, give preference to the so—called zoned varieties - they are bred taking into account the climatic characteristics of different regions. In the south, you can, in general, plant any apricots. But in the middle lane it is necessary to choose winter-hardy plants. The same applies to the north, where it is also important to plant early varieties. The fruits of medium-ripened or late apricots may simply not have time to ripen in a cold climate.
The optimal age of the seedling is 2-3 years. The height is within 1-1.5 m. Make sure that the grafting site is clearly visible at the tree, that is, the main trunk of a high-quality specimen grows from a small stump. Usually the stock is a stronger and hardier type of apricot, which allows the heat-loving plant to take root even in cold climates. In addition, the presence of a vaccination site indicates that you are looking at a varietal seedling, not a wildling.
The bark on the trunk should be dense and lignified, without cracks, damage, stains, rot and mold.
Seedlings can be with a closed or open root system. In the first case, the apricot is sold in a pot or container and takes root better, because the roots are not injured during transplantation . In the second variant, the "bare" roots are in a film, bag or bag with a small amount of earth or sawdust. When buying such an instance, you need to carefully inspect the root system: it should be powerful, well-developed, with many branches and without dry processes.
For effective pollination, it is worth planting two or three different varieties of apricots close to each other at once. When choosing them, keep in mind that the fruit ripening period should approximately coincide.
If you have taken several trees, place them at a distance of at least 3-4 m from each other.
Apricot is a light—loving plant, so place it exclusively in the sun. Make sure that during the day other trees or buildings will not cast even a light shadow on it. You can plant a specimen near a wall or fence if they serve as protection from the north wind.
Lowlands and places where moisture stagnates in the soil are not suitable for apricots. It is better to choose a flat area or a hill.
Both width and depth should be about 50-70 cm. For seedlings with a closed root system, you should dig a hole twice the volume of the container.
Fill the recess with compost or rotted manure almost half. Add 400 g of nitroammophosky or 200 g of superphosphate.
Pour 400 g of wood ash.
Mix all the ingredients inside the planting hole.
Pour the soil into the pit so that a small mound about 15-20 cm high turns out in the middle. If you are planting an apricot from a container, skip this step.
In the middle of the mound, install a long peg that will serve as a support for the seedling. If you have a tree in a pot, place the wand near the trunk after planting.
Pour 10-12 liters of water into the recess.
Place the seedling on top of the mound in the planting pit and spread the roots. Or take the apricot out of the container and put it in the hole.
Cover the tree with soil so that the place of grafting is 3-5 cm above the ground surface.
Pour 10 liters of water under the root of the seedling.
Install the support if you haven't already done so. Tie the apricot to the peg with a rope.
If you have filled the planting pit correctly, then you don't have to worry about fertilizing in the next 1-2 years. The apricot will begin to bear fruit actively in about 4 years after "relocation" to your garden .
Immediately after planting, shorten the trunk of the seedling. With a sharp pruner, cut off its top at a height of 0.8–1 m from the ground. This should be done by retreating from the nearest kidney about 0.5 cm. The procedure will stimulate the growth of lateral shoots.
In the first month after spring planting, pour 10 liters of water under the seedling every other day. If it stagnates, you can repeat the procedure less often. Then they act as needed: make sure that the soil under the plant is slightly moist.
After autumn planting apricot is watered only if there is little rain and the surface of the earth dries up. One seedling needs 10 liters of water. And with the arrival of frosts, moistening the soil is no longer required.
