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WHAT IS USSURI APRICOTS AND HOW TO GROW THEM

At the beginning of the XNUMXs, I got acquainted with the articles of the breeder Ivan Baikalov. He talked about Siberian (Ussuri) apricots that can withstand severe frosts. And I got the idea to grow them myself. I liked that even the bones will do. Of course, they do not completely pass on to the “children” all varietal characteristics, but they still get something from their parents.

After a while, a package with apricot pits was already lying on my table.

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The bones went to the neighbors

But I couldn’t sow seeds in the fall. We moved to the village, the site was old and undeveloped. I had to give the bones to the neighbors.

Looking ahead, I’ll say that now they have three magnificent trees growing, and for the last ten years they have been harvesting them in buckets.

The second generation is mine

Five years later, when the neighboring apricots grew up and began to bear fruit, I took from them the largest bones from the best tree. So I got the second generation of Ussuri apricots, now from the local ones.

I sowed seeds in the fall. Nearly half a hundred. In the spring, almost all rose, by the end of the summer they grew well. In October, I planted them all over the garden and was horrified by so many future apricot trees. I decided that I would select the best of the best. I'll do the selection. Oh, how naive I was.

Winter summed up

Winter spoiled the whole picture for me, leaving only a third of the seedlings. Of course, beforehand, I re-read everything related to growing apricots from seeds. But there was little information.

For example, I learned that seedlings must be transplanted in the first year, otherwise the taproot will go to great depths and will inevitably be injured during transplantation. And that it is better to sow seeds in a permanent place. But how to practically do it? Dig fifty holes in the garden, fill with fertilizer and mark with pegs so as not to lose? All in all, it was impossible for me.

Look into the leaves

I also learned that from the leaves you can guess what the fruits will be. The larger the leaf, the nobler the fruit.

I have these seedlings. So, not all is lost.

But winter intervened again. Second. It turned out to be fatal just for large-leaved. Of these, only two seedlings survived, giving new shoots from the roots. And then off we go! Whatever spring, then new losses. As a result, only two trees remained in the garden. One has slightly elongated leaves, the other is larger and rounder.

The first harvest of Ussuri apricots

The first fruits were given by a tree with smaller leaves. It bloomed weakly, there were even fewer apricots. Small and slightly bitter, with darkened flesh at the stone. A real savage. But this did not bother me, for harvesting such fruits - it's normal.

The crown of the second tree froze almost every year, but the apricot patiently grew a new one - each time higher and more powerful. Then he began to safely endure winters.

Oh, moniliosis!

Apricot blossoms the very first. And how effective it is! Apple trees still do not put forward buds, cherries and plums also stand with bare branches, and apricots are completely covered with large bright pink flowers. Poured sakura!

Last spring, passing by flowering apricots, we hoped for the first solid harvest. Glancing at the trees with the eye of an appraiser, the son-in-law promised at least three buckets. But the spring was so rainy and cold that it woke up the moniliosis, which had its own plans for the harvest. In one night, the flowers went from bright pink to dirty brown. As a result, each tree produced only a handful of fruits.

But we managed to taste apricots from the second tree. Indeed, the fruits are larger and more aromatic. Let not very sweet, but still much better than those brought from the south, which have no taste. And we can handle the monilial burn.

I am inspired by the example of neighboring apricots - every summer they harvest excellent crops. And, of course, I get it.

Not without errors

And now for the mistakes. Almost all seedlings died for a reason. I planted the seeds too deep. In nature, the apricot falls to the ground and rots there. The remaining bone will not dig deep.

My 5-7 cm "overhead" led to the fact that the root neck was deepened. And, of course, the tender bark in this place began to sing.

The root neck of the Ussuri apricot is a weak point. It is injured not only from deepening, but also from a large layer of snow. In our area, it protects plants from frost, which the Siberian apricot is not very afraid of. Even - 40 ° C withstands. but there is little snow in his homeland. It turns out that such apricots should be planted on a hill, where there is the least amount of snow. as, by the way, and their countrywoman - felt cherry. my two surviving apricots are planted on a hillock.

Manchurian apricot - how to plant a seed