Content
Offering a description of the Apricot variety Delight, professional gardeners focus on its yield and good taste of ripe fruits. A high degree of frost resistance makes it possible to grow this fruit tree in almost all regions of the country.
Breeding history
The authors of the early ripe apricot Rapture are breeders from the South Urals F.M.Gasimov and K.K.Mulloyanov. The variety is created on the basis of Piquant apricot. In 1999, Delight was entered into the State Register.
Description of an early variety of apricot Delight
Apricot Delight is a stone fruit crop, the maximum height of which is 3 m. The lush and spreading crown of mature trees reaches 4-4.5 m in diameter.
The leaves are dark green, glossy. The shape of the leaf plate is typical for representatives of fruit trees - round, ovoid, pointed at the top, with a jagged edge. Petioles are thin, grooved. The arrangement of leaves on the shoots is regular.
Flowers are solitary, five-petal, 2.5-3 mm in diameter. The petals are white and pink. During flowering, apricot trees exude a pleasant aroma.
The fruits, as seen in the photo of the Apricot variety Vostorg, are round, isosceles. Weight of one - 22-24 g, size 3-3.5 cm in diameter. Fruit color is yellow-orange, with reddish barrels. The peel of the apricot is loose, tender, not separating from the medium-dense light orange juicy pulp. But the pulp itself easily moves away from the hard bone, inside which there are seeds (kernels) that have a bittersweet taste.
Apricot can be grown in almost all areas of the country
White and pink flowers attract bees
Characteristics
Early apricot Delight has won the recognition of gardeners in many regions of the Russian Federation. And this is not surprising, because it has quite good characteristics.
Drought tolerance, winter hardiness
Apricot Delight is characterized as a frost-hardy variety, therefore it is suitable for cultivation in areas with cool winters. This culture is not afraid of drought. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to water the tree 1-2 times a month in the warm season.
Apricot Pollinators Delight
The early apricot variety Delight is self-fertile. This suggests that it will need pollinating trees for good yields. This role can be played by other varieties of this culture, the flowering period of which coincides with Rapture, for example, Manchurian and Kichiginsky.
Flowering period and ripening time
Delight is an early maturing apricot variety. Already at the beginning of May, the tree is covered with white-pink flowers, and at the end of June, you can get the first ripe fruits.
Ripe apricots appear in early July
Productivity, fruiting
Fruiting time is in July.The first apricots appear in the 3rd year. In the future, the tree bears fruit every summer throughout its life (about 30 years).
The average yield of Apricot Delight is 15 kg per adult tree. The reason for its decrease can be sharp jumps in temperature, provoking kidney damage, high humidity, improper care and tree diseases.
The yield of the variety is about 15 kg per tree
Scope of the fruit
Apricots are distinguished by good taste, which makes it possible to eat them raw and use them for canning whole-fruit, in the process of making jams, compotes and jams.
In addition, dried fruits are made from apricots:
- dried apricots (dried apricot halves without pits);
- apricot (dried whole fruit with a stone);
- kaisu (dried whole fruit without seeds);
- ashtak (dried whole fruit without seeds, but with embedded kernels).
Apricots are used fresh or processed
Disease and pest resistance
The Delight variety is resistant to many diseases. However, high humidity and improper care can provoke the appearance of fungal diseases and pests. To prevent such troubles, trees are sprayed with insecticidal and antifungal drugs.
Advantages and disadvantages
The popularity of Apricot Delight is due to the inherent advantages of this variety. It also has minor drawbacks, but with the right approach, they can be eliminated.
One of the main advantages of the culture is the good taste of the fruit.
Pros:
- large size and good taste of the fruit;
- high productivity;
- drought resistance and ability to withstand low temperatures;
- disease resistance;
- the versatility of the use of fruits.
Minuses:
- self-infertility of the variety, which necessitates the presence of pollinating trees;
- the tendency of the fruit to fall off;
- short shelf life of ripe apricots.
Landing features
The rules for planting Apricot Rapture are identical to the rules for planting all fruit crops. You need to purchase good planting material, choose a suitable place and plant a tree.
Recommended timing
The best time to plant Rapture apricots is in spring (April or May). This makes it possible for the young tree to grow strong enough before the onset of frost. In southern regions with warm winters, it is permissible to plant seedlings in the fall.
Choosing the right place
A well-lit corner of the garden with a permeable neutral or slightly alkaline soil is suitable for growing this variety. If the soil is too acidic, neutralize it with lime.
The tree does not like excess moisture, so a site with a shallow groundwater table is not suitable for apricot.
The distance between landings is not less than 4 meters
What crops can and cannot be planted next to an apricot
Ideal neighbors for Rapture would be other varieties of apricots. You can plant plums or raspberries nearby. True, the latter will not be very comfortable in the shade of a tree when it grows.
Apple and cherry trees will not harm the apricot, but will compete with it for moisture and nutrients. Therefore, the distance between these crops should be at least 6 m.
Apricot feels good next to a pear, which cannot be said about the latter. As he grows, he can oppress his neighbor.
Selection and preparation of planting material
In the process of choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to:
- the condition of the shoots is elastic, without damage, with a full-fledged deciduous cover;
- the condition of the root system, which should be moist and free from damage.
Better to buy seedlings with closed roots
Landing algorithm
Apricot Delight is planted in the same way as other fruit trees.
During planting:
- dig a hole 60x60 cm in size;
- drainage and a nutritious soil mixture prepared from a fertile layer of soil, peat, sand, organic and mineral fertilizers are placed on the bottom;
- the seedling is placed in the center of the hole, the roots are spread and covered with soil;
- the apricot is watered, the soil in the root zone is mulched.
Follow-up care of the culture
Culture care involves the following activities:
- Watering... Apricot Rapture is characterized as a drought tolerant variety, so it doesn't need to be irrigated too often. One abundant watering once a month and autumn watering before wintering will be enough.
- Top dressing... They begin to feed the Apricot Rapture in the second year of life. Before the beginning of the growing season, fertilize with nitrogen is applied. Before flowering, the tree is fed with potassium fertilizers, and in the fall - with mineral fertilizers, which include potassium and phosphorus.
- Removing weeds and loosening the soil... Weeds are recommended to be removed as soon as they appear. The soil is loosened after each watering. If it is covered with mulch, there is no need for loosening.
- Pruning... Apricot Delight is pruned twice a year. In the spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, during which dry and damaged branches are removed, and in the fall, shaping, the purpose of which is to thin out the crown.
- Disease prevention... Before the start of the growing season, the tree is treated with fungicides and insecticides.
In spring and autumn, it is recommended to whitewash the tree trunk to prevent damage. Whitewash can be purchased ready-made in the store or prepared by yourself by adding copper sulfate to an aqueous solution of quicklime.
The tree is fed 3 times a year
Preparing for winter
Apricot Delight is characterized as a frost-resistant variety, therefore it does not need protection from low temperatures. However, gardeners recommend that you wrap the trunk. This will help protect the tree from rodents. In addition, before the onset of cold weather, the tree is watered abundantly.
To protect the tree from rodents, the trunk is wrapped in thick cardboard
Diseases and pests
The Delight variety is resistant to many diseases. However, excess moisture and improper care can provoke troubles such as:
- Scab... The initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of brown spots on the vegetative parts of the tree. After a certain time, the scab appears on the apricots themselves. In the process of treating the disease, the tree is sprayed with fungicides.
Scab affects not only leaves, but also fruits
- Cytosporosis... This ailment is characterized by wilting of the leaf plates, followed by drying of the branches. The disease can be dealt with only at the initial stage. For this, damaged branches are removed, capturing several centimeters of healthy tissue.
Cytosporosis can only be dealt with at an early stage.
- Curly leaves... Curly leaves sometimes cause complete crop loss. The main symptom is deformation of the leaves and the appearance of yellow swellings on them. In the process of combating the disease, damaged shoots are eliminated and the tree is treated with preparations with copper.
Leaf curl can be identified by the presence of yellow blisters.
Can cause trouble and pests:
- Leaf roll... A small gray-brown butterfly whose caterpillars eat leaves and buds.
Insecticidal preparations are used to destroy leaf rollers.
- Aphid... Small insects that destroy shoots and leaves. Get rid of aphids with insecticides.
Aphids feed on the sap of shoots and leaves
Conclusion
Having studied the description of the Apricot variety Delight, we can conclude: this culture feels good in almost all regions of the country.The tree does not need much maintenance. With a minimum of effort, you can have a good harvest of juicy and aromatic apricots every year.
Reviews of Apricot varieties Delight
