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Reproduction of apricot is one of the main tasks of gardeners who want to grow their favorite variety in their area. There are several ways to get young fruit tree seedlings.
Apricot propagation methods
The tree is capable of multiplying both by seeds and by one of the vegetative methods. If the method is used incorrectly, then there is a high risk of getting a culture whose characteristics will differ significantly from those of the parent.
Is it possible to propagate apricot with green cuttings
It is possible to grow an apricot using green cuttings for this. It should be borne in mind that the result is influenced not only by the quality of the harvested material, but also by the observance of the principles of reproduction by this method.
Propagation by lignified cuttings
You can safely propagate an apricot with lignified cuttings. At home, shoots are harvested at any time, but the most successful specimens of seedlings are obtained if all work is carried out from autumn to spring budding.
The length of the shoots for reproduction should be 25-30 cm, and the thickness should be 6-8 mm. The upper cut should be straight, made directly over the kidney. The lower one is beveled.
After preparing the branches, they can immediately be planted in the ground, but there is a high risk of their death from winter frosts. Rooting at home is the best option. Until spring, woody shoots should be stored on the lower shelf of the refrigerator, previously wrapped in plastic, or in the basement.
If it is decided to transfer the cuttings to a cool room, then it is important to first stick them in wet sand
A stalk is a cut branch divided into segments with 6 buds
To propagate the apricot, boxes should be prepared in the spring. They must be filled with soil: peat and sand, mixed under equal conditions. There should be enough soil in the container so that the cutting, placed in the container at an angle of 45 °, is almost completely submerged. 2-3 buds should remain above the ground.
To propagate an apricot by rooting a lignified cutting, it is necessary to deepen the planted shoot to the second bud. As soon as the root system is formed, the seedling can be transferred to the open ground.
Growing from a bone
Even after watching the video and studying the detailed instructions, not everyone prefers propagating apricot by cuttings. The easiest way is to plant a bone.
It is best to plant seeds of local varieties, or those growing in the same region where the gardener's site is located
To propagate the apricot in this way, the seeds are prepared, stratified and then planted in the ground.
Graft
This method of reproduction of apricots is preferred by gardeners who love experiments with crossing varieties. The stock can be not only apricot, but also almonds, plums or peaches. There is no reliable guarantee for a positive result.
Cuttings are made in the fall, choosing strong annual specimens. On the top of the shoot, the cut should be oblique. The shoots should be stored in a bucket of cool water or in a refrigerator.
The vaccination is carried out in May, when the kidneys begin to swell. The shoot is attached to the scion, on which an oblique cut was previously made. When connected, the shoots must match each other.
The seam needs to be smeared with garden pitch, and then the escape should be wrapped with rope or electrical tape
The average survival time of such apricot cuttings after grafting is a month. The culture propagation procedure was successful if new leaf plates appeared on the branch.
Root shoots
The method of reproduction is rarely used: you need a growth that has grown from seeds. This phenomenon can be observed if the roots of the tree are damaged by rodents, or the aerial part of the apricot has died.
If there is a growth, then the soil around it must be dug up to the root system, cut off the shoot along with part of the roots and transplanted into the prepared hole
Propagation of apricot by air layers
The breeding method is rarely used: in the summer you will have to select a one-year-old shoot and make two circular incisions on it to remove the bark. The cleaned surface of the shoot must be treated with a rooting stimulator and wrapped in a film, leaving some space for the soil.
The seedling is separated from the mother branch after the cut has matured, and then transplanted into open ground
How to propagate an apricot by cuttings
Cuttings are the most common way to propagate apricots. There are several techniques. The choice of the method is carried out taking into account personal preference and capabilities.
Propagation of apricot by cuttings using the Burrito method
If apricot cuttings are carried out in the spring, then mature shoots that are fully ripe follow.
Before the procedure, it is necessary to prepare inventory: scissors, newspapers, a rooting stimulator, fungicide solution, plastic bags.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Cut branches, each up to 20 cm long, up to 5 mm thick. Each shoot should have at least 3 buds. The branches must be healthy, with no visible damage.
- Remove the petioles and leaf plates from the shoots, treat the blanks with a root formation stimulator according to the instructions, and then with a solution of fungicide or potassium permanganate.
- Wrap 4-7 pieces of shoots in a newspaper soaked in water, then roll it into a tube. Place the workpiece in a plastic bag.
- Transfer the packages to a cool place where the temperature is within + 14-18 ° С.
Callus should appear in 2-4 weeks. It looks like build-ups on the surface of the shoot.
It is from the callus that the root system will subsequently form.
As soon as the roots appear, the apricot seedlings should be transferred to the pots. The universal soil is poured into a container, a young tree is placed there and sprinkled with earth. From above, the seedling needs to be wrapped in a film. Care consists in watering, airing
To propagate an apricot, you need to plant rooted seedlings in open ground. The optimal time for the procedure is spring.
Landing Algorithm:
- the place should be sunny, calm;
- before planting, the stems are cut off the plant, leaving 3-4 buds;
- organic fertilizers are added to the dug hole, a seedling is placed, sprinkled with soil, watered;
- mulch the ground in the hole with sawdust.
How to propagate apricot with green cuttings
Initially, you should prepare a place on the site.Dig a hole 50 cm deep and 90 cm wide. Pour broken brick or crushed stone at its bottom. The thickness of the layer should be at least 15 cm. On top of the brick, spread river sand 4 cm in thickness. Fill the next 25 cm with wood dust, mixed in equal proportions with sand and manure. Add a bucket of ash to the mixture. The topmost layer is sand.
Stages of propagation of apricot by green cuttings:
- Shoots related to the growth of the current year are subject to cutting. The optimal time for the procedure is June. You need to harvest branches in the evening, or on a day with cloudy weather.
- Place the cut shoots in a solution of the stimulant Kornevin or Heteroauxin, immersing the cutting by 1/3 of the total length. The duration of the procedure is 16 hours. The container with shoots immersed in the solution should be in a darkened room with a temperature of at least + 24 ° C.
- After the time has elapsed, rinse the cuttings and plant them in a prepared hole. The lower cut of the shoot should be in a layer of sand, not touching the soil mixture.
- Build a greenhouse: install arcs and stretch the film cover. You can remove it after rooting the cuttings.
Subsequent care for a young seedling consists of watering and feeding. As a fertilizer, you can use a manure infusion (1 part of manure to 6 parts of water).
In winter, green shoots should be covered with sawdust and other materials at hand. Young apricots can be transferred to a permanent place only after a year.
Recommendations
Shoots selected for propagation must be intact, with healthy bark, and no signs of disease. All instruments should be treated with a disinfectant solution before use. The room where the workpieces are stored should be at the optimum temperature. The appearance of rot, blackening of the shoots, the absence of roots or damage to them are the reasons for removing the planting material.
Regardless of the chosen method of propagation of the apricot, the tree needs care.
Basic principles:
- crown formation (annual pruning of lateral branches);
- top dressing (add organic preparations under the roots before and after flowering, feed with potassium and phosphorus before wintering);
- watering at least 4 times a year: in the spring, during the bud formation period, during the ripening of the fruit, before the tree goes into hibernation.
Depending on the varietal characteristics, the tree should be preventively treated against diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Reproduction of apricot is a laborious process that takes time. The choice of method depends on personal preference. Before you start propagating an apricot, you should take into account its varietal characteristics.
