Apricot Countess

The varietal variety presented on the horticultural market is a little impressive, making it difficult to choose a suitable fruit crop for planting in the country or in the garden. In order not to be mistaken, it is enough to choose proven types of apricots, unpretentious in care, among which are the Countess variety.

The collectible variety of the Countess, bred in the botanical garden of Moscow State University in 1988, is the result of the works of famous scientists A.K.Skvortsov and L.A. Kramarenko. The main task of the breeders was to create a non-capricious apricot species that has no disadvantages. Initially, the fruit crop was created for cultivation in the Moscow region, but over time, its growing geography expanded to the entire Central region of Russia. The variety has been listed in the State Register since 2004.

The Countess is a tall tree with a voluminous, slightly raised, rounded crown, moderately thickened with dark green leaves. An adult tree grows up to 6 meters high. The apricot variety is characterized by weak branching due to upright shoots with an unusual dark red color, which do not branch in the first years.

Flowering occurs late - in the third decade of May. The voluminous crown is completely covered with small five-petal pink flowers, emitting a honey aroma. Ovaries are formed on all shoots.

Apricot Countess is a medium-fruited variety. Fruit weight can vary from 20 to 40 grams. It directly depends on the weather conditions. The fewer fruits on the branches, the larger they are. Ripe apricot takes on the correct shape - round or oval with a smooth surface, on which the edge is barely noticeable.

At the stage of full ripening, the fruits acquire a beautiful color - a creamy yellow cover, diluted with a kind of blurry blush in bright colors. The skin of the fruit is thin, velvety, with a noticeable abdominal suture.

This variety of apricot is universal - the fruits are eaten fresh, used in cooking, frozen, canned, and also make a delicious liqueur. One of the advantages of the variety is good transport tolerance, as well as long shelf life - up to 3 weeks at temperatures below +10. If the harvest is stored from zero to +1, then their keeping quality is doubled. Fruit softening is slow.

The fruit has excellent taste and marketability. The bright orange pulp is characterized by a firm, tender, fleshy and very juicy texture. The fruit has a harmonious taste - sweet and sour, complemented by a summer and sweet aroma. A large stone with a bitter core is easily separated from the apricot pulp.

The mid-ripening variety of the Countess is capable of bearing fruit in the 3-4th year after vaccination. Fruiting at the tree is stable, without gaps. You can enjoy delicious apricots already in the first decade of August. The peak of fruiting occurs in mid-August, usually stretching until the end of summer.

The yield of the variety is quite high. On average, 25-30 kg of fruit can be harvested from one adult tree. On an industrial scale, you can count on an average of 70 centners per hectare.

The Countess is self-fertile, so she needs additional cross-pollination. This is due to the specific structure of the flower. Apricots are considered effective pollinating varieties: Favorite, Lel, Northern Triumph and Monastyrsky.

For planting, a one / two-year-old seedling with a developed root system and a height of more than 60 cm is selected. You can plant a tree both in spring and autumn, but it is the spring planting that is considered reliable (before the growing season).

The apricot is unpretentious in care, but in order to get high yields, it is necessary for the tree to provide intensive agricultural technology: watering (not very often, but abundantly), feeding - two years after planting (three times per season), loosening and weeding the soil, crown formation (carried out for 4 years), sanitary pruning of dry and damaged branches, soil mulching, disease prevention, preparation for cold weather.

In addition, rejuvenating pruning is carried out on old trees, contributing to the extension of the life of the fruit crop.

The tree has good immunity, but it is very dependent on weather conditions and disasters. In cool summers with a lot of rain, the tree suffers from clasterosporium disease, which will certainly spoil the appearance of the fruit. It is extremely rare for a tree to undergo moniliosis and cytosporosis. The most annoying pests include weevils and aphids, which will help to get rid of insecticide treatments.

The frost resistance of the apricot tree is high, due to which the fruit crop easily survives a drop in temperature to -25 ... 30 degrees. Only young trees need to be wrapped in burlap or other dense material for the winter. According to experienced gardeners, despite the cold resistance, apricot flowers do not perceive well return spring frosts, crumbling in such situations, which significantly reduces the yield indicator.

To grow an apricot tree, you need to choose an even one, it can be a little on a hill, a site that is abundantly illuminated by the sun, light, while being reliably protected from cold wind and drafts (fences, buildings). The best location on the site would be the south or southwest side of the garden or plot.It should be remembered that apricots will not grow well in lowlands, where water can stand.

The Countess fruit tree grows as comfortably as possible in loose, fertile, breathable and moderately moist soil with a neutral acidity index. As a rule, these are sandy loam, loamy and light loamy soils. It is not recommended to plant the Countess apricot on heavy soils (clayey areas, heavy soils).