Apricot Red Cheeked

Every gardener dreams of getting fragrant and sweet apricot fruits on his own plot. One of these representatives is the Krasnoschekiy variety, capable of producing very large yields, whose fruits have good transportability and universal purpose. Ripe apricots are used for cooking preserves, jams, compotes. For sale and transportation, slightly unripe fruits are harvested, which eventually reach the desired condition.

The origin of the variety has a long history. The originators were the breeders of the famous Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Yalta. There is no exact information about the selection, however, it is believed that Red-cheeked was obtained through the cross-pollination of the wild form of the Central Asian apricot with reddish fruits. In 1947, variety trials were carried out, based on their results, the culture was entered into the State Register.

A vigorous (from 4 m and more) tree with a rounded, spreading crown filled with rare, but strong and thick shoots. Weak crown density provides free air penetration. The tree has good vitality - it grows and bears fruit for 40-60 years. The peculiarity of the variety is unlimited growth, which makes it difficult to harvest and care for the crown. In this case, formative pruning saves, with its help you can grow an apricot of moderate height. The disadvantage, in addition to the high height, is the instability of buds and flowers to return frosts, sometimes most, and sometimes all of the buds and ovaries may die.

Flat-round or ovoid large (40-52 g) fruits are painted in golden-orange tones with a carmine dotted blush. The fruit is covered with a thin but dense skin with a pleasant velvety pubescence, the narrow ventral suture is deeper at the base. The large bone is easily separated from the pulp.

The dense light orange pulp has a delicate texture, medium juiciness and an exquisite sour-sweet taste. Composition: dry matter - 13.70%, sugars - 9.72%, organic acids - 1.37%, ascorbic acid - 13.7 mg / 100 g. The core has a sweet almond flavor. Assessment of tasters 4.6 points out of 5 possible. The fruits are not stored for long, within 6-8 days.

The variety belongs to the mid-late ripening category, the harvest falls approximately in the third decade of July, but the fruits are harvested at different times depending on the purpose of use. Regular fruiting begins in the third or fourth year after planting.

Krasnoshekiy belongs to medium-yielding varieties - from 65.5 hectares are harvested, and the maximum indicators are recorded in the region of 179 centners.

The variety is adapted for cultivation in the territories of the North Caucasus and the Lower Volga, but in fact, its "habitat" is much wider.

Self-fertility allows you to grow apricots without planting pollinating varieties.

As a planting material, preference is given to annual seedlings grown in a nursery, with a height of 80 to 140 cm. When choosing, you should pay attention to lateral shoots. They should be evenly spaced, at an angle of 45ºC with respect to the central conductor, and have viable buds. You should pay attention to the bark and roots: the first one should not be damaged and scratched, and the roots must have good development and a length of at least 30–35 cm.

• The optimal size of the landing pit is 60x60x70 cm.

• At the bottom of the pit, there should be a 10-15 cm drainage layer of gravel, pebbles, and broken brick.

• Establish support for the weak stem.

• The excavated soil is enriched with humus, superphosphate, potash fertilizers, wood ash, and dolomite flour if the soil is acidic.

• Before planting, the roots of the plant are kept for about half a day in a solution of root-forming stimulants, such as Kornevin, Vympel.

• The tips of the roots are slightly trimmed (1-2 cm).

Part of the enriched earth is poured into the hole, then a seedling is placed on top and covered with the remaining earth. The soil is compacted and watered abundantly with warm water. The next day, the moist soil is loosened or covered with a layer of mulch made from peat, straw, and cut grass.

Further care consists in weeding, loosening, regular watering, top dressing, sanitary and shaping pruning.

Top dressing begins in the second or third year after planting. In the spring, the plant will need nitrogen to build up its vegetative mass. During the filling of the fruits, the culture is fed with potassium-phosphorus compounds, in the fall the trunk circles are covered with a thick layer of humus.

Sanitary pruning is carried out in early spring, removing old, diseased, damaged branches and shoots. Formation begins immediately after planting, when the conductor is shortened by 30-40 cm, branches by one third of the length. In the second year, in addition to the conductor, 4-5 shoots of the 1st tier, and 3-4 shoots of the 2nd tier, as well as vertically growing branches, are left. After reaching the required height, the center conductor is shortened.

Resistance to diseases and pests, according to experts, is equal to 1-2 points. Red-cheeked can be attacked by pests such as weevils, beetles, moths, leafworms and others. Of the diseases, fungal diseases can be dangerous: clasterosporium, moniliosis, cytosporosis, fusarium and others. Insecticides and fungicides are used as prevention of lesions.

The variety has good winter hardiness.

A heat-loving plant requires a sunny place for planting with protection for the first years from drafts and northern winds. An excellent option would be blank fences, walls of buildings, the southern exposure of the slope. The plant does not tolerate close proximity to groundwater and marshy lowland areas. The composition of the soil is black soil, sandy loam, loam with a neutral acidity level.