Apricot Saratov Ruby

Saratov Ruby is a new variety of apricot trees. Differs in regular and abundant fruiting, high frost resistance and immunity to common fungal diseases. The fruits are used universally: they make apricots, compotes, jams, confitures, marshmallows, and freeze. Suitable for private gardens and industrial cultivation.

The variety was developed by the breeder A.M. Golubev when crossing elite forms Krasavets and Pharaoh. Included in the State Register in 2015.

The culture grows intensively, reaching 4-5 m, its crown is spherical, spreading, not very dense, the bark is brown, rough. Branches are straight, brownish-brown, glabrous. The leaves are medium-sized, broadly rounded, concave, pointed at the tips, shiny and smooth, dark green, the edges of the leaf plate are crenate. Flowers are white, solitary. Shoots are characterized by a high growth rate. The tree has a lifespan of about 30 years.

Apricot weighs on average 40-48 g, but some specimens reach 67 g. It has the shape of an ellipse, a light orange tint with a voluminous carmine blush. The skin is not very coarse, velvety, pubescent, poorly detachable, not prone to cracking. The pulp is orange, rather juicy, tender, with a characteristic aroma. The stone is small, it separates well. The fruits are well transported and stored at a temperature of +5 for more than a month, they have an excellent presentation.

The taste is harmonious, sour-sweet, sugar content - 8.5%, fruit acids - 1.5%, pectin - 1.3%, ascorbic acid - 12.3 mg per 100 g. Expert assessment of taste is 4.3 points.

The tree begins to form fruits 3-4 years after planting. It belongs to the mid-early species in terms of ripening, apricots ripen in mid-July. The period of removable maturity begins a little earlier - in the second decade of July.

From a fruiting tree, you can get about 120 kg of fruit. 338 centners are harvested per hectare.

It is customary to cultivate the variety in the Lower Volga and North Caucasian regions. There is experience in growing in the South Urals.

Partially self-fertile variety, to improve productivity in regions with a cold climate, North Triumph, Zhigulevsky souvenir, Manitoba 604 are planted nearby.

The culture is considered unpretentious to care for, but it must be watered, weeded in the weeds in the near-trunk circle, fertilized, whitened the trunk, and pruned. Each procedure must be carried out within a certain time frame. Young trees after planting for the first year are regularly watered up to 3 times a month with 2-3 buckets of water, divided into two doses: morning and evening, after watering, the soil around the trunk is loosened. Fruiting trees are watered moderately, always during the budding period, during the ovary formation, during the fruit pouring period. Pour with warm, settled water.Even in arid regions, this is done about once a month.

They are fed regularly, best of all at the same time as watering. In the spring, solutions of mullein or bird droppings are used, they can be replaced with urea or potassium nitrate. In June, they are sprayed with solutions of complex fertilizers. In the middle of summer, you can feed with phosphorus-potassium compounds. After harvesting, wood ash is poured into the ground - half a bucket under one tree. Once every 3-4 years, in early spring or late autumn, shallow pits are dug near the trunk and 1-2 buckets of manure or compost are poured into them.

In an annual plant, all branches (if any) are shortened by 1/3. In a two-year-old, two or three lateral branches are left, located at different heights opposite each other, and a vertical shoot. All the rest are cut out. First of all, the lowest branches are removed, and the remaining ones are shortened by 30 cm. The crown is given a rounded shape from several tiers. On a young tree, 6-7 skeletal branches are usually left. For 3-4 years, the following tiers are laid. The optimal angle of departure of the main branches of the first tier is 45 degrees, of the second and subsequent ones - 50-60 degrees.

Mature trees need regular thinning, sanitary and rejuvenating pruning. Broken branches and specimens that over-thicken the crown are usually cut in early spring. In summer, young and strongly regrown shoots are pruned, by about 1/3. It is imperative to recommend normalizing the number of ovaries, especially for very young plants. In the fall, weak, sick, broken branches are removed, the cuts are covered with garden pitch. Do not cut more than ¼ of live shoots at a time. Cutting off more branches can cause the apricot to die.

The plant has a high immunity to fungal diseases, including moniliosis, clasterosporium disease. It can be affected by brown spotting and curliness, for prevention in the fall, fallen leaves are removed and treated with Nitrafen. There is a danger of getting sick with fusarium, the remedy "Vitaros" helps from it. Of the pests, the plum moth, fruit moth, plum aphid, and leafworm are dangerous. For the prevention of pests, copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, the drug "Fufanon" are used in spring and autumn. In addition, it is useful to carry out treatment with a drug that stimulates the immune system, for example, "Zircon".

The tree is characterized by high winter hardiness: fruit buds can withstand temperatures down to -36, and wood - up to -40. The plant is protected from winter thaws and spring frosts, since the buds wake up late and are at rest for a long time. Young trees are insulated for the winter: the trunks are covered with spruce branches, and the tops are covered with non-woven material. It is enough to cover mature trees with shields from cold winds, while the root area must be mulched.At the end of winter, trunks and trunks are whitewashed with lime to protect them from sunburn. The variety is considered drought-resistant: it can withstand for a long time without irrigation and rain.

The variety requires a lot of free space for growth and fruiting. The variety should be at a distance of at least 4 m from tall trees. The Saratov ruby ​​grows well on all types of soil, but prefers light air-permeable soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, preferably loamy or sandy loamy, but also bears fruit on stony ones. Sand and peat are usually added to heavy soil, humus to poor soil, and lime or chalk to acidic soil. Wood ash is a versatile top dressing.

For the seedling, choose a sunny and open place, well protected from wind blowing. It is good if a building or a blank fence is located nearby. Lowlands are contraindicated, as is the close location of groundwater (no closer than 2 m from the surface). Plants are planted on a special mound, the root collar is left 2-3 cm from the surface. Another apricot with the same flowering period should be located nearby.

The variety receives the most laudatory reviews from gardeners: excellent taste, apricot color, fruits are perfectly dried. There are remarks that ripe apricots are prone to shedding. Some people don't like the taste and they describe it as very mediocre.