Apricot Seraphim

The Seraphim variety is a popular apricot grown in the Far East. Differs in early fruiting and tasty fruits. They are used fresh, for making jams, jams, marmalades, compotes. The plant is suitable for private garden and industrial cultivation.

The variety was created in 1955 on the basis of the Far Eastern Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture by the breeder G. T. Kazmin. Obtained as a result of pollination of the Best Michurinsky apricot with a mixture of pollen of varieties: Krasnoshcheky, Alexander early, Overensky early ripening, Korolevsky.

The tree is medium-sized, up to 3.5 m, the crown is semi-spreading, strongly leafy. The bark is flaky with cracks. Branches of medium length: young claret-red, perennial grayish-brown. The leaves are medium-sized, rounded, elongated, their lower part is light green, the upper one is dark green. Fruit buds are formed on a one-year growth. The flowers are medium-sized, white or pinkish. Flowering occurs on May 18-25.

Fruits weighing 28-35 g, on average 30 g, round in shape with uneven sides, in the lower part there is a small beak. The color is yellow with an orange-carmine blush, with spots or dots on the surface. The velvety peel does not separate well from the pulp, and is prone to cracking. The pulp is not very dense, tender, fragrant, the stone is medium-sized, detachable. Apricots have a good presentation, but their transportability is low.

Dessert pulp taste, sour-sweet, sugar content 14%, malic acid 3%. Tasting score 3.5 points. The kernel is sweetish in the seed.

The tree begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years after planting, a marketable crop is given for 4-5 years. The variety is considered early in terms of ripening, begins to bear fruit by mid-July. In warmer climates, dates may be postponed to early July.

One tree yields an average of 33 kg of apricots; under favorable conditions, up to 45 kg can be removed.

Recommended for growing in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky regions. The culture is suitable for planting in central Russia, in the Urals, in Siberia.

A self-fertile variety, pollinators with a similar flowering period are planted nearby.

The plant needs moderate watering. From excess moisture, the fruits become smaller and cracked. Before and after flowering, you can water abundantly and feed with nitrogen fertilizers. In the summer they water it depending on the frequency of the rain. In the fall, water-charging irrigation is carried out.

The height of the tree is often influenced by the fertility of the soil: on the poor, it grows about 2 meters. Saplings are distinguished by good survival rate.The trees are planted in the spring in the second half of April, planted according to a scheme of 4-6 meters against each other, between rows 4-4.5 m. I dig a hole 50 cm deep, a drainage layer 15 cm: crushed stone and broken brick. A mixture of sand ¼, superphosphate 200 ml, ash 750 ml and garden soil is poured into the pit, then watered. After the moisture has been absorbed, a seedling is installed and sprinkled with soil, the area around the root collar is covered only with sand. The root collar does not go deep into the soil. It is recommended to compact the earth several times.

After planting, formative pruning is done: thin and weak branches are removed. Strong shoots are cut by 2/3, always on the outer bud. The central shoot is cut by 1/3. Water the plant after a week.

A young tree is pruned every spring in a sparse-tiered type. At the end of June, the twigs that have grown more than 30 cm are pinched, in the middle of August, the tips of all the shoots are pinched so that the wood has time to prepare for winter.

After harvesting, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied, and then ash. Dolomite flour is poured into the soil every 2 years.

This culture has good immunity to diseases and pests. In the wet season, disease resistance decreases slightly. For prophylaxis, it is sprayed before bud break with Bordeaux liquid or with Hom, after flowering with Skor. In June, from scab, powdery mildew, fruit rot, clotterosporia and coccomycosis, they are treated with a mixture of preparations: "Horus" and "Zircon".

This species has an average winter hardiness and frost resistance of wood. If you choose a frost-resistant stock, it can even withstand severe frosts. Low resistance to sunburn. Does not tolerate high snow cover, from this the root collar can vomit. To protect the bark, it is recommended in October to whitewash the trunk and branches with a solution of lime with the addition of clay, copper sulfate and mullein. After drying, they are tied with twigs to protect against frost cracking and sunburn. In winter, the snow around the trunk is trampled down, and in early spring the snowdrifts must be removed so that the bark does not overwhelm. At the end of February, the tree is whitewashed again.

The plant prefers sunny areas, preferably on the south side, protected from the north, on a hill or slope. There should be no tall trees nearby that shade the apricot. It is not very demanding on the soil, but it grows and bears fruit better on medium-fertile substrates, well aerated and containing lime. Does not tolerate closely spaced groundwater.