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In the course of breeding work to create crops suitable for growing in the central regions of Our Country, the Dessert apricot was created. It turned out to be a winter-hardy, mid-season variety with good taste characteristics. Subject to all the conditions of agricultural technology, the culture gives high yields in the household plots of central Our Country.
History of breeding
The author and originator of the variety is the scientist breeder A. N. Veniaminov. Extensive selection work was carried out in collaboration with L. A. Dolmatova. The Dessert variety was obtained on the basis of the Voronezh Agricultural Institute.
The new culture was bred in the process of cross-pollination of varieties of the Michurin selection Comrade and Best Michurinsky. A mixture of pollen from these plants was used to process the Western European apricot Louise. The result is a winter-hardy variety with high yields and good taste characteristics. In the photo you can see that the Dessert apricot has large rounded fruits.
The variety was not included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Federation. Apricot Dessert is recommended to be cultivated in the Central Black Earth regions and in the south.
At the turn of the 70s and 80s, the agronomist A. M. Golubev, based on the Dessertny variety, developed his own variety of apricots. It retained the taste of the original. This variety, in order to avoid confusion, was called Dessert Golubeva.
Apricots densely cover a branched, fast-growing tree
Description of apricot variety Dessert
The culture is characterized by strong shoot growth. The crown is dense, voluminous, rounded. An adult plant grows up to 5 m.
The bark of the trunk and old shoots is brown, and the young branches are brown-red. In older trees, the surface of the trunk cracks. The bark and buds easily tolerate winter and spring frosts.
The leaves are ovate, with serrated margins. The leaf length ranges from 5 to 9 cm. Petioles are short – up to 3 cm.
The fruits are rounded drupes, slightly flattened on the sides, their average weight is 30 g. The surface color of the fruit is light yellow, the color of the pulp is reddish.
The lateral surface of the Dessert fruit becomes red-orange during ripening
Dessert apricot bears fruit for 4 years after planting. There are few drupes on young trees, but they are large, their weight can reach up to 50 g. Apricot skin is thin, densely covered with fluff, the flesh is dense, juicy. Dessert taste is sweet, with a slight sourness, a strong characteristic aroma.
The stone does not exceed 10% of the volume of the entire fruit. At the stage of consumer maturity, it is well separated from the pulp. Fruit ripening occurs at the end of July.
The roots of the tree penetrate deep into the soil by 60-100 cm. Some shoots can grow up to 8 m, this is due to the good drought resistance of Dessertny apricot.
In terms of fruit quality, the northern variety Dessertny is one of the best, in terms of taste it is not inferior to popular southern hybrids.
Features
The variety is ideal for growing in the central region. Climatic conditions correspond to its characteristics.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Dessert Apricot easily tolerates a short drought. During the hot summer needs watering.
The Dessertny variety is winter-hardy, the bark and buds of the plant easily tolerate a drop in temperature to minus levels.
Young seedlings up to 4 years old need shelter for the winter
Apricot pollinators Dessert
It is a self-fertile crop and does not require pollinators. But to increase the yield, a winter-hardy mid-season variety is planted nearby, the flowering and fruiting periods of which coincide with the Dessertny apricot. Such crops include varieties: “Aquarius”, “Countess”, “Monastyrsky”, “Lel”, “Favorite”, “Children’s”.
Flowering period
Depending on the growing region, Dessert apricot blooms in late March or early April before the leaves bloom. In the south, the culture releases buds earlier, in the middle lane – later, in the second half of April. For apricot flowering, a temperature of at least + 10 ᵒС is required.
The flowers of the Dessert variety are medium-sized, up to 3 cm in diameter, the petals are rounded white or pale pink
The duration of the budding process is 10 days. Pollination at this time occurs in windy weather.
Apricot ripening dates Dessert
The first fruits of Dessert apricot are harvested at the end of July. In the Moscow region, drupes of the southern tree can be eaten in early August. The maturation period is extended, the crop is harvested within a month.
yield, fruiting
Dessert apricot is classified as a productive variety. From one tree for the entire period of fruiting, up to 3 buckets of fruits are harvested, which is about 45 kg of crop.
Scope of fruits
Dessert apricot is consumed fresh and processed. It is suitable for making jams, preserves, soufflés. The taste of ripe fruits is well revealed in compotes and fruit drinks, apricots are suitable Dessert and for winter preparations, preparation of dried fruits.
Disease and pest resistance
The variety is resistant to many garden pests and diseases. To prevent fungal infections, the tree is treated with fungicides in early spring. Timely pruning and cleaning of plant debris is a good prevention of leafworms, aphids, plum codling moth.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are practically no shortcomings in the variety. The only negative is the poor fruiting of Dessert apricot in regions with a very warm climate.
Advantages of the variety:
- self-fertility;
- resistance to drought, frost, diseases;
- high yield;
- good tasting fruits.
Apricot Dessert has good commercial characteristics: it does not deteriorate during transportation, it can be stored in a cool room for up to 14 days.
Features of landing
For planting Dessertny apricot, seedlings are purchased at least 2 years old. You can also grow a culture from a stone, but with this method, the taste of the fruit is significantly reduced.
Recommended dates
The seedling is rooted in open ground in early April. If the air has not warmed up to positive temperatures, the landing can be postponed to the second half of the month.
Rooting of young trees in spring is carried out before buds peck on the branches.
Choosing the right place
For a young tree of the Dessert variety, a well-lit place is chosen on the south side of the site. The seedling must be protected from the wind; the tree must not be placed in a lowland where moisture accumulates.
The soil is loosened; on dense, rammed earth, the plant will not take root. Loams, sandy loams, garden soil with humus are suitable for planting.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to an apricot
Apricot Dessert is planted next to other representatives of the species. The plant gives a high yield if the timing of flowering and fruiting of other varieties of apricots coincides with its own.
Next to apricots, it is not recommended to plant apple trees, plums, pears – these crops have common pests and elements consumed from the soil. It is also not recommended to plant a Dessert apricot next to a walnut; under its dense crown, a horticultural crop does not bear fruit.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Planting material is best purchased at the nursery. Seedlings over 2 years old, grown in similar climatic conditions with a landing site, take root well. The tree should be strong, with an even trunk and a well-developed rhizome.
Seedlings with a closed root system are planted in containers. Trees with an open rhizome are soaked for 10 hours in a root formation stimulator.
Landing algorithm
Landing pits are best prepared in the fall. The mass of earth extracted during digging is mixed with humus in equal parts. If it was not possible to prepare the site since the autumn, the planting is carried out in April.
Sequencing:
- Dig a hole twice the size of the roots.
Root processes should be freely located in the hole
- Put a drainage layer of crushed stone on the bottom.
- Pour a mound of loosened soil over the drainage.
- Set the seedling vertically, level the roots on the surface of the mound.
- Cover the rhizome with earth mixed with humus so that the root neck is 5 cm above the soil surface.
Before or after rooting, a peg is driven in next to the seedling, the tree is tied to it
Culture aftercare
After planting, the tree is watered with 2 buckets of water. Then the soil surface is mulched with sawdust or wood chips. The rooted seedling is pruned, creating a sparse-tiered crown shape.
In the process of growth in different years, the branches of the tree are cut so that they grow in breadth, and do not stretch upwards.
From the second year after planting, nitrogen fertilizers are applied under the root. The procedure is carried out in early spring.
Diseases and pests
Despite the fact that Dessert apricot is resistant to diseases, in rare cases it is overcome by cytosporosis. At the first signs of the disease, the damaged branches are cut off and burned. Wood processing is carried out with Bordeaux liquid.
Cytosporosis is a dangerous disease that affects individual branches, subsequently the whole tree dries up.
During the period of fruit ripening on the tree, you can see the plum codling moth. The insect damages ripening apricots, reducing crop yields. Spraying with insecticides will help get rid of the pest.
Codling moth larvae feed on the pulp of the drupe, destroying the crop
Conclusion
Apricot Dessert is a southern culture adapted to the climatic conditions of central Our Country. The variety has a high yield, good taste characteristics. Caring for the crop is quite simple: watering 2-3 times per season, pruning in spring and autumn, preventive spraying are the main conditions for growing a fruit tree.