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Among the huge number of varieties, the red-cheeked apricot stands out for its unpretentiousness, for which many gardeners appreciate it, and this variety can be found in most suburban areas. The article gives a detailed description of this variety, and also describes its hybrid – apricot son of the red-cheeked, which has recently begun to gain popularity.
Characteristics of the Krasnocheky variety
This apricot was bred by the Crimean breeders of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden a long time ago, in 1947. During this time, with its help, a large number of new hybrids were bred, including the son of Krasnoshchekiy, Krasnochekiy late, Krasnochekiy Nikolaev, Krasnochekiy Nikitsky, Krasnochekiy Salgirsky, etc. Hybrids can differ significantly in many characteristics from the “parent”.
The variety grows mainly in the southern regions. The tree is large with a spreading sparse crown and long branches. Life expectancy up to 50 years. Productivity is one of the highest among European varieties – up to 90 kg per tree.
When pruning, it should be remembered that the apricot bears fruit on last year’s annual growths and bouquet twigs.
Fruit
The red-cheeked apricot ripens in the second decade of July. It should be noted that ripening is uneven in time and can be delayed for a rather long period of time, this is especially true with good harvests. Therefore, it is recommended to collect fruits in several stages. Having reached full ripeness, apricots can easily crumble. After harvesting, the fruits can be stored and transported for up to 10 days.
The fruits are quite large – from 40 to 60 g, elongated, rounded and light orange in color. The variety got its name because of the reddish hue on the “cheeks” of the fruit. Ripe apricots have a sweet, slightly sour taste.
Apricots, in addition to fresh consumption, can be used for processing into jams, compotes, jams, dried fruits.
Advantages and disadvantages
Krasnocheky received good reviews from summer residents for his precocity, because the first crop can be harvested as early as 3-4 years after planting.
The apricot is self-fertile, feels great in single-grade plantings, it does not require the presence of other apricot trees for pollination and the formation of ovaries. Due to late flowering, spring frosts practically do not affect the yield.
Red-cheeked grows well, develops and bears fruit on any type of soil. It also differs in comparison with other southern varieties in increased frost resistance and drought resistance.
Although this variety is resistant to most diseases, it is susceptible to spot infections and moniliosis. Trees are especially affected by these diseases if in spring and in the first half of summer there are heavy fogs, rains, and also with a significant thickening of the crown. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the leaves and, at the first signs of the disease, treat with appropriate preparations.
It is not recommended to plant Red-cheeked in the lowlands, where cold air accumulates and the soil is saturated with moisture – in such conditions, the apricot will often get sick and bear fruit poorly. Still, this is a southern species and, like all apricots, it needs abundant light in combination with warmth.
Description of the variety Son of the red-cheeked
This hybrid was bred in 1974 as a result of crossing two popular varieties Red-cheeked and Golden Summer. The variety, unlike its parent, Krasnoshcheky, feels good in the south of the Central Black Earth region and the Nizhnevolzhsky region, thereby expanding the growing area.
Trees during their long life (up to 60 years, and some specimens up to 75 years) grow tall, with a wide crown and abundant foliage. The yield under favorable weather conditions and the absence of severe frosts and temperature changes is stable and reaches 30 kg per tree.
It is worth noting that the variety tends to give abundant secondary growth on the upper buds, so it is necessary to carry out preventive pruning annually to thin the crown.
Fruit
The variety reaches maturity towards the end of July. However, the ripening time is affected by weather conditions, the amount of sun, rainfall, so ripening can take a long time.
The red-cheeked son is distinguished by large beautiful fruits, the average weight of which is 50-60 g, and the shape is predominantly round-oval. The peel of the fruit is a beautiful orange color with a red blush on the side turned towards the sun. The fruits are dense, with a juicy rich taste, after being removed from the tree, they are stored for up to 10 days, without losing their presentation and taste characteristics.
The stone separates well from the pulp, but the kernel is bitter.
Advantages
The son of the red-cheeked one perfectly adapts to the climate of the middle lane and consistently tolerates the “ winter” well.
The variety is valued for the good taste of the fruit, and it also inherited such qualities from the parent, Krasnocheky, as precocity (the crop can be harvested as early as 3-4 years), self-pollination and late flowering time, due to which spring frosts cause less damage to the plant.
However, the popularity The son of the red-cheeked gardener did not use it until the apricot orchards began to suffer from such a fungal disease as monilial burn. As it turned out, this variety is the most resistant to this infection compared to others.
Both of these varieties, Krasnocheky and Son of the red-cheeked, attract gardeners with their unpretentiousness, the ability to grow and produce good yields regardless of the composition and quality of the soil, and also due to the taste and commercial quality of the fruit. And if preventive protective measures against fungal diseases are carried out, then these varieties will constantly delight the owner with good harvests of sweet and tasty fruits.
Video “Peculiarities of planting an apricot”
This video will tell you about the rules for planting and caring for an apricot seedling.