Contents
This article will discuss such a rare and interesting fruit as black apricot. In the article you will find a description of the hybrid, tips for caring for it, as well as the characteristics of the most popular varieties of this hybrid in the southern regions.
Hybrid description
Apricot breeding does not stand still. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to improve the species and experiment by crossing them with other stone fruits. As a result, interesting hybrids appear, such as black apricot, which was bred by crossing the common species and cherry plum. It also has another name – apricot salmon.
This species has inherited late flowering periods from cherry plum, as well as slow spring development. But this is more of a plus than a drawback: such vegetation contributes to more regular fruiting and crop stability, since the plant, due to the later appearance of flowers and ovaries, is protected from spring frosts.
Because of this feature, attempts to grow the species in central Our Country, in the Moscow region, are popular. Indeed, through reproduction with a bone, seedlings can be obtained that are more adapted to the harsh conditions of the “ winter”.
The tree is of medium height, more like a large bush. In the process of growth and development, its fruits are green, but closer to the time of ripening they become dark brown. Thanks to cherry plum, the fruits are small and slightly sour, but they have an apricot flavor, which often misleads non-specialists.
Apricot salmon can be consumed both fresh and rolled up, getting compotes and jams.
Another feature is that it is self-pollinating. Most apricot varieties require cross-pollination, that is, in a garden or in a summer cottage, several apricot trees must be planted so that they pollinate each other, otherwise you can not wait for a harvest from a lonely growing tree. However, many gardeners do not have the opportunity to grow several seedlings of the same species at once. But apricot salmon perfectly pollinates itself and does not need other apricots for this, but besides this, it is well pollinated by cherry plums, plums and ordinary apricots, which is also a plus.
It is worth noting that this rare species is less susceptible to such fungal diseases as cytosporosis, clasterosporiasis and moniliosis, which have been regularly and mercilessly affecting apricot orchards of traditional varieties recently.
Peculiarities of growing
This exotic variety is propagated by grafting on rootstocks of apricot, plum, cherry plum, as well as cuttings. You can try with a bone, but then there is a chance to get a new hybrid, which will differ in characteristics from the parent.
Caring for seedlings of this rare species is not much different from agrotechnical methods when growing ordinary apricot trees.
When choosing a permanent place to plant a seedling, give preference to the south side of the garden or plot, protected from the north winds and well lit throughout the day. The ideal place would be landing on the south side of the fence or house.
Apricots are traditionally unpretentious to soils, although they grow worse, develop and bear fruit on heavy clay or pronounced acidic soils.
It is also advisable not to plant seedlings in lowlands and in places with a low level of groundwater. Lowlands are dangerous for plants in that, firstly, there is often an excess of moisture, and secondly, cold air descends into such places and the temperature there is lower than in adjacent areas, and the cold is not a friend to these plants.
If your site is located where groundwater comes close to the surface, do not despair – there are ways to plant apricot seedlings in such, to put it mildly, adverse conditions. One of them is landing “in a barrel”. The planting technology is simple: they dig a hole, put drainage on its bottom, which is covered with a mixture of sand, humus, peat or compost. And already an ordinary barrel is placed on this layer, having previously knocked out the bottom and lid. The height of the barrel above ground level must be at least half a meter. This method of planting will protect the root system of the tree from groundwater, and also protect the trunk and lower branches in case of heavy snowfalls.
Seedlings need regular watering during active growth: pour a bucket of water under the plant every two weeks. At the end of July, watering must be stopped, as saturated with moisture, the seedling begins to actively develop branches, giving many young shoots. And if watering is not stopped in time, thereby limiting growth, then young sprouts will not have time to mature before the onset of frost, which is fraught with crop loss and a general weakening of the tree.
It is also recommended to regularly feed apricot salmon. Traditionally, these events are held in spring and autumn. In addition, it is advisable to regularly carry out preventive pruning to prevent thickening of the crown and to give the plant a bushy shape.
It should be noted that apricot salmon, like most apricots, often suffers from sunburn, and therefore needs annual whitewashing of trunks and main branches, which is carried out in late autumn and early spring. At the same time, a small amount of copper sulfate should be added to the lime.
Video “Apricot Grafting”
This video will tell you how to properly graft apricot seedlings.
Sorts
This species was bred artificially, so it does not occur in the wild, and the first specimens were obtained by American breeders and did not differ in the outstanding characteristics of both the tree itself and the fruit. However, time does not stand still and breeders have bred a lot of new varieties, among which there are winter-hardy, high-yielding, and disease-resistant. Consider interesting varieties that are common in our regions.
Black velvet
This clone was created by Crimean specialists by crossing American black and cherry plum. The tree is medium-sized, begins to bear fruit regularly for 3-4 years. It blooms late, so it is protected from spring frosts. Harvest can be harvested in early August. The fruits are small – up to 30 g, but very juicy and sweet with a slight sourness.
Black apricot black velvet differs from relatives in increased winter hardiness. Also, the advantages of this clone include self-fertility, resistance to various fungal diseases, regularity of fruiting. Has sweet fruits.
Apricot black velvet has one drawback: the small size of the fruit.
Melitopol black
The black apricot of the Melitopol variety was created by specialists from the Research Institute of Irrigated Horticulture (Melitopol). The tree is tall, fast-growing. Thanks to late flowering, the buds are not damaged by late frosts, which has a positive effect on the regularity of fruiting and the abundance of the harvest.
Melitopol black apricot is characterized by early ripening – already in the third decade of July, you can harvest fairly large fruits weighing up to 50 g. The fruits have a honey flavor and a pleasant delicate aroma.
Like most of its counterparts, the black apricot of the Melitopol variety has good frost resistance and protection against many diseases. However, there is one drawback – the hybrid can be affected by moniliosis. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive checks and, at the first signs of the disease, treat the affected areas with fungicides.
Black Prince
Apricot black prince was brought out by breeders from the city of Artemovsk. Early-growing medium-sized tree. It has all the features of related hybrids – self-fertility, late flowering, resistance to most diseases.
Black apricot black prince has the largest fruits among relatives – the average fruit weight reaches 65-70 g. But it was not without drawbacks – this clone is the least frost-resistant among its own kind.
This variety is still exotic and it is difficult to find it in summer cottages. However, the hybrid is interesting for its ability to withstand spring frosts and increased resistance to bacterial infections, due to which it can regularly produce high yields of good quality and presentation.
