We are used to the fact that apricots grow mainly in the south. Behind last years a lot has changed. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, they can now be grown near Moscow, in more northern regions.

Why do people like apricots so much?
Apricots are able to maintain excellent health, prevent and even cure various diseases Therefore, many peoples of the world have long called them "fruits of health." Apricots contain sugars, organic acids, pectin, carotene, vitamins B1, B2, C, E, PP, a lot of potassium and magnesium, as well as iron, zinc, and copper.

Dried fruits (apricots - with a stone, dried apricots - without a stone) are well stored without losing their nutritional and medicinal value for a long time, and are very tasty, high-calorie food in the winter-spring period, when the content of vitamins in many other fresh fruits is sharply reduced.

How to grow this useful fruit tree in middle lane Russia?
First we choose a place for it.

Tricks of planting and growing apricots.
Apricot loves light and warmth, so it should be planted in well-lit (especially in the morning) areas of the garden. It is advisable to plant an apricot on the south side of buildings, fences or specially made shields painted with white for better reflection. sunlight on trees, which will improve their illumination and heating, in addition, such buildings will protect plants from cold northern winds. It is better to place seedlings in flowerbeds with a diameter of 2 and a height of 0.6-0.7 m.

These fruit trees they need deep-drained (well-permeable water and air to a great depth) soil, with a deep occurrence (at least 4-5 m) of groundwater. In addition, the soil must be warm and very fertile (with large quantity earthworms).

If old pears, oak, maple, ash and other trees with a very deep root system grow on or near your site, then this sure sign the fact that apricots will definitely take root here. Trees are planted according to the scheme 6x4 m (6 m are left between rows and 4 in a row).

In our climatic conditions apricot trees suffer greatly from underheating of the bark of the base of the stem (near the ground), therefore, it is necessary to buy seedlings on stem formers, that is, so that the apricot is grafted (at a height of 1.2-1.5 m) into the trunk of highly winter-hardy and non-sustaining plum trees of the following varieties : Eurasia 43, Tulskaya black, Early ripening red and other local varieties and wild animals that are not afraid of frost.

It is better if such seedlings grow in large (10-30 liter) containers. This ensures 100% survival and very fast fruiting (in the first or second year after planting).

Stamp formers not only save apricot trees from underheating, but also contribute to a significant increase in their winter hardiness, early maturity and productivity.

For the Moscow region, the most winter-hardy, productive, disease-resistant, with fruits of excellent taste turned out to be Iceberg, Alyosha (see cover), Varyag, Aquarius, Countess, Winter-hardy Susova, Lel, Tsarsky, Black Velvet, and of them the best variety can be called Lel.

Apricot care according to the rules, a way to protect flowers.
Young apricot trees need more attention because they are less hardy than adults. But both babies and old people should always be well looked after, especially in May-June, so that they develop a powerful, healthy leaf canopy as early as possible.
(Material provided by the group Garden, vegetable garden: vk.com/intergarden)

Then you can count on a decent harvest, and the trees will have time to prepare for winter and endure frosts. Of all fruit trees, apricots, as early flowering ones, are most often and severely affected by spring frosts.

The best way to protect the flowers is to cover the crowns with two layers of agril or any fabric for the entire flowering period. Under such clothes, the flowers are not afraid of frosts down to minus 4 ° C. In the corners, the covering material is tied to the branches, but in such a way that pollinating insects can freely visit the trees.

Apricot. How to attract bees and wild pollinators?!

To attract bees and wild pollinators (bumblebees, andrens, osmia, etc.), before sheltering a tree, sprinkle the flowers with a solution of honey at the beginning of flowering (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of warm water is required for one adult tree).

Wild pollinating insects must be in the garden, as they fly in bad weather (cold, cloudy, windy) when domestic bees are not working.

Ways to combat diseases and pests of apricot.
In summer, with good warm, sunny, moderately windy weather, apricots in the middle lane are almost not affected by diseases and pests, in any case, much less than our traditional stone fruits - cherries and plums.

In cold, cloudy, low-wind weather, apricot trees suffer mainly from moniliosis (drying of flowers, tops of shoots, rotting of fruits) and clasterosporiasis ( brown spots on leaves with subsequent formation of holes).

The main condition for the fight against diseases and pests is good care behind the trees. It is clear that weakened pets are more likely to get sick.

At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to immediately spray the trees with copper chloride, topaz, topsin-M, strobes and other preparations. Soap must be added to the solution (50 g per 10 l). If necessary, spraying is repeated. Sometimes apricots are slightly damaged by aphids and codling moth, which are disposed of with the help of such preparations as spark, decis, inta-vir, again with the addition of soap.

Apricot, agrotechnical methods of combating diseases and pests.

From agrotechnical methods For pest and disease control, the following are used:

● competent annual pruning, so that the trees are small and not thickened;

● timely watering, top dressing, loosening and mulching of the soil;

●- collecting damaged and dried fruits, cutting diseased branches and burning them;

● fences around the garden should be well ventilated so that cold, damp air does not stagnate;

● trees are covered with snow moderately (up to 60 cm), otherwise the bark of the base of the bole can prop up.

Summer formation of apricot trees.
To prevent apricot trees from freezing in winter, it is imperative to use the summer formation of strong (more than 50 cm) shoots.

The formation of apricot trees is done like this. At the beginning of August upper part(1/3 of the length) of a powerful shoot that has not yet become lignified is bent (to the side better lighting) in a ring or half ring (if the shoot is difficult to bend) and tied with wire or twine, which are removed in the spring next year.

This formation of apricot contributes to:

● firstly, earlier and timely completion of shoot growth, their good maturation, timely laying of the apical bud, which increases the winter hardiness of annual bent branches and the whole tree;

● secondly, to accelerate the laying of fruit buds on the bent parts of the branches and their fruiting in 1-2 years after formation;

● Third, reduce the size of the tree.

Bent shoots should be located at a distance of 50-70 cm from each other in the crown of the tree and well lit, for which extra weak shoots, when they grow up to 3 cm, are removed by sniffing by hand or pruning with pruning shears if they are late with sniffing.

The general principles for pruning apricot trees are the same as for all fruit trees:

They should have a small-sized crown with a height and width of 3-4 m;
- branches with departure angles (the angle between the trunk and the base of the branch) less than 45-50 ° are cut into a ring;

The branches are intertwined, going inside the crown, close to each other, cut into a ring or shortened;
- each leaf should be well lit, that is, literally bathe in the sun.

Here, perhaps, are all the tricks for caring for apricots.

Apricot is found in almost every amateur and professional garden. It is impossible not to admire the seemingly unpretentious tree. It impresses with its spring splendor and delicious, very beneficial fruits. Apricot, like any garden tree, has features in care and will respond to gardener's mistakes with low yields. Only a competent approach to growing apricots will avoid specific diseases and an abnormal lack of flowering and fruiting.

Why doesn't an apricot bear fruit?

There are several reasons for the absence of fruits on apricots, and in each case there are different ways to solve the problem.

Apricot - delicious, beautiful and healthy fruit

Variety features

Apricot has long ceased to be the privilege of only the southern regions. Zoned varieties allow you to enjoy healthy and sweet fruits from your own tree, even for residents of the Urals (for example, Orenburg) and Primorye. The gardener, having decided to plant a whimsical seedling, is looking forward to the appearance of the first delicate flowers and, of course, fragrant fruits. But, if the temperature regimes of the region were not taken into account when planting an apricot and the tree is not adapted to survive in such conditions, it is useless to expect abundant flowering from it. Tender buds of southern varieties do not tolerate severe frosts and they die.

There is also a high probability of the complete death of an apricot planted without taking into account the adaptability of the variety to the growing area.

If an apricot is damaged by frost every winter, as well as “sunburn”, fruiting is delayed. The sprout directs its forces to the restoration of damaged parts, and flower buds are not laid.

Varietal seedlings begin to bloom in the third year

The age of the tree should also be taken into account. The flowering time for varietal zoned seedlings obtained by grafting is 3–4 years. In trees grown from seed, the first flowering occurs at best 5–6 years after planting in the garden.

growing conditions

Apricot is a rather demanding tree for the conditions in which it is grown.

1. Only fertile and well-drained soils provide abundant fruiting. When planting a tree in clay soil, and also with a fairly close location of groundwater, fruiting will be absent.
2. Dislikes apricots and strong winds. Therefore avoid areas with strong drafts for growing.
3. Lack of sunlight causes the branches to stretch. In this case, the apricot expends additional forces, which leads to the absence of flowering. You can not plant trees in shady places and allow thick plantings.

Mistakes related to caring for sprouts

Apricot requires careful and competent care. With a lack of attention, it is pointless to expect abundant harvests. Even an adult, long-bearing tree with adverse conditions ceases to impress with the presence of fruits.

Timely top dressing will provide the plant with deficient trace elements. For young trees, organic matter is used as a fertilizer. Under adults make a complex composition of 850 gr. superphosphate, 250 gr. potassium chloride and 350 gr. saltpeter.

However, an excess of both organic and mineral fertilizers may adversely affect yields. A tree oversaturated with top dressing "fattens". It impresses with its size and growth of shoots, reaching up to 1 meter or more per season. Significant growth due to the high availability of nutrients occurs to the detriment of fruiting.

Apricot loves light soil and sun.

Excessive care turns into a lack of harvest. Let the tree "rest" during the season. next spring it will please with abundant flowering.

Apricot is also sensitive to moisture. And if the excess leads to cracking of the fruit, then the lack leads to their absence altogether.

A tree needs four main waterings during the season:

• at the time of awakening, at the beginning of spring growth (April);
• at active growth(May);
• before full ripening of fruits, two to three weeks before (July, August);
• pre-winter watering (October, November).

If the apricot watering time coincided with active rains, add excess moisture not worth it. Nature itself will do the necessary work.

Competent pruning (processing) is not in last place to ensure the fruiting of the apricot. The tree tolerates any removal of branches well. But in order to enhance the ability to produce flower buds, double pruning is carried out.

Spring pruning speeds up the emergence of young shoots

The first stage occurs in March before the start of sap flow. Shoots are completely removed, the direction of growth of which falls inside the crown or horizontally upwards. Skeletal branches are not subject to pruning. And growing from them side branches shorten when reaching 50 cm. After such pruning, the growth of shoots increases with the formation of flower buds.

In June, repeated work is carried out, during which only the tops of young branches succeed. This procedure provides additional growth of new side shoots, which will give flower buds for the next season.

For old, poorly fruiting trees, anti-aging pruning is used. In addition to removing improperly growing shoots, skeletal branches are also significantly thinned out.

Don't feel sorry for the old branches. New shoots on an apricot will provide him with a second youth and yield.

Why does an apricot bloom but not bear fruit?

Flowering under favorable conditions ends with the appearance of the ovary. But there are situations when even the presence of flowers does not guarantee an appropriate yield. This anomaly is quite common, but it can be dealt with.

Returning spring frosts

The tree, entering the time of flowering, becomes defenseless. But no one is immune from the return of frost. And the flowers affected by low temperatures die and fall off. Of course, the ovary will not appear this season. But this process can also be prevented:

1. If there is a threat of night frosts, use the “smoke” method by planting small fires in the garden during a frosty night.
2. Delay the tree's flowering period to ensure that flowering does not coincide with a return frost. To do this, since autumn, the apricot has been watered abundantly, and winter snow is tightly packed around the trunk. Spring whitewashing with a cool solution of lime will not hurt either.

The use of special preparations such as auxins for spraying helps to shift the flowering time by at least 10 days.

Poor pollination conditions, what to do?

Most varietal zoned apricots are self-fertile and do not require additional conditions for the emergence of an ovary. But if a same-sex tree is planted, the ovary, even with abundant flowering will not appear without re-pollination. Therefore, in the gardens they try to plant several plants. At the same time, the distance between them should not exceed 100 m, and the flowering time should coincide. There are several ways to influence the pollination process:

• plant a self-fertile apricot near;
• vaccinate for existing tree by taking material from a varietal plant;
• replace it with a self fertile one.

Rain and fog prevent insects from doing their duty

Pollination and weather influence. If the flowering coincides with a period of rain, drizzle or heavy fog, insects are not able to transfer pollen.

Pests and diseases affecting the formation of the ovary

During flowering, the apricot infects the fungal disease "burn" molinia. At the same time, the flowers, and subsequently the leaves turn brown, dry up. To avoid fungal disease can. To do this, for preventive purposes and for treatment, the tree is sprayed with solutions containing copper (copper oxychloride, cuproxate, Bordeaux mixture). Spraying is carried out in the autumn period after the complete fall of the foliage and in the spring before bud break.

A disease that is difficult to diagnose is confused with a monilial burn, in which the rudiments of flowers (pistils) are damaged even inside the kidneys. At the same time, flowers bloom on the tree, but the ovary does not form.

Remember! The young ovary is destroyed by the plum codling moth. With rapid reproduction, the pest is able to destroy the crop during the appearance of the ovary.

Other diseases of the apricot tree (photo)

There are a number of diseases and pests that can spoil the health of an apricot and reduce its yield.

Gray rot (moniliosis)

Fungal disease. Activated with the advent of heat in a humid environment. It affects young shoots and leaves that wither and turn brown. Infected fruits become covered with dark spots and begin to rot. The missing fruits do not fall from the tree and, remaining on the apricot until spring, become breeding grounds for infection.

Moniliosis affects both foliage and fruits

The fungus enters the gardens with the wind, it is carried by birds and insects. Infection is actively spreading in the garden. Without appropriate measures, moniliosis spores overwinter well in fallen leaves and infected fruits and branches.

What to do? Fighting moniliosis is difficult, but possible:

• during the formation of "green buds" 3% Bordeaux liquid is used for spraying;
• after flowering, you can use Horus by taking 3 gr. on a bucket of water;
• before harvesting, but at least 15 days before, spray the tree with Switch or Teldor.

When processing apricot from moniliosis, do not forget about other trees. Even if they do not show clear signs of infection, they are subject to preventive treatment.

Be sure to remove and destroy the affected parts of the plant and fruits. Autumn work with apricots provide for the collection of foliage and fruits that are disposed of, whitewashing the trunks with a solution of copper sulphate.

Gum therapy and its treatment

Apricot gum is quite common. Why is this happening?

The tree "weeps" in response to damage

The release of gum is associated with the reaction of the tree to mechanical damage, for injuries caused by frost or temperature changes, for excessive or incorrect pruning. Enhance the appearance of sticky formations caught in wounds of infection such as moliniosis, clasterosporiasis. Influxes of gum are also observed on trunks, branches, and even foliage.

Affected areas must be removed to healthy wood. The surface is treated with a composition with copper sulphate. The top is smeared with garden pitch.

Brown spots appear on apricot leaves affected by perforated spotting. In their place, holes form in two weeks, and subsequently premature leaf fall is also possible.

The fungus is manifested by damage to the foliage

Fruits with marks of perforated spotting, while still green, are covered with red-brown spots, and by the time of ripening they are completely deformed.

To combat the disease, cut off all infected twigs and leaves. For prevention purposes, spraying with 4% Bordeaux liquid or 1% copper sulphate is provided. Work is carried out in late autumn and spring.

Verticillosis - vertical leaf wilt

An insidious fungus, having entered the conductive channels of wood through wounds, affects young shoots and leaves. As a result, the foliage on the lower branches turns yellow, withers and begins to fall off. Gradually, the process spreads up the tree. Young trees are more susceptible to the disease.

Avoid flooding

To prevent the disease, avoid excessive moisture, and even more so flooding. When digging the soil around the apricot, they try not to injure the roots, and the cut branches are disposed of in time. Wood processing is carried out with solutions of preparations of fundazol, previkur, vitaros.

Cytosporosis

Cytosporosis fungus settles between wood and bark. Under its influence, the leaves at the top begin to fade, and brown-brown spots and dark streaks appear on the bark. Over time, the fungus spreads throughout the tree: the leaves wither, the branches dry, and the plant dies.

Cytosporosis can kill a tree

To prevent the spread of infection, dry branches and affected areas are carefully removed to healthy wood. Infected material must be disposed of.

Without attaching importance to unusual spots on the bark and dried branches, you can completely lose the whole tree.

Viral infections of apricot and their control

Viruses are harder to deal with. On apricots, viral infections can be observed in the form of:

1. Plum "pox", which manifests itself as sunken spots and stripes on the fruit Brown. Such apricots ripen prematurely and have an unpleasant taste.
2. Ring "pox", which can be found in the form of characteristic red swellings and spots on the fruit. The harvest falls ahead of schedule maturation.
3. Viral wilt. It appears as light green spots on the foliage. The sheet has seals and curls. And the fruits have brown flesh around the stone.
4. Ribbon mosaic. The yellow veins on the leaves develop into a lacy pattern over time, and the foliage dies off.

To prevent infection of trees and the spread of viruses will help:

• careful selection of healthy material for planting and grafting;
• treatment of tools and hands with disinfectants when working in the garden;
• increasing the resistance of the tree due to timely top dressing and watering;
• obligatory processing and sealing of places of cuts and damages on trees;
• whitewashing trunks with solutions of lime with copper sulphate.

Video. Why doesn't an apricot bear fruit?

Make a plan for your apricot orchard, strictly adhere to maintenance recommendations, water and fertilize the trees, create barriers against the development of infections and the spread of pests, and impressive yields will no longer be just a dream.

White-pink caps of flowers on apricot trees are not only a beautiful sight in spring, but also a guarantee of an excellent harvest. What if several years have passed after planting an apricot, but there is still no flowering?

Does the tree "dislike" something or are you taking care of it the wrong way?

The answers to these questions are below.

Reason 1: The tree is not yet "ripe"

Does a young apricot bloom? Maybe it's because of his youth? Planted with annuals, some zoned apricot varieties can begin to fully bloom in the third year ( Pinsky, Laureate, Honey and etc.). However, there are species that come into fruition in the 6th, or even in the 8th year - expect from them early flowering not necessary, be patient.

In addition, you can deal not with varietal seedlings, but with seedlings, and in the most unfortunate case - wild apricot. Then you can wait for flowering and fruiting for many years.

What to do?

Buy seedlings only from trusted sellers, study the features of your chosen variety and wait.

Reason 2: Wrong apricot variety selected

For the first time, apricot came to our region straight from the Near and Middle East. You understand that our climate is somewhat different. Therefore, if you want to see in your area wild bloom and abundant fruiting of this southern guest, when choosing varieties and hybrids, preference should be given to the most winter-hardy and frost-resistant zoned options.

For example, such as Snegirek, Hardy, Russian, Triumph North, Lel, Honey and etc.

What to do?

Before planting, check the features of certain apricot varieties and choose the most suitable for your area.

Reason 3: Incorrect planting of an apricot seedling

The lack of apricot flowering may be due to its improper fit. There are three varieties of it - not on time, not there and not like that.

At a wrong time. Planting apricots in the fall is not the best idea. A guarantee that the tree will take root well can only be given if it is placed in warm, well-heated ground. So optimal period planting apricots in our latitudes - spring.

Not there. Apricot seedlings should be placed in a high sunny area, in the warmest and most wind-protected place - we remember how thermophilic apricot is. The soil must be without stagnant water ( ground water no closer than 2 m), loose (sandy loam, loam), nutritious.

Not this way. The most common mistakes:

• digging too deep landing pit(in our conditions, a rare site boasts a humus layer with a depth of the required 60 cm - 30 cm is enough for a seedling);
• the location of the pit in a clay waterlogged horizon (the roots of the seedling will suffocate and rot, and in winter they may freeze);
• an overabundance of fertilizer already at this stage (for example, a plentiful addition of fresh manure).

What to do?

Carefully choose a site taking into account the characteristics of the tree and carefully follow all the rules of planting.

Reason 4: the apricot tree is frozen

Apricot is one of the most heat-loving stone fruits. Therefore, to temperature regime he is extremely sensitive. Not only do you initially have to choose a variety zoned specifically for our not-so-hot latitudes, and then plant a tree in a warm, sunny area, you also have to take into account the vagaries of the weather.

Frosty, especially snowless, winter, as well as a sharp change from cold to thaw and back can disrupt the formation of flowers - the flower buds simply freeze through, and there is nothing to bloom in the spring. The same is true in autumn - a sudden transition from prolonged warm drizzle to real frost is detrimental to a tree.

The same in spring sharp drops temperature and spring frosts quite capable of depriving you of the harvest. Apricot ovaries and flowers are mortally afraid of temperatures already at -1-2 ° C.

What to do?

Promote later flowering - for example, by spraying trees in spring or pruning in summer. In the first case in early spring at a temperature of at least 5 ° C, the apricot is sprayed with 3% Bordeaux liquid (at the same time, this will also protect against fungus). In the second, immediately after harvesting the fruits in August, annual growths are shortened by 1/3 and excess branches are removed. And finally, if your winters are harsh, you need to provide the tree reliable protection for this period - wrap it in a kind of "blanket".

Reason 5: apricot diseases and pests

Disease damage and insect pest attacks can also cause a tree to not bloom.

Gum treatment

This disease is manifested by abundant secretion of a sticky dark viscous liquid - gum, which hardens into a vitreous mass. This is the response of a tree to various damaging factors - incorrect traumatic pruning, sunburn, frostbite of wood, fungal infections.

Sick areas should be rid of gum influx, for this, remove dead wood, clean the cuts sharp knife and disinfect with 1% solution blue vitriol, and then - cover with garden pitch.

Moniliosis (monilial burn)

This disease is characterized by massive wilting and falling off of flowers and foliage, as well as cracking, a visual "burn" of wood.

Measures to combat moniliosis. Treat if there are signs of disease special preparations: before flowering, spray the tree and the ground under it with a 3% Bordeaux mixture; after flowering, treat with 1% Bordeaux liquid. If necessary, additionally use the appropriate drugs: Ftalan, Horus, Kuprozan. Collect and burn the affected parts of the tree in a timely manner - branches, leaves, flowers, fruits.

Clasterosporiasis (perforated spotting)

With clasterosporiasis, a fungus wintering in gum, infected bark and buds in the spring infects absolutely all parts of the plant. Young shoots, leaves, ovaries are especially affected. Orange-red spots appear on the infected areas, which, growing, are converted into chronic ulcers, and on the leaves - into holes. AT advanced cases young tree may even die.

Measures to combat clasterosporiasis. sanitary care– cleaning and burning of damaged parts of the tree before and after the growing season. Spraying with appropriate chemicals according to the moniliosis control scheme.

Apricot varieties resistant to clasterosporiosis: Red-cheeked, Luize, Pineapple, Hungarian best.

insect pests

And finally, pay attention to whether your tree suffers from pests? For example, apricots can be damaged by leafworms, whose caterpillars in the spring gladly feast on both leaves and flower buds. After the summer pupation, the caterpillars turn into butterflies and again lay their eggs on this and neighboring trees. Also, tree buds like to eat hawthorn butterflies, weevils, fruit striped moths.

Apricot pest control measures. Use the appropriate insecticides according to the instructions (Lepidotsid, Bitoxibacillin, Prophylactin, Chlorophos, etc.). Insect clutches, as well as rolled tube-leaves with larvae, should be cut from the tree in a timely manner and destroyed.

Reason 6: improper apricot care

We have already written about an unsuccessfully chosen site for landing. However, attention should also be paid to quality care behind apricot tree. The reason for the lack of flowering may be the following errors in care.

Excess fertilizer

Apricots don't need that much frequent feeding: 3-4 times a year they are useful organic fertilizers and twice a year - mineral. If the plants are overfed (especially at the seedling stage and especially by overdosing on nitrogen-containing fertilizers), you will big share likely to delay the start of flowering. The "fatting" apricot will grow large shoots, and it will not have time for flowers.

What to do? Apply fertilizer in moderation. If the tree is already "fatting", leave it for the current season without top dressing.

Incorrect pruning of apricot

A tree can delay flowering even in the case of improper, out of time or excessive pruning, when branches are injured and excessive gum flow is formed, which we have already written about.

What to do? Observe the rules of agricultural technology indicated above.

Apricot - although a southern plant, subject to all the rules of competent care, it manifests itself as a fairly hardy, long-lived and productive fruit tree, even in our cool latitudes. Be attentive to your garden - and in return it will certainly please you with an excellent harvest.

Get an answer from a specialist

Zyryanova Tatyana Ulyanovna

how to delay spring bloom apricot?

in spring, apricot blooms very well, but falls under return frosts, it is not very convenient to close the trees because of their size, as a result, we lose the harvest

Answers to the question

Elena Borodkina

I read somewhere that you can push back flowering if at the end of winter it is good to compact the snow around the trunk and pour water on it to form an ice crust. But this is if there is snow. Didn't check it myself.

Ilya Krukov Elena Borodkina

I think this is a good way to delay flowering, I have also read that artificial conditions can be created for apricots and cherries and it is very easy to do. Several plastic bottles and filled with water. The water is frozen, and the bottles are arranged so that when melted, the drops fall under the barrel, but not on it (neck down). Such a system is ideal for the southern regions, where the snow melts early, or it does not exist at all.

Alena Dyachenko

I read about a big layer of mulch under the tree. Thus, the warming up of the soil is delayed and supposedly flowering will be later.
Maybe it will help summer pruning tree when fruit buds are being laid next year. But here you need to look for more accurate information. But this is a measure for next year. And this year, I think we should carefully monitor the forecast and use smoke or artificial fog for garden. By the way, here on the site there is a whole article devoted to this: "We save flowering fruit trees from spring frosts"

Ilya Krukov

We have a dacha near the river, and the area is quite open, so strong winds in the spring often became the reason for the complete fall of color. On the this moment we found two ways. 1. They built a rather large barn, choosing a place for it so that it at least slightly protected the fruit plantations from the wind. 2. Use garden smoke bombs for fumigation

Elena Borodkina Ilya Krukov

Can you elaborate more on fumigation? How does it help to delay flowering?

Ilya Krukov Elena Borodkina

I didn't say it helps to delay flowering, this method is used to protect against frost when it occurs. During the flowering period, I monitor humidity and precipitation, it is they that cause a sharp drop in temperature. In the evening, before a cold snap (by no means on the day itself, since the most low temperature at 4-6 in the morning, at dawn, it will be too late) I fumigate trees, set up a saber or kindle fires (first I kindle well, then I put green coniferous branches, or weeds after weeding). It is best to look at the direction of the wind in advance in order to know which side to act on, and it is good to fumigate the entire garden.

Elena Borodkina Ilya Krukov

Thanks for your reply, Ilya! This is very important in our region. It's been a year without apricots. And all because they bloom, and then once and frost.

Ilya Krukov

I talked to my grandmother, she is my avid summer resident. She has her own methods, which, if they do not help, will definitely not cause harm. At the end of July or in August (in the 1st case for the Moscow region, in the second - for the Urals), you prune the apricot. During this period, flower buds form. Apricot pruning is carried out only superficially, it is also called sanitary - it is necessary to remove diseased affected branches, as well as crowns growing inward - thickening it. The tree experiences a little stress during any pruning, so the time for bud formation is shifted by a week or two, and in the spring flowering is thus delayed for the same period.

Elena Borodkina Ilya Krukov

Highly helpful advice!!! Too bad you can't add it to your favorites. You have to write it down so you don't forget.

Elena Borodkina Ilya Krukov

Although I'm wrong, the whole question can be added. I will do so. Once again, thank you so much for not being indifferent.

Ilya Krukov Elena Borodkina

You are always welcome, can you imagine, I continued to study the issue of frosts during the flowering of apricot, and a neighbor in the country suggested interesting solution which he has been using for several years. It turns out flowering delays the usual saline solution. Preparing is very simple: 400 grams of ordinary table salt per 10 liters of water, you need to spray already formed flower buds. In no case should it be processed after the opening of the kidneys, even incomplete. The method delays flowering for a maximum of a week, but it is simpler than the others and faster.

Elena Borodkina Ilya Krukov

Interesting! I haven't come across this yet. Must try!

Zyryanova Tatyana Ulyanovna

How to Delay Apricot Flowering
Watch out, Monolith!

During flowering, apricot can infect the monilia fungus. Damaged leaves dry out in a few days, individual branches die off later, and over time the tree may die. So that the disease does not progress, they cut off all dry branches with a “margin”, destroy diseased fruits and branches, dig up trunk circles. In cold weather, affected shoots are cut out and burned, boles are cleaned of old bark and mummified fruits and leaves are burned. Cleaning of wounds is carried out with the capture of 4-5 mm of healthy tissue, disinfecting them with a 1% solution of copper sulphate.

Often practiced spraying Bordeaux mixture(3% before bud break, in early spring and autumn, after leaf fall). In advanced cases, poisons are used. 3-4 days before flowering, during the loosening of the buds, they are sprayed with fungicides: "Soon", "Topaz", "Topsin", "Horus". The next treatment - immediately after flowering and the third - 2-3 weeks after the second.

Apricot blooms can be controlled by pruning. At the end of July - August, when the formation of flower buds near the tree, do a little pruning. Cut out diseased and thickening tree crown branches. This event delays the formation of fruits, which in turn delays the flowering of apricots in spring (sometimes up to two weeks). This allows the tree to survive the April frosts.

Out of the corner of my ear I heard yesterday "about the extension of winter" for apricot, while flowering comes a few weeks later than usual. In our conditions, this would be advisable, since frequent return frosts. Unfortunately verbose way I don't know, I just realized special filling ice in several layers, interspersed with earth near the trunk circle.

Any thermal insulation will do (styrofoam, straw in a thick layer), but you need to close it large area under the tree. You can delay flowering for 7-10 days.

I can suggest one more thing, to delay flowering, spray the trees early in spring with a steep salt solution (400-700 grams per bucket of water) over the still sleeping buds - this will delay flowering and vegetation for 7-14 days.

During the flowering period of apricot trees are sprayed with a 0.1% solution of foundationol (10 g per 10 l of water). If the plot with apricots suffered from moniliosis in previous years, it does not hurt to spray twice with foundationazole - at the beginning and middle of flowering. Double spraying is also carried out if the spring is wet, rainy. Fundazol has low toxicity for warm-blooded animals and pollinating insects, which allows it to be used for spraying. flowering trees. To exclude the defeat of the apricot with moniliosis this year, it is enough to correctly prune and double-treat with foundationazole.

Series of messages " ":

Part 1 -
Part 2 -
...
Part 9 -
Part 10 -