When choosing the best varieties of apricots of different ripening periods, give preference to those that are resistant to damage to various kinds of diseases. If the tree has such characteristics, then your work will be justified, and a good harvest will be grown on the site. It is best to plant self-fertile varieties, then there will be no need to take care of additional pollination.
In recent years, apricots have not spared fungal diseases, a wet and cold spring provokes a monilial burn. Due to unfavorable winter and spring, almost 100% death of flower buds and wood can occur at the age of 2 to 15 years.
If possible, place at least one tree of a good pole on your site. It is hardy and more unpretentious.
However, I want large, varietal, early-fruiting fruits. For the southern zone of Russia, such a variety of apricots as Krasnoshekiy is recommended.
It is also recommended to acquire two varieties of Ukrainian selection – Melitopol early and Melitopol late. They are more resistant to adverse weather conditions. This will allow you to use fresh, tasty, medicinal fruits of apricot for 40 days, as well as make preparations for future use for the whole year.
The following is a description of the best self-fertile varieties of apricots recommended for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia.
Early and late varieties of apricots for the southern regions of Russia
Pay attention to the description of the varieties of apricots below – they have a brightly colored pulp, which means they contain more carotene, more biologically active substances, therefore, they are healthier.
Red-cheeked variety grown in the southern region for a long time, the variety is fruitful, but not hardy. Generative buds (flower) are not resistant to sudden temperature fluctuations in winter and spring. The tree is vigorous, with a spreading crown. It begins to bear fruit in the 4-5th year after planting in the garden.
As you can see in the photo, the fruits of this variety of apricots are large, weighing 45-50 g, round-ovoid, golden-orange, with a beautiful blush:
The pulp is orange, dense, medium juiciness, sweet and sour, slightly fibrous. Fruits ripen in the second half of July.
This variety of apricots is self-fertile, very fruitful. In favorable years, a 12-year-old tree produces at least 10-15 buckets of excellent fruits.
Melitopol early ripens 2 weeks earlier than Krasnoshchekiy, that is, from June 28, you can carry out selective harvesting of fruits. The tree is also vigorous, but in the structure of the crown it differs from the Red-cheeked one in its back pyramidal shape. This early apricot variety begins to bear fruit in the 4-5th year after planting in the garden.
Fruits weigh 35-45 g, broadly oval, golden orange with a slight blush. Orange pulp, medium density, good taste. The variety is self-fertile, dessert, the yield is higher than that of the Krasnoschekiy variety, by 20%.
Melitopol late Is another Ukrainian variety that has become widespread in the Southern Region. A tree of good vigor with a broadly rounded crown. It begins to bear fruit in the 4-5th year after planting in the garden. Generative buds are more resistant to sharp temperature fluctuations in the winter-spring period compared to the Krasnoshchekiy variety.
Fruits weighing 40-50 g, broadly oval, slightly compressed from the sides, with a beak, yellow-orange with a blush. The pulp of this late variety of apricots is orange, dense, juicy, sweet, with a good combination of sugar and acid, not fibrous. The fruits ripen in the third decade of July – early August. The variety is self-fertile, fruitful, yields up to 15-20 buckets from a tree.
In the southern region, more than a dozen varieties of apricot bred by many breeding centers of the former Soviet Union were tested, but the three listed turned out to be the most resistant to unfavorable weather conditions and more productive than others. Therefore, it is possible, subject to agricultural technology and 2-stage pruning (in spring and summer), to receive annual guaranteed yields.
