Content
Thanks to the efforts of workers in breeding agricultural firms, new varieties with improved characteristics are born every year. One of the latest developments is apricot Lel, which is endowed with excellent resistance to adverse weather conditions and is not very demanding to care for.
Breeding history
A seedling of a fruit tree in the 2-3rd generation was bred in 1986 by specialists of the Main Botanical Garden L.A. Kramarenko, A.K. Skvortsov by the method of free pollination. Despite the fact that the culture appeared in the mid-80s, it was entered into the Register of Breeding Achievements only in 2004.
Description of culture
Apricot Lel is not a spreading tree 3 m high. From a distance, a photo of the apricot Lel tree resembles a mushroom. Thanks to this structure, it is easier for gardeners to care for the plant and harvest. Leaves in the form of a tapering ellipse are medium in size, with jagged edges. Above, the leaf plates are smooth, and below they are covered with a short white fluff. In the fall, when the trees are preparing for hibernation, the color of the leaves changes from green to shades of red.
The flowers are light pink, 3 cm in diameter, emit a delicate, pleasant aroma. Fruits weighing 20 g, flattened on the sides, covered with a smooth thin skin. Due to the unique combination of sugars and acids, apricots have a pleasant taste, delicate pulp and rich apricot aroma. The large bone is not attached to the pulp.
The state register recommends Lel apricot for cultivation in the central regions. However, in practice, this type of apricot, provided good cover, grows in some northern regions.
Characteristics
When choosing a fruit tree, you need to carefully study all the features of the variety. The characteristic of apricot Lel includes such sub-items.
Drought tolerance, winter hardiness
The thermophilic fruit tree tolerates the longest droughts without any problems. A distinctive feature of the variety and resistance to cold. So, even young trees, subject to proper shelter, endure frosts up to 300C. Apricot is not afraid of recurrent frosts in -1 ... -30C. Due to this peculiarity, apricot Lel in Siberia is one of the few types of thermophilic trees that bear fruit every year.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening times
The self-fertility of apricot Lel is the main highlight of the thermophilic culture. The flowers of the fruit tree consist of a pollen-covered stamen and a pistil, which allows the crop to self-pollinate.
At the same time, there are flowers on the apricot that require cross-pollination. To obtain the maximum yield, 2-3 fruit trees should be planted on the site. The best pollinators of Lel apricot are the Aquarius and Alyosha varieties. If there is no free space for so many trees, you can plant one, but the yield will be smaller. Pollination of apricot Lel depends little on bees and bumblebees, since insects are still inactive during flowering.
Apricot Lel belongs to the group of early varieties. Despite the fast growing season, frosts during the flowering period are extremely rare, which allows the gardener to harvest generous harvests of apricots every year, even in the northern part of the country. Depending on the climate of the growing region, the Lel apricot ripens in the second or third decade of July.
Productivity, fruiting
The tree brings the first harvest 3-4 years after grafting or planting in a permanent place. The fruits are tied both on single flowers and on flowers collected in a bouquet. A photo of apricot Lel during the flowering period is simply mesmerizing with its beauty.
Scope of the fruit
Apricots of the Lel variety are universal: the fruits are eaten fresh, they are made into jam, compote is boiled, and dried. Regardless of the method of processing, fruits have a dense pulp, pronounced smell and color. The description of apricot Lel contains information that fruits with a rich content of nutrients can be used for making puree for complementary foods.
Disease and pest resistance
The Lel variety has an average immunity to clasterosporium disease, is practically not attacked by aphids - only 1% of trees suffer from an insect attack. Since the resistance to most diseases is average, the cultivation of the Lel variety apricot is successful only if it is systematically treated with the appropriate preparations.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is these factors that pay attention to when choosing a variety of fruit trees. The advantages of the Lel apricot variety are:
- Frost resistance
- Early ripening.
- Compactness.
- Good keeping quality.
- High taste.
The disadvantages of the fruit tree include:
- Small fruit size.
- Large stone - 10-12% of the size of the fruit.
- Average yield.
Landing features
Planting apricot Lel is very similar to planting any other fruit tree, but it has several features that must be taken into account so that the tree grows quickly and pleases with a bountiful harvest.
Recommended timing
In the central regions, apricots are planted in early spring, when sap flow began. The optimum temperature for planting apricots at night is + 10 ... + 120C. By winter, the seedling forms a strong root system and tolerates it well.
Autumn planting is possible only when at least 2 months remain before the onset of stable cold weather. And since the weather recently surprises with surprises, it is far from always possible to accurately determine the right timing for planting, which is fraught with a deterioration in the condition of the seedlings and their death.
Choosing the right place
For planting a heat-loving tree, sunny areas protected from drafts and north winds are suitable. Apricot grows best on light, well-drained soils. Chernozem, sandy loam, loamy soils are ideal as a comfortable habitat.
It is not recommended to plant apricots on sandy or clayey soils. In the first case, the tree is subject to burns and aging, and in the second - to diseases. If there is no appropriate place, you can create it manually. To do this, an embankment with a height of 70 cm is made on a free 2 m of land, and then a seedling is planted on the south side.
What crops can and cannot be planted next to an apricot
The southern tree does not like to share the territory with other plants, so it is better to plant it in a separate area. It is especially not recommended to plant apricots next to apple, plum, pear, sweet cherry, walnut, peach and cherry. Among the bushes near the fruit tree, currants and raspberries should not be planted.
Selection and preparation of planting material
In order for the laudatory reviews about Lel apricot to be true, the first thing to do after deciding to acquire apricot trees is to find a trusted seller. As a rule, the probability of buying a bad seedling from local nurseries is much lower than from a visiting reseller.
For planting, one or two-year-old trees with a strong root system should be chosen, the shoots of which are painted white or cream on the cut. The bark should be smooth, elastic: peeling, spots and rot are signs of serious diseases that prevent the tree from developing normally. A good planting material has a light green color.
Landing algorithm
For a successful landing, all actions must be performed according to a clearly established plan. The garden manipulation scheme is as follows:
- Preparation of the landing pit. In autumn or spring (3 weeks before planting), a hole is dug at a selected site with a depth of 70 cm. Then a layer of drainage material is laid and covered with a mixture of fertile soil and 1.5-2 buckets of humus. Fall asleep 1 liter of ash or complex fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.
- The seedling is soaked for a day in an industrial or growth biostimulator, and then the rhizome is examined and damaged or diseased processes are removed. The length of the roots is shortened by 2-3 cm.
- Dip the bark system in a container with a thick clay mash and let it dry.
- Stepping back slightly from the center of the embankment, drive in a peg, the length of which is 20 cm longer than the length of the apricot.
- The tree is set in a hole, the roots are spread to the sides and covered with earth. The root collar should be 5 cm above the soil level.
- The soil is lightly tamped and watered abundantly. A little later, when the earth dries up, the trunk circle is mulched.
- On the sunny side, a protective screen is placed for 2-3 days.
Follow-up care of the culture
In order for the tree to show its inherent potential, the gardener needs to systematically perform a number of garden manipulations. Apricot care includes:
- Watering. Water is introduced in large portions into the groove around the trunk as the soil dries out.
- Top dressing. In the spring, the apricot is fed with organic matter, and in the summer - with complex mineral fertilizers.
- Pruning. In the spring, excess, damaged and diseased branches are removed from the crown.
- Loosening and mulching.
Diseases and pests, control and prevention measures
Growing apricot Lel in the Moscow region is impossible without regular spraying, since due to the changeable weather and geographical location, the seedlings suffer from microorganisms and insects.
Apricot suffers from moniliosis, bacterial and perforated spots, Vals fungus, verticillosis, gum disease. To prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms and to cure already diseased specimens, trees are sprayed with copper-containing preparations: Bordeaux mixture, "Horus", "Mikosan".
To protect the culture from leaf rollers, moths and aphids, insecticide treatment or planting next to seedlings of medicinal and spicy herbs with a strong odor will help. These include thyme, dill, marigolds, lavender, calendula.
Conclusion
Apricot Lel is an early variety resistant to unfavorable conditions with excellent taste. Planting and caring for Lel apricot is extremely simple and does not take a lot of time, which allows very busy summer residents to grow a tree.
Testimonials
Reviews about apricot Lel in the Moscow region are preferably positive. Here is some of them:
You can see that the gardeners' reviews about the apricot Lel fully confirm the declared characteristic, which dispels all doubts about its veracity.
