The best varieties of apricots

Apricot varieties are numerous and varied. According to the State Variety Commission, 44 types of apricots are grown in Russia, 65 of them are registered in the State Register. In addition, there are quite a few hybrids, as well as names not included in official reference books. This article will help you to understand all the variety of apricot varieties.

Characteristics of apricot varieties

The classification of apricot varieties is rather arbitrary. However, they are divided according to several criteria. According to the height and type of tree, the following groups are distinguished:

• undersized (up to 3 m);
• medium-sized (3–6 m);
• tall (over 6 m);
• columnar.

By the timing of ripening, apricots are also classified into several groups:

• early (late June - early July);
• medium early (05-15 July);
• medium late (15-25 July);
• late (later July 25).

It should be noted that the classification of apricots in terms of ripening time may not coincide in different regions. The same variety, depending on weather conditions, will bear fruit either earlier or later. For example, in Central Asia, apricots ripen almost a month earlier than the same varieties in Crimea.

According to the purpose of the fruit, all varieties of apricots are divided into the following:

• canteens;
• canning;
• universal;
• drying rooms.

Table varieties have poor keeping quality and are used mainly fresh. Canned varieties are more suitable for industrial processing than others, for example, for making juice, apricots in their own juice or jam. Drying varieties have increased sugar content and are used mainly for the manufacture of dried apricots. Versatile varieties can be used for any purpose.

Apricot does not have a clear classification by color and size of fruits. Their color can vary from almost white to almost black. However, most varieties have a bright yellow or orange fruit color. The size of the fruits depends not only on the variety, but also on the correct agricultural technology, weather conditions, etc. The standard division of apricot varieties by fruit size is as follows:

• very small (up to 10 g);
• small (10–20 g);
• medium (20-30 g);
• above average (31–40 g);
• large (41-60 g);
• very large (over 60 g).

Apricot is a southern plant, therefore the concept of frost resistance appeared only after the cultivation of varieties suitable for cultivation in more northern regions. In the wild, there are such frost-resistant species as Manchurian apricot and Siberian apricot, they became the basis for breeding varieties that are resistant to cold.

The largest varieties of apricot

Among the large-fruited varieties with a fruit weight of 40 g and above, the following are worth noting:

• Peran.
• Great early.
• Shalakh.
• Dawn of the East.
• Fermingdale.
• Olympus.
• Aviator.
• Red Crimea.
• Hope.
• Russian.

The last four varieties on this list are characterized by increased winter hardiness.

Winter hardy varieties of apricot

Apricots from this list are characterized by increased resistance to low temperatures. Moreover, not only the trees themselves are distinguished by frost resistance, but also its buds, which are often more prone to freezing.

Among the winter-hardy varieties, the following varieties can be distinguished:

• Cupid hybrid
• Bai
• Hardy.
• Innokentievsky.
• Red-cheeked.
• Favourite.
• Honey.
• Monastyrsky.
• Partisan high-mountainous.
• Russian.
• Snigirek.
• Spassky.
• Triumph North.
• Ussuriysk

From this list, Krasnoshekiy apricot is the most famous and cultivated variety for a long time. More than 70 years have passed since its creation, and it still enjoys the love and respect of gardeners.

On the basis of Krasnoshchekiy, the following hybrids were bred:

• Red-cheeked Salgirsky.
• Son of the Red-cheeked.
• Nikitsky.
• Nikolaevsky.

Guerrilla alpine - the most frost-resistant variety known, its winter hardiness is -50 degrees Celsius.

Columnar apricot varieties

Columnar trees are the latest achievement of breeders. Such fruit crops take up much less space than ordinary trees due to the compactly formed crown, resembling a column. Usually its height does not exceed 2.5–3 m, and its width is 0.3–0.5 m.

Despite its compact size, the yield of columnar fruit trees is not inferior to other, ordinary varieties. The most famous columnar varieties of apricots are listed below.

1. Sunny, or Sunny Summer (Sunny Summer). The apricot is medium-sized, about 2.5 m high. Self-infertile, requires a number of pollinating neighbors. Good winter hardiness, up to -35 ° C. Fruiting is extended, occurs in August. Fruits are large in size, weighing 40-60 g, bright orange, golden, with a characteristic blush. Productivity from one tree is up to 15 kg.
2. Gold (Gold). Self-fertile variety with medium early ripening. The height of the tree is up to 2.5 m. Winter hardiness is above average, up to -35 ° С. The fruits ripen in early August. Ripe apricots have an elongated shape, bright yellow color and a blurred pink blush. Fruit weight 50–55 g.
3. Star. Large-fruited variety, the average weight of fruits is about 60 g, there are fruits and 80-100 g. The tree is self-fertile. Ripens quite late, at the end of August. Apricots are yellow in color, juicy, with a thin skin and very fragrant pulp. The yield is about 10 kg per tree.
4. Prince Mart (Prince). A winter-hardy variety with a consistently high yield. Self-fertile. Ripens in late July - early August. The fruits are bright orange, uneven in size and weight, from 30 to 60 g. The tree is small in height, its maximum size is 2 m.

Columnar apricots need constant pruning to maintain their shape. Without it, the tree will soon turn back to normal.

Low-growing varieties of apricot

Many people value compact low varieties of apricots precisely for their size, which allows them to harvest without the use of special devices. In addition, these trees take up much less space in the garden, which is important in a limited area.

Low-growing varieties of apricots usually include those whose height does not exceed 2.5 m. This height allows you to reach the uppermost branches from the ground without the help of stepladders and stands. Low-growing apricots include:

• Snegirek.
• Cup.
• Black mouse.

Their compact shape and small size make it possible to completely cover the tree for the winter, therefore, they can be grown even in areas with unfavorable climates.

Self-fertile varieties of apricot

Self-fertility, or the ability to self-pollinate, is a very important quality of apricots, especially for cultivation in the northern regions. Apricot blooms quite early (late April - early May), and most of the insects that pollinate the plants are inactive at this time.

Among the many varieties of apricots, there are both self-fertile and self-fertile. Self-fertile varieties include:

• Pineapple.
• Hardy.
• Dessert.
• Red-cheeked.
• Lel.
• Melitopol early.
• Rattle.
• Sardonyx.
• Snegirek.
• Northern Triumph.
• Tsarsky.

Self-fertile plants do not pollinate 100% of the flowers. It should be remembered that the presence of pollinating neighbors in such trees can increase the yield by 2–3 times.

Classification of varieties by maturity

Traditionally, all apricots are divided into early, mid-ripening and late ripening periods. In addition, there are ultra-early varieties (ripening at the end of May), as well as varieties with extended fruiting, which make it difficult to classify them on this basis.

Early ripe

These include apricots, which ripen in June. These are the following:

• Early apricot.
• Alyosha.
• June.
• Melitopol early.

Early apricots are harvested in early summer. However, it must be remembered that such trees bloom very early, so the risk of freezing of flowers when grown in an unfavorable climate is very high.

Mid-season

The ripening period of mid-season apricots is the second half of July and the beginning of August. These include:

• Academician.
• Veteran of Sevastopol.
• Red-cheeked.
• Royal.
• Monastyrsky.
• Olympus.
• Orlovchanin.
• Polessky large-fruited.
• Shelakh (Yerevan).
• Yalta.

Late varieties of apricot

Late varieties of apricots ripen at the end of August, and under unfavorable weather conditions, this period can extend to mid-September. The late ones include:

• Spark.
• Red-cheeked Nikitsky.
• Red partisan.
• Kostyuzhensky.
• Melitopol late.
• Special Denisyuk.
• Favorite.
• Edelweiss.

Fruits of late varieties of apricots have good transportability, are well stored and do not lose their attractive appearance for a long time.

Systematization of apricot varieties by fruit color

Most of the apricot fruit is bright yellow or orange in color. However, there are also other colors such as white, red and black.

Black apricot varieties

Dark hybrids appeared as a result of cross-pollination of apricot and cherry plum growing nearby. These trees have dark purple or dark purple fruits and have very little velvety characteristic of common apricots.

The most famous varieties of black apricot are:

• Black Prince.
• Black velvet.
• Melitopol.
• Korenevsky.
• Mouse.
• Lugansky.

Gardeners are almost unanimous in the opinion that fresh ripe black apricot loses to the classic in taste and aroma, but in canned form it significantly surpasses them.

Red apricots

Red-fruited varieties are usually called varieties in which a bright red blush occupies most of the fruit. These include the following apricots:

• Red partisan.
• Red-cheeked late.
• Nakhichevan red.
• Novrast is red.
• Russian-Bulgarian.

Most of these varieties are suitable for cultivation only in areas with a warm climate, because due to the abundance of sun, this characteristic "blush" is formed on the fruit.

How to choose the right variety

Choosing the right variety for planting is a real challenge, especially for the inexperienced gardener. The further north the growing area, the more nuances must be taken into account and the more work will have to be done to get the harvest. Choosing a mistake can be very expensive.

Most apricots begin to bear fruit only 4-5 years after planting. The wrong choice can lead to the fact that the tree simply will not bear fruit, spending all its strength on the constant struggle for survival. In the end, the plant will die or the gardener will get rid of it himself, without waiting for the harvest and losing several years in vain.

The best varieties of apricot for the Moscow region

When choosing an apricot for planting in the Moscow region, you need to take into account several nuances. First of all, this is the location of the landing site. The apricot will not grow in a swampy lowland, on heavy clay or on the north side of the garden, in an area open to all winds or in the shade of a large building.

When choosing seedlings, you should give preference to zoned varieties.They were bred specifically for the conditions of the Moscow region, therefore, they are maximally adapted for landing in this particular region.

Many gardeners of the Moscow region plant apricots on a more winter-hardy plum. This technique allows you to avoid the biggest problem of apricot orchards in the Moscow region - podoprevanie bark. The inoculation is done on a plum stem at a height of 1.2–1.3 m.

The best columnar varieties of apricot for the Moscow region

More and more gardeners prefer columnar types of fruit trees. And apricot is no exception here. Few of the summer residents near Moscow can boast of a large plot size, and columnar trees are the best suited for growing in conditions of land shortage.

It is much easier to work with a small tree, and it will not be difficult to cover it for the winter. Therefore, the chances of a harvest are much greater. The best columnar apricots for the Moscow region are Zvezdny and Prince, the description of which is given above.

Self-fertile varieties of apricot for the Moscow region

Self-fertility, again, partially solves the eternal problem of summer residents of the Moscow region - a lack of space. A self-pollinating tree does not require pollinating neighbors. Here are some of the self-fertile apricots recommended for cultivation in this particular region:

1. Lel. The undoubted leader among gardeners of the Moscow region, bred in 1986 in Russia. Early maturing self-fertile variety. The tree grows up to 3 m in height. Fruits are orange in color, weighing about 20 g. Fruiting is abundant and annual, starting at 3, less often 4 years from the moment of planting. Good winter hardiness, up to -30 ° C.
2. Snegirek. This apricot tree grows to a height of only 1.5 m, which makes it much easier to care for. Fruits are medium-sized, 15–18 g, cream-colored with a dark red blush. Productivity 7-15 kg per tree. Good frost resistance, up to -42 ° C. Late flowering and frost resistance allows fruit to set even with recurrent frosts. Ripens in the second half of August.
3. Northern Triumph. Although this variety is recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region, it is successfully grown in the southern regions of the Moscow Region. The apricot tree of this variety is quite large and spreading. Fruits are large, 50–55 g. Productivity is high.
4. Red-cheeked. This apricot tree is the largest on this list. Fruits are orange, velvety, weight is about 50 g. The tree begins to bear fruit in 3-4 years, the yield is high.

Winter-hardy varieties of apricots for the Moscow region

The leader among the most winter-hardy apricots recommended for planting in the Moscow region is Snegirek, already mentioned in the previous part. Red-cheeked is also distinguished by good winter hardiness. In addition to those listed, the following varieties have good winter hardiness:

• Alyosha.
• Aquarius.
• Hardy.
• Countess.
• Favourite.
• Honey.
• Russian.

The apricot variety Calypus also has good winter hardiness - one of the smallest among all.

How to choose columnar varieties of apricot in the Kuban

The climate of the Kuban is much warmer than in the Moscow region. Subzero temperatures are rare for this region, and long-term frosts do not happen.

For growing in such conditions, any of the above varieties of columnar apricots are suitable: Zvezdny, Prince Mart, Sunny or Gold.

The best varieties of apricot for Siberia

The sharply continental climate of Siberia is very peculiar. It features short, dry, hot summers, cool off-seasons and severe frosty winters, often with minimal snow. Few fruit trees will feel good in such conditions. However, even here apricots can be grown.

Undersized

These include apricots, the height of the trees of which does not exceed 3 meters. These include the following:

1. Sayansky. An adult tree of this variety has a height of about 3 m. It blooms at the end of May. Average fruit weight -20 g. Productivity - about 15 kg per tree.
2. Mountain Abakan. A compact tree with a spherical crown. Height is about 3 m. Frost resistance is high.Fruits are medium, about 20-30 g, orange, with a blurred blush. Universal purpose. Productivity - 15-18 kg per tree.
3. Northern Lights. It is a low compact tree. Fruits weighing 25-30 g, the ripening period is the second half of August. Productivity is about 13-15 kg per tree. Self-infertile, requires pollinators.

Winter hardy

All Siberian varieties are highly resistant to frost. Some of these varieties are:

1. Siberian Baikalova. Tall (up to 4 m) tree with a wide crown. It blooms in the second decade of May. A self-infertile species requiring a pollinator plant. With good agricultural technology, it gives 15-25 kg of fruits from one tree. The average fruit weight is 27–35 g.
2. East Siberian. The tree is 3–3.5 m high. The ripening period is early, the second half of July. Fruits are yellow, from 35 to 70 g. Productivity is 15-17 kg per tree.
3. Eastern Sayan. Partially self-fertile, medium-ripening variety. Productivity 11-15 kg per tree.

The best varieties of apricot for the Urals

Most of the Ural varieties of apricots are bred in the South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable and Potato Growing. Here is some of them:

1. Chelyabinsk early. Medium-sized compact tree. The crown is medium-leafy. Small fruits, 15–16 g. Universal. Partial self-fertility.
2. Spicy. Medium-sized tree. Fruits 15-16 g, yellow. Partially self-fertile, versatile, high yield.
3. Snezhinsky. A tree of medium height with an open crown. Fruits are small, 20–25 g, bright yellow with red dots. Partially self-fertile. Fruiting begins at the age of 4.
4. Uralets. The tree is small in height, medium foliage and spreading. Fruits are small, 15–17 g, yellow in color with a red dot. Partially self-fertile. The yield is high. Winter hardiness and drought resistance are good.
5. Kichiginsky. Medium height tree. Fruits 12-15 g, small, yield up to 15 kg. Self-infertile, requires pollinators.

The best varieties of apricots for central Russia

For central Russia, many varieties of apricots have been bred. Here are some recommended for cultivation in this particular region:

1. Amber of the Volga region. Medium sized tree. Fruits are yellow, even in color, weighing 20-25 g. Ripening period - early August. High resistance to frost, average to drought. Self-fertility has not been studied. The yield is highly dependent on weather conditions and can range from 10 to 44 kg per tree.
2. Tsarsky. This apricot can be grown not only in central Russia, but throughout the Central region. A tree 3-4 m high. Fruits weighing 20-25 g, yellow. The yield is average. High frost resistance.
3. Favorite. The tree is medium-sized, about 4 m high. Fruits are medium, weighing about 30 g, bright yellow in color with a beautiful blush. The main disadvantage is late ripening. Often, due to a bad summer, part of the crop does not have time to ripen, and therefore the yield is average.
4. Ulyanikhinsky. The tree is vigorous. Fruits are yellow, 28–32 g, versatile in use. Ripen at the end of July. The yield is good.
5. The son of a red-cheeked man. A well-known hybrid derived from the Red-cheeked apricot. A vigorous tree with a dense, developed crown. Fruits are medium, weighing 30–35 g, fruit color is orange with a blush. Ripens at the end of July. The yield strongly depends on the weather and wintering conditions, it can range from 4 to 30 kg per tree.
6. Samara. Medium height tree. The crown is small, slightly leafy. Fruits are yellow, small, 17–20 g. Frost-resistant. Partially self-fertile. The yield of an adult tree can be up to 50 kg.
7. Firstborn of Samara (Kuibyshev early). Tall tree up to 5.5 m. The crown is round, wide, strong foliage. Fruits are light orange, one-dimensional, 18–22 g. Ripening period - third decade of July. The variety is self-fertile and requires pollinators. Productivity 15-40 kg per tree.
8. Iceberg. The tree is small, up to 3 m, compact. Fruits 20-22 g, orange-yellow, pinpoint blush. Good winter hardiness.
9. Zhigulevsky souvenir. A small tree up to 4 m. The crop can be harvested at the end of July, the mass of fruits is 25-30 g. The color is yellow. Productivity under favorable weather conditions can reach up to 45 kg per tree.

Self-fertile

Among the self-fertile varieties of apricots suitable for cultivation in central Russia, one can single out the already mentioned self-fertile species for the Central region:

• Hardy.
• Lel.
• Red-cheeked.
• Dessert.
• Northern Triumph.
• Snegirek.

The best varieties of apricots for the Krasnodar Territory

Krasnodar Territory is a unique territory with many climatic zones due to the difference in altitude above sea level. Among the species recommended for cultivation in this region, there are also strictly zoned ones, suitable for cultivation only in the mountain valleys.

1. Esdelik (alasha). Weak tree, not exceeding 2–2.5 m. Ripens in early August. Fruits are medium to large (35-50 g), greenish-cream color. Productivity up to 25 kg per tree.
2. Shindahlan. A vigorous tree with a wide leafy crown. The fruits are large, cream-colored with a slight pink blush, the average weight is 45-50 g. The ripening period strongly depends on the vertical zoning, therefore it stretches from the end of June to the beginning of August.
3. Black velvet. A medium-sized tree with a flat-rounded crown of medium thickening. Fruits are dark purple, with an average weight of 30 g. Ripening period is average, end of July. Partial self-fertility. High frost resistance, average drought resistance.
4. Honobakh. A vigorous tree with a densely leafy spherical crown. Fruits weighing about 25 g, orange with a slight blush. The variety is early, the harvest can be taken already in the first decade of July. A feature of the variety is its strict zoning, it grows well only in mountain valleys.
5. Tamasha. Medium-sized tree with a spherical crown. Fruits are medium in size (30–40 g), bright yellow, with a slight blush. Ripens early, in the last decade of June. Good winter hardiness, high yield.
6. Stavropol Youth. The tree is medium or slightly above average, with good foliage. Fruits are large, up to 50 g, light yellow, universal. Partially self-fertile, ripens at the end of July.
7. Advertising. Large powerful tree. The fruits are large, 40–50 g. The yield is very high, a tree aged 15–18 years old is capable of producing 70–90 kg of fruit. Self-infertile, requires pollinators. Good winter hardiness.

Late varieties of apricot for the Krasnodar Territory

• Spark. The height of the tree reaches 4 m. The crown is of medium density. The fruits are bright orange in color with a beautiful blush. The universal purpose of the fruit. Good frost resistance.
• Krasnodar late. The tree is medium-sized, with a flat crown. Fruits weighing about 30 g, yellow, with a slight blush, universal use. Ripening period - late. The yield is high.
• Favorite. The tree is of medium height, up to 4 m. The crown is compact. Fruits 30–35 g, orange with a large blush. Good frost resistance and productivity.

Conclusion

Apricot varieties suitable for cultivation in Russia are not limited to the species presented in this article. There are a large number of foreign breeding hybrids that can also be successfully grown in our climate. This is especially true for the southern regions of the country.

A good video about the intricacies of growing apricots in the Moscow region can be viewed at the link below.

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