Winter-hardy early-ripening apricot Alyosha is successfully cultivated in the Moscow region, Pskov, Leningrad regions and other areas with a temperate climate. The variety has been improved by the method of open pollination of 2nd and 3rd generation seedlings of this type. Apricot variety Alyosha is recognized by the scientific community as suitable for cultivation in central Russia.
History of the variety
Famous biologist Larisa Andreevna Kramarenko and professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexey Konstantinovich Skvortsov in the main Botanical Garden named after. N.V. Tsirana (in Moscow) developed a new variety of apricot.
From the works of L. A. Kramarenko you can find out which rootstocks for apricot grafting should be used to improve their characteristics of winter hardiness, resistance to wet and dry growing conditions. In her authoritative opinion, the best apricot rootstocks are Armeniaca vulgaris - common apricot and mandshurica - Manchurian.
It is almost impossible for gardeners to purchase them on their own; not a single nursery supplies these seedlings to specialized retail outlets.
Having greater capabilities than amateur gardeners, two eminent scientists optimized the original southern plant for the climate of temperate latitudes. Work on the plant species bred in the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University has continued since 1988. Only in 2004 it was included in the register of fruit trees of the Russian Federation.
Description
The description of a fruit tree variety consists of two parts, both of which are important for gardeners. The characteristics of the plant itself determine the ease of care and the need for pinching, pruning branches, and preventive treatment preceding the flowering period:
- height of an adult tree is 4 meters;
- the crown is branched, dense, round in shape;
- spreading branches are evenly spaced around the trunk, their ends describe a circle of 4 m;
- the first fruits appear in the 3rd year from the moment of transplantation to a permanent place;
- early flowering, white-pink large flowers;
- Disease resistance is average.
Due to its lush flowering, Alyosha apricot is used as an ornamental plant for landscape design. No less important is information about the qualities of the fruit:
- fruits are not large, 15-20 g;
- color bright yellow;
- round shape;
- the smooth skin has scanty pubescence;
- taste sweet and sour;
- They retain their presentation for 2-3 days.
The fruits are suitable for canning, making preserves, jams, and compotes. They are also extremely good fresh.
Characteristics
The characteristics of the variety influence the choice of planting site, the need to protect the seedlings on the leeward side, plant them as the only variety or next to a pollinator plant.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
The Alyosha variety winters well in severe frosts. This has virtually no effect on the condition of the tree bark, the condition of the buds and the yield. A late, prolonged spring with nighttime temperatures dropping below 0 °C is the main reason to delay flowering. Timely whitewashing of the trunk will help with this. Trees of this variety can withstand the absence of water.
A prolonged period of drought may slightly reduce the taste of the fruits, but they will remain on the branches and remain there until the stage of full ripening.
Pollination, flowering period, ripening time
The Alyosha apricot tree is self-sufficient. Its pollination does not require another apricot growing in close proximity, unless justified by the need to pollinate a neighboring fruit tree. Fruit ripening occurs in the third decade of July. Apricot trees of this variety are excellent pollinators for varieties that bloom at the same time - in mid-May.
For reference: flowering may begin 1-2 weeks earlier or later, which completely depends on the climate of the area where a particular tree grows.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Improper preventive preparation and unfavorable neighborhoods are a strong threat to the apricot tree, which belongs to the middle class of resistance to fungal, viral and other lesions.
The proximity to the plum tree makes it a tasty target for insects - aphids and leaf rollers. The consequences of the leaf roller's actions can be confused with more serious diseases to which drupe trees are susceptible. Treating the tree against pests before flowering begins is a mandatory precaution.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
From the reviews of gardeners in the Moscow region, one feature of the variety becomes clear - ripe fruits fall off on their own. This can be attributed to both advantages and disadvantages:
- you don’t have to figure out ways to get fruits from the upper branches;
- Only ripe, tasty fruits appear on the ground;
- If dropped, deformation and loss of presentation may occur.
The biggest advantage is self-sufficiency. The downside is that the plant is at risk from fungal and viral infections of neighboring trees.
Features of planting and care
Before planting, in the fall, you should enrich the soil. When planting in loam, the soil must be enriched and made softer by adding ash. Both when preparing the planting site and every 4-6 years, the soil will have to be enriched with organic fertilizers - humus of herbs, food waste, sprinkled with layers of peat. This is the need for a compost pit on the site, which will be constantly replenished with weeds, fallen leaves, and unedible fruits.
Disease and pest control
Prevention and compliance with the rules for selecting plant neighbors is the best protection for trees with average immunity.After harvesting and before flowering, preventative spraying is carried out with special compounds for fruit trees. The concentration of the active substance in the prophylactic solution is small; it will not affect the quality of the crop.
If you have to take drastic measures if a disease occurs after ovaries form on the tree, apricots will be unsafe for human health. The tree trunk must be whitened to a height of 1-1.2 m from ground level - this will protect against ants and other insects that want to settle in the tree bark.
