Apricot fruits have many beneficial properties that a person needs to strengthen the immune system and replenish lost elements during the winter. Many people try to grow early varieties in order to quickly enjoy the taste of apricot. But the cultivation and consumption of late and mid-season varieties, such as Hargrand, sometimes exceed the amount of valuable micro- and macroelements contained in apricots.
Description of the variety
The apricot variety was randomly developed by Canadian breeder J. Lyon in Harrow, Ontario, Canada in 1961 through pollination with the Gold Rich variety.The Hargrand apricot variety was registered and described in 1981, after which it began to gain popularity.
The tree is tall, up to 5 m, the crown is wide, spreading, the trunk is lumpy, brown-gray, moderate growth vigor. The buds are large, formed not only on one-year and two-year-old branches, light brown in color. The leaves are ovoid in shape with a pointed tip, thin, dark green above, pale green below, located on long brown-green petioles.
The flowers are medium-sized, white and pink on short petioles, bloom from mid to late May.
The fruits are large, oval-shaped, from 60 g to 150 g, the skin is thin but dense, orange in color with pink dots. The shape of the fruit is round, the flesh is tender, juicy with a honey flavor, orange in color with a slight sweet aroma of honey. The stone is rounded and flattened with a rib, easily separated from the fruit, the kernel is bitter.
Characteristics of the variety
The Hargrand apricot is partially self-fertile and early-bearing; for greater yields, the Gold Rich variety can be planted.
- Frost resistance of the root system down to -30 °C.
- Resistance of fruit buds to short-term frosts.
- Fruit ripening is later, late July, early-mid August.
- High-yielding apricot, fruit rationing is needed.
- The fruits can be stored for a long time, up to 2 weeks, especially if the temperature is maintained at +5 degrees.
- Do not crack.
- They tolerate transportation well.
- The presentation is good.
- Resistance to diseases and pests is high, especially to bacterial cancer.
- It has a long fruiting period, more than 40 years.
Advantages and disadvantages
Apricot has more advantages than many other varieties for central Russia: it is self-pollinating, the yield is high, it almost does not get sick and is not damaged by pests.
The commercial quality is high, Hargrand is an apricot of universal use, fresh and processed.
Disadvantage of the variety: the yield needs to be normalized, otherwise the branches break and the excess ovary does not fall off on its own. He needs constant care.
Growing and care
Apricot Hargrand grows well in loamy, sandy loam soils and black soil. The place should be sunny, without drafts, facing south, southeast, southwest. The soil for planting should be well-groomed, weed-free, loose, and with a neutral acidity level.
Seedlings should be planted in the spring, in April, provided frosts have passed and the soil has warmed up to +12. Material for planting should be taken from trusted nurseries, special attention should be paid to the root system, which should be free from pests, holes, flexible, branched, free from rot and other damage.
Before planting, it is soaked in water for 2-3 hours, after which it is treated with a disinfectant solution and a growth stimulator.
It is demanding in care; it is necessary to apply complex fertilizers 3-4 times per season. Watering in the first years of the seedling should be plentiful: 1-2 buckets every 7-10 days. The crown of the tree is spreading and requires formative and regulating pruning. For the winter, the root circle should be covered with dry branches, hay, spruce branches, sawdust or peat.
Treatment and prevention of diseases
Apricot Hargrand is resistant to diseases, but for prevention it should be sprayed with fungicides in the spring when leaves appear and in the fall, after harvesting. Sanitary pruning and cleaning around the tree should be carried out, and the trunk should be painted with a mixture of lime and copper sulfate.Loosen the soil and remove pests.
The Hargrand apricot variety is suitable for growing in central Russia, provided it is covered and the trunk is well hilled; it can be grown in Southern Siberia. The plant is widespread in the CIS countries and is used for cultivation on an industrial scale.
