In regions with hot summers and warm winters, apricots grow in plantings, along railways and highways, in the courtyards of cities and villages. In summer, almost every year, the trees are dotted with fruits that ripen without watering, fertilizing, or treating with fungicides. And only during severe frosts, which sometimes occur in April or May, does the formed ovary die and crumble. Why does an apricot planted in the garden shed green fruits? Summer residents are perplexed, what is it missing? Stone fruit loves warmth, but also tolerates cold quite well; it takes root well not only in the south; many varieties feel normal in mid-latitudes.
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Possible reasons
Apricot fruits fall off during sudden changes in temperature, the ovary crumbles during strong gusts of wind, when there is too much of it on the branches.
A tree that grows well in the south in a hot and sultry climate, oddly enough, may experience a lack of moisture in regions located to the north. Its excess, stagnation of water no less negatively affects the condition of the apricot.
Green fruits can fall off either on a tree that is too young or on a very old one. The most common causes of unripe fruit falling off:
- damage to roots by pests;
- depleted soil;
- nutritional deficiencies;
- disease;
- unfavorable weather.
Scab, the development of which is provoked by pathogenic fungi, is localized on the leaves, spreads to the shoots, and damages the bark. Harmful microorganisms are activated by sudden temperature changes and excess moisture.
The disease caused by them can destroy entire plantings of fruit trees and is one of the main reasons why unripe fruits fall off.
Apricots suffer from monilial burn, which rapidly spreads, destroying flowers, leaves, and ovaries. The disease occurs when infected with pathogenic fungi.
As a result of their activation, very few fruits remain on the trees; most rot or dry out in an unripe form.
Apricots can also lose their harvest due to other diseases. Stone fruit crops, to which it belongs, are affected by:
- cytosporosis;
- leaf curl;
- powdery mildew;
- apoplexy.
A weakened tree drops the ovary and already large fruits. The reason for this phenomenon may be not only disease, excess moisture or lack of watering, but also plants planted in the neighborhood or houses that obscure the light.
Treatment methods
Spraying trees with herbal infusions, Bordeaux mixture and other copper-based products helps prevent the occurrence of moniliosis, powdery mildew, and coccomycosis.
To protect apricots from pests, it is necessary to dig up the trunk circles, apply belts to catch them, and collect the falling ovary. Birds help cope with parasites; feeders can be installed to attract birds to the garden. Ground beetles and ladybugs destroy pests. They love parsley, celery, dill. It is not particularly difficult to sow these plants in or near the garden.
Apricot fruits fall off when there is a lack of nutrition, to prevent this from happening:
- Nitrogen is added before and after flowering.
- When the ovary forms, the tree is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.
- To reduce acidity, the earth is mixed with ash.
During the fruiting period, the plant requires more water. Trees should be watered abundantly when buds form and 2 weeks after flowering.
Diseased plants are sprayed with new generation fungicides. You can deal with scab by treating apricots with a solution prepared from a bucket of water and 2 tablespoons of mustard powder.
Moniliosis is combated using copper-based compounds; to prevent hole spotting in spring and autumn, trees are sprayed with Nitrafen or Bordeaux mixture.
If an apricot is infected with cytosporosis, cut off the affected area of the bark and treat the wound with a disinfectant solution.
