Apricot Aquarius

Apricot Aquarius is one of the most popular varieties of this crop. This is due to the good characteristics of the crop, and the excellent taste of the fruit. Each crop requires its own personal care, and this variety of apricot is not so picky, and if you fulfill all the requirements for care and planting, you will enjoy a good harvest every year.

Apricot Aquarius: variety description

Apricot Aquarius: photo of the variety

Apricot Aquarius is a rather powerful and tall tree, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. It has a spreading dusty crown. However, annual shoots are weak and little branching. The leaves have a rich deep dark green color. Leaves tightly adhering to the shoots reach 2.5 centimeters, which is impressive.

The fruits are large, exude a pleasant aroma, a distinctive feature of a clearly pronounced division into halves. The skin is yellow-orange in color, the blush barely touches the "apricot cheeks", the fruit is not "furry".

The size of the bone can be judged by the percentage, so the bone is only 8.5% of the total volume, which tells us that it is very small. It is easy to separate the seed from the fruit, which is good for making various jams.

Apricot cultivar Aquarius is loved by many gardeners. It has an official zoning in Central Russia; gardeners of the Moscow region, Tomsk and even some areas of Kabardino-Balkaria pay special attention to the apricot Aquarius.

Apricot Aquarius: features of the variety

To grow any tree, you need to take into account its characteristics, and in order for the apricot to serve you well and delight you with fruits for many years, it is important to properly care for it, and this will help to study its features.

Apricot variety Aquarius: frost resistance and drought response

Many varieties are winter hardy. Apricot Aquarius is the northern representative of this culture, therefore the cold is not terrible for him, and the freezing temperature is not a hindrance to him. So the variety can withstand up to -35 ° C.

The Lel variety is famous for its good drought resistance, and since the Aquarius apricot was bred on the basis of this variety, it adopted all the best qualities of its parent.

How does it pollinate and bloom? At what time does it ripen?

Flowers of this variety delight the eyes of gardeners and their households for a long time. So they stay on the shoots and exude a sweet intoxicating aroma, right up to the appearance of vegetative shoots. However, the fruits will have to wait, because they will ripen only by the middle of the tree cycle, and this is in the second half of August.

Perhaps some gardeners will have a question whether the self-fertile Apricot variety is Aquarius or not. I stand, I will say with confidence, Apricot Aquarius does not require additional pollinators, and if you have a small plot, one tree will be enough for you.

What is the yield? How much fruit?

This variety has a high yield. So, in just one season, you can collect 133 centners per hectare of land. True, this is taking into account that the tree is mature and well-processed. From the young, 4

5-year-old tree, you can harvest 10-15 kg of the crop, note that this is from one tree. Whereas from an adult you will be able to collect 25-30 kilograms of apricots.

This variety does not have a year or two and a respite, it bears fruit regularly, every year. Therefore, you do not have to worry about the harvest and home spins, you can safely purchase cans and lids, and in the summer and autumn, do canning.

It is important to know that each fruit crop requires proper attention, for example, the Aquarius apricot will delight you for 18-20 years with proper care.

Where can we do with the harvest?

The disadvantage of the Aquarius apricot is that it cannot be stored fresh for a long time, so its transportation is difficult. But despite this, it is universal and very widespread.

Let's say no to pests!

Parasites are very fond of stone trees, they fill the leaves instantly, every self-respecting gardener worries about this, and when choosing a planting tree, he is always interested in how resistant a particular tree variety is to pests and diseases. Apricot Aquarius is well adapted, so pests are not so scary to him.

This variety is moderately resistant to perforated spot (clasterosporium).

For those who hate to eliminate aphids and spray a garden from it several times a year - Apricot Aquarius is a real salvation and joy. Aphids do not perceive and do not stick to this variety.

Apricot Aquarius: pros and cons

The advantages of this variety include winter and moisture resistance, yields are stable and large in volume, excellent fruit taste, and what is very good - self-fertility, resistance to clatherosclerosis and aphids. The disadvantages are that the tree is very tall and after 20 years it is very difficult to get fruits, it does not tolerate transportation well. As we can see in the comparative characteristics, there are very few disadvantages and a large list of advantages.

Landing features

If you have purchased this variety, then you definitely need to know the peculiarities of planting this tree.

It is advised to plant young apricot trees in the ground early in the early spring, when winter is just beginning to recede and the snow is slowly melting, or in autumn starting from October, since in this case the tree will have six months to fully "take root" to the planting site

Apricot Aquarius: a place for a seedling

For many plants, the planting site is important. So, the key to good fruiting is to choose a good place.

• The place where your seedling will live must be protected from the cold wind.
• The soil must be light and drained.
• The chemical reaction of the soil should be moderate or slightly alkaline.

Neighborhood with other cultures

A fruit crop like apricot is demanding and an ardent individualist. Therefore, it is advised to plant other fruit trees and shrubs at a distance of at least 10 meters from each other.

But there are exceptions to each rule, and there are some cultures with which the apricot is "friends":

• Cherry plum gets along well with apricots at close range .;
• Various greens, carrots, also get along well with this culture
• Herbs like thyme, and even tea
• Other varieties of apricot trees that can be useful as pollinators.

Selection and preparation of planting material

For planting a new tree, it is advised to acquire annual seedlings, and relying on their appearance. So there are the criteria by which you need to choose apricot tree seedlings:

• The trunk must be healthy;
• The branches should be even, should not have traces of the arrival of pests;
• The root system must be well developed, otherwise it will be difficult for the tree to take root.

Landing algorithm

Apricot Aquarius is important to plant as follows algorithm:

• a planting hole is dug in the fall. The size of the fossa should not exceed 0.7-0.8 meters. This is important, because if you plant a tree in a hole that is much deeper, the tree will not take root, the same will happen if the hole is not deep enough.
• drainage is laid on the bottom of the pit, a mixture of soil, peat and sand is poured over it, and left until spring;
• the soil is partially removed in spring.
• It is important to install and dig a seedling evenly, otherwise, under the influence of wind, rain or other weather conditions, a fragile seedling may not stand and fall, reanimated to such a tree takes a lot of time, care and attention.
• the mixture is not thrown away, straightened roots are sprinkled on it.
• compact the soil in the near-trunk circle, water it and mulch.

Follow-up care of the culture

Aquarius apricot pruning is a must. You need to prune the crop twice a year.In March and October-November.

• Damaged and old, withered branches should be scrapped;
• The crown should have a well-groomed appearance, so the branches that spoil the appearance are cut
• Shoots should not be too long, they should be shortened.
• In order that the tree does not hurt, it is important to cover the places of the cuts with a special ointment or paint on a natural basis, preferably oil.
• Despite the fact that the tree is drought-resistant, it is important to water it after planting until the end of August, moreover, it is important to watch that the root site does not dry out. Watering is then stopped to allow the plant to prepare for winter.
• The amount of water should not be excessive, and in the future it is advised to water the tree in spring and autumn.

Caring for the Aquarius apricot tree also includes fertilizing. Preparing the Apricot Aquarius for the winter period, at the end of October - November it follows:

• It is important to collect the fallen leaves and burn it, it carries a sacred meaning. It is believed that next year the harvest will be larger and the pests will not attack the tree.
• It is important to purchase garden whitewash in advance, it will be useful not only for apricot trees, but also for other crops. It is important to whitewash the tree in the fall, after the last harvest has been collected, this is necessary so that the tree does not freeze in winter and does not burn out in the sun in early spring.

What diseases does he have? What parasites "stick"? How to fight and what kind of prevention can there be?

When caring for this variety, it is important to distinguish and know the diseases that affect apricots and pests that can leave you without a crop.

• Porsche. It manifests itself in the form of spots of brown or greenish bloom on the leaves, the foliage dries out and rolls up into tubes, fruits and flowers are affected. This is a harmful and difficult-to-treat disease, but there is salvation from it. For the prevention and treatment of this disease, it is necessary to cut off the shoots in a timely manner and fight the weeds growing near the tree. Need to purchase Bordeaux liquid
• Monoliosis... The fruits begin to rot, the flowers dry up, and the top resembles burns. Sounds awful and looks the same. This can and should be fought. It is important to properly care for the tree, following all the subtleties. Treatment - spraying with an aqueous solution of copper oxychloride, "Strobi", "Topsina-M", "Topaz" with the addition of soap
• Clasterosporium disease. It appears mainly on the leaves. Brown spots appear, which subsequently form holes in the foliage. An important role is played by the knowledge of pests, as well as the measures to combat them.
• Fruit moth. This is a small, beautiful butterfly, but it only harms the fruit. Its caterpillars eat the fruits from the inside, which no gardener will be happy about. Fight it with spraying. Sprayed with Metaphos, Sonnet, Bankol.
• Weevil. Every gardener has seen this bug, it shimmers beautifully in the sun with a green-purple color. The ovary of the fruit, which was struck by the beetle, dies off, and first turns black. They are struggling with it with the same spraying.

Conclusion

Apricot Aquarius is a good cultivar. Seedlings take root almost everywhere. Of course, the tree has enough caprice, but this is not so scary, because a good gardener will delight in difficulties.

Often in the markets you will see dried apricots of this particular variety. With the help of apricot juice, you can even lose weight, the main thing is to adhere to the correct daily routine and lead a healthy lifestyle. Due to the juiciness of the fruits and their size, you can make very tasty jams, preserves, compotes, if you add gelatin to the juice and put apricot pieces in the liquid, you get delicious jelly, add apricot juice to ice cream, whisk with milk and you will have a delicious cocktail.

Apricot Aquarius: variety reviews

Evgeniya Timofeevna Sirchenko, 36 years old, Sergiev Posad

I'll tell you based on my observations about this culture. The tree bears fruit really well and preserving the fruit for the winter is irreplaceable.Regarding the fact that you can not plant crops that are unacceptable for the "neighborhood" with apricot, it is also true, I planted an apple tree with a cherry of southern varieties next to it, and I will tell you so parasites have filled my trees and apricot trees are seriously ill, but by the next summer I partially left them and now you have to wait for them to harvest again.

Anna Mikhailovna Arbuzkina, 54 years old, Nalchik

Hello dear. Apricot Aquarius is one of my favorite varieties. I have been planting this culture in my garden for a very long time, but after the appearance of this variety, I forgot about the difficulties. The annual harvest is large, I regularly prune the branches and the tree grows in width, the husband can easily get the fruits. Canned food is amazing, I not only canned for myself, but also sell apricots both fresh and canned.

Epifantsev Anatoly Vasilievich, 60 years old, Dnepropetrovsk

For a long time I was looking for a crop that would give a lot of fruits and, when dried, remained just as tasty. Apricot Aquarius is perfect. Not a particularly capricious variety, so my son and I will give it well with our apricots. Dried apricots are amazing, winter passes with good earnings, because people like my dried apricots, and I call my apricot magic.

Trifonova Alla Petrovna, 45 years old, Tomsk

Until recently, I thought about taking or not taking a seedling, it was in 2006, I was afraid that it would not take root, the garden, the soil would not work, but in vain. The tree blooms and smells. Despite the indicated 3-4 years after planting you will have a harvest, I already harvested the first three apricots in the second year. An insanely tasty variety, fleshy and cooking compotes, I practically did not add sugar, now Apricots Aquarius are growing in the country.