Any amateur horticulturist knows that it is easy to grow a fruit tree from an ossicle - apple, plum or apricot. What you need to know about planting an apricot with a bone, read on.
Cultivation of apricots from the bones - for and against
To get a good fruit tree, many acquire already sprouted, strong seedlings. Why, then, to grow apricot from a bone, if you can just buy a ready seedling? But why:
- the purchase of seedlings will cost you much more, because for good pollination it is necessary to purchase several plants at once, and they are not cheap;
- varietal seedlings do not always provide the desired abundant fruiting;
- grown from the bones of the trees are more unpretentious, resistant to frost and pest infestations.
But at the same time, in order to germinate a bone of apricot , it is necessary to make good efforts when choosing a good seed and caring for a young plant.
How to properly plant an apricot stone?
Material for planting is selected competently. It must be a bone from an apricot grown in your area. Do not use imported fruits. Apricot itself, choose a soft, slightly overripe, with easily detached flesh. The stone should be washed and dried for several days.
As a rule, it is possible to germinate a bone of apricot at home, but only at the initial stages. It is advisable to plant the sprout out in the open ground so that it will be resistant to atmospheric fluctuations. And ideally, you should immediately plant the apricot bones in a narrow long trench with grass and humus to a depth of 6 cm, and in the spring wait for the appearance of germs that have already undergone natural hardening.
If you decide to plant apricots in the spring, then the seed must first be stratified and sown as soon as the weather permits (usually in April).
Care for apricot seedlings in the first year is as follows. Gentle young sprouts should be covered with cut plastic bottles to avoid damage to magpies, hares and small rodents. In summer, do regular watering and gently loosen the trench. For the first summer the seedlings have time to get well, and by next autumn they can be transplanted to a permanent place.