Selected Articles on Growing Apricot Trees

By Read Books Ltd.

This vintage book contains a collection of articles on the subject of growing apricot trees. Although old, the articles in this compendium are timeless, and will be of as much utility to modern readers as they were to those contemporary with their original publication. This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in growing apricot trees, and would make for a worthy addition to collections of fruit growing literature. Some of the topics disused include: 'Soil Preparation', 'Pruning', 'Protecting the Flowers', 'Mulching', 'Fruit Gathering', 'Varieties', 'The Apricot', 'Origin and History', 'Aspect', 'Form of Tree', 'Propagation', 'Planting', 'Preparing the Site', 'Cultivation', 'Fruit Thinking', 'Gathering', 'Diseases and Pests', etcetera. We are republishing this antiquarian volume now in an affordable, modern edition - complete with a new prefatory introduction on fruit growing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jan 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447484585

Book preview

Wickson

THE APRICOT

I MUST include consideration. of the apricot in this book, because it is one of the choicest fruits that can be grown outside in British gardens. Would that it were hardy in all parts of the country. But I am afraid this cannot be said. I would be encouraging false hopes if I advised anyone north of the Trent to plant the apricot, unless they had a very sheltered situation. I have seen fruitful trees in Scotland and the North of England, but they were growing in one of the few sheltered situations in the North Country. Better to be frank about a matter of this sort.

In the Midlands and South, however, the apricot does splendidly as a wall tree. In the favoured South-West it can be grown as a standard. It is customary to plant early and mid-season sorts against an east wall, and the later kinds on a south wall. These later sorts must be given full benefit of all the sun if they are to come to maturity.

SOIL PREPARATION

The ideal conditions for apricots are found in a well-drained loam which, as advised for the cherry, should be worked two feet deep. Unless the roots can plunge and obtain sufficient water in dry weather, the fruit will drop off in a shower. I do, therefore, advise working the site two feet deep. Most of the trees available for planting are fan-trained, and they should be spaced along the selected wall side at eighteen feet apart. At each planting station take out a three feet wide, two feet deep hole. At the bottom place four inches of lime rubble for drainage. Then return the subsoil, mixing with each pailful half a pailful of moderately decayed manure, and a quarter of a pailful of lime rubble.

With each square yard of top one foot layer mix a similar quantity of old manure and lime rubble, and three ounces of quarter of an inch bones. Where turfy loam is available, a good sprinkling of this may also be worked in. If the ground for apricots is prepared on those lines, many a troublesome after-moment will be spared.

PRUNING

This is an extremely important process which is not too well understood. Forgive me, therefore, if I describe it rather intimately. The finest fruit is produced on wood one and two years old, therefore the object of the pruner should be to encourage a free supply of wood of this type. He begins in Spring by rubbing off the fore-aft and the fore-right shoots, which are the shoots growing towards the wall, and those growing away from it, while they are so young and succulent that they can be easily pushed off with the forefinger. If this work is deferred, and the shoots have to be removed with a knife, Gummosis will result.

It may be necessary to take off more shoots, for the spacing of the shoots should be about ten inches apart. Anything more than this will cause overcrowding. In July take off the tip of the retained young shoots, dealing a little more severely with the weaker ones. After the fruit has been gathered, cut out the fruited shoots, open out the retained shoots, nail them to the wall, and pruning is completed.

PROTECTING THE FLOWERS