The columnar apricot Zvezdny will delight you with large fruits and a compact crown

Tell us what is the Star Columnar Apricot? We have a small summer cottage, and we really want to accommodate as many plants as possible on the site. We stopped at compact columnar varieties, apple and plum trees are already growing. It was not easy to get an apricot, we rarely bring such an apricot, but a friend helped - she sent a seedling. I would like to know when the harvest ripens, and what are the taste characteristics of the fruit?

The columnar shapes of fruit trees are ideal for gardeners who own small plots. Thanks to the narrow and low crown, more than a dozen of these plants can be planted where there is only enough room for a couple of large crops. One of the most popular low-growing varieties of apricot is the Zvezdny columnar apricot. Not only is it a short tree, but it produces large and tasty fruits, and it also has high frost resistance. What else is the variety famous for and is it difficult to grow it?

Benefits of the variety

The Zvezdny apricot grows in the form of an almost dwarf tree, the height of which is 2 m. In the warm southern regions, where there is a lot of sun, it may stretch a little, but it does not exist above 3 m. Like all columnar varieties, it has a narrow crown with short lateral shoots. You can appreciate this kind of culture during the harvest. Unlike its large, tall and sprawling relatives, you can pick fruit from a columnar apricot right from the ground. You don't need a ladder to trim the tree either. All the branches are easy to get out and so, except for trimming the very top.

Zvezdny blooms in late April - early May, and the fruits ripen in late summer. They are very large, weighing up to 100 g each, with a thin bright yellow skin. The pulp of the apricot is juicy and sweet, with a pronounced characteristic aroma.

The variety is self-fertile, begins to bear fruit as early as 3 years of age, rarely gets sick and hibernates well even at minus 30 °.

Columnar apricot Star: the nuances of growing

It is better to start planting a seedling in the spring, so that the tree has time to get stronger before the frost. It is necessary to plant apricots in a well-lit place, avoiding hills and lowlands.

In leaving, the Zvezdny apricot is not particularly capricious, but it has some features, like all columnar forms:

1. To maintain a high yield of the variety, the tree must be watered regularly. With a lack of moisture, the fruits become smaller. At the same time, you should not overmoisten the soil, otherwise the roots will begin to rot.
2. Periodic feeding will help support fruiting and increase disease resistance. You can alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.
3. One of the most important conditions for growing apricots is regular pruning. Without it, the columnar variety loses its unique shape and yields are reduced. Any branches that bent close to the ground should be cut completely. Sick and dry shoots are also subject to removal. Lateral growth should be thinned annually, and the remaining branches should be shortened by 10 cm.

Columnar apricots in the garden - video