Apricot as a honey plant

Apricot honey plant, widespread in the south of Ukraine. Here, its common variety occupies up to 50% of all garden areas. This fruit tree belongs to the Rosaceae family. There are several hundred varieties of it on the planet.

The content of the article

  • 1 Distribution and Description
  • 2 Significance for agriculture
  • 3 Agrotechnics
  • 4 Honey productivity
  • 5 The properties of honey

Distribution and Description

The culture is spread all over the world – it is grown by gardeners wherever climatic conditions permit. There are Japanese, British, Siberian, Manchu and other varieties of apricots.

In appearance, these are rather massive fruit trees, sometimes reaching 15-17 meters in height. The crown is spreading, highly branched, all covered with heart-shaped leaves with a pointed tip.

A distinctive feature of the species is short pedicels. Large flowers always appear before foliage. In fruitful years, they are literally dotted with all branches. The color is white or pink-red, depending on the variety.

The fruit is a drupe covered with yellow-red, light orange or yellow flesh. Fruiting begins at about three years of age.

Significance for agriculture

Apricot fruits are valued by nutritionists for their low calorie content, rich in potassium and carotene. They are used raw, they are used to make candied fruits, preserves, jam, compotes. Housewives know how to prepare wine and liqueurs from overripe apricots. They can be used to stuff pies, and even dumplings.

stone fruit

The extracted kernels are used to prepare a culinary seasoning – a substitute for almonds.

The pulp is dried or dried. Such fruits are divided into three types:

  • apricot – with a bone;
  • dried apricots – pitted;
  • ashtak-pashtak – with the nucleolus of the stone removed and inserted back into the fruit.

Agrotechnics

Apricots prefer drained light soils. They can be bred with seedlings obtained from sprouted drupes or by grafting. The owners will see the first fruits 3-5 years after planting.

At the same time, the trees will begin to be beneficial for the apiaries. Moreover, when cultivating Iranian-Caucasian and Central Asian varieties, timely delivery of hives or finding a garden near an apiary is a prerequisite for obtaining good yields. If there are no bees nearby, you will have to additionally plant pollinating varieties.

Honey productivity

Apricot groves in the steppe zone are also found in the wild. They are also grown as part of field protection and roadside strips.

apricot flowers

They bloom earlier than other fruit crops – from late March to early April, providing early harvests for bee colonies and bringing pollen.

The honey productivity of apricot is about 30-40 kilograms of nectar from one hectare of dense plantings.

The properties of honey

It is impossible to judge the quality of apricot honey – this variety is completely used for the development of bee nests. The bribe is considered very valuable for apiaries due to its early timing, which is also typical for the climatic conditions of southern Ukraine.

But the yield of nectar and pollen directly depends on the year. Apricot trees tolerate dry periods well, but are absolutely not resistant to early spring frosts. In some seasons, frost destroys up to 100% of blossoming flowers, even in warm climates.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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