Comprehensive Analysis of Key Technical Points for Establishing an Apricot Orchard for Kernel Production

Apricot trees are fruit trees that love sunlight, tolerate drought, and fear waterlogging and frost. Therefore, the orchard should be established in a sunny and high, dry location, and must not be established on shady slopes, waterlogged lowlands, or valley bottoms where cold air easily settles.

Apricot trees are long-lived fruit trees; generally, even 100- to 200-year-old trees still bear abundantly, so the planned spacing between plants and rows should be relatively large. However, considering the need for early high yields, temporary trees can be set up at the time of orchard establishment, and gradually thinned out or transplanted as the trees age. The spacing for permanent rows can be designed at 4 m x 6 m, and for temporarily densified orchards at 2 m x 3 m, with temporary trees dealt with promptly by around 10 years of age. When planning, soil and fertilizer-water conditions must also be considered. If the soil is fertile, the soil layer is deep, and water sources are abundant, the plant and row spacing should be increased by about 1 m. Conversely, if the soil is poor and dry, the plant and row spacing can be reduced by about 0.5 m.

When planting, dig a planting trench 1 m deep and 1 m wide, or a planting hole 1 m long, 1 m wide, and 1 m deep. Add barnyard manure to the bottom of the trench (30-50 kg per tree). After backfilling with topsoil, plant the seedling in the middle. For conventional seedlings, the graft union should be parallel to the ground; for "three-at-once" seedlings, the original ground level should be parallel to the ground. Firm the soil, water thoroughly, and cover with a piece of plastic film to conserve water. Head the tree at 60 cm, put on a plastic film tube, and remove it after leaf expansion.

When planting, special attention must be paid to providing pollinator trees. Generally, the ratio of the main cultivar to the pollinator cultivar is 4:1 or 5:1.