JD Van Deventer's Kwekery/Nursery
Cultivar; Soldonne -SO 778
Clone Number;SO 778
Origin;RSA, ARC-Infruitec, released 1987. A cross between Royal, Bulida and Alpha,
Royalties/ Levies; not enough data
Yield; good
Fruit use; all purpose, predominantly used for drying
Type; orange-yellow freestone
Shelf-life; excellent, 3 weeks at -0.5C
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Water requirements; 12957.1 m3 / ha
Soil type; loam, silt or sandy, well-draining soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5 is recommended. Apricots do not tolerate high levels of boron, chlorine, sodium or brackish soils
Sun requirements; 8 hours of full-sun
Chill hours; 400 hours
Pruning; It is best to prune apricot trees in late winter or early spring when the new leaves and flowers begin to show. Cut off the thinner branches with narrow crotches (ie; those flimsy branches that grow more up than outwards) . In addition, apricots should be thinned out once the fruit sets in, this is because a too heavily laden tree will produce smaller fruits than normal.
Soil depth; apricots require deep soil to grow well, a depth of 1,5 metres is recommended
Care; It is best to protect apricot trees from excessive winds, and ensure that you plant them in an area that receives little frost as they are susceptible to late frost. Painting the bottom of the trunk with a non-caustic, quick-drying paint can help reduce the effects of extreme cold and/or harsh sunlight as they are heat sensitive.
Fertiliser requirements; Apricots do best when Nitrogen, Phosphorous and potassium are applied
Pollination requirements; self-fruitful
Successful test-crosses; not applicable
Bloom time; late August
Harvest time;late November
Vigor; moderate
Size and shape; upright tree
Tree age; generally will fruit in it's second or third year, but may take up to five years to yield at it's maximum potential
Average life span; fruits for 20-25 years, lives for 40-150 depending on the rootstock used.
Susceptibility to pests and disease; not enough data
General notes; excellent for drying, very popular variety often used for export purposes