Apricot tree, grow delicious apricots

Magnificent pinkish white flowers open in early spring, followed in summer by orange-yellow fruit on a tree only 16 to 20 feet tall. The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is grown for those heavy crops of sweet fruit; give it full sun in a spot sheltered from strong wind and it repays you with a midsummer harvest.

Apricot tree at a glance

Name	Prunus armeniaca
Family	Rosaceae
Type	fruit tree
Height	16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 m)
Exposure	full sun
Soil	ordinary
Foliage	deciduous
Flowering	early spring
Harvest	midsummer

Planting, pruning and caring for them is important. Each helps avoid diseases and ensures proper development for your apricot tree.

• Read also: Apricot, all-around health benefits

Planting an apricot tree

Best is to plant your apricot tree in fall, with a distance of about 5 feet (1.5 meters) between trees if you are planting several.

You can also plant your apricot tree in spring or summer but provide for regular watering at the beginning.

• Apricot trees require sun to flower correctly.
• Rich and well-drained soil will increase apricot harvest.
• Apricot trees don’t do well in waterlogged and excessively moist soil.
• It is much better to plant in a location that is sheltered from strong wind.
• Refer to our guide for planting.

Be careful! Flowers die off in below freezing temperatures. If you expect late frost spells in your area, choose later-blooming varieties such as the Prunus armeniaca ‘Polish’ variety.

The apricot grower’s year at a glance

Almost everything an apricot tree asks for is a matter of doing the right job at the right moment. This calendar gathers the seasons named through the article so you can see the whole year in one look.

Keep to this rhythm and an apricot tree needs very little else from you.

Caring for your apricot tree

Easy to care for, an apricot tree only requires little attention when it is correctly settled in.

To avoid diseases, a simple treatment at the end of winter helps protect your apricot tree from a great number of fungus.

• After the blooming, spray Bordeaux mixture. This is particularly effective in stopping apricot fruit rot.
• In spring, bury 1 or 2 handfuls of fruit tree fertilizer at the foot of the apricot tree. Also perform fruit-inducing pruning.
• Early spring, when flowers open, find a beekeeper to help pollinate flowers with bees (optional).
• In fall, spread compost or even manure at the base of the tree. This is also when to do maintenance pruning.

Apricot tree diseases and treatments

Like most fruit trees, apricot trees are vulnerable to multiple diseases and parasites.

Sadly, these might reach the point where they ruin an entire harvest.

If treated well, and especially if treated in a timely manner, it is possible to avoid most diseases and fungus.

The first weakness to watch out for is spring freezing that can devastate a harvest. Therefore, it is mandatory to plant in the sun and out of strong winds to mitigate this risk.

Most common apricot tree diseases and parasites

Regular spraying of Bordeaux mixture or natural fermented tea as soon as buds open will help control disease. After that, keep spraying until about two weeks before harvesting the apricots. This is a sure way to avoid many fungal diseases. A beautiful summer harvest can then be expected.

• European brown rot – This is the most common apricot tree disease. Apricots literally rot while still on the tree, with brown bruises and white spots appearing.
• Powdery mildew – Young apricot fruits are colonized by this fungus. As a result, a layer of whitish velvet and white spots appear on fruits.
• Aphids – The most common apricot tree parasites. >> Fight aphids off
• Peach leaf curl – same disease attacking peach: peach leaf curl

How to prune an apricot tree

Annual pruning is recommended to increase the harvest.

Pruning is performed in spring or fall, as long as it doesn’t freeze.

The goal is only to even out and balance the tree’s growth.

Increase air circulation by removing weak branches. Retain outwards-growing branches.

Pruning apricot trees in spring

In order to coax the tree into producing many beautiful apricots, it is possible to perform a fruit-inducing pruning. Do this before spring growth resumes.

Pruning apricot trees in fall

As soon as leaves have fallen off, maintenance pruning is in order. Slightly reduce any branches that have born fruits. Also ensure removal of weak and damaged branches.

Apricot trees are very vulnerable to wounds. It is a good idea to apply wound-healing paste after pruning.

In case of of abundant production, feel free to thin the fruits in spring. Simply remove a few fruits. One in three or four is fine.

If a branch breaks, cut it off cleanly near the wound and apply pruning paste.

Favorite apricot tree cultivars

• ‘Bergarouge’ – Red colored, sweet and juicy large apricot, harvested from mid-July onwards.
• ‘Bergeron’ – Yellow colored, juicy and harvested in August. This variety is very hardy.
• ‘Hargrand’ – Yellow colored, perfect for jams. Harvested mid-July.
• ‘Luizet’ – Cute, mottled apricot that is particularly juicy, harvested mid-July.
• ‘Muscat’ – Yellow colored, a heirloom variety that is particularly tasty, harvested from mid-July.
• ‘Orangered’ – Red colored, is one of the early varieties, first to be harvested. It is crisp.
• ‘Gros Peche de Nancy’ – Yellow colored, large musk-flavored fruits harvested end of July to beginning of August.
• ‘Pointu de roquevaire’ – Yellow colored, very fragrant and recognizable thanks to its distinctive pointed end. Harvest begins in July.
• ‘Polonais’ or ‘Polish’– Yellow colored, perfect for making your own jam, harvested from beginning of July.
• ‘Rosé de Provence’ – Red colored, very sweet and harvested from early July.
• ‘Rouge de Roussillon’ – Red colored, particularly fragrant and harvested from early July.
• ‘Tardif de Tain’ – Orange-yellow colored, late variety harvested end of August.

All there is to know about apricot tree

Apricot trees are also called common apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca). It belongs to the Prunus genus and to the large Rosaceae family.

Native to Asia, it likes heat. Depending on the location and the variety, a tree will produce apricots from June for earlier varieties up to August for later ones.

Artifacts prove that it was grown in ancient China over 2000 years ago.

Very productive in terms of fruits and flowers, this little tree has many assets. For instance, colors are beautiful, both in spring with magnificent pinkish white flowers, and in summer with orange yellow apricots.

Most apricot tree cultivars are self-pollinating. However, ask your local horticulture store if the variety you’re purchasing requires cross-pollination.

Easy to care for, apricot trees like rather hot and wind-sheltered areas and are simple to grow.

• Read also: health benefits of apricot

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