How to Grow an Apricot Plant
Apricots (Prunus armeniaca) supply constant interest in the landscape with spring blooms and changing foliage colors. The shine of growing apricot trees, however, is the abundant small fruits. The small, pitted fruits of the apricot ripen in from July through August. The trees live up to 75 decades and produce up to 4 bushels of fruit, depending on the range, care and rootstock. Apricot cultivars grow in U.S Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8.
Prune approximately 20 percent of the growth in the preceding year and any fruiting limbs older than six decades. Remove any dead or damaged branches. Clear out any branches that cross or rub against another. Perform all pruning in the fall after the leaves fall to deter fungus.
Protect the flowers from frosts. Apricots can flower very early in the summer and frost damages the fruit creation. Utilize a frost blanket to protect the tree if it’s flowers when you have a frost advisory.
Apply a balanced granular fertilizer made for fruit trees in the spring, before leaves or bows appear on the tree. Follow the package instructions for the sum dependent on the age of the apricot tree. Broadcast the fertilizer from 6 inches away from the trunk to a little beyond the drip line. Water the fertilizer into the ground.
Paint the trunk of the apricot tree in the spring to protect it from sunburn and borers. Utilize a mixture of half white latex paint and water.
Expand a 3-inch layer of natural mulch around the apricot tree to stop competition from weeds, conserve soil moisture levels and enhance the soil. Keep the mulch 6 inches in the crown and spread it into the dripline.
Thin the fruits when they hit about one-half inch to 1 inch in diameter. Space the forming fruits 6 inches apart, removing any broken and deformed fruits first. Eliminate any on the end of the branches that might cause the limb to break or bend.
Water the apricot tree in the summer and any moment rain falls below 1 inch each week. Give it at least 7 liters of water during drought conditions in weekly programs. Soak the ground around the drip line of the tree to avoid issues with excess moisture on the trunk or leaves which could cause infection.
Spray apricot trees from the fall, winter and spring with horticultural oil and in the fall with a copper-based fungicide to prevent damage from insects and diseases. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and local regulations when using any therapy on the tree. You might need to respray at two-week periods during rainy spring weather.