Apricot Tree
Apricots can be difficult to grow in the Pacific Northwest, but a successful home gardener will enjoy a fruit that is delicious eaten fresh, dried, canned, frozen, and otherwise preserved.
Plant care & info
Full sun.
Well-drained.
Apricots are self-fruitful, and therefore do not require a pollinator.
Dormant sprays are a critical tool for growing apricots successfully west of the Cascades. They will provide much needed protection from fungal problems. Copper sprays can be used, but never use sulfur on apricots.
Apricots should be pruned annually, lightly when young and moderately at maturity. The trees have a similar habit to cherries and should be pruned to a modified central leader, and a shape suitable to your garden. The fruits need to be thinned since the trees set unusually heavy crops.
Please call either store for current availability.
Apricots tend to bloom during warm periods (above 40°F) in late winter. This means their flowers may be damaged by frost, and in a wet spring, pollination can be inhibited. It’s a good idea to select later-blooming varieties to avoid frost damage. If we see heavy rains that decrease insect activity during flowering, consider hand-pollinating by collecting pollen on a paint brush and moving it from flower to flower.
