How to grow Apricot

Prunus armeniaca · apricot tree

A stone-fruit tree grown for its sweet fruits, picked from late July to August. It flowers earlier than any other tree fruit, so spring frost often takes the blossom; it is grown in USDA zones 5–8.

Quick facts

Type	Fruit tree
Family	Rosaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	tolerates light frost
Sowing to harvest	1095 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Harvest from July to August (northern hemisphere).

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	nitrogen, at the start of the stage
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Fruiting	every 7 days	—	—
Harvest	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

A sun lover: give it the warmest, sunniest spot you have.

Soil

Deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; it rots in wet, heavy ground.

Care

Plant while dormant, between November and March, away from frost pockets. In the first season water about twice a week to keep the soil moist but not soggy, and do not feed a newly planted tree. Prune only in spring or summer. When the fruitlets reach cherry size, thin them to 5–8 cm apart, and cover the tree with fleece on frosty nights during flowering.

How to tell it is ripe

The skin has turned from green to yellow, orange or red, or a mix of these, depending on the variety.
The colour is rich and deep over the whole fruit.
Press gently: a ripe apricot is slightly soft.
A ripe apricot comes away from the tree easily.
Twist the fruit slightly as you pull it to spare the fruiting spur, and handle it gently because ripe apricots bruise easily.

Pests and diseases of Apricot

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.