The Apricot Tree
So last week I shared that the first ever fruit tree that I bought and planted was a pear tree. The second fruit tree Andy and I planted in the front yard of our first house was an Apricot tree! It was a Mother’s Day present and unfortunately, I think that perhaps Denver just wasn’t the right zone for it as every time it would bloom it would get nailed with a Spring frost. Sadly, we never did get any apricots from that tree. Now I know for a fact that Apricot trees can grow in Colorado, more specifically Palisade Colorado. In fact, the property my friend Laurie bought came with an Apricot tree. So, this blog post is devoted to researching the Apricot tree… Spoiler alert… I’ve also included one of my favorite recipes that uses apricots at the end of the post!
Information by:
https://www.treesofantiquity.com
Apricot Tree Overview
The Apricot tree has a long and ancient history. The tree originated in northeastern China near the Russian border (in the Great Wall area). The cultivation of Apricot trees in China dates back about 3000 years. From there, the trees spread west through central Asia into Armenia. In 70-60 BCE, the Romans introduced apricots to Europe through Greece and Italy. Apricot trees probably moved to the US via English settlers on the East Coast, and Spanish Missionaries in California. For much of their history of cultivation, Apricot trees were grown from seedlings. Cultivation of Apricot trees in the United States was confined to frost-free sites along the Pacific slope of California, this may explain why I wasn’t successful with my Apricot tree in Denver. Apricot trees are early bloomers with relatively high chilling requirement. Although most apricot production still takes place in California, they do grow in areas like Palisade, CO.
Apricots are packed with more flavor than any other fruit. Ripe apricots are so soft they rarely ship well so the best way to enjoy an apricot is fresh from the tree, or from your local Farmers Market! This I can attest to, the Farmers Market apricots are sweeter, and more flavorful than any I’ve ever purchased at a grocery store.
The downside to growing Apricot trees is that they don't like wet feet and bloom early, making them vulnerable to heavy soil, late rains, or frost. However, they do not need as much heat to ripen as peaches. Most varieties do well in zones 5-9. They should begin fruiting in two to four years after planting. Apricots are best harvested when soft and sweet.
Apricot Tree Planting and Care Information
Apricot trees need to be planted where they receive at least 8 hours of direct sunlight measured in early summer (late June to early August). Sufficient sun exposure triggers the initiation of new flower buds for the next growing season. Fruit ripening and flavor development are also benefited by the carbohydrate production stimulated by the sun, as well as it’s heat.
Apricots tolerate a wide variety of soils so long as they are well drained and moderately rich with a pH around 6.3-6.8. Improve your soil where you intend to plant by mixing an inch or two of plant based organic matter (manures are best for vegetable gardens) into an area 1 1/2 to 2 times the diameter and up to a foot deep. A 2-4” deep layer of mulch (straw, leaves, or wood chips) applied after planting will continue to improve the soil.
Allow sufficient space for both the top of the tree and its roots when selecting the planting location. Refer to size descriptions for each variety, keeping in mind these are generally managed or pruned sizes, not maximum potential sizes – this little detail is good to know!
After you’ve identified which Apricot variety you want to grow AND you are clear on the chill hours needed for it to succeed, you still need to keep an eye out for late frosts. Warm days in early spring can signal apricot trees to wake up from their dormant state and start sending energy into bud production. If you get hit with a late frost where the temperature dips into the 20’s, your buds will be history!
There are some planting strategies that can be useful in avoiding the above frost scenario.
First, plant your Apricot trees with a northern orientation. This will keep the soil cooler in early spring, and the tree will not wake up from its dormancy as early. Your tree will set bud later thus avoiding getting hit by frost, and the late blossoms will have a better chance of turning into sweet, luscious fruit.
Another option is to choose an eastern planting orientation. This is the opposite strategy from planting with a northern orientation. When you plant stone fruit with an eastern exposure, the trees will receive the warming rays of the sun earlier on cold spring days.
No matter which orientation you go with mulch the soil around your tree. This will help to keep your soil cool in the spring to prevent your tree from waking up out of its dormant state prematurely. To do this, spread a ring of mulch, such as woodchip, bark, or straw about four feet around the tree. Make sure to leave a few inches of bare ground around the base of the tree to protect the trunk from rot and rodent damage!
When watering your Apricot tree, a general rule of thumb is to ensure they receive an inch of water per week over the root zone. An inch of water is equivalent to about ¾ to one gallon per square foot of soil surface area. The typical three-foot diameter planting hole would need 7 ½ to 10 gallons of water per week provided by rainfall or by the farmer, aka you… or me in this case! Apply this water once a week, two times per week if soil is fast draining. This will depend on your own conditions and the plants you are growing. Avoid light watering because this results in a wet surface and dry root zone area. The soil should be moist but not soggy to a depth of about a foot for most growing plants. The top inch or two can feel dry, and the plant still be well watered. The trick is to have the water available where the roots are. In hotter and sunnier areas, a mulch of straw, bark, etc. can greatly ease the burden of summer watering.
In drier areas like Palisade, permanent irrigation such as a drip system is essential. There are many different styles of drip irrigation systems, some controlled by timers and others by hand. Sandy soils will need more frequent watering than clay soils. Prior to planting your tree, you should get your soil tested so you understand what you are working with soil wise and can make whatever adjustments you need, for example additional fertilizer.
Use an all-purpose or balanced fertilizer designed for organic fruit trees and shrubs. A couple of inches of well-rotted compost on the root zone can also be an effective fertilizer. A generous leaf or straw mulch around your trees will not only conserve moisture and help in weed control, but also keeps your soil healthy by building up humus, attracting earthworms, and supporting beneficial fungal organisms. This encourages young trees to be strong, healthy, and productive. Use of concentrated products like chemical fertilizers or strong organics (for instance blood meal) is usually done from late winter through early summer. I will note here, if you have dogs you might not want to use blood meal. I discovered the hard way that my dogs love blood meal… I used it with my pineapple experiment. I came out one day only to discover they had destroyed my pineapple while snarfing down the blood meal! So, the moral of this sad story… if you have pets you might not want to use blood meal! Applying fertilizer after early summer can encourage lots of soft new growth that is much more likely to be damaged by winter cold, so maybe don’t do that.
Excessive use of fertilizer can increase disease problems on your plants and can even kill them. Use of too much fertilizer, whether chemical or organic, can also contribute to stream and groundwater pollution, so pay attention to the quantity you use and do not over fertilize. As a general guide, if your tree is producing about one foot of new growth or more a year and has healthy looking foliage, it may not need much or any fertilizer.
Another useful strategy is to choose a late-blooming variety. Some cultivars have been specially bred to bloom later in spring. These will be the varieties that I will be focusing in in this blog post as well as in our farm. The late blooming varieties are less likely to wake from dormancy during the first warm days of spring which will in turn ensure a successful apricot harvest. When purchasing your trees, make sure they are at least two years old at time of purchase, this will get you fruit faster.
Late Blooming Apricot Varieties (also self-pollinating and Zone 7)
Goldcot
Bred for Michigan’s cold winters, the ‘Goldcot’ cultivar is perfect for Zones 4-8 and has a high chill requirement of 800 chill hours. Another late bloomer and heavy producer, this self-pollinator’s fruits will ripen in midsummer. ‘Goldcot’ fruits are medium to large, and round shaped. They have golden yellow skin with red speckles and firm, juicy, orange flesh.
These freestone fruits have a deep, tangy-sweet flavor, making them great for canning, drying, baking, or enjoying fresh. The dwarf ‘Goldcot’ tree is perfect for smaller spaces, reaching only eight feet tall at maturity. You can purchase a bare root Goldcot tree from Home Depot.
Moorpark
The Moorpark, sometimes known as ‘Moor Park’ was apparently one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites. Named after the Moor Park estate in England, this heirloom cultivar is self-pollinating and requires 600-700 chill hours. The Moorpark will produce large, golden-yellow freestone fruits with deep yellow to orange flesh. Sweet and juicy, they are ideal for eating fresh, and for use in baking, cooking, and drying. Dwarf ‘Moorpark’ apricot trees can also be found at Home Depot.
Puget Gold
Originating from the Pacific Northwest, ‘Puget Gold’ is a cultivar that will thrive in Zones 4- 9, requiring 600 chill hours. This self-pollinating variety blooms late and will produce a prolific harvest in very late summer. I’m thinking this will be the variety I go with for the farm.
The Puget Gold produces freestone fruits that are large and elongated with orange skin. Their orange flesh is dense and has a classic apricot flavor that is sweet and low in acid. The Puget Gold apricots are excellent for fresh eating, canning, and drying. You can purchase dwarf Purget Gold apricot trees from Online Orchards via Amazon! Who knew you could purchase your orchard trees from Amazon?!
Apricot Tree Pests and Diseases
Of course, there is always a dark side to planting fruit trees and the Apricot is no different. Pests and disease specific to the Apricot tree appear to be many and include:
Bacterial Canker – sunken blackish cankers on stems or trunk, wilting and death of branches, gummy ooze from cankers, dead dormant buds. Control Method: Copper fungicide in early fall and again in January. Cauterize cankers with a torch in early summer. Apply foliar micronutrients to aid tree immune system.
Brown Rot - Wilting and death of twigs and blossoms. Fruits turn rotten, gray brown in color, often hanging from the tree as “mummies”. Control Method: Promptly remove any infected twigs or mummified fruits. Apply copper, sulfur, or lime-sulfur fungicide at petal fall, midsummer, and again in fall.
Peach Leaf Curl - New leaves blister, deform, turn reddish, and eventually die. Control Method: Plant resistant varieties. Lime and sulfur applied starting in mid-December. Spray area at 3-4 week intervals.
Cherry Slug - Dark olive-green slug like larvae skeletonize leaves, especially common in summer. Control Method: Insecticidal soap pinosad, pyrethrin, rotenone dust, or bioneem. Pick off and destroy by hand.
Shot Hole Disease/Corynium Blight - Small reddish-purple spots on leaves, which fall out leaving holes. Fruits may also be spot ted. On peaches, twigs may also be spotted and develop cankers. Control Method: Bordeaux mix or copper fungicides in early fall, winter, and spring.
Scale - Small barnacle-like bumps on branches and leaves. Control Method: Dormant oil spray in early spring.
Deer (yes Bambi in this case is considered a Pest!) - Browsed shortened branches. Leaves are obviously munched on, or plants are pulled up. Control Method: Fences or cages at least 8’ tall. Plastic mesh, electric, or woven wire fences.
Birds - Fruits disappear or have gaping holes in them. Control Method: Reflective Bird Scare Tape can work well. Bird netting. Cages.
Vole/Mouse/Rabbit - Bark eaten in a band from soil level up to 8” and roots eaten too, usually in snowy areas with lots of mulch or tall grass at base of trees. Control Method: Keep mulch 4”-6” away from trunk. Keep grass short and 1’-2’ from trunk. Use vinyl tree guard wrapped around trunk until tree well-established.
Aphids - 1/32 to 1/8” long pear-shaped insects that multiply rapidly, especially on the underside of leaves and on stems. Can be pink, green, black, or white. Leaves show red blisters or are curled down and stems turn black with sooty mold. Control Method: Natural predators like lady bugs and parasitic wasps often provide control. Knock aphids off with water spray. Spray with Pyrethrin, Rotenone, Insecticidal Soap, or delayed dormant oil. Control ants if they are also present.
Ants - Numerous ants scurrying up and down the tree trunk; aphids, scale or mealybug present in large numbers, lots of sticky honeydew, perhaps sooty mold. Control Method: Find hill and apply pesticide. Apply Tangle Trap over 2-3” wide band of paper wrapped around trunk. Eliminate other pathways into tree.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Poking-type feeding damage followed by decay on fruits and leaves. Deformity in the healthy tissue surrounding the dead tissue. Brown spots can show up in stored fruit. Control Method: Monitor with traps, some broad-spectrum pesticides may work.
Rust - Lesions on the upper surface of the leaf, or on the fruit or stems, followed by orangish structures on the bottom side of the leaf, or on the fruit or stems, which produce spores. Control Method: Copper fungicide after harvest before fall rains and again in early spring for prevention of some\ rusts. Remove and destroy infected parts of the plant. If possible, select resistant varieties. Many varieties have not been studied. Cedar-apricot rust is a problem east of the Rockies.
Sunscald - Vertical splits in bark appear spring or early summer, usually on the south or east side of the tree. Disease or insect infestations may then occur. Control Method: Whitewash trunk and lower limbs with interior latex paint cut 50/50 with water each fall until bark has thickened. Avoid planting in frost pockets or where water collects in winter.
So as not to end this post with so much death and destruction of the Apricot tree, I thought I’d include one of my favorite recipes from the Five in Ten Cookbook!
5 in 10 Cookbook: 5 Ingredients in 10 Minutes or Less
By Paula Hamilton
ISBN 0-688-11927-1
Apricot Sauced Chicken
I serve this dish over rice to ensure that none of this tasty sauce is lost! As I noted above you can use fresh apricots when they are in season. Add them to the pan along with the wine at the start of step two.
Ingredients
Four skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about five ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Two tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
¼ Cup of dry white wine
½ Cup heavy cream
12 canned apricot halves (81/2 ounce can)
Instructions
Pound the chicken breasts slightly to flatten evenly. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken breasts and cook over high heat for three minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for three more minutes or until white throughout but still moist. Remove chicken breasts to a platter.
Pour off an excess fat from the frying pan. Add the wine to the pan and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about one minute. Pour in the cream and boil until slightly reduced and thickened, about two minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Add the apricots and warm through. Place the chicken over ½ cup of white rice. Pour the sauce and apricots over the chicken and serve.
So, there you have it … probably more than you ever wanted to know about Apricot trees, and as an added bonus I include a super tasty recipe using those flavorful Apricots for your home grown orchard or garden.
Bon Appetit!
