How to Grow and Care for Apricot Trees

Prunus armeniaca

As a kid, I spent a few summers camping along the Columbia River in Maryhill, Washington – Yakama Nation land – where some of the best stone fruits in the world are grown.

When I think of summers there, I picture the wide brown river, warm sun on my back, and sweet, tart apricot juice dripping down my chin.

We’d buy loads of apricots, Prunus armeniaca, from Gunkel Orchards in Maryhill, and cart them all the way back home to Montana.

My mom made jars of apricot jam to remind us of those sweet summer days all winter long.

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You may not live in a place like the Columbia River Gorge with its plentiful sunshine, but you can still grow apricot trees at home if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.

And because these fruits are sometimes hard to find fresh in the grocery store since they don’t travel well, they’re an ideal addition to your home orchard.

Ready to learn more? Here’s what’s ahead:

Along with cherries, peaches, and plums, apricots are stone fruits of the Prunus genus in the rose family, Rosaceae.

They can live anywhere from 40 to 150 years under ideal conditions, but they’ll probably last 10 to 35 years in your garden with appropriate care.

If an apricot tree does live to 35 or 40, you can expect it to bear fruit for 20 to 25 of those years. Trees begin bearing fruit by the time they’re three or four years old.

Each stone encases one seed, called a “kernel,” which contains a toxin called amygdalin. If eaten, hydrolyzed amygdalin releases cyanide into the body, and cyanide poisoning can result.

Some apricot varieties are called “clingstone” fruits, indicating that the pit is attached to the flesh. “Freestone” fruits, on the other hand, feature pits that come away easily.

“Semi-cling” or “semi-freestone” fruits fall somewhere in the middle.

Most modern varieties are semi-cling, semi-freestone, or freestone, as true clingstones are a pain to separate from the flesh and have largely gone out of favor.

Fresh apricots contain notable amounts of vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, and fiber, in addition to being a good source of iron when dried.

Apricot trees need anywhere from 250 to 1,200 chill hours below 45°F per season, depending on the variety.

The trees bloom with lightly fragrant white or pink blossoms very early in the spring – often in February, March, or April, depending on the location.

Under the right conditions and with appropriate pollination, the trees will bear fruit three to five months after flowering.

Apricots have yellow to orange skin that is sometimes blushed with light pink or red, and the flesh is white or yellow.

The fruits are small – typically around one inch in diameter – but some modern varieties produce larger fruits. The skin can either be smooth or hairy.

Standard trees grow 20 to 25 feet tall and wide. Semi-dwarfs reach 12 to 18 feet in height and spread, and dwarf varieties are much smaller, topping out at five to eight feet tall and wide.

Apricots are self-pollinating, but planting two different varieties that bloom at the same time can result in a bigger harvest.

How to Grow

Standard apricots are best planted directly into the ground, but dwarf varieties are also ideal for container growing if that’s what you prefer.

To give you some options, we’ll cover both in-ground and container planting here.

Planting in the Ground

Before you dig a hole for your new tree, take a good look at your yard and find the ideal planting location.

You’ll need a spot that receives at least six to eight hours of sun every day. The soil should be loose, rich, and well-draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

We recommend conducting a soil test in your desired location before you plant.

Next, make sure the area is at least 20 to 25 feet away from any other trees or full-sun-loving plants if you’re growing a standard apricot, or five to eight feet away for a dwarf variety.

Also allow appropriate spacing between trees if you’re growing more than one apricot variety.

Dig a hole that’s as deep and twice as wide as the root ball if you purchased a potted or burlap-wrapped tree.

Slowly ease the tree out of its pot or unwrap it from its burlap covering. Loosen the roots with your hands, teasing them apart so that they aren’t in a tight circling pattern.

Place the tree inside the hole, making sure that the grafting scar is two to four inches above the ground.

Backfill with a mixture of native soil and well-rotted compost or manure. An ideal ratio is two parts native soil to one part compost.

Water thoroughly, take a step back, and smile. You deserve to enjoy your hard work!

If you purchased a bare root tree instead of a potted sapling, make a small mound of dirt. Place the roots inside the hole and spread them out in all directions.

Backfill with two parts native soil combined with one part well-rotted compost or manure.

Water thoroughly. If you live in an area that experiences high winds, you’ll need to stake the bare root tree for one year, but no longer than that.

After planting, apply a three-inch layer of organic mulch within the tree’s drip line. This helps retain moisture, keep the soil temperature steady, and suppress weeds.

Make sure to keep the mulch one to two inches away from the trunk to prevent water from collecting there and rotting the bark.

If it feels wet, avoid watering for another day or two. But if it feels dry, it’s time to give your tree a deep watering.

After your apricots are established – usually one year after planting – irrigate them about once a week, making sure the soil doesn’t dry out two to three inches down.

Check the soil at least twice a week.

Every spring, give your tree a dose of fruit tree fertilizer according to package directions.

Dr. Earth Fruit Tree Fertilizer

I use this organic, 5-5-2 NPK product from Dr. Earth, available via Amazon in one- and four-pound bags.

Planting in a Container

To plant a dwarf apricot tree in a container, first choose a pot that’s at least 20 to 24 inches in diameter. Make sure it has drainage holes.

Fill it with pre-packaged soil meant for raised beds, or with one part topsoil, one part peat moss, and one part well-rotted compost or manure.

Make a hole in the center that’s as deep and wide root ball and that allows the grafting scar to show two to four inches above the soil line.

Place the root ball inside the hole and backfill with your soil mix. Add water slowly until it comes out the bottom of your planter.

Cover the soil surface with a three-inch layer of organic mulch to help it retain moisture, suppress stray weeds, and keep the soil temperature even.

Give your container-grown tree a dose of Dr. Earth or your choice of fertilizer every spring.

Maintenance

The best time to prune your trees is when they’re dormant. I like to prune mine in late winter or early spring when the flowers start to open but before new leaves emerge.

When you prune, begin with dead, broken, or diseased branches. Cut them off with clean pruning shears.

This is a great time to remove any suckers that you find popping up around the base of the trunk, too.

Then, prune away any crossing or inward-growing branches.

Finally, prune three or four of the branches to shorten them and maintain the tree’s shape.

Make sure you prune just above outward-facing buds. Cut at a 45-degree angle for vertical branches, or a straight 90 degree angle for horizontal branches.

Remove no more than 10 to 15 percent of the branches in any given year.

Once your apricot blossoms are pollinated and the fruits are about one inch in diameter, thin them to one every three to four inches.

Cultivars to Select

There’s an astonishing range of apricot cultivars to choose from based on where you live, how much space you have available, and other factors.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Blenheim

For rich, sweet, slightly tart fruit that makes for perfect fresh-off-the-branch eating, semi-dwarf ‘Blenheim’ is an excellent choice.

This tree may grow to between 10 and 15 feet tall with a spread of eight to 12 feet, but you can keep it pruned to eight to 10 feet if you so desire.

‘Blenheim’

Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, dwarf ‘Blenheim’ requires 400 chill hours and blooms a bit later than standard apricots, allowing the buds to miss late frosts.

It reliably sets fruit without a second tree of a different variety nearby.

You can purchase trees that are three to four feet tall from Fast Growing Trees.

Gold Kist

‘Gold Kist’ is one of the sweetest, firm-yet-juicy apricots you can grow.

This cultivar suited to Zones 7 to 10 and is a semi-dwarf, growing just 12 to 18 feet tall with a similar spread. It requires 200 to 300 chill hours, making it a good option for warmer regions.

‘Gold Kist’

The flesh is, well, golden, with touches of blush on the sun-facing sides. ‘Gold Kist’ is self-pollinating but may produce a larger yield with a companion nearby.

You can find four- to five-foot trees in three-gallon containers available at Fast Growing Trees.

Wenatchee

‘Wenatchee’ fruits are ideal for canning and drying and this semi-dwarf tree grows 12 to 18 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet.

Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, ‘Wenatchee’ – also called ‘Wenatchee Moorpark’ – requires 700 chill hours. The fruits are large and tangy-sweet with yellow skin and flesh.

‘Wenatchee’

While it’s self-pollinating, this cultivar may produce double the fruit with a partner like ‘Puget Gold,’ which you can learn more about in our guide to the best cold hardy apricots.

You can find trees in three-gallon containers at Fast Growing Trees.

Propagation

Like most fruit and nut trees in the Rosaceae family, apricots are best propagated at professional nurseries via budding and grafting.

Seeds don’t grow true to the parent plant.

And some of the best fruiting apricots don’t root well from cuttings, so they must be grafted onto other apricot, plum, or peach rootstocks.

Many of the rootstocks have been cultivated to help protect the trees against various pests and diseases, like root knot nematodes and crown gall.

Since most home gardeners aren’t well versed in the science of budding and grafting, we recommend heading to your local nursery or an online purveyor to purchase the best tree for your growing zone.

Or choose two varieties that bloom at the same time if you want extra fruit!

Pests and Disease

Apricots can be susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases.

The most common pests that may damage your apricot trees are cervids, aphids, and peach twig borers. Some other creatures may come to visit as well.

Deer and moose love eating the tender leaves and branches of fruit trees, especially in the wintertime when vegetation is scarce… except, perhaps, in your yummy yard.

To help keep cervids away, check out our guides to deterring deer and keeping moose out of your yard and garden.

Mealy Plum Aphids

On the smaller side, you may have to deal with mealy plum aphids, Hyalopterus pruni.

These green aphids are between one and a half and two and a half millimeters long, and are covered in whitish, mealy-looking wax.

Like other aphids, they suck the juice out of the plants they infest, causing stunted growth and a general lack of vigor.

If you notice these strange-looking aphids, spray them off your apricot tree with a strong stream of water from the hose, and then apply a neem oil-based spray to the tree.

Reapply every five to seven days until you no longer see new mealy plum aphids infesting your apricot.

Peach Twig Borers

The larvae of the peach twig borer moth, Anarsia lineatella, is a major apricot pest.

The quarter-inch-long, brown and white-striped larvae overwinter in the wood.

The borers feed inside new shoots, stunting and damaging them. They may also enter developing fruits at the stem and feed just under the skin.

Learn more about how to manage these pests in our guide to identifying and controlling peach twig borers.

Diseases

It’s never a good sign if you find symptoms of any of the diseases described below on your apricot trees.

Coryneum Blight

Also called “shot hole disease” coryneum blight is caused by the fungus Wilsonomyces carpophilus.

The fungus attacks blossom and leaf buds, fruits, twigs, and leaves.

You won’t want to eat the unsightly fruits that result, but you technically can if you peel the skins off first. The fruit won’t taste as good as it should, though.

For shot hole disease, you’ll need to remove all of the affected fruits, twigs, buds, and leaves, and spray the tree with a copper fungicide.

Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide

Try this one from Bonide that’s available at Arbico Organics.

Gummosis 

Any time when sap bleeds from a fruit tree, it’s called “gummosis.” Unfortunately, it can be difficult to discern what exactly is causing it.

The culprit could be a fungal infection resulting in cytospora cankers, subpar growing conditions, or a pest injury.

To learn everything you need to know about this gooey issue, read our guide to identifying, preventing, and treating gummosis on fruit trees.

Perennial Canker

Perennial canker, also known as cytospora canker, can cause gummosis, and this may be one of the first signs of this disease.

Caused by a variety of species of Cytospora fungi, the pathogens enter through pruning wounds or broken branches.

You can see why it’s called perennial canker – it simply doesn’t go away.

You can try to remove the affected branch and apply copper fungicide to the tree, but it’s not likely to clear out the infection.

Keeping the peach twig borer under control is important, too, because this and other wood-boring insects can provide an opening for perennial canker infections.

Harvesting

By the time it’s five to seven years old, the tree will typically bear full yields.

The best time to harvest your apricots is between June and August, depending on where you live and what variety you planted.

The fruits will turn from green to yellow or orange, blushed with pink or red where the sun has hit them.

When they are firm but slightly soft, try one. If it is sweet and tangy then it’s time to harvest all of the apricots that look like the one you picked.

If the fruit are still hard to the touch, sport patches of green, or don’t taste very sweet, leave them on the branch.

Preserving

Apricots are a joy to preserve. You can turn them into jam using this all-purpose jam and jelly recipe from our sister site, Foodal.

You can also slice and can them, following this beginner’s guide to canning, also from Foodal.

Or, peel the fruits, remove the pits, and then slice or cube them for freezing. Lay them on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Pop them in the freezer overnight, and then transfer the pieces to zip-top bags, where you can keep them in the freezer for up to one year.

To dry, preheat your oven to 200°F. Wash the apricots, cut them in half, and remove the stones.

Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for eight hours. Let them cool before placing them in bags or glass jars.

Apricots can be dried in an electric dehydrator as well, either in slices or in the form of fruit leather.

Store your dried fruit in a cool, dry pantry in a mason jar or heavy-duty zip-top bag for up to three months, or in the refrigerator for up to two years. 

Cooking Ideas

If you love to bake, like I do, try this apricot tart with a butter crust and vanilla custard filling from Foodal. You can use apricots that you canned yourself, or slices of freshly picked fruit.

One of my favorite ways to use dried apricots is in this recipe for homemade nutty cardamom granola, also from Foodal.

There’s nothing like the surprise tang of apricot mixed in with delicious cardamom, almonds, walnuts, oats, and coconut flakes to help me wake up in the morning.

Another favorite centerpiece of a meal is this recipe from Foodal for chicken roulade. Instead of using raisins, use chopped dried apricots from your own trees!

An Appetite for Apricots

The most amazing thing about apricots is their versatility. If you’ve got a picky eater, apricot jam or fruit leather can win nearly any soul over to embrace the wonders of apricot goodness.

Does your significant other turn their nose up at fresh fruit, but enjoys snacking on dried fruits? Apricots hit that spot, too.

They hit any spot, really.

Are you ready to add apricots to your fruit orchard? Or have you started growing them already? Either way, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

In the meantime, have a read of these guides to learn more about growing apricots next:

• How to Prevent and Control Armillaria Root Rot on Apricots
• How to Prevent Rhizopus Rot of Stone Fruits
• How to Diagnose and Prevent Phony Peach Disease