The apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) is a deciduous stone fruit tree belonging to the Rose family (Rosaceae), closely related to plums, cherries, and peaches. Trees typically reach 4–8 metres in height, forming a rounded, spreading canopy with attractive oval, mid-green leaves. In late winter to early spring, the tree produces masses of delicate pale pink or white five-petalled blossoms, often before the leaves emerge — a spectacular seasonal display.

The fruit is a drupe with a velvety golden-orange skin, sometimes flushed with red, enclosing sweet, aromatic flesh and a single stone. Apricots are nutritionally rich, providing excellent levels of beta-carotene (Vitamin A), Vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fibre.

Apricot trees are long-lived and, once established, highly productive. They thrive in positions offering full sun, shelter from cold winds, and excellent soil drainage. The early flowering habit makes blossom frost protection important in cooler climates. Both fresh and dried apricots are prized in cooking — used in jams, preserves, baked goods, salads, and savoury dishes worldwide.

How To Grow

Planting

Choose a warm, sheltered, sunny position with a minimum of 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Apricots demand excellent drainage — waterlogged soil leads to root rot and canker. Ideal soil pH is 6.5–7.0. Amend heavy soils generously with grit and organic matter before planting.

Plant bare-root trees during dormancy in late autumn to early spring, avoiding frozen ground. Container-grown trees can be planted year-round, avoiding extremes of heat or frost. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball, plant at the same depth as in the nursery, backfill, firm well, and water thoroughly.

Care

• Watering: Water young trees deeply and regularly during the first 1–2 seasons. Established trees are moderately drought-tolerant but benefit from irrigation during fruit swelling.
• Feeding: Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring and a potassium-rich feed as flowers open to support fruiting.
• Pruning: Prune in summer (not winter) to reduce the risk of silver leaf and bacterial canker. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches and maintain an open, goblet-shaped crown.
• Frost protection: If blossoms open during cold spells, protect them with fleece overnight to prevent crop loss.

Growing from Seed

Apricot stones require cold stratification to break dormancy. Place the cleaned pit in a sealed bag with slightly damp compost and refrigerate for 6–8 weeks. Sow at 5 cm depth with the pointed end upward in a pot of seed compost. Keep warm and consistently moist. Germination typically occurs within 4–6 weeks of removal from cold. Note that seed-grown trees may take 4–5 years to fruit and may not replicate the parent variety.

Harvesting

When to Harvest

Apricots ripen over a concentrated period of 4–6 weeks in summer, typically 100–120 days after flowering depending on the variety and growing conditions. Fruits do not all ripen simultaneously — check trees every few days as harvest approaches.

A ripe apricot will:

• Feel slightly soft when gently pressed near the stalk end
• Detach easily from the branch with a gentle twist
• Display full golden-orange (or red-blushed) colour with no green patches
• Emit a sweet, characteristic fragrance

How to Harvest

Harvest in the cool of the morning when fruit is firm. Cradle the fruit and twist gently — avoid pulling, which can tear the spur and reduce next year's crop. Handle carefully as ripe apricots bruise easily.

Storage and Use

• Fresh: Best eaten within a few days at room temperature, or refrigerated for up to one week.
• Drying: Halve and stone fruit, then dry in a dehydrator or oven on a low setting. Dried apricots store for several months.
• Preserving: Apricots are excellent for jams, chutneys, compotes, and canned halves in light syrup.
• Cooking: Use in tarts, cakes, glazes, tagines, and fruit salads.

Common Problems

Common Pests

• Aphids: Colonies of greenfly or blackfly cluster on young shoots in spring, causing leaf curl and weakening growth. Encourage natural predators (lacewings, ladybirds) or apply an insecticidal soap spray.
• Scale insects: Brown or white waxy bumps on bark and stems. Treat with a winter wash of plant oil or targeted insecticide.
• Caterpillars: Various moth caterpillars may attack leaves and fruit. Hand-pick where possible or use a biological control based on Bacillus thuringiensis.

Common Diseases

• Brown rot (Monilinia spp.): A serious fungal disease causing fruit to turn brown and mummify on the tree. Remove and destroy all affected fruit promptly. Improve air circulation by pruning and avoid overhead irrigation.
• Silver leaf (Chondrostereum purpureum): Fungal disease causing a silvery sheen on leaves and internal staining of wood. Always prune in dry summer weather to minimise infection risk; remove affected branches well below the stained wood.
• Bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae): Causes sunken, oozing lesions on bark and dieback of branches. Remove affected wood in summer and treat wounds with a copper-based fungicide.
• Blossom wilt: Late frosts can kill open blossoms; protect with fleece during cold snaps to safeguard the crop.