Apricot Trees - ARRRRRGH!!!

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Someday, once during my lifetime I hope and pray to get at least one of my apricot trees to bloom and bear fruit. Have been trying for 10 years and 6 trees and no blooms or fruit yet.

Plums are blooming and the peaches and nectarines are too. My Meyer Lemons have at least 500 blooms each as does my Satsuma Mandarin and 10 degree Tangerine. Another citrus I have that I can't remember the name of is loaded with blossoms too.

WHY NOT AN APRICOT - just once!!!

[NickieL]

Maybe you do not have enough chill hours for the viariety you are trying to grow?

My trees are only two years old and are loaded with buds. It gets a lot colder up here though they where you are.

[ldc]

I grew apricots in New Jersey. The trick for us there was to grow them with a northern exposure, so that they wouldn't bloom too early and get the buds blasted by an unexpected late frost. ldc

[whiterock]

I planted some bout 25 years ago, last year i drove by that house and the trees were covered, never did anything while i owned that house though.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Chill Hours are just fine. Apricots have low chill hour requirements compared to Peaches. I have plenty of buds - LEAF BUDS, NO FLOWERS!!!!!!

[primroselane]

Apricots have been a problem fruit to grow in Texas for many years. Although the fruit can be grown in most areas of Texas the trees do not produce every year and may only produce a crop of fruit in 2 out of every 5 years. That is not a good situation for most people interested in growing the fruit. It is disappointing to have the trees bloom and then see the blooms or young fruit destroyed by one of our late freezes. The main reason for inconsistent cropping is that apricots are normally one of the first fruit trees to bloom in the spring.

http://www.texasgardener.com/pastiss...7/Apricot.html

[Ed Norman]

We planted many last year. Around here people plan on getting apricots about every 4th year. The nursery wholesaler told us we could get a crop every year by tarping or adding some heat on the colder nights. This year it is still snowing most days and the trees aren't thinking of budding yet.

[texican]

My apricots are going on 14 years old now, and no blooms or fruit... I ought to pull the things out of the ground, for as much good as they do me.

[MARYDVM]

I planted an apricot tree from Wal-Mart 4 years ago in the spring (wrong time for southern AZ). It dropped all its leaves in the summer heat, and just stood there looking pathetic until I decided to put an apple tree in its place that fall. When I lifted it out of the ground its root ball was still in the shape of the pot it had been in. I couldn't bring myself to just throw it away, so I stuck it in a shallow hole by the compost heap. It came to life in the spring, and has produced apricots ever since. Maybe you should plant one by the compost pile too.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Take the time to read the article linked above. It's very good.

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

Too early blooming is something I would love to have to deal with. ANY BLOOMING AT ALL is my problem. I will however spray my trees with the same zinc solution I spray my pecan trees with to see if it helps.

[prairiedog]

ours did great till a neighbor trimmed half the tree off at the wrong time of the year hasn't ever done very well since