Apricots are an exotic fruit that has been enjoyed in Asia and the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Apricots can be found growing across America, from California to New York. Despite their wide range, apricots thrive best in a warm climate with lots of sun exposure. This blog post will guide you through planting, growing, and harvesting your own apricot tree at home!
How to Plant an Apricot Tree
Step 1: Choose a good location for your tree. Apricots do best when they have 6 or more hours of direct sunlight daily, so keep this in mind when planting. The ideal temperature range is 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Apricot trees should be planted in well-drained soil, so if your soil is mostly clay, you may want to improve drainage before planting. A mixture of compost and topsoil can help loosen up the soil so it drains better. If you live in a warmer climate with sandy soil that drains well naturally, you're ready to begin!
Step 2: Order an Apricot tree from a reputable nursery. Apricots are hardy trees that grow well in many locations and soil conditions, so look for a nursery near you that specializes in fruit trees.
Apricot trees should be at least two years old before being sold to the public. This means they will start producing apricots sooner than non-standard varieties, which could take up to 10 years to start producing fruit.
Apricots like well-drained soil that has been tilled and enriched with compost or manure, so look for a nursery with good customer service that can walk you through all the steps of planting your tree.
Ordering from a reputable nursery will ensure your tree is disease-free and is guaranteed to grow. This will ensure that you get the most fruit from your tree!
Step 3: Dig your hole. Select a location with full sunlight and space for your apricot to grow. If the soil is rocky or contains lots of roots, it may be best to plant in containers so you can move them around as needed.
Apricots are shallow-rooted trees, so make sure your planting hole is at least twice as wide as the root ball. You want to dig a hole that is about 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide, or whatever is needed to accommodate your tree's roots.
Step 4: Prepare the soil for your new tree. If you plan on adding a fertilizer, do so now. You can also add compost or other amendments to the soil if you wish.
Step 5: Set up your tree as shown in the diagram provided by the nursery. Keep in mind that apricot trees should be planted somewhat deeply into the ground and not just stuck on top of the surface!
How to Grow an Apricot Tree
Step 1: Place a barrier around the base of your tree to keep animals away, such as chickens or squirrels. They will try to eat all your fruit, so this is an essential step if you live in a suburban area with lots of critters!
Step 2: Water and fertilize regularly. Fruit trees need at least one inch of water per week from rain or irrigation. This can be difficult to provide if you live in a drier area, so it's best to use a slow-release fertilizer to give your tree the nutrients it needs.
Step 3: Prune your tree when needed. A good time for pruning is when your tree is dormant and just starting to leaf out for the season.
Apricots need to be pruned so that sunlight can reach all of their fruit-bearing branches. This will increase circulation throughout the tree and promote better health.
There are several ways you can prune your apricot trees, but here's a simple way to do it: first, choose 3 or 4 branches from each level of the tree to be kept. These will become the new scaffold limbs, so choose ones with lots of leaf buds. Prune off all other smaller branches by at least 1/3 and dead or diseased-looking leaves.
Step 4: Enjoy your fruits! Wait until your apricot tree is at least 2 years old to begin harvesting fruit. If you live in a colder climate, choose varieties that produce mid-season or late-season apricots so that you will have fruits well into the fall and winter months when other fruits aren't available.
Apricot trees are easy to grow! They don't need lots of special care because they are adaptable and disease-resistant. If you live in an area that has mild winters, the trees will even survive cold weather!
Apricots are a delicious addition to any fruit garden. They grow well in many soil conditions, so they're easy to care for and don't require as much water or fertilizer as other fruit trees.
How to Harvest Apricots
The best time to harvest apricots is when they are fully ripe but not soft. You can tell by gently pressing the center of the fruit; it will give slightly and you should be able to feel the pit inside.
Some trees will ripen all their fruit at once, while others may have different "waves" of ripening over a few weeks. Either way, it's a good idea to check your tree at least once per week in the early summer and harvest any ripe fruit that you see.
You can tell if an apricot is ready when the skin of the fruit darkens slightly, giving it a purplish color. The texture should give just a little bit when you press on it. While an apricot is ripening, it will become sweeter and juicer as the sugars in the fruit turn to acid.
Step 1: When harvesting your ripe fruits, it's a good idea to pick them early in the morning when they're still cool. This way, any insect eggs that were laid on the fruit will not yet be active.
Step 2: Clean the ripe fruits by removing any twigs and leaves that are still attached to them. Then wash them in soapy water, rubbing gently but thoroughly with your fingers. Rinse the fruit off well with cool water after you clean it!
Step 3: Enjoy! Apricots are great for eating fresh, but they also can be made into jams and preserves. Apricots also make a wonderful addition to bread and other baked goods. They're delicious eaten by themselves or cooked into anything!
What does Apricot Taste Like
Apricots are a delicious fruit that is very juicy! The flesh also has a wonderful aromatic flavor that can't be found in many other fruits. When buying apricots, choose ones with pale yellow skin and flesh; they will be sweetest if they have not been exposed to sunlight for long periods of time.
Other varieties of apricots may be red or light orange in color. Most varieties are sweeter than other stone fruits, and almost all varieties have skins that are very easy to remove.
How to Store Apricots
Apricots are very perishable and should be eaten within a few days of being picked. They must be stored in the refrigerator so that they're kept at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
There is no need to wash them before storing them. Keep them in a plastic bag with the air pressed out of it, and check them every day so that you can remove any rotten or moldy ones. Then just wash the remaining fruit and enjoy!
What is Apricot Used For
Apricots are delicious when eaten fresh off the tree, but they are also valuable for their juice and dried pulp. Apricot juice is high in antioxidants like beta carotene which may help to prevent heart disease.
The dried pulp of apricots can be made into fruit leather! Just spread it out on a baking sheet so that it's no more than a quarter-inch thick and dry it in the oven for several hours at a temperature of about 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
In some countries, apricot kernels are also edible! You can remove them from their coating to make tea or eat them "naked." They're delicious with a bit of salt on top.
What are the Health Benefits of Apricot
Apricots are high in Vitamin C, which is great for fighting off colds and other viruses. They're also a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese. Apricots are especially good at keeping your skin looking young!
The natural oils found in them make them easy to digest, so they won't cause nausea and cramps that some other fruits do.
The Vitamin A present in apricots is great for fighting off cancer, as well as keeping your vision sharp. The beta carotene found in them can also help you fight against cardiovascular disease by keeping your arteries healthy! Apricots are full of antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging your cells. Apricots are a great fruit to eat if you want to keep your heart healthy and strong!
Apricots are delicious fruit that can be grown in your backyard with minimal effort. You could keep them fresh by freezing them and they have many uses such as jams, smoothies, soups, or other dishes. Do you grow any apricot trees? Tell us all about it in the comments below!