Best time to plant apricot trees - Ask Extension
Several nurseries have apricot trees for sales. When is the best time to plant them? Surely not now with our hottest temps ahead of us?
Knowledgebase
Best time to plant apricot trees #764796
Asked July 30, 2021, 12:34 PM EDT
Several nurseries have apricot trees for sales. When is the best time to plant them? Surely not now with our hottest temps ahead of us?
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Barb,
Apricot trees are one of those good-news-bad-news stories.
The good news is that potted plants may be installed in a garden and landscape at any time of year. In fact, potted plants are more likely to survive in the ground during a heat wave than in a pot. The reason: The large mass of soil helps insulate the roots against excessive heat.
The bad news is that apricot trees are unlikely to produce yearly crops. The reason: Apricot trees bloom very early in the year, typically before the last frost. I recall the Master Gardener Trainer remarking that "apricot trees are likely to produce a crop only one year in ten."
Apricot trees are one of those good-news-bad-news stories.
The good news is that potted plants may be installed in a garden and landscape at any time of year. In fact, potted plants are more likely to survive in the ground during a heat wave than in a pot. The reason: The large mass of soil helps insulate the roots against excessive heat.
The bad news is that apricot trees are unlikely to produce yearly crops. The reason: Apricot trees bloom very early in the year, typically before the last frost. I recall the Master Gardener Trainer remarking that "apricot trees are likely to produce a crop only one year in ten."
