How to grow Apricot
Updated October 2026
Apricots are among the earliest stone fruit to flower and ripen, giving sweet fruit in early summer that dries, freezes and bottles well. Their very early bloom is the catch: a late spring frost takes the crop in many years, even in good apricot country. They do best where winters are cold enough for chill, springs are dry and summers are long and warm, as in California and the inland West.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Apricot
Where to plant
Choose the warmest, sunniest spot you have, but not a frost pocket. Planting on a north facing slope or away from warm walls can delay flowering by a few days and help the blossom escape frost. Apricots need deep, well drained soil and have little tolerance for wet, heavy ground, where they quickly get root rot. UC notes they do poorly in high rainfall areas, where they set fruit irregularly and suffer many diseases.
Most apricots need about 600 to 900 hours below 45°F (7°C) over winter, though a few low chill varieties bear with about 350. They grow in Northern California and the Central Valley, inland Southern California, the Desert Southwest, Texas, the Mid-South, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Plains, and in the Northeast, Midwest and Mountain West with hardy, late blooming varieties. In the Northern Plains, only very hardy types survive. Florida, the Gulf Coast and Hawaii are too warm or wet, and Alaska is too cold.
Choosing a variety
Match the variety to your winters. Most apricots set fruit with their own pollen, but nearly all crop better with a second variety that flowers at the same time.
| Where | Varieties | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Southern California, the desert and warm Texas | Gold Kist, Katy | Low chill types for mild winters |
| California and other mild, dry areas | Blenheim (Royal Blenheim) | A classic for flavor and drying, but early blooming and not hardy in cold areas |
| Cold winter areas such as Utah and the Mountain West | Moorpark, Goldrich, Tilton, Harglow, Chinese (Mormon) | Hardier and later blooming; Goldrich and Harglow bloom latest |
| Northern Plains, zone 3 and 4 | Moongold, Sungold, Mandan | Manchurian apricots; very hardy but with smaller fruit, and blossoms still freeze in some years |
How to plant
- Plant bare root trees while dormant: late winter in mild areas, early spring as soon as the soil can be worked in cold ones. Fall planting is not recommended for stone fruit in cold regions.
- Keep the roots moist. UC suggests soaking bare roots in cool water for 6 to 12 hours, and trimming off broken or decayed roots.
- Dig a hole slightly wider than the roots and deep enough that the root flare sits just above the soil and the graft union 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) above it. For a potted tree, dig twice as wide as the pot and the same depth.
- Refill with the original soil, without compost or fertilizer in the hole, and water thoroughly to settle it.
- Stake bare root trees in windy spots for their first year only.
- Keep the area under the tree free of lawn and weeds. Grass is watered too often for trees and competes for nitrogen.
Watering and feeding
In the first season, water often enough that the soil stays moist but never soggy, about twice a week in dry weather. After that, water deeply and less often. Utah State suggests about 30 inches (760 mm) of water over a season in the dry West, applied every two weeks, and UC suggests deep soaks every 2 to 3 weeks in California, cutting back in late summer and fall. Water at the base of the tree to keep the leaves dry.
Do not fertilize in the first year. Young trees should grow 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) a year and older trees 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm); if they do, they need no fertilizer. If growth is weak, Utah State suggests half a cup to 1 cup of a nitrogen fertilizer around the drip line for trees under 5 years old and 1 to 2 cups for older trees. In alkaline Western soils, apricots are prone to iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins), which overwatering makes worse.
Pruning and care through the year
- Train to an open vase: choose 3 or 4 evenly spaced branches 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) above the ground as the main scaffolds and remove the central stem. A modified central leader also works and shades the fruit in very hot areas.
- Prune once a year. Utah State advises late winter in cold, dry areas. In California and other areas with wet winters, UC advises pruning in late August, at least 6 weeks before the winter rains, so wounds close before the Eutypa fungus can get in.
- On established trees, remove about a quarter of the branches each year to let in light. Fruit forms on short spurs that stay productive for 3 to 5 years, so do not cut out too much spur wood.
- Thin the fruit when it is grape sized, to one every 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm). Apricots set far too many and give small fruit and broken limbs if left.
- Paint the trunk and lower limbs with white interior latex paint diluted half and half with water to prevent sunburn, which also opens the bark to borers.
- Remove suckers from the base and clear fallen fruit and leaves to reduce disease.
Harvesting
Apricots ripen from June in the warm West to August in cold areas. Pick when the fruit has turned yellow or orange, sometimes with a red blush, and has started to soften but is still firm. Fruit on one tree ripens over about three weeks, so pick every day or two. Twist the fruit slightly as you pull so you do not damage the spurs.
Slightly underripe apricots finish ripening at room temperature. Ripe fruit keeps only 3 to 5 days in the fridge, so dry, freeze, can or make jam from any surplus. A mature tree can give 3 to 4 bushels.
Companion planting
Keep the root zone clear of lawn, and grow only low, light feeding plants under the canopy.
Good companions
- Nasturtium A low summer groundcover that flowers for pollinators.
- Garlic Narrow and low, so it barely competes with the tree.
- Chives A tidy edging for the tree ring with flowers for bees.
- Comfrey Leaves can be cut for mulch around the tree.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to apricot.
- Tomato Tomatoes and potatoes carry Verticillium wilt, which also attacks stone fruit, so avoid planting apricots where they have grown.
- Potato Like tomatoes, a host of Verticillium wilt.
- Tansy Often listed as a companion for fruit trees, but common tansy is a listed noxious weed in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, and is poisonous to people and livestock. Do not plant it in those states, and grow other small flowered plants such as dill or sweet alyssum instead.
Pests and diseases
Frost at bloom and canker diseases are the main problems. Healthy, well watered trees with sound bark resist most of the rest.
Pests to watch for
- Fruit tree borers Gummy sap mixed with frass at the base of the trunk, from peachtree borer larvae in the roots and lower trunk.
- Aphids Curled, sticky leaves on new growth in spring.
- Spider mites Stippled, dusty looking leaves in hot, dry weather.
- Scale Gray or black crusty patches on branches, from San Jose scale.
- Birds Ripe fruit pecked on the tree. Net small trees as the fruit colors.
Diseases to watch for
- Shot hole Round purple spots on leaves whose centers fall out, leaving small holes; spots on fruit and black cankers on twigs.
- Bacterial canker Sunken cankers oozing amber gum on the trunk and branches, with leaves that suddenly wilt.
- Brown rot Blossoms and twigs that wilt and brown in wet spring weather, and soft brown rot on ripening fruit.
- Root rot Yellowing, poor growth and dieback, very common in newly planted trees that are overwatered.
Common questions
Why does my apricot tree flower but not fruit?
Usually a spring frost. Apricots bloom so early that frost kills the flowers or tiny fruit in many years; Utah State notes trees there may crop only three years in five. Plant late blooming varieties, avoid frost pockets and, for small trees, cover them on frosty nights at bloom.
Do I need two apricot trees?
Most apricots set fruit with their own pollen, so one tree will crop. A second variety that blooms at the same time usually gives a heavier set.
When should I prune an apricot tree?
Where winters are dry and cold, prune in late winter. Where winters are wet, such as coastal California, prune in late August, at least six weeks before the rains, to keep out the Eutypa fungus.
Can I grow apricots in Texas or Southern California?
Yes, with low chill varieties such as Gold Kist or Katy, planted bare root in January or February. In Southern California, apricots crop best inland. They are unreliable on the humid Gulf Coast and in Florida.
Why are my apricots small?
The tree set too many. Thin the fruit at grape size to one every 4 to 6 inches along the branch, and the rest grow larger.
Why is my apricot oozing sap?
Amber gum oozing from sunken patches on the bark usually means bacterial canker or cytospora canker, often after winter injury or sunburn. Prune out infected wood well below the canker, paint the trunk white and avoid wounding the bark. Gum mixed with sawdust-like frass at the base points to borers.
Sources we checked: Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Apricots in Your Home Garden; UC IPM: Cultural Tips for Growing Apricot; UC Marin Master Gardeners: Apricot; NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Tanacetum vulgare; EDDMapS: Common tansy, state noxious weed listings.
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