hampshire, United Kingdom
Please help moorpark apricot
I brought a moorpark apricot tree on dwarf root stock this is in its third year but second summer in the ground. It producing lots of healthy leaves ever year but no blossom or fruit. The tree now stands at about 6 to 7 feet. , meant to be self propagating. will it ever produce any fruit. Any help or suggestions please
- 24 Feb, 2012
Answers
It might still be too young to fruit, Donna. They frequently spend their first few years in the ground growing roots and structure.
If you have been pruning it heavily every winter to keep the size down, then that will also keep it from blooming. Apricots bloom and bear on wood that is 2-5 years old, so pruning needs to be careful and creative to keep the flower buds.
26 Feb, 2012
Fortunately apricots do not suffer from the leaf curl that peaches and necterines have in early spring. It could be that the tree is in a position where the emerging blossom is burnt off by the frosts. Are you feeding it? If so, just feed with potassium (sulphate of potash or tomato fertiliser), and make sure that the tree is mulched and watered well in late summer. The fertility might not be the problem which you would only be able to identify it the tree blossomed and didn't set fruit. I would also think about pruning in summer as you have nothing to loose.
25 Feb, 2012