It’s a familiar frustration of apricot growers: the blossoms drop and no fruit forms. You’ve done everything right (or so it seems). You watered and pruned, yet nothing happen. It is most likely not because of anything you did; or didn’t do, but because there is only a narrow biological window for successful pollination, which determines whether you get a crop or not. Miss that, and wait until next year to try again for fruit.
The visual guide say the timing is what makes the difference. Most varieties today are self-fruitful, but are even more productive with a similarly compatible variety nearby. Why? Because even though self-fruitful trees will set on their own, they don’t do as well if there aren’t plenty of bees around to pollinate, or if weather is poor.
How to Get More Apricots from Your Trees
For instance, varieties like Tilton or Moorpark may set fruit on their own, but growing them alongside varieties like Blenheim or Perfection can improve your crop by as much as thirty percent. That additional margin might be just the thing that moves you from a good haul to one big enough for preserving.
Because apricots are an early bloomer (as in sometimes as early as February in the warmest parts), they’re susceptible to late frost. Blossoms may be killed by frosts down into the 20s: At 28 degrees F., apricots is doomed. Once opened, the blooms last just three to five days, so when those precious moments of peak pollen viability arrive, there’s precious little time for you to intervene if no bees show up within that hour or two. Having varieties that bloom at different times and knowing your local microclimate can help you avoid losing your entire crop.
The process is driven by bees; but not all bees are equal. The most familiar are the honey bees (of course). But those who does the best job during the chilly early morning hours in spring are often mason bees and bumble bees. Why? Mason bees get an earlier jump on the action, and since they aren’t bound to a hive (like honey bees), they also put more effort into it. Encourage them with some companion flowers such as phacelia or borage alongside your trees; they’ll fuel the bees and keep pollinators working in areas where you want them. Don’t spray (even with so-called organic sprays) in this vulnerable period, which will repel insects you’re seeking to attract.
Pollen movement is also more efficient with right kind of orchard structure. Pruning into an open vase shape (above) gives the tree’s canopy an easy flight path for the bees, who’ll be able to reach all the flowers and penetrate deeper into it for better light penetration. Dwarf varieties may be planted eight to ten feet apart; standard trees requires fifteen to twenty feet. To work best, keep cross-pollinating partners closer then a hundred feet from one another so the bees won’t fly off to another garden.
To grow apricots successfuly, first set the odds in your favor of achieving pollination. A bee will not fly if she does not want to, and you cannot create sunshine. However, you can prepare for success. Choosing the right varieties, making sure frost does not damage blossoms, and welcoming native pollinators will make springtime something you could of counted on. You get golden fruit in summer. That’s thanks to paying attention back then when flowers opened up.