Do you dream of juicy, sweet home-grown apricots? Take action now. This guide explains how to properly plant an apricot. This is how it works in beds and pots.
How do I plant an apricot correctly?
To properly plant an apricot, choose a sunny, warm, airy location. Plant the apricot as balls or roots between October and April and mix the excavated soil with compost and sand. Provide drainage and mulch the root disk.
Which location guarantees a rich apricot harvest?
Apricots want a sunny, warm, airy location. A place protected from the rain prevents pelting raindrops from damaging the delicate flowers and velvety fruits. Choose a location in the bed with nutrient-rich, humus-rich and fresh, summer-dry soil.
When is planting time?
The best time to plant an apricot as a ball or root product is from October to April. You can plant container-grown apricots all year round as long as the ground is not frozen or summer drought has dried out the soil.
Planting apricots in the bed – step-by-step instructions
Nursery schools and garden centers offer young apricots in all tree shapes that the gardener's heart desires. Planting follows a consistent pattern, regardless of whether you have chosen a standard, semi-trunk, bush, spindle or column:
- Dig garden soil two spades deep, ideally seven
- Dig a pit with twice the volume of the root ball
- Mix excavated soil with compost and sand
- Cover the pit bottom with grit or sand as drainage
- Position the apricot in the middle of the hole and drive in a support rod next to the root ball
The surface of the root ball should be just below soil level. After watering, please mulch the root disc with compost or bark mulch.
Planting apricots in a pot – tips & tricks
Hobby gardeners in winter-hardy regions cheat the bitter frost and plant the apricot in the pot. A mobile plant pot allows more flexibility when choosing a location for the cold-sensitive fruit tree. The following tips and tricks reveal what you should pay particular attention to when planting:
- Variety recommendation: plant slender columnar apricots, such as “Golden Sun”, “Campanilo” or “Miracose”
- Bucket volume: at least 25 liters
- Substrate: structurally stable, peat-free, organically pre-fertilized pot plant soil in premium quality
- Drainage: Cover the bottom of the vessel 5 cm high with expanded clay, lava granules or grit
Cover the drainage with a water- and air-permeable fleece so that no substrate crumbs get stuck. Measure the planting depth so that the root disc is a few centimeters below the edge of the container. This way nothing spills over when watering your apricot.
Tip
Expert pruning care allows hordes of juicy apricots to sprout. Please prune a majestic apricot tree every three years by shortening harvested fruit shoots to 15 centimeters. Take this opportunity to remove all dead wood from the crown. The best time is in autumn. After the leaves fall, there is no need to worry about excessive bleeding from cuts.
