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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] Apricot tree

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  • From: "Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Apricot tree
  • Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:52:22 -0700

Chris,
I have a problem with pluots setting fruit. What "games" are you referring
to in order to delay blooms? My pluot is the first tree to bloom in early
March or even late February. I planted one of these in the Ballard
neighborhood of Seattle, and other another about 10 miles north in Edmonds.
Although the same age, the one in Ballard sets a modest amount of fruit each
year and is somewhat dwarf due to poor growing conditions. The other is a
larger tree but produces 1 or 2 fruits only each year... this year no fruit
:-( . I just don't think pluots are cut out for my climate, but if you have
some bloom related tips, I'd like to hear them.
-Mark Lee, Seattle, zone 7B/8A

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Mauch1@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 8:15 AM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Apricot tree


Art,
I don't live in a low-chill area (an area with fluctuating spring
temperatures - yes, low-chill-no), but I don't think your problem is lack of
chill hours (someone who lives in a low-chill area should respond to correct
me if I'm wrong). If your problem was lack of chill, I would expect your
bloom to not occur or to occur off-cycle, and you probably wouldn't get
fruit at all.

Two possibilities come to my mind:
1) Your tree is not completely self-fertile (or not self-fertile in your
climate). This could be solved by planting another apricot tree of a
different variety, or grafting a branch on of another variety.

2) Does Santa Barbara get spring frosts? If so, you could be losing the
majority of your blossoms to cold. Since you're in an area that I believe
to be low humidity (clear night skies), you could be radiating a lot of heat
into space and the blossoms are getting killed that way. There are a number
of "games" you can play to try to protect and/or delay bloom, but none is
perfect or foolproof.

Here's a link that shows what temps apricots (and other fruits) can take at
what stage in bloom:
http://www.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/crittemp.htm

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6
40° 5' N 75° 51'W
~650 ft elevation

>I purchased an apricot tree from a nursery 5 yrs ago. The >tree requires
600
>chill hours. I live in Santa Barbara,Ca. We only get about >400 chill
hours. The
>tree is very healthy and has many blooms in the spring but >when the fruit
>gets about the size of an apple seed they begin to drop off >until it
finally
>winds up with only 4 or 5 apricots. the apricots are very >large and have a
good
>sweet flavor. My question is, will this tree eventually yield >more fruit?



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