Sally Morgan explains how to grow these delicious fruits
With their exotic scent and juicy flesh, it is difficult to beat the taste of a perfect ripe apricot or peach. But how many shop-bought punnets have you thrown away because the fruit simply did not ripen? When you grow your own you don’t have that problem. You can harvest your fruit when it is at its best, not wait days or weeks for shop-bought fruits to soften on the window ledge.
Growing apricots and peaches can be a bit risky, but most of the risk comes from frosts. Increasingly though, we are seeing more hardy varieties and improved rootstocks so they are a better bet, especially as climate change means tree, or in a container that you can move the risk from frost will likely recede into a greenhouse in winter. earlier in the year. The flowers appear early which can catch you out. My fan-trained apricot bet, especially as climate change means the risk from frost will likely recede earlier in the year.
Frost risk
The lack of cold hardiness does mean that protect the flowers with a fleece. you have to think carefully about where Another issue around the early you grow these fruit trees, so they won’t flowering is the lack of pollinators. Both suit every garden. They need a sunny apricots and peaches are self-fertile, but spot with well drained soils as they don’t you need to make sure the pollen like wet feet in winter. If you live in London reaches the stigmas, so if my apricot or a sheltered spot in the south or even flowers open during a chilly period, I’m the west of Scotland, you may get away out there with a small brush moving with growing them as a free standing tree, pollen around to make sure I get some but the most popular place is along a fruits. This is particularly important if you south or southwest facing wall as a trained are growing these trees under cover.
Apricots
Apricots Prunus armeniacus originated in Central Asia. They can be quite vigorous as they have a large root system, so when planting dig a good-sized hole and backfill with plenty of organic matter which will help drainage and water retention in summer. Water well, mulch with compost or wood chips to retain moisture in summer and protect the roots from hard frosts in winter. If you are growing a freestanding tree, prune the main leader by one third and reduce the side shoots to about 10 cm to get a bush shape. You can expect the first fruits within three or four years. Fortunately, apricots are relatively healthy trees and they don’t suffer from many diseases.
Apricots can be grown in pots on sunny patio or in a greenhouse, but being vigorous plants, you need a decent-sized pot filled with-a good quality soil that is mulched and watered well. It also helps to keep the pot off the ground with feet. They will also need a slow
