Caring for Apricot Trees

Caring for Apricot Trees

I planted a dwarf apricot tree in the centre of my front lawn with a cement ring. It has leaves each year, but no fruit. Is being planted in the lawn the problem?

It can take up to 5 years before your apricot tree is fruiting regularly, but once established it will bear fruit for many years. Remove the concrete ring so the tree has enough room to develop a strong root system to support itself. Keep an area free of grass around the base of the tree and apply a layer of Daltons Mulch & Grow to add nutrition and suppress weeds. Water deeply two to three times a week during the growing season (around mid to late October until April/May) and water regularly throughout summer. 
Lightly prune to ‘open up’ the tree; this ensures adequate air movement and provides maximum exposure to sunlight to ripen future fruit. Regular pruning also means there is constant renewal of growth as spindly older branches are removed annually. 
Apply Daltons Citrus & Fruit Fert in early spring, then again at six weekly intervals until mid December. Recommence in mid February and feed through until autumn. Don’t worry about the cold as apricots do require a winter chilling.
If your tree has not come into prolific fruiting within the next couple of years, try planting a standard apricot variety such as Trevatt, Moorepark, or Sundrop. Although larger varieties than dwarf, they can be pruned to keep them at a reasonable size without losing their cropping ability. 

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