Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
The earliest-flowering fruit in this catalogue, and that single fact governs everything. Apricots blossom in February, weeks before pollinating insects are dependable and squarely inside the frost window, so a British crop depends on a warm wall, some frost protection and a paintbrush. The tree itself is perfectly hardy — it is the flowers that are the gamble.
- Position
- Full sun
- Water
- moderate demand
- Drainage
- Free-draining
- Grows to
- 250–400 cm × 300–450 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Harvest
- July and August
- Difficulty
- Demanding
Described view
An apricot fan in full blossom against a brick wall with horticultural fleece draped loosely over the top half
August
Harvest · Prune
Apricot’s year
Resolved for United Kingdom (general). Every window is stored against a climate event rather than a date, so a late frost pocket runs later than the band shows. What else August calls for.
| Activity | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | January. | February. | March. | November. | December. | |||||||
| In flower | February. | March. | ||||||||||
| Harvest | July. | August. | ||||||||||
| Prune | May. | June. | August. |
Timing that travels
The band above resolves this plant's windows into months for one region. These are the windows themselves, stored against a climate event rather than a date — which is the form that survives being carried to a colder garden, a frost pocket, or next year.
Pollination
Whether one plant on its own will set fruit, and what has to be true if it will not.
One plant on its own will crop.
- Self-fertility
- Self-fertile
- Partner needed
- No partner needed
- Pollen moved by
- Hand pollinationSourced guidanceDepends on conditions
Where the pollination figures come from
- Self-fertilitySourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- Partner neededSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- Pollen moved bySourced guidanceDepends on conditionshigh confidence
Applies when: Self-fertile, but flowering in February when almost no insects are flying. Hand pollination is what turns self-fertility into fruit.
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
Which of these will pollinate which
Worked out from flowering groups and ploidy for the 2 cultivars GrowingHQ holds — a small fraction of those in cultivation. A cultivar that is not listed has not been ruled out; it has not been recorded. Read a row as “this cultivar’s pollen reaches…”.
| Pollen from | Flavorcot | Moorpark |
|---|---|---|
| Flavorcot | — | not known |
| Moorpark | not known | — |
Flavorcot crops on its own.
Bred specifically for British conditions and flowering later than the traditional cultivars, which is the whole reason it exists. The later blossom is the feature; the fruit is ordinary by apricot standards.
Moorpark crops on its own.
The traditional British apricot, grown against a south wall since the eighteenth century. Old, and still the reference point — the risk is entirely in the timing of its blossom.
Pruning and training
Every piece of fruit pruning advice follows from one fact: where the plant carries next year's crop.
Fruits on: Spurs on older wood
Fruit forms on short stubby spurs that persist on wood two years old and older. Pruning aims to build and renew those spurs, so the framework is kept and young growth is shortened.
Sourced guidanceDepends on conditionsmoderate confidence
Applies when: Apricots fruit on short spurs on older wood and on shoots made the previous year, so a light mixture of spur pruning and renewal suits them.
- Royal Horticultural Society: Pruning apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
Forms it can be grown as
- Fan
- Bush
source
Sourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
source
Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Annual maintenanceMay, June, August
Keep the fan furnished with young wood and remove congestion, without cutting when silver leaf spores are about.
Prune in late spring and again after harvest, lightly. Apricots resent hard pruning and respond to it with gum.
source
Sourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Pruning apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
Timing matters: No autumn or winter pruning: silver leaf enters through fresh wounds.
What you are committing to
Fruit is a multi-year decision. These are the numbers a nursery label rarely carries.
- First worthwhile crop
- 3–4 yearsHorticultural consensus
- Propagated by
- Grafting or budding
- Fruit type
- Stone fruit
Where these figures come from
- First worthwhile cropHorticultural consensuslow confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Propagated bySourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Grafting fruit trees
Checked 2026-08-13
source
Horticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
A ripe apricot is another fruit that does not travel. Shop apricots are picked hard and never develop the flavour.
Conditions it needs
- Light
- Full sun
- Direct sun
- 7 hours a day or more
- Frost
- HardySourced guidanceDepends on conditions
- Hardiness rating
- H5 (RHS)
- Soil
- Loam, Sandy, Chalky
- Soil pH
- 6–7.5
- Drainage
- Free-draining
- Water needs
- moderate
- Drought
- moderate tolerance
- Waterlogging
- poor tolerance
- Heat
- good tolerance
- Wind and exposure
- poor tolerance
Where these figures come from
- LightSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- Direct sunHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- FrostSourced guidanceDepends on conditionshigh confidence
Applies when: The wood is hardy well below freezing. The February flowers are destroyed at around −2 °C, which is why the tree is far hardier than the crop.
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- Hardiness ratingSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: RHS hardiness ratings
Checked 2026-08-13
- SoilHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Soil pHHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- DrainageSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- Water needsHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- DroughtHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- WaterloggingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- HeatHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Wind and exposureSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
On your soil
Computed by comparing this plant's recorded requirements against each soil's recorded characteristics. A recorded horticultural fact overrides the comparison where GrowingHQ holds one.
| Soil | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy clay | Works, with one condition | Apricot will crop on heavy clay, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold.Improve the drainage before planting — a raised bed, or bulky organic matter worked in over several seasons. Do not add sand to clay in small quantities; it makes the problem worse. |
| Sandy | Prefers this soil | Sandy suits Apricot as it stands: The pH suits it: it wants 6 to 7.5, and this soil is in that range. The free drainage is exactly what it wants. Sandy soil is among the soils it is recorded as suiting. There is ample rooting depth for it. |
| Chalky and alkaline | Works, with one condition | Apricot will crop on chalky and alkaline, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It roots to about 50 cm and this soil offers roughly 40 cm before rock or hardpan.Grow it in a deep container or a raised bed. The rooting depth is not something that can be added to the ground. |
| Loam | Prefers this soil | Loam suits Apricot as it stands: The pH suits it: it wants 6 to 7.5, and this soil is in that range. The free drainage is exactly what it wants. Loam is among the soils it is recorded as suiting. The soil holds moisture, which saves a great deal of watering. There is ample rooting depth for it. |
| Silty | Prefers this soil | Silty suits Apricot as it stands: The pH suits it: it wants 6 to 7.5, and this soil is in that range. The free drainage is exactly what it wants. The soil holds moisture, which saves a great deal of watering. There is ample rooting depth for it. |
| Peaty and acid | Works, with one condition | Apricot will crop on peaty and acid, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold.Improve the drainage before planting — a raised bed, or bulky organic matter worked in over several seasons. Do not add sand to clay in small quantities; it makes the problem worse. |
| Shallow over rock | Works, with one condition | Apricot will crop on shallow over rock, but one thing has to be dealt with first. It roots to about 50 cm and this soil offers roughly 25 cm before rock or hardpan.Grow it in a deep container or a raised bed. The rooting depth is not something that can be added to the ground. |
| Made ground and urban soil | Struggles here | Apricot struggles on made ground and urban soil: It needs ground that drains, and this soil holds water. A plant that stays in the ground through winter with its roots in cold, saturated soil rots — which is what kills most of what fails on heavy ground, rather than the cold. It roots to about 50 cm and this soil offers roughly 30 cm before rock or hardpan. A container or a raised bed of imported soil sidesteps the problem entirely. |
Not sure which you have? Four hand tests will settle it.
Space and spacing
- Mature height
- 250–400 cm
- Mature spread
- 300–450 cm
- Rooting depth
- 50–80 cm
- Spacing
- 400 cm apart
Where these figures come from
- Mature heightHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Mature spreadHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Rooting depthHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- SpacingHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
In a container
- Minimum volume
- 45 litres or more
- Minimum depth
- 45 cm
Where the container figures come from
- Minimum volumeHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
As with peaches, a container allows the tree to be moved somewhere frost-free while in flower.
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Minimum depthHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
Container growing lets the tree be moved under cover for its very early flowering, which is the main reason apricots fail outdoors in Britain — the blossom is out before there are pollinators about.
Where and how you can grow it
Each way of growing is assessed separately, and “not assessed” is a real answer rather than a gap we have filled in with a guess.
| Method | Suitability | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical growing | Well suitedsourceSourced guidancehigh confidence A fan on a south-facing wall is the standard and largely the only reliable British method outdoors.
Checked 2026-08-13 | A south-facing wall; Fleece over the blossom on frosty nights; Hand pollination |
| Greenhouse | Well suitedsourceSourced guidancehigh confidence
Checked 2026-08-13 | Hand pollination; Summer ventilation |
| Polytunnel | WorkablesourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 | |
| Container | WorkablesourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 | 45 litres or more; Somewhere frost-free to stand it while in flower |
| Open ground | MarginalsourceGrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence A free-standing apricot in the open flowers into February frost with no protection possible. It survives; it seldom crops.
Checked 2026-08-13 | |
| Hydroponics | MarginalsourceGrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence Root volume and chilling, plus a February flowering that needs hand pollination wherever it happens.
Checked 2026-08-13 | |
| Windowsill | Not suitablesourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 |
Growing it
- ProtectionDrape fleece over the tree on frosty nights while it is in flower, and take it off during the day so any insects that are about can reach the blossom. February frost is the single commonest reason a healthy apricot carries nothing.
- PollinationHand pollinate with a soft brush around midday on dry days. Self-fertility does not help if no pollen is moved.
- WateringApricots flower very early and set fruit before the soil has warmed, so the critical watering is in spring rather than high summer. Like peaches they are usually grown against a wall, which keeps rain off the roots — check the soil under the mulch rather than trusting the weather.
- FeedingA general fertiliser in late winter and a compost mulch is enough in open ground. Feed fortnightly with a high-potassium liquid feed once fruit has set on wall-trained or container trees, where the root run cannot supply a full crop on its own.
Where this guidance comes from
- ProtectionSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Frost protection for fruit
Checked 2026-08-13
- PollinationSourced guidancehigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- WateringSourced guidancemoderate confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Apricots — cultivation
Checked 2026-08-13
- FeedingSourced guidancemoderate confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Apricots — feeding
Checked 2026-08-13
Is it worth putting under cover?
Whether it will grow there is on the methods table above. This is whether the space is well spent, which is a different question and usually the one being asked.
| Structure | What protection is worth | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | Improves reliabilitysourceGrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence What protection is worth for this crop, judged against the same standard as every other record in this file.
Checked 2026-08-13 | Blossom frost. Apricots flower in February and lose the crop to frost most years outdoors; cover protects the blossom, and the tree still needs its winter cold.Ventilation all winter so the chilling requirement is met; Hand pollination — nothing flies in February |
| Polytunnel | Improves reliabilitysourceGrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence What protection is worth for this crop, judged against the same standard as every other record in this file.
Checked 2026-08-13 | Blossom frost, on the same terms. |
Growing it without soil
Nearly anything can be grown in a soilless system by somebody with enough equipment. The useful question is whether it is worth it, in which technique, and what goes wrong.
It can be made to grow, but a soilless system is the wrong tool — usually because of rooting volume, running cost, or a result no better than a pot of compost.
source
GrowingHQ editorial positionmoderate confidence
Root volume and chilling, plus a February flowering that needs hand pollination wherever it happens.
- GrowingHQ editorial synthesis — GrowingHQ
Checked 2026-08-13
The fruit is worth more than almost anything else here, which is exactly why people try. Root volume is what stops it.
Techniques that suit it
- Drip-fed mediumSolution is dripped into an inert medium around each plant. The most forgiving technique and the one that suits large, long-season, heavy crops.
Horticultural consensusDepends on conditionsmoderate confidence
Applies when: Substrate only.
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Root space
- Very large, permanently.
- pH band
- 5.5–6.5
Where these figures come from
- Root spaceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- pH bandSourced guidancehigh confidence
Outside roughly this band, individual nutrients become unavailable even when they are present in the solution — which is why a crop can starve in a full reservoir.
- Purdue Extension — Purdue University: Hydroponic solution management — pH
Checked 2026-08-13
No nutrient recipes here
GrowingHQ records pH bands, which are measurable properties of nutrient availability, and deliberately records no EC or PPM targets and no mixing instructions. Published targets vary by cultivar, growth stage, water source and technique, and the figures that apply to your system are on the product you bought.
Harvesting
- When it is readyRipe when fully coloured, slightly soft and scented, and parting easily from the spur.
- How to pick itLift gently by hand; apricots bruise easily.
- Keeping itDays at most. Excellent dried or preserved.
Where the harvest guidance comes from
- When it is readyHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Growing apricots
Checked 2026-08-13
- How to pick itHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
- Keeping itHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence
No external citation — see the evidence type above.
Checked 2026-08-13
What goes wrong
| Problem | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poor fruit set | commonsourceSourced guidancehigh confidence
Checked 2026-08-13 | The defining problem: February frost, or no insect activity to move the pollen. |
| Peach leaf curl | occasionalsourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 | Less severe than on peaches but the same fungus and the same rain-exclusion defence. |
| Silver leaf | occasionalsourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 | |
| Bacterial canker | occasionalsourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 | |
| Brown rot | occasionalsourceHorticultural consensusmoderate confidence No external citation — see the evidence type above. Checked 2026-08-13 |
Grown with, grown after, grown instead
Every relationship states its mechanism. A pairing nobody can explain is a pairing nobody has checked, and it does not go in.
- Closely relatedPeachBoth early-flowering self-fertile Prunus grown as wall fans in Britain, sharing silver leaf susceptibility, leaf curl and the need for hand pollination. Apricot flowers earlier still, which makes frost the greater of its two problems.
source
Sourced guidancehigh confidence
- Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Prunus
Checked 2026-08-13
Safety and edibility
- Which parts are ediblechildrenApricot kernels contain amygdalin at levels high enough that eating them in quantity has caused cyanide poisoning. They are sometimes sold as a health food, which does not make them safe to eat freely.
source
Horticultural consensushigh confidence
- Royal Horticultural Society: Potentially harmful garden plants
Checked 2026-08-13
Eat the flesh and discard the stones. Do not eat apricot kernels, whatever they are marketed as.
Sources for this page
GrowingHQ editorial synthesis · Royal Horticultural Society
Each figure on this page carries its own citation, under the “where these figures come from” note in its section. Record last reviewed 2026-08-13.
If something is wrong with it
- Flowers dropping without setting fruit — 2 causes GrowingHQ holds for apricot
- Fruit splitting or cracking — 2 causes GrowingHQ holds for apricot
Something else? Work through it with the diagnostic tool.