How to Grow Apricots USA

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Well-drained (RHS); USU Extension warns it has little tolerance of wet or heavy soils
Lifecycle	Deciduous tree, self-fertile -- only one tree needed for a crop (RHS), though USU Extension notes yield improves with a second, concurrently-blooming cultivar nearby.
Edible parts	fruit

At a Glance

Diseases

Blossom wilt

low

Monilinia laxa

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Cytospora canker

moderate

Cytospora spp.

USU Extension names cytospora/pseudomonas canker as a major apricot disease; recorded here against Cytospora spp. specifically since that is the fungal component USU names first.

Silver leaf

low

Chondrostereum purpureum

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page; RHS's spring/summer-only pruning rule is specifically to reduce this risk.

Coryneum (shot hole) blight

low

Wilsonomyces carpophilus

USU Extension names coryneum (shot hole) blight as a major apricot disease; the same species already linked to Peach.

Bacterial canker (Prunus)

moderate

Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Honey fungus

low

Armillaria spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Pests

Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

low

Tetranychus urticae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page; USU Extension separately names spider mites generically.

San Jose scale

moderate

Diaspidiotus perniciosus

USU Extension names San Jose scale as a major apricot pest.

Tortrix moth caterpillars

low

Tortricidae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page (no severity grading given).

Spotted wing drosophila

moderate

Drosophila suzukii

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as damaging ripening fruit.

Aphids

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as "fruit aphids"; USU Extension separately confirms aphids as a pest.

Greater peachtree borer

moderate

Synanthedon exitiosa

USU Extension names greater peachtree borer as a major apricot pest; the same species already linked to Peach.

Winter moth

low

Operophtera brumata

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as damaging fruits and leaves.

Squirrels

moderate

Sciurus spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as damaging ripening fruit.

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Water regularly during dry spells for the first two years, with consistent moisture especially important as fruit swells in early-mid summer, applied morning or evening to reduce loss (RHS)

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Planting and establishment	0	Best planted in autumn when soil is warm and damp, though any time November-March works (RHS). USU Extension gives US orchard spacing of 18-22ft between trees; choose a site free of perennial weeds and avoid planting in lawns due to conflicting irrigation and feeding needs.
Flowering and pollination	6	Blooms very early, when few pollinating insects are active, so hand-pollinate with a small paintbrush over several dry sunny days (RHS); protect blossom from frost with fleece overnight, removed by day. USU Extension states this early bloom makes apricot highly frost-susceptible -- in Utah, fruiting occurs in only about 3 of 5 years as a direct result, and later-blooming cultivars are the main mitigation.
Fruit development and thinning	7	Thin fruitlets once cherry-sized, cutting unwanted ones in half with secateurs so they drop off, leaving those remaining 5-8cm (2-3in) apart (RHS); USU Extension gives closely matching advice at grape-size, thinning to one fruit every 4-6in. Prune only in spring or summer, never winter, to reduce silver leaf and bacterial canker risk (RHS).
Ripening and harvest	8	Ripens late July to August; ripe fruit is soft, richly coloured and comes away easily, but bruises easily too (RHS). Protect ripening fruit from birds and squirrels with secure netting or fruit sleeves before it starts to colour up.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Ripe fruit is soft, rich in colour and comes away easily from the tree when lifted (RHS); USU Extension similarly describes fruit turning yellow/red and softening, harvested July through August.

Storage

Best eaten straight away and bruises easily; can only be stored for a few days fresh, though it dries and preserves well (RHS).

What the research guides add

The apricot’s problem is not winter cold but timing: it flowers so early that a late frost can take the whole crop.

• Apricots bloom early in spring, so the blossoms can be damaged by early spring frost and choosing a frost-free site is very important (Illinois). NC State says to plant in a protected area, not in a low-lying frost pocket. (Illinois Extension, NC State Extension)
• NC State says winters must be chilly enough to meet the tree’s chilling requirement, and spring should be dry and frost-free. (NC State Extension)
• The tree is dense and can reach 15 to 40 feet tall and wide, and should be planted at least 10 feet from patios, water pipes and sewer pipes (NC State). Illinois says spacing depends on the rootstock, climate, soil fertility and pruning. (NC State Extension, Illinois Extension)
• It needs full sun and moist, well-drained, fertile soil. (NC State Extension, Illinois Extension)
• Illinois advises taking soil samples a year before planting and adding well-rotted manure and compost according to the soil test. (Illinois Extension)

Apricot in the USA: climate data

Dates are the median 32°F freeze dates and freeze-free days from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; zones come from the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map (ZIP code of each city centre).

Sources for this section

• University of Illinois Extension: Apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.), Hort Answers
• NC State Extension: Prunus armeniaca (Plant Toolbox)

Section researched and checked on 24 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

Sources

1. Utah State University Extension - How to Grow Apricots in Your Home Garden

   USDA zones 5-8, hardy selections to zone 4. Blooms very early, highly frost-susceptible -- fruiting only 3 of 5 years in Utah; later-blooming cultivars (Goldrich, Harglow) mitigate. Site: free of perennial weeds, avoid lawns (conflicting irrigation/fertiliser needs). Soil: needs good drainage, little tolerance of wet/heavy soil, very prone to iron chlorosis in Utah's alkaline soils. Spacing 18-22ft. Pruning: open-vase (3-4 scaffold branches at 18-24in) or modified-central-leader (more mid-canopy foliage, reduces sunburn in hot climates). Fertiliser: none year 1, then 1/2-1 cup 20-0-0 annually if growth inadequate. Thin to one fruit per 4-6in at grape-size. Pollination: self-fruitful, better yield with a concurrent-blooming second cultivar nearby. Harvest July-August, fruit yellow/red and softening. Pests: greater peachtree borer, aphids, spider mites, San Jose scale. Diseases: coryneum (shot hole) blight, cytospora/pseudomonas canker, root diseases from overwatering.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Royal Horticultural Society, Utah State University Extension) is in the references of our UK guide to apricots; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.