Apricot tree.

[Littlesammychong]

Hello I have a young apricot tree growing in the garden and was wondering should I nip the growing tips off so it will bush out more or should I just let it grow as it is?

Thanks, Sam.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Littlesammychong

[Littlesammychong]

It's 14 months old, about 8 foot tall. I started with 3, 1 got eaten by some insect another dug up by the dogs. I only have this one now but it seems to be doing ok.

[Littlesammychong]

Anyone?

[seabear]

Wow I'm jealous.

From 10 aprikot kernels I planted, 5 were growing.

The tallest one died when about 8cm tall.

Did you grow yours from seed?

[BSJ]

Fresh apricots....yum yum!

[Littlesammychong]

Fresh apricots....yum yum!

Weird!

[Shawn0001]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

[Littlesammychong]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

At last, thanks Shawn0001.

I got 3 seeds given by a bloke in the next village, he's gone now and I have no idea what they are.

[Shawn0001]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

At last, thanks Shawn0001.

I got 3 seeds given by a bloke in the next village, he's gone now and I have no idea what they are.

At last? Your obscure question was answered by ThaiVisa in less than 48 hours, surprisingly quick if you ask me. Apricots being apricots and your question having nothing to do with Thailand besides your tree being here, you might do better on a gardening forum. The RHS is very good. www.mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/

[cooked]

I'm not sure you can apply advice given by English gardeners to a specifically Thai question.

The advice given about cutting back by two thirds is good, however with a lot of experience in pruning all sorts of fruit trees I would say that apricots and peaches are amongst the most difficult to learn how to prune. They do need to be pruned hard. They also need pinching back after fruit is forming, but I am struggling to work out how this would work out in Thailand, to be honest I wouldn't even try, but I am in Isaan.

Keep the roots area free of weeds and mulch. Don't let the first fruits stay on the tree, you must remove them or you will have to wait a lot longer for your next harvest.

You can't learn this kind of thing from a book, it took me about 10 years to feel confident about peaches and apricots.

[Littlesammychong]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

At last, thanks Shawn0001.

I got 3 seeds given by a bloke in the next village, he's gone now and I have no idea what they are.

At last? Your obscure question was answered by ThaiVisa in less than 48 hours, surprisingly quick if you ask me. Apricots being apricots and your question having nothing to do with Thailand besides your tree being here, you might do better on a gardening forum. The RHS is very good. www.mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/

Blimey, I said thanks. What's up? Rough night? Your lass on the rag?

[drtreelove]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

I have a different opinion on pruning. I follow a more conservative approach and don't use extreme heading cuts to reduce branch size. There is a guideline in modern arboriculture and ANSI standards called the 25% rule (don't remove more than 25% of the foliage within a one year time frame). Shorten the branches by 1/4 or 1/3 at most. The harder you prune, the more reaction there will be with excessive vegetative growth. Prune for structural integrity by promoting staggered, alternating scaffold branch development. (Try not to let multiple branches develop from one spot on the tree trunk; space them out for long term best arrangement.)

And I would not strip the lower growth off of the trunk. You can shorten it, but leaving the lower growth temporarily to shade the trunk while the foliar crown develops is advisable. Sunburn can damage bark and underlying tissue and create an avenue for wood decay, and can be the beginning of the end before the tree even gets started. The growth left on the trunk also aids in development of caliper (trunk diameter), which is important for structural integrity.

[cooked]

I would remove all the lower growth on the main stem and cut the three tips back 2/3. Where did you buy them? Do you know what cultivar they are?

I have a different opinion on pruning. I follow a more conservative approach and don't use extreme heading cuts to reduce branch size. There is a guideline in modern arboriculture and ANSI standards called the 25% rule (don't remove more than 25% of the foliage within a one year time frame). Shorten the branches by 1/4 or 1/3 at most. The harder you prune, the more reaction there will be with excessive vegetative growth. Prune for structural integrity by promoting staggered, alternating scaffold branch development. (Try not to let multiple branches develop from one spot on the tree trunk; space them out for long term best arrangement.)

And I would not strip the lower growth off of the trunk. You can shorten it, but leaving the lower growth temporarily to shade the trunk while the foliar crown develops is advisable. Sunburn can damage bark and underlying tissue and create an avenue for wood decay, and can be the beginning of the end before the tree even gets started. The growth left on the trunk also aids in development of caliper (trunk diameter), which is important for structural integrity.

Judging by the photo from the OP this tree has not been pruned. It should have been pruned by the seller. Cutting back by two thirds this one time would be correct I am guessing, apricots will grow so fast that lateral shoots just don't flourish. As I said, pinching regularly is necessary. I have heard all the arguments about sunburn and decided that they are based on superstition, as have many others. You can always wrap hessian around the trunk (as I used to do to impress customers).