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| The best red apricot with large firm fruits that are a favorite for eating fresh. Ripens late June to early July. Self-fertile. Semi-dwarf (12-15' tall, 14' wide). |
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Landscape Uses, Planting and Care
- PLANTING: Amend soil by mixing up to 50% compost with existing soil when digging the tree hole. Plant tree so that soil level in container is level or slightly higher than surrounding soil. Water in to remove air pockets around roots and mulch with wood chips. The first season, water regularly to establish tree.
- OPEN SCAFFOLD TRAINING: The open center system is good for peach and nectarine trees for maximum sunlight exposure, maximum yield, and best quality. Top the central leader and allow well-spaced side shoots to develop. Each year, remove diseased, broken, and low-hanging limbs and vigorous upright shoots that may have developed on the inside of the main scaffolds.
- PRUNING: Pruning fruit trees during winter dormancy will invigorate the tree and cause it to grow and branch more the following season. It's best to do dormant pruning in late winter or early spring, after the risk of severe freeze is over. Be sure to remove any dead or diseased wood also. After the tree resumes growth in the spring, continue to train the scaffold branches of the tree as you did the previous growing season. Prop lateral branches out to a 50 to 60 degree angle. Summer pruning will devigorate the tree and cause it to grow less in that growing season.
- FRUIT THINNING: Fruit trees often set a heavier crop of fruit than limbs can withstand. To ensure good fruit size, return bloom for the following year, and to prevent tree breakage, it is necessary to thin the fruit. In years without frost and freeze damage, more peaches will set than the tree can support and fruit must be thinned. Approximately three to four weeks after bloom or when the largest fruit are as large as a quarter, fruits should be removed by hand so that the remaining peaches are spaced about every 8 inches. Fruit thinning will allow the remaining fruits to develop optimum size, shape, and color, and prevent damage to the tree.
- FERTILIZING: Adequate nutrition is essential for quality apple production. The best thing you can do is top-dress with compost every year. Optimum soil nutrients should result in growth of between 12 and 18" a year. A general rule of thumb for adding additional fertilizer is to apply a combined 2/3 pound of bone meal and 1/3 Texas greensand to each tree the first year, double that the second year, and triple the third and subsequent years. Fertilizer should be broadcast on the soil surface around the drip line of the tree. The "drip line" is the circular line at the outer ends of the branches.
- If you think you have an insect or disease problem, contact us. It's important to identify the pest accurately so a safe and effective treatment can be selected.
- NUTRITION: A medium size peach has only 40 calories, contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol, and provides 2% of the daily requirements of vitamin A and 10% of the daily requirements of vitamin C.
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