How long it takes an apricot tree to start giving fruit?
How long it takes a cherry tree to start giving cherries?
One of my apricot trees has turned to making smaller leaves than before (4 years old).
Any clues?
My seed grown Montmorency is 7 years old and flowers heavily but all the cherries rot before they get ripe. My seed grown north star is 4 years old and I am expecting flowers next year as well as fruit rot.
Are you talking about apricot and cherry trees grown from seeds?
Can you post pics of your apricot leaves?
By the way, You have the most unusual name I have seen on this site. I like unique names.
My name is Greek with a quasi French surname and I am Scottish!
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The apricot trees are grown from seeds.
3rd and 4th babies r coming up now.
The cherry tree is a “Sunburst” prunus avium purchased from a garden centre and planted successfully.
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I don’t have experience with apricot grown from seeds. My peach trees grown from seeds have fruited in year 3 but more in year 4. My peach seedlings have grown vigorously.
Your apricot appears less healthy. Is it in a pot or in ground, I can’t tell. If I were you I would add compost to the best of the tree and feed it some balance fertilizer.
I guess your apricot may flower next year. Although apricots are supposed to be self fertile, my experience is without other varieties for cross pollination, it sets fruit poorly.
Sweet cherry can set fruit in 3-4 years after planting. The production increases as a tree matures. Some sweet cherries are self fruitful . Others need cross pollination.
All trees are planted in the garden. I have two apricot trees for cross pollination.
The soil here is clay like and the climate is a really wet in the central belt of Scotland, even in summer months.
I am using fertilizer now and unpeated compost for past 4 weeks.
On pictures
- “Sorry” Apricot 4 years old
- “Chubby” apricot tree 3 years old
- Cherry tree prunus avium 3 years old
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I agree with Tippy - cool name!
So, just a couple of things to consider. Stone fruits, especially apricots don’t like wet conditions or poorly drained soil which exacerbates wet conditions. It sounds like you have both. In locations like yours, it is good practice to plant stone fruits on mounds to elevate them somewhat from the surrounding moisture retaining soil allowing better drainage for the roots. Additionally, clearing the grass away from the trees may help, especially if you water the grass at all.
Your trees are still pretty small, so you could transplant them to mounds if you feel that it would be worth it.
As for your original question, judging by the size of your trees, I would guess you might see some blooms next year, if not - definitely the year after.
I would point out that some apricot varieties do need cross polination and some do not. Probably good that you have two trees (I assume they are not the same variety) just to be safe.
The one apricot tree is French the other Spanish and from two different years.
I treated the soil before transplanting. Dug a hole approx 3ft put in gravel and stone chips then sand with compost without peat and then compost. I put the plastic border to stop grass and weed invading. But get ur point. Better take a circle of grass away and give some wider soil space for the root to breath. The grass is never watered over here. Scotland has 310 days of rain per year!!!
Many Thx for your kind advice. It’s very encouraging. The whole project is an experiment and bet with myself. The seeds are coming from apricots I use to make jam for the family every year. Kindest Regards
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PS
Watering the trees there is no pooling of water in the ditch. That should indicate that my soil stratification paid out!??
Xen Rouss
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Hopefully so! Good luck!