Apricot tree arriving 3/8 - should I plant it?

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’ve got an apricot tree arriving from CA next week, according to UPS. While we are having a weirdly warm end of winter, it is awful early to plant trees here in MA. But the ground isn’t frozen and I could certainly plant it. Or should I stick it in a pot of soil in the basement for a month…?

Any advice appreciated. I’m leaning toward planting it.
Thanks.

#2

For me, as long as the bare root trees stay dormant and the ground is worktable then I would plant my trees.

Tony

#3

I’ve got some trees coming this week too, @HollyGates. I’m planting.

#4

I’ve got trees coming from California too… my ground i think is frozen…i’ll have to check.

#5

Plant it.

#6

Planted this morning.

What a lovely day! Warm and sunny, with crocuses out in force. We also planted carrots, spring radishes, and some fiber flax.

Tree is Tomcot on Citation from Bay Laurel.

Thanks for the advice everyone :slightly_smiling:

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4 Likes
#7

Nice job. Your yard looks fabulous. Really classy stonework, fencing and steps.

#8

Those stones look cool. Are those from your property?

Funny thing…my kids use a kid snow shovel for dirt/woodchips too.

#9

I really like that grid for planting. You’ve got gorgeous black worm bin/compost going there, too!

#10

We’ve toyed with some square foot gardening ideas, and I saw these templates used with vermiculite on Chiot’s Run blog; thought we’d give it a try. Takes longer to plant an area, but we don’t have much area and it gives the kids something more to do.

I built that compost bin two years ago and it has been great. I still need to buy extra compost, even at our small planting area, since our kitchen and garden compost doesn’t make enough volume.

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#11

Thanks; ha ha, no not from the property. The property is a 1/10 acre urban lot; there are some stones (which I find every time I dig a hole!), also broken bottles, pieces of coal, etc. But we had to bring in a lot of rock to have those walls built.

I also use a snow shovel for compost, which is probably why Buster chose that one for himself.

Experimental mulch
#12

Thanks Matt. You could argue from the stuff around the yard that I seem to like spending time on woodworking more than gardening! I’m definitely better at it, at this point. There just isn’t much space to grow things, so we’ve got to try to pack it in and fancy it up with wood and stone.

#13

HG, you and your young crew manage to create an environment on that 1/10th acre that is both productive and aesthetically pleasing. That’s something difficult to accomplish, and you do it well.