I think the early blooming is the problem. Too early for enough pollinators.
What are the earliest flowers to emerge in your area. Plant as many as possible. Also maybe buy early mason bees such as Blue Orchard Mason Bees which I think are some of the earliest mason bees and popular for almonds.
Thanks. The orchard is filled with dandelions about the same time as the apricot. We tried mason bees before we got honey bees. I donât remember which variety, but two years in a row we failed to keep a colony going. Weâve put up mason bee housing since then, but no native mason bees have been interested. Perhaps we should try again.
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just throwing this out there but dandelions can be a sign of calcium deficient soil. Have you dont a soil test recently. But dont forget about those orchard bees.
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Left: Sugar Pearls, Right: Canadian White Blenheim. Pictures arenât showing the contrast too well. Sugar Pearls is light yellow developing a golden blush on the sunny side. Flesh is soft and very juicy, brix 19 to 23, very flavorful (more acid?). Canadian White Blenheim is very golden turning more intense in the sun. Flesh is firmer, not quite as juicy, only measured two of them (both were 21 brix), less intense flavor (lower acid?), so little fuzz they look shiney, and ripens a week later than Sugar Pearls.
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Both look very nice! Enjoy⌠I was curious, do you get late frosts some years where you are?
@alan @BobVance @scottfsmith It also seems that eastern Washington and Idaho are more fit for growing cots than the north East, where apricot trees frequently die, which I find as interesting dichotomy, as these states/regions are as cold, if not colder than NY and CT, for instance. Perhaps temperature fluctuations is the more detrimental variable.
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I think maybe wet soil reduces cold tolerance by making cells easier rupturing. Or somehow the humid air. The very high desert of New Mexico has tremendous fluctuations in temps in both winter and spring. and yet along the Rio Grande not far from Taos there were huge ancient cot trees when I was there about half a century ago.
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We are pretty lucky here. Elevation is 2000â to 2100â, annual rainfall is approximately 20" and very little of that falls in July, August, or September. Summer days are crazy long, but Summer is short (read infinite chill hoursâŚ). We are near the western foothills of the Rockies so the clouds stack up against the mountains Fall Winter and Spring. I think the combination of fairly deep Winters, cloud cover, and not too high elevation saves us from most late freezes. This year was the exception. Monday morning after Easter, it was 23 in the valley. I figured that I would lose everything, but I am on a hill and the two apricot trees are close to the concrete patio which is close to the house. Must have provided a favorable microclimate because I had to thin the apricots. The peaches are farther away from the house and they got hit. I did not have to thin Redhaven or Early Redhaven much at all. PF24C lost about 40% of its blooms, but 60% of infinity is still a lot of blooms, so thinning was required. That tree really makes me work. Interestingly, OâHenry had its normal low amount of blooms requiring rather little thinning just like any other year.
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I suspect the lack of moisture out West helps a lot. I would be willing to bet that a lot of apricots back East succumb to brown rot blossom blight. I am fairly convinced that is what killed my first Canadian White Blenheim tree. Rain during bloom provides favorable conditions for it. I often here about healthy apricot trees vigorously blooming and beginning growth in the Spring then dying.
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The finest apricot i have even had here in Wisconsin is wilson delicious. From Stark Brothers. Goldcot would be a second choice. A copper based fungicide with sulfur helps but funginol is best
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I hope I get to harvest a few from our tree⌠someday! 
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My friend may want to grow Apricots in central NY (between Syracuse + Binghamton around here):
Any varieties that are hardy enough and wonât mind the east coast climate and wonât get zapped by frosts?
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Bob purvis would be the guy to contact with that question. He knows cold hardy apricots better than anyone. He was handling that for NAFEX at one point and might still. https://purvisnurseryandorchard.weebly.com/
1568 HILL ROAD
HOMEDALE, ID 83678
[(208) 407-6781](tel:(208) 407-6781)
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Way back before energy efficient lights, I would put our outdoor Christmas tree lights on my peach tree near the house. Those big bulbs would throw off enough heat to help with frosts. Never tried with apricots as those trees were too far away to plug in.
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According to Cummins and Mehrabyan, both in Ithaca, unnamed Harrow Research Station HW 460 apricot grows well and is a âconsistent cropperâ in the Finger Lakes area.
My apricot tree is one year old and Iâm in VA, so Iâm not sure how it is regarding to frosts.
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I grew lots of apricots and Hoyt Montrose is the most frost tolerant. It blooms later plus the blooms are pretty cold-resistant. Still itâs not all that much different than other cots, it buys you a week or two is all.
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Sometimes thatâs all you need in eastern KSâŚ
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