Are Harcot apricots worthwhile to grow in Z6?

General Fruit Growing
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In CA I tried some Royal Blenheim apricots from the farmer’s market. They were delicious! I tried Royal Blenheim in Z6. Maybe I’d get a crop every 4 - 6 years, but only a half ass crop. I pulled out all the apricots and put in peaches. I was thinking about trying apricots again. Harcot seems to be the Z6 winner for fruit setting reliability according to AI.

How is Harcot’s flavor? Is it a reliable yearly fruit producer? Any problems with it?

AI gave this rundown on Z6 apricot options.

For Zone 6, the most reliable and consistent producers of apricots are generally those that bloom late to avoid spring frosts and have high cold hardiness. Based on search results, the top contenders are:

Harcot: Highly regarded for cold-hardy, frost-resistant, and late-blooming, making it ideal for the unpredictable spring weather of Zone 6.

Puget Gold: Bred for reliability, this variety is known for setting fruit even in cooler, wet, or marginal climates (Zones 5-9).

Goldcot: A reliable, late-blooming variety that is very hardy, reducing the risk of frost damage to buds.

Moorpark: A classic, self-fruitful, and reliable producer in zones 6-9, known for its high-quality fruit.

Harglow: A productive, late-blooming variety that is a strong choice for colder regions.

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Not from personal experience- but I think Scott wasn’t a fan of the “har” series you can look at his post: Scotts Stone Fruit Experiences Through 2022.

I ordered scions from Purvis this year and he has a bunch he recommended. Hopefully, I’ll be able to recommend some in a couple years!

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Here’s a good write up from Bob Purvis:

https://purvisnurseryandorchard.weebly.com/uploads/4/6/2/3/46237531/apricots_-_a_wider_geographic_possibility.doc

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I talked to a local guy that said he only gets apricots every other year.

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That’s good! At least from what I got in the past.

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i got a harcot and harglow coming this spring. planting them in the ground where my old chicken coop and run were last year. supposedly hardy to z4. im in 4b. i have brookcot, westcot, hoyt montrose and 1 other grafted to my black ice plum but havent fruited yet. had 1 bloom on westcot but it didnt set last spring. so far no cold damage on any of them. you shouldnt have any issuses growing them in z6. the har series are also known to be very disease resistant.

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My big problem is that they bloom at the first sign of warmth and then the blooms get blasted by a late freeze. The weather where I am is a bit erratic in the spring.

Some of the ones I got from Purvis were known to be slow bloomers, so hopefully that helps.

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i believe all the hars are late bloomers and i think most of the ones i grafted are as well. we get alot of snow most years so that helps keep everything dormant until the 2 week of may .