Bush Apricots

They are for sale from Michigan Bulb. Has anyone grown them and have you got any fruits? Thanks

These are Manchurian apricots. Not a grower of these. However, unless this is an improved cultivar of some sort, the fruits are sour and only suitable for jams and such.

So they are called Manchurian apricots ? They advertised them as big, sweet and juicy. thx

IMHO – don’t get tricked into buying this expecting apricots — The marketing images look like a real apricot – like a blenheim or gold kist, rather than a manchurian. They may even be Manchurian seedlings, which can be used as rootstock – i.e. this could be seller trying to clear out his overstock of ungrafted rootstocks. Do some investigation if you want to try these out, perhaps call up the seller and get some more information.

Other sellers w/ the same image:

Here are some of the reviews of “manchurian’s” – scroll to the bottom:

To summarize - “Not small”, “Ornamental” “Not fruitful”

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Thx! All points noted. I will pass on it. Thx again so much!

ps: any thoughts on Chinese Montgamet Sweet Pit apricots?

If you want an apricot with edible pits then this is your guy:

Late bloom in your zone is a plus, there’s a deal on shipping that Stark’s is running.

Chinese Montgamet will be similar in bloom time

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I have Stark SweetHeart :slight_smile: Took several attempts to grow as it keeps dying on me (I am growing in container) It finally grew last year. I hope it is still alive as weather has been crazy. Is the Mongamet worthwhile? Thx!

Old books call it “Large Early Montgamet”. Here is some info.

Hedrick: Probably a European sort renamed. Mostly grown in California. Fruit early, large, round-oval, sides compressed, irregular, ribbed, truncate; color rich yellow or orange, mottled or blushed with red; flesh deep yellow, juicy, firm, sweet, rich; quality very good; stone large, free; kernel sweet.

Wickson: Large, orange yellow, reddish on sunny side, firm.

Raintree: Chinese Montgamet Sweet Pit Apricot is also known as Chinese Golden, Mormon or Large Early Montgamet Apricot. Sweet kernel. Late blooming, excellent choice for late frost areas. Tree is medium size, precocious, heavy bearer. Golden orange medium size fruit is sweet, firm and juicy and ripens over a long period of time. Winter hardy. Self fertile.

Thx! Is it a worthwhile cultivar? I am in zone 6 so the blossoms will most probably be zapped since all apricots are early bloomer? Only this morning we had snow!

I just grafted this variety a couple days ago, so no personal experience on the flavor yet. Apricot blooms are always at high risk of spring frost damage in most areas, it’s just a given.

I see that you are in zone9 so you should be OK. I have Cot N Candy. 2 years growing a few blossoms. I have covered with frost fabric for days now as weather is so unpredictable. I am most probably wasting my time as in the past I have covered and still lost the blossoms.

Yes, I’m in California, it’s the place to be if you want to grow stone fruit. I didn’t yet find a stone fruit tree that wouldn’t fruit for me on its second leaf.

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I have a Stark’s SweetHeart tree, probably 6 yrs old now. Produced 5 apricots last year. They were sweet, about the size of store bought apricots, and the kernels tasted good although not that “almondy”.

Other than it has been very slow growing its great. Wish I had planted another.

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Wow, that is very slow but still 5 apricots is a bumper crop for Zone5. you have it in the ground, right? Thx!

The variety name is Homedale, it was discovered in 1970 as a chance seedling by Garfield Shults in Homedale, Idaho. Later, it was patented by Stark Brothers (filed in 1984; patent issued in 1986). It was marketed by Stark Brothers as “Double Delight” but as some point they changed the marketing name to “SweetHeart”.

Patent info: https://www.google.com/patents/USPP5651 (exp. Apr 23, 2004)

I have two Manchurian bush apricots in the back yard. They are no doubt seedlings as one grows and blooms a little differently than the other. I got one really big crop off of them in fifteen years. The fruit were about the size of a quarter and dry but did have an apricot flavor. They got quite large, 15 feet or do tall, I cut them off ladt year and top worked with amadiocot.

Yes in the ground here. This is a somewhat rough climate (cold and windy and dry), so trees can take longer to bearing here.

I prefer z5 than the grey z6 I am in. Spring always comes too early and everything gets zapped :frowning: