I’m getting back into apricots. I had pulled the apricots all out a few years ago and put in peaches to replace them. In my zone I’m lucky to get some apricots every 3 to 5 years. Normally would not care if I had excess land. But every square inch counts when you got little land. I am trying the 2 trees in 1 hole method, so decided to plant 2 apricots.
Do you grow iffy trees that you know upfront won’t produce regularly?
I really want to try testing some apricots from purvis nursery here, because the regular apricots are a once a decade harvest.
I’m in zone 6b at 3800’, although with warming climate, it’s been solidly zone 7 for at least the last 5 years. I’m trying Asian plums and pluots and am having success. Micro climates are key when you’re on the edge. The trees growing on the sheltered, warmer, south side of my home are performing the best.
Yeah I’ve got a couple of trees like that. You kind of accept the deal going in, right? The years they do produce it feels like a bonus rather than something you were counting on. Two in one hole is a smart way to hedge it when space is tight.
If I could get quality stone fruit from either another grower, or a better performing tree, I probably wouldn’t bother, but right now I’m hedging that once every five years is better than once every never. Haven’t been trying long though, so I reserve the right to dig ‘em up and put in something that does work later if the return still ends up being once every never.
I really had to laugh at this title. I have 5 pecan trees planted at my cabin, in northwest lower Michigan. The property is right on the border of Zone 6a-5b. some of the trees will be in their 4th leaf this year. I have to protect the trees from the deer. Just like all my other trees. The deer would eat them to the ground. But, the squirrel planted walnut trees grow like weeds I tell people that I will be way ahead of the curve if the temperatures change drastically up here.
NO!!! They die!!!
Yeah…my american chestnut trees. I have 5 more to plant out there this year to eventually get the blight and die. 
Absolutely. Being in 2b/3a per the Canadian hardiness zone, a large number of fruiting trees & shrubs are pushing zones just to survive.
A couple notable ones would be my Illinois Everbearing & Trader mulberry that are in-ground and the Arctic apricot series that I have on order.
Yes. I like the challenge and the strategizing.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.
IL Everbearing didn’t make it through 3 winters here. I’m surprised it survives at all at your location. Trader gets some tip dieback around -28/-30, but it keeps on living.
My big potted IE seems to have died this year in my garage. Looks like the roots are not fond of temps near 10°F. I have 2 Trader’s in my chicken run that have swelling buds. Does yours put out strong horizontal branching? Both of mine do so I figured they would be good ones to put in the run since I can top them below the hawk netting and create a sprawling canopy.
Trader grows more horizontally than does Kokusa here. I wouldn’t call Trader a vigorous grower though.
I have planted.. over the last 25 years … 4 5 6 apple and pear trees that died of fire blight.
I am still trying to find some that will survive and fruit. I have 3 of each now.
Tried an apricot once… It really did not like it here.. no more of those.
Grew peaches for 15 years or so… eventually the OFM and Brown Rot made them impossible to grow (no spray). Took them out.
Grew Jplums for 13-14 years .. years ago… got 1 good crop before they died. I am trying a couple different varieties now… 4 years in a row.. bloom, set fruit, frost … and all is lost.
Wish everything was as easy and dependable as persimmons.
TNHunter
Great question! 
For me, it depends on the fruit. If it’s something that I really, really want, then I’m okay with it. Like, I didn’t know citrus can be alternate bearing when I started, but now it’s nice because I don’t get a slew of fruit on all 20 varieties all at once each year. 
So 6 may have fruited last year, then a different bunch who didn’t fruit may provide fruit this year, and so on and so forth. (Some are younger plants so have yet to produce.) My Kishu mandarin had like 40 fruits that were tiny (I should have thinned them, lol), my Cara Cara gave 30 fruits, my Rio Red has 8 fruits, my Smith Red blood orange has 1 fruit, and my Meyer’s lemon has 17. That is a lot of fruit for just me, my hubby, and son. Can you imagine if they all fruited at once? Oh boy. 
My Saturn donut peach produces every year for the last 3 years that I’ve had it. My two nectarines that I’ve had just as long have yet to produce. My Asian pears? 5 years, no fruit. An unknown grape from Walmart 5 years old? No fruit. So a couple years ago I added 3 new varieties and I’m hoping to get fruit set this year (fingers crossed). Figs… no fruit for 5 years, but it’s because I didn’t know anything about them 
This year, I’m ALL about figs! Started a gazillion cuttings and am looking forward to some yummy, berry fruity, non-figgy tasting figs in future to come!
YES! they die!!
seriously yes, and yeah i have killed some stuff. all my persimon and jujube die no matter what I’m trying to do. i started or got about a dozen pawpaw that didn’t make it, 4 are holding on. several pears just dried out for no understandable reason.
apples grow like a weed. plums do good. but of course I’ve planted nectarine and apricots.
and there’s the olives and figs and citrus in pots that I’ve got to pull in and out of the greenhouse plus the sapodillas I’m continuously trying to start or grow and the avocados and and
Not anymore !
I really think the answer to this question has a lot to do with your age. I started growing when I was over 65.
You’re basically looking at two years when you fail. So realistically, I would like to live to see the fruits of my labor. !
I’m in my 50s and i figure if things fail at least i had a tree? if i can’t get out there to enjoy stuff it’ll be someone else’s problem (my stepkid, it’ll be his problem)
Totally valid. I’m 49, so I guess I’m still somewhat experimenting.
Omgosh 