Is there an apricot tree short life disease?

General Fruit Growing
#1

This is perhaps a silly question.

I know about PTSL and have thus far not purchased a peach. The extension offices around here only recommend Guardian rootstock for peaches for that reason.

However, I have now being doing more research into apricots, and I find some people saying that they died very suddenly, for no real reason, like PTSL.

I’ve ordered 3 trees (on 3 different rootstocks–2 were only available from 1 source, so I got the rootstocks I got.)

Should I be looking to buy some Guardian rootstock in the next year or two and graft my apricot scions on to that as a backup? (Are apricots even compatible with Guardian?)

I know it might not be a question with a definite answer, just wanted to see if anyone could chime in.

#2

here in vegas, apricots are the least likely to succumb to pests/sudden-death syndromes(among prunus species), but it will also die/decline prematurely without anyone knowing why
gave one tree last spring to a friend who’s now complaining her tree already looks sad.

still, best proof of its longevity is that it is the only prunus tree i see established in people’s yards around here, and have watched some of them over five years and still fruiting, which is already commendable-- in prunus terms.

#3

Apricots also randomly die for some people but I’m not sure the symptoms line up with PTSL which is supposed to be on younger trees primarily. It seems to mostly be correlated with the winter weather conditions. @alan was commenting on this if I recall.

All of these issues are primarily in the east I think. I have had issues with Krymsk 2 but besides that I only have one tree in decline due to borers and all other cots going strong 10 or more years after planting.

#4

Cots die around here for unknown reasons. Cambium damage from cold and dessication? Sensitivity to warm winters followed by late freeze events in April? It’s not clear.

I had two beautiful apricot trees, both on Citation, die this past winter/spring for no apparent reason. One of these trees was the vaunted Tomcot cultivar, which has performed well for others back East.

I am going to try Hargrand on Manchurian on the assumption that cold dry winters might have something to do with it. @alan has said that Hargrand has been a rugged survivor for him in New York state.