No, your tiny sample and 5% odds mean almost nothing. If 20 folks on this forum grew a few apricots then the odds are one would experience some similar anomaly that would lead us to a false conclusion.
However, in CA, UC Davis doesn’t recommend myro, but not because of canker susceptibility. They suggest its graft unions are more likely to snap off in the wind. In the N.east I’ve had all kinds of problems with apricots- all related to cambium freeze but I’ve never had a tree snap at the union, so I doubt that is a big problem here. Selection of rootstocks is partially regional and ACN, the largest east coast supplier of apricot trees, propagates exclusively on myro.
The above advisory is from Davis and apparently Citation is on the way to becoming the most popular rootstock for apricots in the state responsible for most of it’s commercial production in the country, so even if your issue is coincidental it may have steered you to the best rootstock for you. But the poster is an east coast grower so I’m not sure how this applies there.
He hasn’t suggested citation as an option. I like the rootstock but haven’t grown apricot on it.
I planted a Harcot and a Tomcot on Citation last year for trial. They both put on a lot of growth and looked great going into dormancy. This spring, the Tomcot failed to push leaves and the Harcot stalled just as the buds started to open. An investigation revealed that both were slowly dying back, but the trunks and some branches were still green with moisture. The Citation rootstocks, however, were completely dry and dead looking.
The rootstocks always survived in previous springtime apricot deaths . This is the first time I’ve seen death from the rootstock. I wonder if the polar vortex plunges are what killed them. Maybe it was high soil moisture prior to the polar vortex plunge. They were planted in two totally different areas of the property, but the soil doesn’t vary much.
Needless to say, I’m not very impressed with their hardiness in northeast zone 5 with silt loam soil that drains poorly. Considering they also have issues with stunting peaches and nectarines, I don’t think I will be using these rootstocks anymore unless it is for potted trees that will be sheltered from winter extremes.
Mine was on Citation. It looked great going into last winter, then died abruptly.
Same thing happened to my Moorpark on Citation. This rattled me pretty good, and I am gunshy about cots now.
Are you seeing the fair share of sudden death with Early Blush or OrangeRed? Do cots on Myro seem to die suddenly just as frequently as cots on Citation by you?
Would you think I am limited to Alfred and the Har series? Am I limited to Myro? Have you ever tried cots on Manchurian understock via Cummins? Okay, I’ll shut up now. 20 questions…
I want to get a rugged tree, and graft multiple varieties onto it. I want to minimize the risk of sudden death/ cambium freeze from happening. My location can see warm winters followed by tricky late frosts. This past April, I think we both endured those terrible freeze events. They devastated my apricots.
I think I’m going to get a Hargrand tree on Manchurian to minimize cold damage.
Has anyone had any trouble with Mid-Atlantic summers being too hot and humid for Manchurian understock? Can the trees get too big? Or can simple pruning keep them a reasonable size without undue introduction of disease?
My longest lived apricot (puget gold) is on k86… not sure if that is what is making the difference, but i’ve lost 2 Tomcot and a Hunza over the years. I might try apricot seedlings as rootstock. Having said all of this…that Puget Gold will probably now shrivel up and die.
I get my Tomcots lately from Van Well, who, unfortunately, graft cots on peach seedling. This has led to issues with borers, especially because I don’t really have my eyes out for borers with cots.
What will work for you is not possible to tell, but Hargrand has tended to be the longest lived cot for me of all the varieties I grow. Orangered showed great signs in terms of maintaining high vigor on my property for 5 years but this seasons events seemed to have knocked it for a loop and I’ve had it die elsewhere at less than encouraging percentage. Early Blush has also turned out to be a bust at many “better” sites than mine but on my property is going strong after losing vigor and being cut back 2 years ago. It looks ready to bear a good crop next season.
The thing is that cots act weirdly at my site- usually not getting full cambium kill but instead maybe cam injury that dooms the trees to inadequate vigor to crop well. On other sites they tend to be live vigorously or die.
I haven’t used Alfred enough to evaluate it well. It does great growing against my east and south wall and even this season I got a few cots from it- the only ones I saw anywhere not in a grocery store. I put a Tomcot on the south side and it is looking very promising after 2 years of growth there.
I’ve never gotten cots on citation- they tend to be on Manchurian.
Could you dig up a decent size root and try to get that to grow? I butchered some roots on a crabapple trying to remove some stubborn kentucky bluegrass out of the mulch this spring and the roots I severed keep pushing new suckers.
I know…what’s the catch? Why isnt it used more often? I do hate that everything seems to come on Lovell or Citation (the stuff i order at least)… and i also battle borers nonstop so its one reason i’m looking into alternatives.
Not sure about digging it. It kept sprouting and then the new sprouts would get knocked over early this spring…it only finally took off in the summer and has put on a ton of growth. I’d rather try to root cuttings or something, but i’ve never done that either…so who knows.
My experiences with rootstock K86 for apricot are very good In addition, K86 propagation eassy by cuttings get fast roots!
Wavit rootstock is also recommended for apricot
@Bass hi bass or anyone, do you have any update on rootstock for apricot? Got some scions and looking for rootstock. I have mustang chum(cherry plum hybrid) and satsuma i could graft to but wondering what better alternatives are out there. Thanks in advance.
Recently I have been using peach… plenty of seedling volunteers so it is free. I used to dislike the extreme vigor of apricot on peach but now I like it… great production from my peach root cots, no fading over the years like some other roots. Just add them to borer treatment like peaches.
My problem has been that I forget which of my apricots are on peach roots and thereby don’t check them often enough- actually it was only a problem with one tree I manage- I did catch it in time to save the tree, but I’d rather not have to worry about it. I don’t get peach volunteers here though- I wonder why. Lots of plums.
@scottfsmith have you tried apricot on plum, japanese, specifically? I read apricot “should” work on plums in general. How well it would,
if at all, that’s another question.