The leaves on my 3’ tall Apricot have begun to curl and drop, of late. Other than that, it appears to be healthy. There is plenty of new growth, and I do not see any signs of critter damage. I do live in a windy area (zone 10a), so there is some wind damage, especially on the newer top leaves. The leaf curl does not appear to be the disease I’ve seen pictures of online. Is it something to worry about?
I repotted it a few months ago, but it did not display any of the current symptoms until just recently. Could it still be transplant shock?
In my experience, apricots do not do well potted in hot summer climate. Screen the pot from the sun to lower the soil temperature, and also make sure the soil in the pot does not dry up. As Mrs. G said above, having a saucer under the pot will help keep the soil moist.
Could be too much water or not enough water. I’m betting that it’s not enough water. That leaf cupping could also be a sign that it’s not liking the heat, is that variety adapt for zone 10?
Thank you all for your replies. It is a Blenheim (zones 7-9) cutting taken from a friend’s tree in zone 9b. While I am technically in zone 10A near San Francisco, our area has a nice little micro-climate, giving us slightly warmer Spring and Summer temps and much less fog than the city. There is a very healthy Blenheim a block away.
If it is a watering issue, it is likely too little, though I feel like I am watering as much as I did when it was healthier. I have put a saucer under it and moved it to a part sun area. I was just about ready to put it in the ground (finished preparing the landscaping area), but now I feel like I have to nurse it back a bit before transplanting.
Black pots fry roots in strong sun, leaving only the interior of the pot inhabitable. The root system probably shrunk at onset of hot weather. An aluminum bubble wrap insulation around the pot may be helpful. Even better might be to partially sink it into the ground and actually let roots grow out into real soil for the rest of the season. If it returns to vigor you can transplant it as a partial bare root the coming winter- carefully extracting the roots from soil and cutting away the pot if it’s necessary. I routinely use this method in my nursery, even though it is against the “book” that says you should discard plants when roots escape pots. I love beating the book.
