| I planted my Royal Rosa apricot three years ago on a sunny slope. The first year it flowered extensively and I had some fruit, then it stopped flowering for the last two seasons although it looks very healthy to me and grew to 15 feet. The soil is clay like in the whole area. I fertilize it with a specially formulated Mircle Gro for citrus trees. |
| Plum and apricot trees produce their fruit on one year old growth and on vigorous shoots from older wood. Each year some of the older non-productive branches should be pruned out to stimulate new vigorous growth. If you haven't pruned, you may not be getting fruiting wood. Fruit trees should be pruned in early spring after the danger of severe cold weather has passed and before the trees leaf out. A fruit tree should have from 5 to 8 scaffold branches spaced 6 to 18 inches apart vertically and with crotch angles of 45 degrees or more. Narrow crotch angles are weak and will split under a heavy load of fruit. Never allow more than one leader on a fruit tree. Before pruning, remember that excessive pruning will delay fruit production. |
