How to Grow Apricot Trees in a Home Garden

Site and pollination

• Zones 5-8 (a few hardy selections in 4); full sun; well-drained soil.
• Most varieties self-fruitful; a second variety blooming at the same time boosts yield.
• Bloom is very early — avoid low-lying frost pockets, or accept crop loss in frosty springs.

Care

1. 1Thin hard — When fruit is grape-sized, thin to one per 4-6 inches — apricots over-produce and small unthinned fruit stresses the tree.
2. 2Prune dormant — Late-winter pruning, keeping the canopy open like other stone fruits; fruit forms on 1-year-old spurs.
3. 3Water and mulch — Steady water while establishing; wide mulch ring off the trunk.

→ If your area gets regular late frosts, expect apricot crops maybe 2 years in 3 — the tree is hardy, the flowers aren't.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• Utah State University Extension — Apricots in the Home Garden — Apricots suit zones 5-8, bloom very early (frost-vulnerable), are mostly self-fruitful, fruit on 1-year-old spurs, and should be thinned to one fruit per 4-6 inches.

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