Container apricot

[Bumblingbroccoli]

Hi all my mum has bought me a bare root apricot on st Julien a root stock to grow in a tub as my Christmas present. I have planted it in a temporary tub - quite big but I suspect slightly small.

I have 3 questions

1) what size pot should I get? You see a lot of v wide but quite shallow tubs and similarly quite tall ones that aren't that wide.
2) am I meant to prune it now I've planted it? If so how and how much?
3) when should I transfer the tree to the next pot when I get it?

Thanks!

[Kirk]

Well reading the RHS site I would not be too sure of it ultimately being suited to a pot/container.


Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, gages, damsons

Name of rootstock: Saint Julian A (semi-vigorous)
Suitable for: Bush, half standard, fan-trained
Start fruiting: After three or four years
Ultimate height as trained as bush: 4.5-5m (14-18ft)
Growing conditions: heavy soils are tolerated
Staking: 5 years
Spacing: 5m (18ft)

4.5 to 5 meter doesn't read as "container" to my thinking.
Where are you, cannot see a location but changed the display so it might be there when I get to the normal window.

If South or if a suitable position I half suggest that you plant it in a sunny sheltered location.

The problem is that Apricots etc never have had the time devoted to rootstocks that apples have, so St Julian is smaller but that does not mean "small". Think 5 meter is smaller then 10 meter.

Too late but there seems to be a Torinel rootstock that is 3 meter.

You could limit growth by restricting the pot size - Bonsai style, probably Chinese bonsai method rather then Japanese. but will eventually prove difficult as it will want to be a 4-5 meter tree/bush.

Location has appeared: Berkshire - should be south enough for Apricot's if sheltered and in sun.

[nickdub]

May I ask if there is any particular reason for growing the Apricot in a container, as opposed to planting it in the ground ?

[Bumblingbroccoli]

Ease of protecting it. We're in the south but can get a bit windy. Also best southern facing bits of the garden are in the front where less room for standards...

[nickdub]

Ease of protecting it. We're in the south but can get a bit windy. Also best southern facing bits of the garden are in the front where less room for standards...

OK - I can understand that - probably if I was in your shoes I'd go with the less than ideal placement and plant it there - but as with all these things its a matter of personal choice - so good luck with it and all your gardening.

[Kirk]

You would eventually need a big container, even could need a big one to get going with.
Just looking at the pots I have a round the 40cm dia and 30cm deep would do to start, but the 50cm dia and 40cm deep one would be better or needed after a while.

The 50/40 would I guess be OK until the tree reached about head height say 1.5mtr maybe 2mtr. That rootstock is for double that.

I know that the idea is that a container can be moved, what experience has given me is they are too heavy and they stay put. They also get neglected - too wet, too dry, too cold.

My 50/40 pot used to house a blueberry and that was never really happy and that never exceeded a meter.

I thin the problem is that it is not an overly dwarf tree. Immaterial of what the label may imply.

[Northampton-Nick]

For me the general rule is the bigger the container the better...my victoria plum tree and pear trees are in 130 litre pots from Amozon....heres the link.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Out...1546036984&sr=

[TrixC]

Hi all my mum has bought me a bare root apricot on st Julien a root stock to grow in a tub as my Christmas present. I have planted it in a temporary tub - quite big but I suspect slightly small.

I have 3 questions

1) what size pot should I get? You see a lot of v wide but quite shallow tubs and similarly quite tall ones that aren't that wide.

The bigger the better, although if the tree is currently small it’s better to start with a moderately sized pot and increase it each year as the tree grows. Bear in mind that a container grown tree will need regular feeding and watering, if the container is too small you may struggle to keep up.

2) am I meant to prune it now I've planted it? If so how and how much?

Stone fruit is best pruned in the summer to reduce the risk of disease, although formative pruning for a young tree can be done in the Spring. What shape is the tree currently, is it a maiden (first year tree) or is it an older tree where initial shaping has already been done?

3) when should I transfer the tree to the next pot when I get it?

Anytime between now and late Spring.

Thanks!

Answers as above.

[Bumblingbroccoli]

Thanks for all the great advice. I will keep you all posted how it fares this year...

[Bumblingbroccoli]

Trix

Not sure if it's a maiden or not. It was supplied bare root if that helps. From blackmoor.