Blenheim Apricot
2007: 5/26/07: Planted from a five-gallon container.

DSCN0625.JPG DSCN0625.JPG 2008: 3/13/08: The blossoms went full about a week ago, and are now fading. For such a small tree there were an awful lot of blossoms. We won't allow much fruit to ripen this year, as the most important issue is for the tree to grow more. 3/23/08: This one has more tiny fruits than I ever imagined, so we'll have to do a whole lot of thinning. I deposited some ladybugs on the tree last weekend and this. They didn't stay long, probably because there wasn't much to eat. 3/29/08: The apricots have been self-thinning. Those that got a late start simply fell off. We'll need to do a little more thinning later, but for now we'll watch and see how the fruit forms. 4/13/08: The apricots are coming along well, now roughly the size of a shelled almond. 6/7/08: New growth has been on the order of 12-18 inches per branch so far, which is extremely good for such a young tree. However, the apricots are still very green, and seem not to be growing. The frost on 3/31/08 appears to have caused some fruit damage, but the degree of damage is unclear. 6/22/08: The tree continues to look very healthy. Thanks to recent heat wave the fruits have acquired a slight blush to them. 7/10/08: We picked the first two apricots on 7/7/08, or rather they fell into the nets. We picked the remaining fruit yesterday, for a total of 40 small apricots weighing about 3 lbs. I expect them to be larger next year, but they are so delicious this year that they don't need to get any better.

2/20/09: Nothing showing yet, so far as buds or growth is concerned. 3/1/09: Buds are swelling, but there aren't as many as last year. 3/26/09: New growth is vigorous, but we'll only have a handful of apricots. 4/23/09: Again, new growth is very strong, but I can only find about 5 apricots on the tree. It seems that the rain arrived just at the wrong time this year, as I know of other growers who have next to nothing in their apricot orchards.

2010: Picked 1 lb. on 7/7/10. Picked 7 lbs. on 7/13/10. Total: 8.0 lbs.

3/14/11: Blossoms began to open around 3/6, and the tree is now in full bloom. 5/22/11: The tree is loaded with fruit nearly the size of shelled walnuts. I'd like to thin out the fruit, but dear wife says I'll pay dearly if I pluck any more before they're ripe. The branches will break if we don't either thin the fruit or support them in some other way. 7/13/11: 4.0 lbs. 7/17/11: 8.5 lbs. 7/22/11: 9.0 lbs. 7/24/11: 16.0 lbs. 7/26/11: 2.0 lbs. Total: 39.5 lbs.

2/24/12: The blossoms were not open at all on 2/22/12, but now they're opening quite nicely. I doubt if we well have as much fruit as last year, but we may still do OK. 5/20/12: The fruit is less dense than last year, but the tree is larger, so perhaps our crop will not be terribly smaller than last year. I have thinned a bit, as the fruit has grown in tight clusters, and has done so on some very thin branches. New growth has begun, and is now about 6 inches in length in some of the more advanced areas. The fruit size is roughly that of a walnut without shell.