The Grand Apricot

Today’s quick tip for our favorite fruit and veggie picks - the apricot. If you plan on planting any fruit trees come spring, you should be placing your orders now for bare root liners. Always use reputable nurseries that supply the commercial growers.

A few things to consider:

Order unique varieties; the not so common ones.

Look for disease resistant varieties as well as those with exceptional flavor. But when it comes to fruit trees or anything you order for your produce garden, a lot of the choice becomes personal.

What purpose(s) will you grow the fruit for? Will it be pies or preserves; fresh or frozen…the nurseries can help you define the best choice.

So above is our favorite - Hargrande, though it's not the prettiest of the apricots. It is more yellow with a slight blush but its flavor is exceptional and if you can find the liners, it's definitely worth the try. Plus it is winter hardy Zone 5.

Why choose apricots? If you live local, the cost of apricots at a farmers market can be quite dear. Plus this fruit moves quickly when it comes into season. It’s a short-lived moment, making apricots a first choice for your fruit tree liners.

You might be hard pressed to find this variety until next year but still place your order. When the variety is available, you can get growing with this grand apricot. Our choice of nurseries, +Adams County Nursery is all sold out until 2015.

One note when you do plant your apricots, do not plant in a frost pocket. Because apricots are one of the first fruits to ripen, it is also one of the first to blossom. Hence, you want to protect its early flowering buds in the spring. 


So it’s a wrap on this grand apricot with an excerpt from Michael Pollan’s book, ‘In Defense of Food.’ “American farmers produced 600 more calories per person per day in 2000 than they did in 1980. But some calories got cheaper than others: Since 1980, the price of sweeteners and added fats (most of them derived, respectively, from subsidized corn and subsidized soybeans), dropped 20 percent, while the price of fresh fruits and vegetables increased by 40 percent.” Something to think about as you plan your produce garden this year.

© Apricot Images by Ann Bilowz

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