How to Plant Gold Kist Apricots

It's best to plant apricot trees in early spring.

Gold Kist apricot trees are excellent for backyards in regions with mild winters. This apricot variety is self-fruitful, low-chilling, heavy bearing and fruits early. The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) tree is native to areas in northeastern China, and the Gold Kist variety grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. The best time to plant apricot trees is at the beginning of spring. Select healthy 1- or 2-year-old container-grown or bare root apricot trees.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Mulch
• Hand pruners

Instructions

1. Find a planting site in full sun and well-draining soil. Choose a location that provides enough room for the fully mature Gold Kist tree, which is typically 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. Space the trees 25 feet apart when planting more than one and stay clear of areas in the landscape with late frosts.

2. Dig a hole the same depth of the apricot tree’s container or root system and at least two times the width. Never plant trees deeper in the ground than they previously grew. Some gardeners dig the hole an inch or so shallower to allow for settling.

3. Remove the Gold Kist tree from the container and loosen the roots. Place the tree in the center of the hole, check the soil level and adjust the height if needed. Make a mound in the center of the hole first if you are planting a bare root tree.

4. Fill the hole gradually and then water the area well to settle the soil against the apricot tree’s roots and to force any remaining air out of the soil.

5. Spread a layer 1 to 3 inches thick of mulch in a 3- to 4-foot-diameter circle surrounding the tree. Keep a 6-inch area circling the Gold Kist’s trunk free of mulch.

6. Prune back 1-year-old apricot trees to 33 to 36 inches tall. Remove all but four well-spaced branches on 2-year-old trees, then trim off one-third of the total length of these four branches.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t add any type of soil amendments when planting a Gold Kist apricot, or use any fertilizers on the tree for the first and second seasons.

References

• The University of Arizona; Deciduous Fruit for the Low Desert; Lucy Bradley, et al.; December 2001
• Learn 2 Grow: Prunus Armeniaca “Gold Kist”
• Learn 2 Grow: Prunus Armeniaca “Gold Kist” Care and Maintenance
• National Gardening Association: Apricot
• British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture: Apricots in Your Garden

Resources

• The United States National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map