Apricots have not been grown extensively in the state, hence there is relatively little experience or experimentation on which to base cultural recommendations for them. Hardy apricot varieties might be expected to do well where the mid-winter temperatures are not too cold for peaches. However, apricots lose resistance to low temperature when exposed to warm spells, even more quickly than peaches, and will not do well where winter temperatures fluctuate widely. Furthermore, apricots are the first fruit crop to bloom in the spring and are susceptible to injury by late spring frosts. A site with good air drainage is essential if this type of injury is to be minimized.
Apricots perform best in light textured, well-drained soils.
Like peaches, they will not tolerate poorly- drained soils where water stands in the spring or where there is a shallow, impervious layer in the subsoil. Apricots are susceptible to Varticillium wilt and should not be planted where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, raspberries or strawberries have been grown in the previous three or four years. The best rootstocks for apricots are apricot seed- lings. Myrobalan rootstocks have been used quite extensively, but apricots on this rootstock are subject to delayed incompatibility and frequently break off at the bud union three or four years after planting. Peach seedlings have also been used as rootstocks for apricots, but trees on peach seedlings are not as long lived as those on apricot seedlings.