Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[Dauntless]

I am wondering if Apricot trees require less water than other fruit trees? I have lost 2 apricot trees that were in the same area as my peach, nectarine, plum and apples trees. The holes were checked for drainage before planting, they were all identically mulched with the mulch not touching the trunks, on the same watering schedule, and they are all shaded with shade cloth on the west sides of the plants. Too, the holes were back filled with the native soil.

All of the other trees are thriving.

The first thing that I noticed was that they leaves got droopy and then browned and then the stems shriveled. Is that from too much water or can it be from something else?

[phoenixtropicals]

I water my apricot the same as my peach, which is every other day in mid summer. The variety of my apricot tree is Katy which is supposed to be a good one for here. I had a Katy die on me last year before I got the one I have now which is doing well.

The one that died was a real small bare root tree that I planted in January. It just shriveled up and died when it got real hot.

The Katy apricot I have now was larger when I bought it in the fall, in October. It seems that maybe it was a bare root that Home Depot didn't sell in the spring and it had time to grow larger in the pot.

Maybe try planting your apricot tree in the fall next time.

Also, some trees are just more vigorous than others, even within the same variety. For example, I planted a bunch of guava seeds, all from a single guava fruit, in a bunch of pots. Some of them are super vigorous and others are half dead. They all get the same soil, same watering, same light exposure and they are all "brothers".