Scott, both you and Fruitnut are growing 'Orangered' it really does sounds like a very sweet apricot. I've googled it, however, I cannot find out where to purchase one. Can you please tell me. Many thanks, Mrs. G

Scott,

Chinese apricot is the only one that produce a nice crop for me so far. They are medium in size and sweet mild flavor. The Sugar Pearls has not fruited yet. The Tomcot graft got killed by the deer and will have to be re-graft. Your Weinberger sounds very interesting.

Tony

Mrs G, Fowler Nursery was selling Orangered last I checked.

For the others I liked that are uncommon, Arboreum sells Moniqui some years, and ACN sells Early Blush.

Tony, I had a Chinese in this very shady spot for years. Finally last year I moved it to a better spot and its looking happy and maybe I will get some fruit next year on it.

I'm going to eventually add an update on Shekar Pareh and Weinberger, they both still have fruits hanging on them and I need to see how well they end up ripening.

Scott

Apricot are difficult to evaluate. In most places it's difficult to get consistent production of ripe fruit, factors essential for a good evaluation. An environment giving consistent ripe fruit isn't natural so my greenhouse evaluation may not fit anyone else. All below are from in-ground, greenhouse-grown trees.

My top three varieties that I have eaten a lot of over the last 8 years are from earliest:

Tasty Rich: Firm, 17-19 brix, very consistent production and eating quality. Good apricot flavor but astringent if not fully ripe. Blooms and ripens very early, low chill.

Tomcot: 10 days later. Nice size, blocky, firm, 19-21 brix, tart if not fully ripe, good but not great flavor, very consistent production and eating quality.

Robada: 7 days after Tomcot. Very large, beautiful red blush, 20-24 brix, excellent flavor but tart if not fully ripe.

There are two new varieties that I like ripening after the above.

Orangered: ~ 7 days after Robada. First crop on two trees. About 20-21 brix. Best flavor by far this year. Just a really rich, fully apricot taste. Probably high chilling because it has aborted blossoms.

Golden Sweet: Somewhat after Orangered. Second crop but last year was potted and reached as high as 26 brix. This year planted in-ground which the first year causes inconsistent eating quality. But has promise.

A new selection that fruited the first time this year was Tardirouge. Later than any above by 10-14 days. Dry mealy fruit. Blooms very late. Beautiful red blush.

One's I've discarded from greenhouse or cut back on: Early Blush soft lacks flavor or sweetness, Cot-N-Candy quality all over the map, Blenheim soft poor quality, Autumn Glo, Earli Autumn, Lorna, Canadian White Blenheim, Gold Kist, Moorpark, Tilton, Honey Rich, Flavor Delight, and Patterson. The later 10 mostly discarded for poor eating quality.

Outside I'm evaluating mostly new plantings and mostly for bloom and fruit set. I don't expect much fruit and can't remember last outdoor grown apricot I've tasted.

This post was edited by fruitnut on Wed, Jul 24, 13 at 11:29

Here's a picture of left to right: Robada, Orangered, Cot-N-Candy, and Golden Sweet.

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From left: unknown, Tomcot, Tasty Rich, Robada, Honey May nectarine.

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Scott:

Any more info on the NJ experimental lines? Any that seem better than Orangered at this point?

Did Robada fruit for you this year?

This post was edited by fruitnut on Wed, Jul 24, 13 at 12:21

Fruitnut, the non-disclosure says I can't publicize data. I don't know how much they care about that but I don't want to get in trouble.

Robada blossomed and I was hoping to get some fruit but it did not set. I expect that next year it will set. I had to move it the previous year and that set it back. Along with Robada and Helena of the new California cots I also have Nicole and Florilege. If one of those is growable I will feel I did pretty well, the California apricots seem to be even more picky than the CA plums and peaches.

Scott

Scott - how much of a squirrel problem do you have with your cots, compared to other fruits you grow?

Usually I don't have much of a squirrel problem on the cots, I think most years the squirrels are still eating mulberries when the apricots are ripening? This year they showed up earlier and caught me off guard. I have been running regular bus trips to squirrel heaven from my orchard for the last few weeks and I am now down to very few passengers and the plums coming in now are pretty much unscathed.

Usually the onslaught starts at the early plums, for example my Purple Heart I didn't get a single ripe fruit on for three years in a row; this year I got about half of them. Its a fantastic plum by the way, its every bit as good as Satsuma only bigger and earlier.

Scott

That's the only good thing about mulberries, if they pull the squirrels off the other fruit.

"That's the only good thing about mulberries, if they pull the squirrels off the other fruit."
And birds. But do the mulberries end up attracting more varmints that then turn to your prized fruit???

Scott thanks for the report, your apricot trials are much, much appreciated.

You're welcome!

The Weinberger finally fully ripened and the fruits are very good. They are just a touch below the very best cots. I still need more years to see how reliable this guy is but I am getting optimistic at this point.

Shekar Pareh is still holding on to the fruits tightly and they continue to improve so the final story is not in yet. In past years they would be dropping now but perhaps the tree is now a "big boy" out of that phase.

Scott

Hi all I live in California and new to this forum,I love all stone fruit my favorite is apricots- I tasted some new ones this year.I have tried Angelcots for a couple years in a row now and they don't seem to be getting any better to me , the ones I ate seemed to lack flavor and have a tartness to them.I tried a new one called Red Blush it was small and it too was disappointing in taste.I tried one that was named California it was huge the size of a large peach,as I bit into it ,I was surprised to its good taste and sweetness. I thought wow that's a good apricot and then I tried Candycots OMG folks they are to drool for ,they say that the brown spotting isn't scabbing its because they have so much sugar it shows on the skin .they taste so good the name fits.thats some of the new one ive tried this year.the fruit in the picture left to right is California,Red Blush and Candycots

here is another pic of the California ( big one) ,taste great.

That is one huge apricot! Wow! Mrs. G

Hi Mrs G :)
They are huge aren't they? I really loved how they tasted, hopefully they will be back in the market next year ill keep my eye out for them in June ,Candycots was the first to sell out, then the California. If you'd like at that time next year ill save some seeds and if you want some I could send you some.You know that saying the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.My mom always said if it taste good save the seed lets see if it grows.My mom has a green thumb so bright it is like a plant light.I don't remember how many nectarine trees shes started from seed and they all had huge fruit on them like the parent fruit it came from. Here is another picture of the California next to a large peach. I bought a few of those California Apricots and they were all consistently good.