Question: Could you recommend a good apricot for the home gardener? All the descriptions I read about for Goldkist, Royal and Moorpark apricots were the same, that they were sweet and juicy. I planted a Katy apricot, which is supposed to be sweet, but the fruits are not sweet enough for me.
It is tough to get specific on how fruit will perform. The quality will vary with climates, soil types and how the fruit is cared for. That's why it's valuable to have demonstration gardens doing some of those evaluations so we can help you decide.
The advantages of Katy apricot is that it makes a very nice landscape tree, as well as pretty good fruit. The tree is a vigorous grower, shows very little stress in our climate and is really a pretty tree.
On our fruit evaluations of Katys, it typically scores a 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. Other varieties you might want to try for better fruit might include Royal Rosa, Blenheim, Canadian White Blenheim or Moorpark. Also, try to avoid overwatering just prior to picking and leave the fruit to rest for 24 to 48 hours in the kitchen before you eat it.
Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
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