AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Apricots can be grown for their fruit (fresh or dried), for their juice, or for making jam and sweets.
Prunus armeniaca is a deciduous tree between 8m and 12m tall, with a trunk up to 40cm in diameter, and a dense canopy.
The leaves are ovate (egg-shaped), 5cm to 9cm long, and 4cm to 8cm wide.
The flowers are between 2cm and 4,5cm in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs.
The tree needs a relatively cold winter (between 400 and 600 hours below 7,2°C) for proper dormancy and bud development.
It does best under irrigation.
Apricot trees thrive in well-drained loam soils at least 1,5m deep.
The recommended intra-row spacing is between 5m and 6m, while interrow spacing should be 4m.
After ploughing the land, use a disc harrow to produce a relatively smooth and well-prepared surface.
The planting pits should be about 300mm x 300mm, and 500mm deep.
