How to Grow Apricots From Pits

Having an apricot tree in your yard is simply amazing because the fruit is so unbelievably flavorful and the seed, when dried, are also delicious! Today we'll show you how to grow apricots from pits with our easy to follow gardening guide. Apricot trees are usually purchased from nurseries, but they cost a pretty penny! Sure, you're taking a chance by planting your own apricot tree from seed, but the process is fun, and, when you plant a few seeds, chances are, you WILL get a fruiting tree!

How to Grow Apricots

• Start off by purchasing a few apricots that were grown from seeds. You can usually find these out in the county from local farmers.
• Enjoy the fruits, and save a few of the seeds! Wash off any remaining pulp and dry them out on a newspaper for about 3 hours.
• Now it's time to get the seed out of the pit. After the pit has dried, gently crack the pit using a hammer to recover the seed. The whole point is to get the seed out of the pit without crushing it. You can also try using a nut cracker!
• Allow the seeds to dry for a few hours, and then place them in a sealed jar or plastic bag in the refrigerator for 60 days. This will stratify the seeds.
• After about 60 days, you should see little sprouts coming from the seeds.
• Plant each sprouted seed in a 4 inch pot filled with potting soil.
• Keep the potted apricot seedlings in a warm, sunny spot and keep the soil moist.

Transplanting Apricots:

• Once your apricot tree reaches a bigger size, it will need to be transplanted outdoors.
• Try to plan to do this in early spring.
• Transplant in a sunny, well draining spot.
• You can fertilize after transplanting and then once again in the fall.
• Within 3-5 years, your apricot tree should start to fruit. After that, you can enjoy fresh apricots every season!

Happy Planting!