Prunus armeniaca 'Tomcot' (F)

Apricots flourish on deep, moisture-retentive, well-drained, ideally slightly alkaline soils and struggle in poor, shallow soils. Although fully hardy, they bloom early, and the flowers are vulnerable to frost, so trees need a warm, sheltered position. Protect blossom from frost at night, and hand pollinate if insects are scarce. See How to grow: Apricots for cultivation details

May be trained as a fan on a warm wall, or as a free-standing bush in milder areas. Train fan-trained trees in spring. Pruning established fans is carried out in early summer and after harvest

Propagate by grafting on rootstock for fruit. Seed-raised plants are likely to be inferior to the parent

May be susceptible to aphids, brown scale, glasshouse red spider mite. Birds and squirrels may damage fruit

May be susceptible to silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and brown rot. Not usually affected by peach leaf curl