The growing stages involved in the cultivation of apricots are the phases your apricot must pass through from seedlings (if for instance you propagated via seed) to maturity, and up till it starts fruiting.
In a general sense, the growth of fruits are sigmoidal, and the stages of fruit growth and development can be said to occur in four different stages which are; fruit set phase, rapid cell division, cell enlargement, maturation and ripening.
In this article, efforts will be channeled to give you better highlights, insights and understanding of the different stages of growth your apricot goes through, so as to help you discern the best help and support to give to your growing apricots as at any point needed.
Apricot Growing Stages
In respect to apricot’s fruit growth and ripening, four stages best describe its cultivation concisely;
At the end of aflower, pollination and fruit set, apricot’s fruits start to grow, and do that up to a point where it had to stop at any growth size as soon as the stone hardening begins.
Following this stage is the reactivation of growth at green stage. In stage three, a color change occurs to produce half-ripe fruits.
At the last stage, the fruits undergo physiological ripening, of which at this point it’s expected to have attained a completely defined color, as well as its maximal sucrose accumulation.
In addition, you must be aware that fruit drop might take place during apricot’s growing season due to its reaction to some conditions which could be physiological or environmental. If fruitlets’ ovules are not fertilized shortly at the end of aflower, the fruitlets might drop.
Apricot Growth Stages in Bits
At onset, bud is covered by brown scales and it’s completely closed. Vegetative bud swelling starts. The bud opens, with the green leaf tip seen. Calyx seen with sepals closed.
First leaves forthcome. Growth of first shoot starts, and flower petals are seen. Pistil anther is seen and flowers begin to open. At this stage, 50% of the flowers open.
Flowers begin to fade. Flowering ends, as all petals fall. Ovary growth starts as fruit set. Here, leaves fully expand. Drooped sepal crown besets green fruits.
Fruits drop physiologically. Fruits attain 50% end size. Fruits attain 90% end size. Fruit coloring starts. At this final stage, the fruits show complete organoleptic features and its ripened and fit enough for consumption.
How Do Apricots Grow?
As prospective apricot planters or gardeners, you can grow apricots either by budding or grafting. Hence, you must know that apricot trees grown from seed will make bigger trees when compared to those grafted on top of a chosen rootstock; which can also possibly tends to be slower when fruiting starts.
Conclusion
The successful cultivation of apricots is achieved when prospective apricot planters, especially the gardeners duly gets the right follow up of the phases that involves the
increase in the size of the apricots from seed till it gets matured and up to its fruiting stage; this of course makes the whole efforts invested on the fruits cultivation to be worthwhile.
Related
- How To Grow Apricot Plant from Seed
- Learn how to germinate apricot
- Learn About Growing Apricots in Pots
References
- Yield and Fruit Characteristics of Various Apricot Cultivars under Subtropical Climate Conditions of the Mediterranean Region in Turkey
- Growth and phenological stages of Búlida apricot trees in South-East Spain
