Matt's 9b field note
“Mature tree — 'carry apricot' on camera resolves to the real cultivar Katy.”
Background
Bred by Zaiger Genetics, Floyd Zaiger's California stone-fruit program, as a low-chill apricot for warm-winter climates. One of the few apricots with a freestone pit, and it harvests 3-4 weeks before Blenheim (Royal). Widely sold across the Southwest as a warm-climate apricot.
Distinguishing traits
Large vivid-orange fruit with a rosy blush; tree-ripe fruit is subacid (sweet, not tart); freestone pit; self-fruitful; early harvest, late May to June.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- 200-300 hours
- Cold hardiness
- USDA zone 7 (hardy to about 0°F). Avoid frost pockets: it blooms early and late frosts can nip the crop.
- Heat tolerance
- Excellent; bred for warm-winter, hot-summer regions.
- Water
- Deep weekly watering in summer; excellent drainage is essential. Do not keep the crown wet.
- Soil
- Well-drained sandy loam; tolerates alkaline desert soils if drainage is good. Avoid planting in caliche pockets.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun, 6+ hours daily.
Where to buy
- Grow Organic
- Bob Wells Nursery
- Crown Valley Nursery