Blenheim Apricot

Widely considered the finest-flavored apricot, producing medium-sized, pale orange fruits with aromatic, sweet flesh that is superb fresh, dried, or in preserves. Blenheim is self-fertile and requires about 500 chill hours, blooming early and needing frost protection in marginal areas. This heirloom variety was the foundation of California's dried apricot industry.

Blenheim apricot pits germinate readily after stratification. Clean seeds from ripe fruit and cold-stratify in moist sand at 33-40°F for 60-90 days. Apricots require shorter stratification than most stone fruits. Plant one inch deep in spring. Seedlings may approximate the parent more closely than other stone fruits. For true Blenheim, graft scion wood onto apricot seedling, Myrobalan, or Citation rootstock using whip-and-tongue grafting in late winter.

The Season Plate

Your Blenheim Apricot Year

Composed for Zone 7 · typical seasons · frost passes Apr 2, returns Nov 1

Sow Blenheim Apricot Feb – Mar, pick Jun – Jul. Set your climate below and every date on this plate re-times itself.

Sowing window

Feb – Mar

re-timed to your frost dates

Plant out

after Apr 2

once frost risk has passed

First picking

around Feb 14

≈ 1095 days from sowing · 5–10 kg per plant

Composed for —ColdTemperateMildWarmUse my locationUsed once to set your season · only the zone is kept

Week-by-week Blenheim Apricot reminders watering, feeding and pruning, timed to your dates

In the app

Frost alerts for your garden a warning before a cold night costs you the crop

In the app

Succession sowing dates so the picking never gaps mid-season

In the app

Prefer email? Get monthly reminders in the Almanac

Keep my dates — free for 7 daysWe nudge you as each window opens · cancel anytime

Blenheim apricot trees need full sun and well-drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0. Plant bare-root trees in late winter, spacing 18-22 feet apart for standard trees or 10-12 feet on semi-dwarf rootstock. Blenheim is self-fertile and needs about 500 chill hours, but blooms very early in spring, making it vulnerable to late frosts in cooler zones.

Water deeply every 7-10 days during the growing season, reducing irrigation as fruit ripens to concentrate sugars. Thin fruit to 3-4 inches apart when marble-sized for the best flavor and size. Train to an open vase shape with 3-4 main scaffold branches. Apricots are prone to gummosis, so avoid unnecessary wounds and prune only in dry weather.

Prune lightly in late winter or after harvest in summer, as apricots are susceptible to Eutypa dieback when pruned during wet weather. Remove dead wood, crossing branches, and water sprouts. Fertilize moderately in early spring. Protect blooms with frost cloth or overhead sprinklers when temperatures drop below 28°F, as the early bloom is Blenheim's primary vulnerability.

Plant garlic and chives around the base to deter aphids and borers. Low-growing herbs like thyme and oregano provide ground cover without competing for water. Comfrey at the drip line provides nutrient-rich mulch. Avoid planting near walnuts due to juglone toxicity. Lavender nearby attracts pollinators during the early bloom period when few other flowers are available.

The Society Table

Garlic belongs beside it. Walnut Tree doesn't.

Old growers' knowledge, checked against Blenheim Apricot's real companion table below — test any plant you're growing.

Grows well in the company of · 2

GarlicChives

Keep apart · 1

Walnut Tree

Plant Blenheim Apricot with good neighboursThe planner flags conflicts before they're in the ground

Blenheim requires well-drained soil and will not tolerate wet feet. Sandy loam with pH 6.0-7.0 is ideal. Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring at moderate rates, as apricots have lower nitrogen needs than peaches. Excess nitrogen promotes vegetative growth and delays fruit maturity. Supplement with potassium for fruit quality and calcium for pit strength. Mulch lightly, keeping material away from the trunk.

Ideal Temperature

Hardiness Zone Compatibility

Blenheim apricots ripen in late June to early July, turning pale orange with a slight blush. Harvest when fruit gives to gentle pressure and has a strong apricot fragrance. Blenheim fruits are relatively soft when ripe and must be handled very carefully. Pick in the morning when cool for best keeping quality. A mature tree produces 50-100 pounds annually. The short harvest window of 7-10 days requires daily picking.

Storage & Preservation

Fresh Blenheim apricots are highly perishable, keeping only 2-3 days at room temperature or one week refrigerated. Their rich flavor and high sugar content make them the premier drying apricot, producing intensely flavored dried fruit. Halve and dry at 130°F for 24-36 hours. Excellent for making apricot jam, preserves, and fruit leather. Can in light syrup to preserve the delicate flavor year-round.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Early bloom is Blenheim's greatest vulnerability, with late frosts destroying the crop in many years outside of mild climates. Eutypa dieback is a serious fungal disease that enters through pruning wounds during wet weather. Brown rot thrives in humid conditions during bloom and ripening. The soft, delicate fruit bruises easily and has a very short shelf life. Gophers frequently damage apricot roots.

Growing Tips

1. Plant Blenheim apricots in the warmest, most sheltered microclimate available in your garden — a south-facing wall or slope provides extra warmth that accelerates ripening and protects early blossoms from frost.
2. Blenheim is largely self-fertile but will produce heavier and more consistent crops when planted near another early-blooming apricot variety such as Moorpark or Katy, which flowers at a compatible time.
3. Train young trees to an open-center vase shape with three to five main scaffold branches. This maximizes light penetration and air circulation throughout the canopy, reduces fungal disease pressure, and makes harvesting far easier.
4. Never prune Blenheim apricots in autumn or winter if brown rot (Monilinia fructicola) is present in your area; fresh pruning wounds are highly susceptible to infection. Prune instead in late spring after the risk of rain has passed.
5. Apply a high-potassium, low-nitrogen fertilizer in late winter as buds begin to swell, and again immediately after harvest. Excess nitrogen produces lush soft growth that attracts aphids and is prone to bacterial canker infection.
6. Blenheim apricots are highly susceptible to bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae), which enters through wounds and damaged tissue. Protect all pruning cuts with a wound sealant and remove and burn affected wood promptly.
7. Thin fruit aggressively to one fruitlet every 8–10 cm (3–4 inches). This single practice has the greatest impact on fruit size, sweetness, and the long-term health of the tree by preventing branch breakage and biennial bearing.
8. In cool coastal climates where brown rot is a persistent problem, switch to a weekly copper-based fungicide program from first bud swell through shuck split (when the fruit emerges from the drying flower petals).
9. Harvest fruit slightly before peak ripeness if you plan to dry it — slightly firm fruit holds its shape better on the drying racks and produces a better textured dried product with longer shelf life.
10. Mulch the root zone with 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) of wood chip or straw mulch, keeping the mulch 15 cm (6 inches) away from the trunk to prevent crown rot and discourage rodent nesting.