Well... don't think you had big enough hail to not see sign...best to notice damage is about a day or two after when getting brown...like this picture. It hailed here too yesterday, on the small side but it came harsh..perhaps on the slush side which helps.

Here is a photo of my loaded apricot tree this year. Decent crop starting to ripen now. This tree has produced lots of fruit three years in a row. Last year we needed to use heaters to manipulate Mother Nature. On my other two trees we have a few other varieties of apricots

mighy have 4-5 different variety to taste this year .

Last year my Casino Apricot tree flowered but got no fruit, this year I didnt notice much growth at all and it didnt flower.

What variety matt? It looks awesome! My Cascino's are starting to ripen also, with the 3rd season in ground Cascino has 30 fruits that I could count & the 2nd season Cascino has 9 fruits.

Big nice orange westcot fruit hanging finally :)

able to compare to my other trees that I bought as westcot. Now I see the fruit of a true westcot .

Mt royal,seabuckthorn, westcot

was amazed to discover fruit on the buckthorn. I only have females ?

Started eating apricots. Have 5 different variety with fruits this year

I look forward to your taste test Matt. If I could do it again or find more space I would get an apricot.

I've tasted all of them before except the westcot

Which is your favorite? How do you know when to pick them? My first ones have just turned orange.

Same here...orange on my Sunrise, picking....like plums, squeeze with finger and check for softness, or when they start to drop....you'll find out soon.

Should go and check the Capilano.

Thankyou! My Capilano seedling apricots are still very green, only my Cascino is ripe.

AW...you have Capilano seedling apricots, interesting, I've yet to find out what some of these turn out, from where did your seedling come from?

Please describe the Casino fruit with size since nowhere one can find out.

Calgary had more heat units since it was allot drier, we had good showers just in time for everything....the veggie garden hasn't looked better.

My Capilano came from DNA gardens, this is it's first year to produce. I will try and post pics of the Casino fruit tomorrow. We have been very hot and dry down here and it is a struggle keeping up with watering.

OK...think you told me this ones and the seedling tree is fairly old now, how is the fruit size?

You had 9 Casino on last year...how did they turn out?

I lost all the fruits last spring with bad weather, so this is my first year for ripening apricots. The Capilano are still green and haven't swelled up yet. I will do pics with a ruler.

Casino is about 1 3/4 inches. They are still quite firm. I ate one a couple of days ago that was getting soft, but it tasted a bit on the green side, flesh was dry and 100% free stone. I will post a cut open pic when they get ripe.

I stopped at the Capilano tree today, most all have been picked at reach height...still some on top, I picked some from the ground for seedlings. The North tree is loaded, not bad eating but out of reach to pick any.

Did you checked the tree in the private home close by that you found earlier this year?

AW...you remember, yes I did, tree is loaded but the fruit is behind in ripening by about a week, just getting yellow now.

Yeah I do remember... I do drive around my neighborhood and figuring out what trees are out there. I will be ecstatic if I see a big mature apricot tree like those Capilano in Edmonton.

Anyone, Matt? Alcan?, know if the exact location of Riley Park apricot in Calgary (South side of the park?). Anyone being there recently to see any fruits? I want to see them in person.

No. It's on the north side of park as far north as you can go then when walking you run into the base of a mostly vacant hill which represents the climb out of the Bow river valley.

Or by car go northwards on 14th street but don't drive up the 14th hill because you need to turn right (eastwards) at the base of the hill. After the turn go as far on pavement as you can and all trees are on south side of hill, but "north" edge of park. On visual internet mapping it is "west" of the large outdoor childrens pool.

If there are no apricots walking around the park you should see nankings, which always are productive. They bloom in Riley park right after apricots do.

My fault to forget where the big pool is, so ignore that from before.

Okay, now with new graphic there is a row of several apricot trees along the north road "as indicated" in "red area 2", and to the right as far as the road quits. (Nankings in #2 #3 #4 areas)

Good luck! :)

Thank you so much Alcan!

Brother in laws (Calgary) westcot apricots.

Unfortunately his mother-in-law picked them all when not all are even ready :(

They will start to soften up and start falling off the tree when they are ready. Trick is to pick them before they fall off and still are a bit harder but will easily dent if you squeeze. You should never pick all the apricots in one pick either it can shock the tree they all won't be ripe at same time try to split it into 3 picks.

This red bowl was full two nights ago :)

and I think I solved the mystery of what type they actually are. M604 !. Bylands has been selling westcot for years and they turn into this smaller great tasting red vibrant orange apricot. This year I picked westcot I know for sure was a real westcot because I bought it from a very reputable nursery in central Alberta the fruit is almost all yellow with very few bits of blush and freestone . The fruit clings on the bylands apricot a bit but taste better than the westcot. Norman those fruits in your photo are most likely from a bylands westcot if bought in Calgary and are most likely m604. I noticed last year bylands started calling there trees "westcot apricot prunus m604" the previous trees years before did not say the m604 part. My guess is they are m604 but compared to photos of the real westcot Konrad took and online and in my front yard I'm to the conclusion bylands made a mistake. In my opinion the m604 or what ever it is is better tasting better looking smaller a bit clingy and less hardy than the westcot. Westcot is an m604 offspring both are very similar in taste . I'm happy with both.

I used to have another of these m604 trees planted right beside my westcot about 2ft away and it could not survive on the north of my property. It lasted about 4 years and died off died back every year never produced flowers while the tree next to it had no die back ever . I originally bought 5 apricot trees 4 were the bylands westcot and 1 the real westcot. 1 of the bylands trees went to my moms south yard it died back a lot this year again so she pulled it out. If you read online westcot is zone 3 m604 is zone 4 which would also attribute to my idea on this .

M604,capilano

westcot,Riley#3

M604

westcot

Thanks Matt for sharing your findings and pictures. Yes I think my brother-in-laws apricot tree must be a m604, they bought it from Costco 4 years ago I think... the red blush on the fruits description + your pics clearly matches to their fruits. I am going to share your suggestion of 3 succession of picking interval to them.

I am debating to whether plant an apricot tree or not... it is a choice between a plum and apricot. If I do I will probably go for the Montrose apricots from Whiffletree and it sounds pretty good:

Montrose apricots: An extra-hardy, frost resistant variety discovered at Montrose
Colorado, it should be a good one to try in more northern regions.
Golden yellow fruit is quite large with sweet, very juicy, yellow flesh.
First rate flavour, texture and quality. Like the Chinese apricot it is
a 'sweet pit' variety. Late-blooming, hardy tree shows good disease
resistance. Ripens mid to late August

Costco doesn't sell trees from bylands so it's probably a westcot maybe the red blush has less to do with the variety of tree and maybe more to do with environmental factors and nutrients. You should ask them if the stone clings to the pit when they rip it open

I planted a Montrose this spring. I read somewhere it is hardy to -31F which would be -35C. I'm hoping it survives the chinooks we get. I like that it has a sweet pit, an added bonus. From what I've read elsewhere, it has very yummy sweet flesh.

Matt, I will get to try out this weekend. Will tell you if they cling. I remembered sampling them last year and it did not cling. Will take picture after I rip in open.

Katie, chinook is the bane for fruit growing here. I think I will plant it along the north facing fence in my sunny west facing backyard to shield it from the strong sun during winter. My house don't get the benefit of my in-laws well sheltered backyard. They can plant probably plant zone 4 tree easily.

Hi Alcan,

Went to visit on Friday afternoon the Riley's Apricot trees and yes found them. Only one tree is fruiting heavily:

The very end of the road's tree is loaded.

Not quite ready yet

This apricot tree is almost dead :(

There is another 1/3 of the tree is dying too... but enough of dying tree pictures.

Some fruits that I picked from the ground:

Thanks Alcan again for letting where the trees are. Quite excited to see them in person. There is another tree that is quite healthy but no fruits on it (someone picked them?) Hope it continue to bear fruits years to come!

Hey Matt,

So I get to sampled my brother-in-laws supposedly Westcot apricots. Fortunately my brother-in-laws' Wife mom did not picked everything (as opposed what I told previously), and so I was able to snap some pictures. Tree was quite loaded:

They bought the "Westcot" tree from Costco:

The fruit is not cling at all.. very juicy and sweet:

Here is "Westcot" (top) and Riley park apricot (bottom) I picked on Friday afternoon:

Glad you had luck finding them this year.

A week ago while visiting relatives around Oliver and south-central BC, I had learned that the Gabe #3 bush apricot is very outstanding! A couple years ago I had seen Gabe at a scion exchange in Alberta. Shortly after receiving a copy of #3 I needed to have a place to graft it so I placed some on my relative's apricot tree. It has small fruit and is very obvious (smaller fruit) as it had been grafted to another commercial quality type. Her reaction is that the flesh is much firmer and she prefers it over the other. Also very prolific.

A little talking with Gabe reveals there were a few selections he made from an established prarie tree of what was probably 50 years ago when 'scout' was the biggest seller around then. I myself find it interesting how some of these hardy apricots produce a minor percentage of offspring that have inherited the true wild bush form. You would consider wild types to be not very rich about quality or flavour, so #3 must be a success. (have never tasted any myself)

From this I am going forward with the try of importation into the interior of Alaska. The idea is to dome a fibreglass or plastic cover for the winter and aiming for reliable apricot production (ie. -snow cover -frost protection etc) like Bernie does with teepees for sweet cherry in Edmonton, only not having to hopefully use light bulbs to kick on during cold spell like he does.

Not sure if I ever grafted the #3, at one time I grafted the X & Y from Gabe, about a year later we've talked about them and found out about I.D changes... the X became as #1 and the Y as #2, he said the #1 was better then Capilano. Still no fruit.

How is the casino flavour for fresh eating?

nobodies has fruited yet it’s still very unproven variety I now see all the stores selling as it’s the next thing. I honestly gave up on it after a few years may have been an unfair trial for me as the roots were likely the issue. I will be top grafting a few this year so maybe I’ll have a review in a few years. I think the nursery selling these trees is selling them grafted to a set of plum roots that is not compatible For apricot but will grow the tree for a while.

Looking back on these threads we are lucky to even get a good bloom on apricots In Alberta. Seems like every 3-5 years winter is warmer and trees are loaded with blooms. Last two years I’ve got almost none as we have had some really cold ones. last winter was colder in Calgary but this winter had more prolonged deep freeze entire month of February

I hope my Casino Apricot tree sets fruit this year, but I dont want it to flower yet... this weeks weather is suppose to be pretty cold again.

I don't expect many or any flowers this year with that February brutal cold snap, most flower buds die off or get damaged at around minus 35C.

It is snowing again today, it is suppose to much nicer than this for this time of year. YUCK! I will go take a look at my Casino Apricot tree and see how it is fairing out this afternoon. None of my trees have budded out yet which is very odd?

My Gabe A on the south side of my deck has flower buds but I am hoping this colder weather slows everything down so they do not freeze. They are still pretty tight, but definitely swelling.

Our trees are not in bud yet but this would be early for us.

My apricots have green leafs starting to pop and very minimal flowers. Most of the buds are toast. The ones that flower will likely have deformed stigma and stamen from cold damage.

going to pickup a boat motor in Edmonton this weekend and going to go check out the capilano trees for the first time in my life.

Was hoping somebody from Edmonton would have sent some capilano scion wood down to the Calgary show but did not find any at the tables. There was two piles from Konrad one said capilano seedling and apricot. I did grab one from the apricot pile but have no idea what type it is ?

I wish I could get a friend to send me scion from the favorite Capilano tree,I would love to see how it does in my zone 3.

There isn’t much wood thats alive low enough.

I am am very happy that Konrad sent this wood to some online nurseries.

I do believe the next step with this variety is to get to produced at commercial scale and sold at all garden centers and stores in Alberta grafted onto proper sand cherry roots Or manchurain apricot roots. It has all the characteristics much hardier than m604 or westcot and very high quality Beautiful fruits.

The Calgary apricots I’ve found haven’t been comparable in quality to westcot or m604. The pink flowering ”apricot” at Riley park in my opinion is not a Prunus manchuria ,armeniaca or Siberia I’ve studied this tree for years and the pink flowers ,the bud structures and fruit quality and abundance of fruit and size all point it towards being a prunus mume Aka Japanese apricot. Calgary does have a large Asian population and I would not be surprised if this was one brought back from there old country as China town is only a couple minutes drive From riley park. A few years back it was suggested to be a goldcot but I have that variety and it’s not Comparable nor is it comparable to any apricots I’ve seen. The taste is good if left on tree till ready to fall off or left on counter. If not the quality is Not good and if not picked at correct time will remain bland And woody . But it is ultra hardy and I think I get fruit almost every year off it in my yard grafted on my Japanese plum and apricot trees