The only drawback, it is clingstone...but heck, better then no apricot!

Do you know what rootstock it's on?

Produces clingstone, orange fruit that are much sweeter than Westcot.
Excellent for eating fresh or canning. Selected at the Baker colony near Bagot, Manitoba.

Have you considered Westcot, similar to Capilano, but not as sweet.

Hopefully she'll take the Calgary Chinook, the first winter will be the toughest ...please report back.

My ideas · More Info

When I asked Jeffries about the root stock they said all their apricots and plums are budded onto Mustang cherry plum rootstock.

Originally I had planned to only have one apricot due to yard size constraints as I planned for and planted other new fruit tree/shrub varieties as well. I had planned to grow the Capilano, and then graft another variety onto it for another fruit type, as well as to help with pollination.

When I found the Capilano not available this season, my plan changed to planting the Bakers Gold which was available, and then graphing the Capilano onto it.

My plans changed for a third time when I saw the identification card stating the Bakers Gold was at maturity a less wide tree. This diameter of tree allows me to plant it in an area of my yard which would not allow for the other varieties and an area for which I hadn't planned anything else for. Now I can start this Bakers Gold in the smaller space, and hopefully acquire a Capilano for the space I had initially intended in another spot. I want the Capilano because I think it is a special variety that has sweet fruit and isn't so common, and a conversation piece. If it doesn't work after a few tries, I may go with a Westcot. I plan to live here for many years to come.

Now I just need the Capilano to plant for next season! ;)

If you can fit another apricot into your yard that's ideal. But if you can't, make sure you graft some other apricot varieties into the Baker's Gold. Despite a very cold winter and a poor spring with lots of frosts just leading up to apricot bloom and little pollinator (bees etc) activity during bloom, this year I had the best apricot set I have seen. The only thing I can attribute that to is the presence, for the first year, of a blooming apricot pollenizer (Westcot) while my large tree was blooming. Apricots may be self-pollenizing in some climates, but evidently not here (Winnipeg).

Thanks Nichols. I definitely have room for a large tree. Until all hope is lost for a Capilano, I will still plan for it but also spend some time investigating other available varieties. Westcot and Debbie's Gold are high on the list and should be easy enough to track down.

Another variety I had come across was the Bunnyshade, which to my knowledge was developed at the University of Saskatchewan by Rick Sawasky. I have no information on that one however, and haven't had much luck trying to find a contact for Mr. Sawasky to ask him about it. I certainly would like to learn more about this bunnyshade apricot.

Shaun..what are the prognosis after the first winter with Bakers Gold?

Check with Whifletree, I sent them Capilano scion wood some years back and they sold some trees, [not in their catalogue]. They sent me a Montrose on Mustang..didn't have a chance the first winter, even under the snow, the bark was all splitting terribly and died.

So Matt..you're not the only one with bad experience on Mustang.

Well the Bakers is slow to flower this year which is a good thing. I pruned it back quite a bit. Likely 2 feet of growth was taken off some of the branches. I'll post a picture later this summer if all goes well.

A family member did some digging on the root stock topic.

"1) Gov't of Ontario warns against grafting apricots onto myrobalan plum rootstock:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/02-035.htm

2) But what exactly are myrobalan plums? See here:

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/rootstocks-plum-trees-28928.html

3) But is the Mustang cherry plum rootstock a myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifer)? See here:

https://sherwoods-forests.com/Trees/Food_Forests/Stone_Fruit/CherryPlum.html

Notice in the above article that chums require well-drained soil.

4) So Jeffries Nurseries' patented Mustang cherry plum rootstock (Prunus x 'Jefchum') is apparently a hybrid obtained from crossing a sand cherry (Prunus besseyi) with a plum of some kind, maybe not even a myrobalan plum.

So perhaps what is said about the myrobalan rootstock is only partially applicable to the Mustang x 'Jefchum' rootstock, which because of the sand cherry parent would have some genetic differences from strictly myrobalan.

And you have well drained soil for certain, which should keep the Mustang plum rootstock happily supporting your 'Bakers Gold' scion--we can hope."

The Bakers Gold flowered and had about 20 or 30 small fruits starting. I took my eye off those fruits for a few days, and wouldn't you know they disappeared with no trace on the ground. We had hail in Bowness, high winds, and we have lots of birds. Next year I will put some mosquito netting around some of the fruits to protect them.

This year I gave up on the Capilano search after speaking with a few experts and hearing the fruits aren't so great perhaps in comparison with other varieties. Casino was recommended to me by a few people so I went ahead and bought one at DNA Gardens via Aubin Nurseries. This Casino is on Amerian Apricot rootstock. Perhaps I will collect some Capilano scion wood in future years to graft onto these two trees.

And here a picture of both young apricot trees (Casino closest) in my north facing front yard where the house sits about 25 feet south of them. The ground thaws slower in the front yard than the back yard, I have snow from the sidewalk to throw on them, and the house should prevent sun scalding. This is old river bed valley in Bowness, lots of glacial rock about a foot and a half down, good drainage and decent soil. Not an area that was flooded in 2013. I hope the trees do well here.

Here is an Alberta outfit that sells Capilano apricot. https://prairiehardynursery.ca/collections/apricot-trees I wanted to buy a couple plums from them this year. I was on their website 6 hours after it opened for orders and the plums were already sold out. So you need to be fast.

I recently aquired some Manchurian apricot seed. I'm going to plant a few seeds this week and graft onto them using a bench grafting method I received from a tree grower in the States that has a lot of experience with apricots. Do you know anyone who is growing capilano successfully in Calgary? I'll be on the hunt for scionwood next year.

Which apricot is more sweet casino or debbie gold

Hello Mr. Schaun, wondering on your Bakers Gold, going into year 5? Any harvest?

Hello Konrad. Thank you for reaching out. Up until now I have had no harvest. I will be grafting Debbies Gold onto the tree this year to assist with pollination. It is still growing well, and the past two years has not shown sign of the shot hole disease it had in the first years. I apply copper bordeaux in the spring, fertilize, apply a bit of compost around the drip line, and water a lot. So the tree is getting good care. I also moved the Casino apricot to my neighbours yard last year to free up room. In a city yard there is limited space and given the apricots are less likely to produce, I realized I could have three fruit trees in the area of the yard I had originally plunked the Casino into. So far, the casino appears to be coming back to life after the transplant and winter. I'm glad to still have partial enjoyment looking at it in my neighbours yard and if it ever does fruit I will be provided some of the bounty.

Good to hear!
My guess is that this will be the year of fruit after a mild winter with many healthy flowering buds.
Your neighbours tree can pollinate it or others further away if any, bees fly for miles.
One more hurdle to overcome is when in flower or later at fruit set, early morning frost can wipe them out..some guys use a patio heater, keep an eye out for wind direction..use candle or make some smoke ..
Please keep me in the loop about the outcome.