How to Grow Dwarf Apricots in Containers

Fill a 15-gallon container halfway with organic potting soil. Do this in the spring in cold climates, like the northeast United States, and in the spring or fall in more temperate areas.

Remove your dwarf apricot from its container, and gently massage the root ball to loosen it. Unwind and untangle the roots before placing the tree in the container.

Fill the container the rest of the way with potting soil, firming it around the tree's roots and trunk. Add soil until the tree is planted at the same depth as it was growing in its container.

Water the tree to saturate the soil. Thereafter, water every 10 to 14 days to saturate the soil.

Fertilize your tree after planting using nitrogen fertilizer. Apply the right dose range based on the tree's size, and repeat the process every year, always adjusting the dose.

Move your tree indoors for the winter if you live in a cold climate. Place the container on a dolly, wheel it into an unheated garage or another environment, and then remove it when temperatures warm in the spring. If your tree is cold-hardy enough, skip this step.

Train the tree by pruning suckers that grow off the trunk and removing branches to leave three to four fruiting limbs evenly spaced around the tree. Thin out limbs that compress these branches and shoots that grow vertically upward to maintain an open canopy where light and air can pass through.

Watch out for brown rot disease if you live in a humid environment, the only major disease or pest problem to concern yourself with. It deforms flowers and twigs, then infects fruit. Treat your tree with a fungicide if you suspect brown rot.

Harvest apricots when they turn fully orange and feel soft when gently pressed. Apricots have a narrow time frame and generally ripen over a two-week period in mid-spring.