When to plant apricots in Srinagar

Why these dates

Plant dormant, ideally against a south or west wall in a cool climate. The flowers can open in late winter, weeks before anything is flying to pollinate them, so a soft brush and ten minutes on a warm afternoon often makes the difference between a crop and none.

Extremely early bloom is the whole story. The wood tolerates hard frost easily; the open flower is finished at about -2C, and apricot flowers open earlier than any other stone fruit.

Apricots are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. What matters in Srinagar is the shape of the year: this crop is dormant through the winter and is planted while it sleeps, any time between leaf fall in autumn and the restart of growth in spring, so long as the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged. That is why the window below spans the cold months rather than sitting in the middle of the growing season.

Hardiness is not the obstacle here. Srinagar is zone 7a, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.

Do not expect a crop in the first year. A plant set out now should give its first worthwhile pick around year 3, and will then produce every year after that, which is what makes the planting decision worth getting right the first time.

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