Dual Fruit - Apricot and Plum - Tree

Make sure the roots of Prunus armeniaca and Prunus domestica are moistened well before planting, by soaking them in a bucket with lukewarm water. Prepare a large planting hole of 50 x 50 x 50 cm and loosen the soil well. Put the root ball of the dual fruit tree at the right depth in the planting hole. The top of the root ball should be just below ground level. Fill the planting hole with soil and press firmly. Water immediately after planting. The apricot and plum dual fruit tree grows well in well-drained, fertile soil in a warm sheltered spot in full sun.

This small dual fruit tree grows well in a pot. Prunus domestica 'Bleue de Belgique' and 'Reine Claude d'Oullins' take up little space but bears large fruits. Place the tree in a sheltered, sunny spot. You can create a ‘mini-orchard’ by putting pots with other species of dual fruit together on your patio or decking.

Two different kinds of fruit grow on this tree, very special! Prunus armeniaca is a disease resistant dwarf apricot that produces delicious juicy fruits. The skin is yellow-orange. The apricot flowers in May, the branches are laden with charming pink flowers. The leaves are also very decorative, so the dwarf apricot is decorative from the spring until the autumn. The plum Prunus domestica is a beautiful spring flowerer. In March-April the branches are completely covered with white blossoms. Harvesting of the plums begins in the beginning of September. This plum is highly productive. The plums and apricots can be eaten fresh or processed into jam or compote. The fruits are also very suitable for bottling. The flesh is deliciously juicy and very rich in vitamin C.

Prunus armeniaca and Prunus domestica are easy to grow fruits. Provide the tree with extra water during dry periods. To avoid too many fruits on the tree remove a number of young fruits so that there are about 7 to 10 cm between the fruits. This way the apricots and plums can develop well. Both varieties can be harvested in September-October after two years. Let the apricots mature a little longer, then they are a bit sweeter. Provide a mulch layer of compost and granulated cow manure around the trunk in the early spring.

Prunus domestica 'Bleue de Belgique' and 'Reine Claude d'Oullins' can be pruned annual or biennial. With apricot pruning is hardly necessary. With mature trees, every 2-3 years cut the old branches back. Cut away small branches that grow from the roots. Prune your plum tree preferably in the period between April to September. A lot of pruning isn't necessary. After harvesting you can remove branches growing straight up. Try to leave the crown open. Branches that grow upwards can be bent downwards, this improves your fruit production. Fasten the branches with a rope.