HW 460 Apricot Tree

HW 460 Apricot Tree Overview

HW 460 apricot tree has been cultivated for 35 years and is recognized for its reliable crop yields and superior taste. Unfortunately for the tree though, we don’t yet have a name for it. Moreover it is an apricot that is well-suited to cold temperatures. It can also serve as a helpful pollinator for different types of Harrow apricots, such as Hargrand, Harlayne, Harcot, Harogem, Harostar, and Harglo. Lastly, the Harrow and Vineland Research Station located in Ontario, Canada, developed the HW 460 apricot tree. They introduced it in the 1980’s.

When this apricot tree starts to bloom mid-season in the spring, your garden will be adorned with beautiful pink-white flowers. While apricot trees are self-pollinating, planting two different varieties that flower simultaneously will result in a higher yield. Then they will ripen in July and will be perfect to eat off the tree as well as to freeze and can.

Growing Characteristics

• Uses: Eating fresh, freezing, canning
• Taste: Delicious tangy flavor
• Fruit Size: medium
• Color: orange
• Hardiness Zones: 4-8
• Harvest period: July
• Pollination: Self-pollinating although the crop will increase with 2-3 more apricot trees planted around it.
• Cultivation: This apricot tree grows best in full sun with well drained soil. It will bear fruit 2-3 years after planting. It is productive and vigorous but must be pruned in order for the crop to grow well.
• Diseases: Most apricot trees are susceptible to bacterial canker. In order to prevent it, you can spray with copper in the fall before the rains start. If you want to identify this disease early, look for gum that starts oozing from the nark and dark lesions that appear on the main stems and trunk. When this happens, one way to prevent damage is to cut the affected area to healthy wood, yet not when the affected area is low on the main stem.

HW 460 Apricot Tree Size and Rootstock

Apricot trees come in three sizes: standard, semi-dwarf, and dwarf. These sizes depend on the rootstock. In fact, you can read more about the specific rootstock and its sizes here. Standard trees can grow up to 20 to 25 feet in both height and width, while semi-dwarf varieties reach a maximum of 12 to 18 feet in height and spread. Dwarf trees, on the other hand, are the smallest of the three, with a height and width of five to eight feet.

Usually we grow our apricot trees on Myrobalan 29C (standard), Marianna GF 8-1 (standard), Krymsk 1 (semi-dwarf) and St Julien (semi-dwarf) rootstocks. Myrobalan 29C (also known as Cert Myro) is the improved version of Myrobalan (Myro) and an excellent, widely adapted rootstock that has a vigorous root system. Secondly, Marianna GF 8-1 is very robust and adapts to all types of soil. Additionally it not susceptible to root asphyxia. Krymsk 1 is a dwarfing rootstock from Russia which produces trees about 50-70% of the standard tree size. Additionally it improves the fruit size and is more cold hardy than other rootstocks. Lastly, St Julien is a semi-dwarfing rootstock (producing a tree with a height of around 10′-15′). Additionally it is tolerant of most soils.

If you would like more information on how to plant and grow this tree, see our guide.