Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Goldkist Apricot
Goldkist, also sold as Gold Kist, is a backyard apricot bred for warm winters. It bears heavy crops of sweet, juicy, golden-orange freestone fruit from late May into early June in the low desert. It needs only about 300 chill hours and sets fruit on its own, so one tree is enough. White blossoms open on bare branches in late winter.
Best for: a big early apricot harvest for fresh eating, drying and jam, a single self-fruitful tree in the backyard, and late-winter flowers for bees.
Goldkist is a heavy bearer, and the fruit ripens from late May into early June in the low desert. The golden-orange apricots are sweet and juicy, good fresh, dried, baked or made into jam.
It needs only about 300 chill hours, and most of the low desert averages 300 to 400. Varieties under 400 hours give a full crop in most years here.
Goldkist sets fruit with its own pollen, so a single tree bears without a second apricot. Give it about 15 to 20 feet from other fruit trees.
It blooms early, so a late frost can take the flowers and the crop. Heavy crops need thinning or the fruit stays small, and the trunk sunburns without white paint.
- Row of fruit trees15 ft apart
- Open planting15-20 ft apart
Soak the root zone at least 18 inches deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while the tree is growing and fruiting. Water about once a month in winter. Let the top few inches dry between soaks.
Goldkist sets more fruit than it can size up. Soon after fruit set, thin the small apricots so they sit about 2 to 6 inches apart.
Prune while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Keep an open, vase-shaped center and remove crossing and dead branches. Take off no more than about one-third in a year.
Apricots bloom early, so a late frost can take the flowers. On frost nights, drape frost cloth over the tree to the ground at the branch tips, and take it off in the morning.
Feed in late winter or early spring, just before growth starts. Paint the trunk and lower branches with white tree paint to prevent sunburn.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Goldkist the same as Gold Kist?
Yes. It is the same apricot variety, and you will see the name written both ways.
Will Goldkist apricot fruit in the Valley?
Yes. It needs about 300 chill hours, and most of the low desert gets about 300 to 400 a year. Varieties under 400 hours give a full crop in most years.
When does Goldkist ripen?
It ripens from late May into early June in the low desert, before the hottest part of summer.
Do I need two apricot trees?
No. Goldkist is self-fruitful, so one tree sets fruit on its own.
How big does it get and how far apart should I plant it?
Plan on about 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide. Space it about 15 to 20 feet from other fruit trees. The Spacing tab shows both.
Should I thin the fruit?
Yes. Goldkist bears heavily, so thin the small fruit soon after it sets to about 2 to 6 inches apart. The fruit left on grows larger.
How often should I water an apricot tree?
Water deep, at least 18 inches, about every 1 to 2 weeks while it is growing and fruiting. Water about once a month in winter, and let the top few inches dry between soaks.
When and how should I prune it?
Prune while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Keep an open, vase-shaped center, remove crossing and dead branches, and take off no more than about one-third in a year.
Why did my apricot bloom but not fruit?
The usual causes are frost during bloom, few bees while it blooms, water stress, or a winter without enough chill. Cover the tree on frost nights while it blooms, and water on a steady schedule.
How do I protect the blossoms from frost?
On frost nights during bloom, drape frost cloth over the tree down to the ground at the branch tips. Take it off in the morning.
When should I fertilize?
Feed in late winter or early spring, just before the tree starts growing.
Are apricot leaves and pits safe for pets?
No. The stems, leaves and pits contain cyanide compounds that are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Pick up fallen fruit and pits, and call your vet if a pet chews them.
Goldkist Apricot for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Goldkist Apricot is a low-chill, self-fruitful apricot known for heavy crops of sweet freestone fruit in late May and early June. Below is what to expect, including chill hours, harvest time, size, spacing, watering, pruning, thinning and protecting the blossoms.
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Low-chill apricot trees for Phoenix
Goldkist needs only about 300 chill hours, and most of the low desert averages 300 to 400. It is self-fruitful and ripens before summer heat.
When do Goldkist apricots ripen in Arizona?
Goldkist ripens from late May into early June in the low desert. The sweet, golden-orange fruit is freestone, so the pit comes out cleanly.
Gold Kist or Goldkist apricot?
Both names are the same apricot variety. It is known as a heavy-bearing backyard apricot for warm-winter areas.
How far apart to plant apricot trees
Space apricot trees about 15 to 20 feet apart. Goldkist grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide.
Thinning apricots for bigger fruit
Soon after fruit set, thin the small apricots to about 2 to 6 inches apart. Heavy bearers like Goldkist give larger fruit when thinned.
Protecting apricot blossoms from frost
Apricots bloom early in the year, so a late frost can take the flowers. On frost nights, cover the tree with frost cloth to the ground and remove it in the morning.
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