those in the ground, inside, outside?

I have some here, but only the size of a dime. Time will tell.

Until I had tasted Fruitnuts cots,I was totally displeased with every cot I had tasted in every country,Even the ones grown outside because they were grown for production not taste.I am now in the process of planting as many cots as my little 30'X 80' garden will tolerate.I was the proud consumer of a 20.8 Brix Tomcot.To actually taste a piece of fruit that is sweet is one thing but to add superb flavor makes it almost fantasy like.Their are those of you who know what I mean.Fruitnuts trees are pruned and trained exquisetly and the art of fruit culture is admirable and the reward is evident.I have learned there is much more to it than putting a tree in the ground and waiting.It is a science and an art.Thanks Steve

Frank:

These apricots are from in-ground trees in my greenhouse. It is way too early for outdoor apricots here. Most years I have ripe apricots from the greenhouse before the last frost outdoors. Didn't quite make that this year. We were 27F on April 8 and first ripe Tasty Rich was April 12. It takes 90 days from bloom to ripe fruit on the earliest maturing variety.

Next year I'm going to back off on the early production. I plan to run about 80-90 days chilling instead of 45-60 I've done so far. Also plan to start at 68-72F from end of chilling until fruit set instead of 82-88F. Changes are to improve sweet cherry fruit set...I hope.

Nice... and stop making my mouth water! So let's see, when should I plan on stopping by next year, when I go to TX?

cebury:

The most fruit comes off in mid summer but any time from now until October would be good. You're welcome as is anyone else.

Fruitnut, if I'm ever in Texas during those months I'll definitely look you up. By then you may have guard dogs and heavy security to keep fruit tourists away.

How are you measuring brix?
Assuming it's a refractometer how are you getting the few drops needed without destroying the fruit?

I'm using a refractometer. It's easy getting a couple of drops of juice from the apricots. Then you can taste the same piece of fruit. Now on blueberries, getting juice isn't so easy. But all it takes is a little. They have a procedure written up on how to do it with stuff that won't easily yield fluid. I haven't studied it because I haven't had to. The bb are running 11-14 brix so far.

I suppose as long as they're ripe or you have an abundance sacrificing a whole fruit isn't a big deal.

You don't have to sacrifice any fruit to use the refractometer. This morning we were testing more blueberries. We could get a reading from a single berry and still taste the fruit. Blueberry brix was 14-16 this morning. We could easily taste that difference. A 16 brix bb is pretty sweet tasting.

Dentist must like you :) I shouldn't talk. I'm addicted to dark chocolate. I eat probably 3-5oz a day.

I had to repot a nectarine tree to a whiskey barrel today. OH man was that rootball heavy!

Fruitnut:

Where did you buy your refractometer? I was looking into buying one, buy they were over $100, and I thought I'd just buy more trees instead. ;)

Carla in Sac

Actually it's not mine. It was given to another member here. I've got fruit, he's got the instrument so we share both. It's been interesting and fun.

Removing the fruit to test it qualifies as sacrificing in my book. Especially if they're not ripe.

I bought mine from Midwest Supplies, a homebrew store (it's on the internet, that name with a www. before and a .com after). About $50.
If you trust Ebay they should have them around $30.

Myk1:

Why test fruit that's not ripe?

Lack of patience :)
They can look ripe when you're dying to have one.