How to Grow Apricots. Having your own apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) is a pure delight. A few years after planting it in a sunny spot, you can expect delicious fruits that are at least as good as the ones from the store, if not better!. Fruit Prune fruit trees in early spring when the tree is dormant. Never prune a fruit tree when it is in bloom. Prune small fruiting shrubs in early spring to remove old or dead wood, or to control size. Apricot Casino Stone free. Good for canning and hams. For better yields plant Read More. DESCRIPTION: Very hardy. Free-stone yellow fruit with a red blush, ripens in mid-summer. Good for canning/jams. Self-pollinating; for better yields, cross-pollinate with another apricot or Nanking Cherry. Manchurian/Siberian apricot group. Prefers a moist, well-drained soil. BOTANICAL NAME: Prunus mandshurica x 'DurGa.