Is there any way to make a fruit-bearing tree not bear fruit?

We have an apricot tree in our backyard, and while I like the shade it provides, during spring and early summer the fruit falls on the ground and causes a terrible ant problem. Is there anything we can do to make the tree stop bearing fruit short of having the tree removed? That would be the last resort, but we will if we have to! It's driving me nuts, and we can't enjoy the backyard because of it!

Is there any way to make a fruit-bearing tree not bear fruit?
Oh for the love of Mercy... there is a product that will do it, but I can't for the love of .... remember what it is called! It's from a company called Ferti-lome (Hi Yield might also have something). It was intended for Crab apples, but I suspect that it would work on your Apricot too (they are related trees).



I would check with your local independent garden center or nursery. I doubt that the big box stores would carry such a specialized product.



You have to spray the tree while in bloom. The spray does something to retard the flowers.



I'm sorry I can't remember the product name, but at least I'm sure of the product manufacturer.



I hope that this helps
Reply:I say cut the damn thing down (and maybe plant a non-fruit bearing tree instead). If it's causing grief and misery get rid of it.
Reply:There should be a "dormant spray" available at a good plant nursery
Reply:I heard of driving a metal stake in the side of the tree, But this may be a foke lore, When I was a kid we had a very large cottonwood tree with a lawnmower blade drove into the side, but it still made a mess every year with the cotton blowing around and all.
Reply:Have you tried harvesting the fruit? There are all kinds of wonderful deserts you can make with apricots. If you have too many then give them away as gifts. Apricots also freeze nicely.
Reply:Good question. I had the same problem with a pear tree in my yard. I love the tree but I hated it dropping fruit in the fall which attracted bees. I ended up borrowing a chain saw from my dad. I started the chain saw and placed the blades on the main trunk of the tree about a foot off the ground. Then I slowly and methodically eased the blade through the entire trunk until the whole tree fell down. No more problems with pears in the yard.
Reply:As far as I know, there is not a way to do that. The only suggestion I could give is that you just make a regular habit of going out there once a day and cleaning up the ones that have fallen. This will not be such a big job if you do it each day, as well as the fact that they will not have so much time to rot and get all sticky, thus making them easier to pick up. You could even make it a game with the kids if you have any.



I would really try not to be taking that tree out. I am a plant lover as well as an animal lover (like my name). I cannot bear to get rid of plants and trees unless they are truly weeds. But I do also understand that sometimes something has to be done about a problem.



Also, I don't know how long you have lived there, but have you ever seen that tree in the fall? Apricot trees tend to have really, really beautiful, varying colors of foliage in the fall season. One of my very favorite trees to look at in the fall is an apricot that we have (which, incidentally, planted itself somewhere where we didn't really want one, but it is the most beautiful tree we have now).



Another thing you could do is make good use of the apricots when they are ripe. You could make jam, syrup, apricot cobbler, almost anything. Apricots flavor come out a lot more when they are cooked, making for some wonderful taste sensations. Pineapple goes great in combination with apricot too.



Well, I hope some of these ideas can help you enjoy your tree more and be able to keep the problems with it at bay. More than anything, if you can take on an attitude of enjoying the good things, the one bad thing won't seem so bad!

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