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Growing fruit trees


Fruit Tree Care: Planting Fruit Trees

Few things in life bring the same satisfaction as planting fruit trees. Learn to avoid future problems by following simple planning steps before you plant.

When it comes to planting fruit trees, we can never stress enough the importance of the planning stage. This includes choosing the best spot for your new planting above the ground and below the ground. We highly recommend that you contact your local utility department before digging to prevent damage to cables, pipes, and other underground structures.

Too often we encounter troubles because we act first and think later. That’s why, when planting an orchard or even a few trees in the back yard, it’s a good idea to take a step back and visualize how our efforts will look 10 years from now. Remember, the time difference between a vegetable garden and productive fruit trees can be years! It's also well worth the wait, so, to start things off right, let’s avoid future problems by considering a few key things before planting.

I. The Planting Site

Have you chosen a place free of interference? Is it far enough from power lines, sewer lines, sidewalks, etc.? Visualize your tree 10 years from now in the location you've chosen, and ask yourself those questions.

Questions to Ask
  1. What is the mature height & width of my tree?
  2. Is the planting site far enough away from power lines? Sewers? Sidewalks?
  3. Will the tree branches interfere with other trees growing nearby?
  4. Does my planting site get 5-8 hours of sunlight?
  5. Is my planting site well-drained, or does it hold water?
  6. Does my planting site have fertile soil, or will I need to amend it with a medium like coco-fiber or compost?

If your tree could talk, it would ask for a well-drained, fertile location with plenty of sunlight. While a full day's sun is great, trees can still thrive and produce on a half-day's light; and most trees are forgiving of imperfect soil conditions. If your ground is a little heavy, consider using our coco-fiber medium. Just drop the brick into 1 1/3 gallons of warm/hot water, 30 minutes before planting. When refilling the hole, work the coco-fiber into the soil and finish planting. This will give the root system air and allow for water absorption as the roots develop.

Planting Tips

II.  Digging the Hole

When digging the hole, a good rule of thumb is to remove a space nearly twice the width and depth of the roots. You don't want the roots cramped or circled. The area you loosen is the area the roots will quickly grow into to anchor and sustain the tree's top. This simple task helps determine both how good the foundation will be years later and how well the plant utilizes two much-needed ingredients: air and water.

III.  Planting the Tree

The Soil

You know the soil you dug up first, right underneath the grass? When refilling your planting hole, it's always best to place that soil in first. It's usually more fertile, as well as more porous, and when placed down near the roots, it will help the tree grow better. The remaining soil (from the bottom of the dug hole) is heavier and works well when mixed with the Coco-Fiber Medium. From top to bottom, work the soil with your hands to avoid large clods that create air pockets.

Graft Placement

When you refill your planting hole, hold the tree up a bit to allow loose soil to fall beneath, as well as around the sides of, the roots. Center its position so there is adequate space on all sides for the root system to grow out. If you are planting a dwarf or semi-dwarf apple tree, hold the bud union up above the refill line – this is the "bump" above the root system of the tree where the rootstock was grafted to the varietal top. If given the opportunity, grafted apple trees will self-root; if the variety self-roots, you’ll lose the size-restrictive nature of the rootstock. (Did you know the rootstock is responsible for the mature size of your tree, i.e. dwarf, semi-dwarf, standard? We don't want to lose that sizing characteristic — it would definitely throw a rock in your long-term plan!)

Finishing Touches

Through the process, keep the tree straight (perpendicular) and, upon finishing, tamp the tree in with your foot to remove air spaces and seal it in. If the tree is planted on a slope, create a slight berm on the lower side to utilize water throughout the summer.  If it’s not pre-pruned before you plant it, be sure to prune your tree, and water it well.

There are few things in life that have the sustainability and bring the same satisfaction as growing a fruit tree. The years following will be spent measuring the tree’s progress and reaping its rewards. That’s a "10-year" vision – yep! I saw the future before I began; how about you?

— Elmer Kidd, Stark Bro's Chief Production Officer (retired)

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All About Growing Fruit Trees – Mother Earth News

(For details on growing many other vegetables and fruits, visit our Crop at a Glance collection page. )

No plants give sweeter returns than fruit trees. From cold-hardy apples and cherries to semi-tropical citrus fruits, fruit trees grow in nearly every climate. Growing fruit trees requires a commitment to pruning and close monitoring of pests, and you must begin with a type of fruit tree known to grow well in your area.

Choose varieties recommended by your local extension service, as some varieties need a certain level of chill hours (number of hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit).

Types of Fruit Trees to Try

Even fruit trees described as self-fertile will set fruit better if grown near another variety known to be a compatible pollinator. Extension publications and nursery catalogs often include tables listing compatible varieties.

Apples (Malus domestica) are the most popular tree fruits because they are widely adapted, relatively easy to grow and routine palate-pleasers. The ideal soil pH for apples is 6.5, but apple trees can adjust to more acidic soil if it’s fertile and well-drained. Most apple varieties, including disease-resistant ‘Freedom’ and ‘Liberty,’ are adapted to cold-hardiness Zones 4 to 7 (if you don’t know your Zone, see “Know Your Cold-Hardiness Zone” later in this article), but you will need low-chill varieties, such as ‘Anna’ and ‘Pink Lady,’ in mild winter climates. No matter your climate, begin by choosing two trees that are compatible pollinators to get good fruit set. Mid- and late-season apples usually have better flavor and store longer compared with early-season varieties.

Cherries (Prunus avium (sweet) and P. cerasus (sour)) range in color from sunny yellow to nearly black and are classified in two subtypes: compact sweet varieties, such as ‘Stella,’ and sour or pie cherries, such as ‘Montmorency’ and ‘North Star.’ Best adapted to Zones 4 to 7, cherry trees need fertile, near-neutral soil and excellent air circulation. Growing 12-foot-tall dwarf cherry trees of either subtype will simplify protecting your crop from diseases and birds, because the small trees can be covered with protective netting or easily sprayed with sulfur or kaolin clay.

Citrus fruits (Citrus hybrids), including kumquat, Mandarin orange, satsuma and ‘Meyer’ lemon, are among the easiest fruit trees to grow organically in Zones 8b to 10. Fragrant oils in citrus leaves and rinds provide protection from pests, but cold tolerance is limited. ‘Nagami’ kumquat, ‘Owari’ satsuma and ‘Meyer’ lemon trees may occasionally need to be covered with blankets when temperatures drop below freezing, but winter harvests of homegrown citrus fruits will be worth the trouble.

Peaches and nectarines (Prunus persica) are on everyone’s want list, but growing these fruit trees organically requires an excellent site, preventive pest management and some luck. More than other fruit trees, peach and nectarine trees need deep soil with no compacted subsoil or hardpan. Peaches and nectarines are best adapted to Zones 5 to 8, but specialized varieties can be grown in colder or warmer climates. Peach and nectarine trees are often short-lived because of wood-boring insects, so plan to plant new trees every 10 years.

Plums (Prunus species and hybrids) tend to produce fruit erratically because the trees often lose their crop to late freezes or disease. In good years, plum trees will yield heavy crops of juicy fruits, that vary in color from light green to dark purple. Best adapted to Zones 4 to 8, plum trees need at least one compatible variety nearby to ensure good pollination. In some areas, selected native species, such as beach plums in the Northeast or sand plums in the Midwest, may make the best homestead plums.

Pears (Pyrus species and hybrids) are slightly less cold-hardy than apples but are easier to grow organically in a wide range of climates. In Zones 4 to 7, choose pear varieties that have good resistance to fire blight, such as ‘Honeysweet’ or ‘Moonglow.’ In Zones 5 to 8, Asian pear trees often produce beautiful, crisp-fleshed fruits if given routine care. Most table-quality pears should be harvested before they are fully ripe.

How to Plant

The best time to plant fruit trees in Zones 3 through 7 is early spring, after the soil has thawed. Fruit trees that are set out just as they emerge from winter dormancy will rapidly grow new roots. In Zones 8 to 10, plant new trees in February. Choose a sunny site with fertile, well-drained soil that’s not in a low frost pocket. Dig a planting hole that’s twice the size of the root ball of the tree. Carefully spread the roots in the hole, and backfill with soil. Set trees at the same depth at which they grew at the nursery, taking care not to bury any graft union (swollen area) that’s on the main trunk. Water well, and install a trunk guard made of hardware cloth or spiral plastic over the lowest section of the trunk to protect it from insects, rodents, sunscald and physical injuries. Stake the tree loosely to hold it steady. Mulch over the root zone of the planted trees with wood chips, sawdust or another slow-rotting mulch. Water particularly well during any dry spells for the first two years.

One year after planting, fertilize fruit trees in spring by raking back the mulch and scratching a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil surface (follow application rates on the product’s label). Then add a wood-based mulch to bring the mulch depth up to 4 inches in a 4-foot circle around the tree. After two years, stop using trunk guards and instead switch to coating the trunks with white latex paint to defend against winter injuries. Add sand to the paint to deter rabbits and voles.

Pruning Fruit Trees

Pruning is a key aspect of growing fruit trees. The goal of pruning fruit trees is to provide the leaves and fruit access to light and fresh air. The ideal branching pattern varies with species, and some apple and pear trees can be pruned and trained into fence- or wall-hugging espaliers to save space. Begin pruning fruit trees to shape them in their first year, and then prune annually in late winter, before the buds swell. Pruning a little too much questionable growth is better than removing too little.

Many fruit trees set too much fruit, and the excess should be thinned. Asian pear trees should have 70 percent of their green fruits snipped off when the pears are the size of a dime, and apples should be thinned to 6 inches apart before the fruits are the size of a quarter. When any type of fruit tree is holding a heavy crop, thinning some of the green fruits will increase fruit size, reduce limb breakage and help prevent alternative bearing (a tree setting a crop only every other year).

Harvesting and Storage

With the exception of pears, tree fruits should be harvested just as they approach full ripeness and then kept chilled to slow spoilage. The flavor of most apples improves after a few weeks in cold storage, so a second refrigerator or a root cellar may be useful. Apples and pears can be kept for several months in a refrigerator, but softer stone fruits (cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums) must be canned, dried, frozen or juiced within a few days of harvest for long-term storage.

Pest and Disease Tips

Some types of fruit crops attract a large number of insect pests and can succumb to several widespread diseases for which no resistant varieties are available. For example, all of the stone fruits are frequently affected by brown rot, a fungal disease that overwinters in mummified fruit. Apply early-season sulfur sprays to suppress brown rot and other common diseases. Some apples have good genetic resistance to scab and rust, but you will still need to manage insect pests, such as codling moths.

Allowing chickens to forage beneath fruit trees can help suppress insects. Many organic growers also keep their fruit trees coated with kaolin clay during the growing season to repel pests.

In the Kitchen

Managing the hefty harvests from mature fruit trees will require a range of food-preservation skills. Manual fruit-processing equipment, such as a cherry pitter (see Slideshow) or an apple peeler/corer, can be excellent investments. At each picking, a number of bruised fruits will need attention right away, while you can refrigerate and forget about sound fruits until your next preservation project. In addition to making jams, jellies and chutneys, try freezing or canning homemade fruit juices. Packets of frozen fruit are handy for baking or in smoothies, and dried fruit can be quickly rehydrated in warm water or munched as a snack.

Know Your Cold-Hardiness Zone

The “Zones” referred to in this article come from maps published by the United States Department of Agriculture that show the average minimum winter temperature for each region. Some types of fruit can tolerate more winter cold than others, so your area’s cold-hardiness is important to know before you choose which fruit trees to grow. If you don’t know your Zone, you can find it at the United States Department of Agriculture. If a mail-order nursery doesn’t tell you which Zone a crop is suited for, you should probably buy from another supplier.

Contributing editor Barbara Pleasant gardens in southwest Virginia, where she grows vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers and a few lucky chickens. Contact Barbara by visiting her website.

Growing fruit trees is easy with advice from OBI

Planting a fruit tree is fast. The best time of the year for this is spring or late autumn. There are plants with bare roots, seedlings planted with a ball, and trees in a container. Plants with bare roots are best planted in spring or autumn, seedlings with a ball or in containers can be planted all year round. Cultivars of fruit trees are improved by special rootstocks. In fact, they seem to consist of two plants: from a rootstock, with roots and the base of the trunk, and a noble variety, which bears fruit. The grafting site is easy to recognize due to the corresponding thickening on the trunk. As a rootstock, special selected sprouts of the same species are used, for example, quince serves as a rootstock for pears. Rootstock affects growth, fruit size, longevity, frost resistance, yield and harvest time.

Important: not only the variety is important, but also the rootstock, as well as the trunk on which the variety is grafted. For small gardens, there are special rootstocks with moderate growth.

1 - Step by step 2 - Shopping list
3 - Tool list

step 1 - dig a hole for planting.

First you need to dig a hole for planting, and mix the dug soil with well-rotted grass compost and a handful of horn shavings.

Important: The pit should be of such size that the roots of the plant do not have to be bent and there is enough space for them.

step 2 - drive in a retaining peg.

Place the tree in the hole and place a stake next to it. With a heavy hammer, drive in the peg to such a depth that it does not swing (minimum 30 cm).

Important: In order not to damage the seedling when driving the stake, it can be taken out of the hole again and set aside.

step 3 - fill the hole with soil and water

Pour a mixture of soil and compost and a handful of horn shavings into the hole, tamp well and water thoroughly. A small edge should be formed along the edges of the pit so that water does not flow to the side and does not seep into the turf.

Important: During watering, the soil will fall on the roots, and they will grow further.

step 4 - tying up

In order for a tree to grow calmly and not be tilted by the wind in different directions, it is necessary to tie it to a retaining peg. To do this, wind a stiff garden rope or coconut string around the trunk and the stake in the shape of a figure eight and then tie it in the middle. In this way, a distance is maintained between the seedlings and the support, which prevents the tree from coming into contact with the support and possible damage.

Important: Check the tying point regularly. It should not weaken, but at the same time it should not grow into the bark. If necessary, replace the rope. It will take about two years for the tree to take root so well that it will be possible to remove the retaining stake.

step 5 - put the protective cover on the barrel

The bark of a young fruit tree is extremely tender. To avoid burns from the winter or summer sun, as well as to protect the bark from rabbits, you should wrap the trunk with a special protective cover.

Important: After a couple of months you can remove the protective cover. By this time, the young tree will already have time to grow up and get used to the sunlight in a new place. Rabbits and roe deer peel off the bark only in winter, so in the summer there is no need for an animal-proof casing.

Shopping list

List of tools

Fruit trees in pots and containers: how to plant and grow

You can make your own orchard even on the terrace by growing mini fruit trees in pots.

Vera Ermakova

Pixabay

Who among us has not dreamed at least sometimes of our own orchard? To admire fragrant flowers in May, and to harvest a sweet harvest in autumn? Do you think this requires a really large plot and many years of tireless work? We have good news: modern agricultural technologies make it possible to set up a real fruit plantation in a very small area, and these small trees will begin to bear fruit very soon after planting. We tell you what fruit trees in pots you can buy and grow even on an open balcony and what you need for this.

How to plant fruit trees in pots

The most important thing you need to plant a mini fruit tree at home is a large pot. Such fruit trees are usually sold either "bare root" - just a plant without soil - or in 20-40 liter containers. As they grow, the trees should be transplanted into large 95-115 liter pots by transshipment so as not to damage the roots.

Indoor mini fruit trees are usually planted in two containers. The first is a pot, often plastic, into which soil is poured and a tree is planted. Usually it is not more than 50 cm in diameter. The second is decorative, for example, wooden or ceramic. Many choose them so that they match in size and fit into each other without a gap. But in fact, such a gap will be beneficial. Due to the air layer, the soil will heat up more slowly in hot weather and cool down in cold weather. Also, excess water will go into this free space during irrigation and gradually soak into the soil, preventing it from drying out.

You will also need to purchase a support to which you will tie your indoor fruit tree in a pot - the wide leaves of most fruit trees literally "catch" the wind, and the tree can bend or break.

Pots with legs and pallets will help to preserve the durability of pots and plant life. Pay attention to the presence of drainage holes to prevent stagnant water at the roots of an indoor mini fruit tree in a pot.

The best time to plant fruit trees in pots is from mid-autumn to early spring.

How to grow fruit trees in pots

Mini fruit trees in pots are not only a decorative landscaping technique, but also a tasty crop. To do this, plant dwarf varieties of plums, apple and pear trees, apricot and peach trees. All of them will need nutritious soil, plenty of compost, occasional drainage, and abundant watering. Use mulch to slow the evaporation of water from the pot. And do not forget to cut the fruits in time so that thin branches do not break under their weight. Sometimes this has to be done even before the final ripening, so as not to harm the tree.

Fruit trees in containers that are located in an open area are best placed in a light shade. The sun's rays falling on them most of the day can cause burns to wood and leaves. For the winter, plants that do not have winter hardiness should be transferred indoors. But even more hardy trees need to be protected from frost. The soil in pots freezes more than in the ground. Therefore, with the advent of cold weather, flowerpots should be insulated with insulating material.

If you bought a mini fruit tree just for your home, you need to make sure that it is not in a draft or near heating appliances. Lighting should also be taken into account, which should not be too much, but sufficient for normal plant growth. It is under the influence of sunlight that fruits accumulate sugar and become sweet.

Since fruit trees, even dwarf ones, are perennials that live and bear fruit for several years, choose potting mixes that release nutrients slowly.

Feed potted fruit trees every two weeks from flowering to mid-fall with high potassium formulations such as liquid algae and water them well. It's a good idea to mulch the surface of the soil (such as perlite or vermiculite) to retain moisture.

Varieties of mini fruit trees in pots

You can create a fruit garden from mini potted trees even at home on a balcony, terrace or in a small area. We offer you the most popular types.

Apple trees

This is perhaps the most common of all mini fruit trees in pots. Apple trees are loved, among other things, because these trees can grow both as a bush and as a tree, and therefore they can also be used for additional decoration of your site or terrace.

Pears

The biggest danger when growing pears is late frost. These homemade fruit trees in pots bloom quite early, and our May night cold snap can kill the flowers. To reduce the risk, cover flowering branches with light fleece overnight - this will save the future crop.

( By the way: Stars in the garden: 10 artists who grow vegetables and fruits)

Cherry trees

As we mentioned above, cherry trees are self-fertile, and therefore just one plant is enough for a harvest. But the biggest problem is the birds that happily peck at your berries. Try installing a net around a mini fruit tree in a pot - nothing is guaranteed, but sometimes it helps. And keep in mind: the shadier the side on which the cherry grows, the more tart the berries will turn out.

Plums

An almost perfect mini fruit tree in a pot, especially for those who can't spend much time in the country or simply don't want to take too much care of. Pruning is minimal, the trees are self-fertile, and therefore one is enough. The only thing you need is to thin out the ripening fruits, otherwise the yield will be uneven: very large in one year and practically zero in the next.

( By the way: Poor compatibility: which vegetables, trees and shrubs should not be planted nearby)

Peach and apricot trees

These trees, like plum trees, require almost no pruning and do not need partners for pollination. But you need to remember that their ovary is very tender, and they love to bloom exactly on the eve of frost. Try covering the flowering branches of a mini tree in a pot at night - and train your calmness.

By the way, if you want to increase the yield of your mini fruit tree, try the following hack: when the flowers open, gently blot the pollen with a soft brush and rub it into the surrounding flower.

Have you tried growing fruit trees in tubs?

Fig Trees

Even if you are not a big fan of figs, we still recommend that you pay attention to these mini fruit trees in pots: their wide leaves exude a bright and very pleasant aroma. Also, the fig tree likes to have its roots limited and therefore is great for growing in pots.

If you don't think our climate is too good for figs, try protecting the young fruit with plastic sleeves (just leave the sleeve open so the fruit can breathe).

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