Fruit trees

Growing Fruit Trees

pears

By Kim Willis These articles are copyrighted and may not be copied or used without the permission of the author.

Fruit is tasty and healthy.  It’s the goal of many home gardeners to produce some of their own fruit.   While growing fruit trees is a bit harder than growing vegetables, the average gardener should be able to do it.  In this article fruit tree basics will be discussed.

Gardeners should remember though, that tree fruit production requires a little patience.  Trees rarely flower and fruit the first year you plant them.  Some trees like peaches bear faster and if you started with an older tree you may get fruit the second year.  But most fruit trees will take several years to bear fruit.

You don’t have to have a lot of space to grow fruit trees.  Many types of fruit trees come in dwarf and semi-dwarf size.   There are some fruit trees small enough to grow in large containers.   About twenty square feet is enough room for two semi-dwarf fruit trees.  Some types of fruit, particularly apples, need two trees to produce fruit.  

Space is not the only limiting factor when growing fruit trees.  Some types of trees will not grow well in all planting zones.  Some fruit trees require a winter chill period to set fruit.  Above zone 8 fruits like apples, pears, plums and cherries may not get enough cold weather to produce fruit.   There are a few varieties of apples that have been selectively bred for warm growing areas.  

Below zone 8 gardeners will not be able to grow citrus fruits unless they can bring them inside to a heated green house in the winter. The arid southwest does not make for good fruit tree growth unless the trees can be irrigated.  Some fruit trees like peaches and apricots may bloom too early in northern areas and the blooms will be killed by frost.

What fruit trees need

All fruit trees prefer to be in full sun.  A sunny sheltered spot is ideal.  Shelter from wind can come from a building, hedge or tree windbreak.  Smaller dwarf trees can be grown against a wall or fence.  If protection from the wind isn’t available, most fruit trees will still grow but may be slower growing and require more water. 

Apples

Sandy loam is the ideal soil, with a pH near neutral.  Citrus prefers a slightly acidic soil.  Have your soil tested before planting fruit trees and correct any nutrient deficiencies.  Fruit trees are heavy feeders and need good, fertile soil or supplemental fertilization. 

Fruit trees prefer well drained soil.  The most important part of choosing a site is to make sure that the soil drains well.  Fruit trees will not survive in wet soil.  If water stands in an area for more than an hour after a rain or you dig a hole and hit water, it is not a good place for fruit trees.

Do not plant fruit trees down in a hollow or other low spot.  Low spots collect cold air in early spring and flowers may be killed by a frost that won’t occur on nearby higher ground.

Plant your fruit trees close enough to the house so that you can water and care for them easily.  If you have lots of land, planting your trees closer to the house rather than far away may keep animal pests like deer from doing as much damage.   But too close to the house is not ideal either.  Fruit trees do not make good landscape trees.  They require regular spraying and pruning that makes them look less appealing than most other trees but will result in better fruit.

Fruit trees also attract insect and animal pests with fallen fruit and ripe fruit.  A cherry tree near the home will result in a lot of bird “stained” items.  Rotting fruit under a tree attracts yellowjackets, a nasty member of the hornet family, and may bring other undesirables too close for comfort. 

Fruit trees may also attract the human element, especially children, who may destroy or pick unripe fruit.  Surely you remember having fights with little green apples.  And the limbs of fruit trees should not become a climbing gym.  Fruit trees do not belong in lawns or near gardens where weed killers and other things may be taken up into the trees root system.

Choosing fruit trees

Home gardeners are strongly advised to choose semi-dwarf varieties of fruit trees whenever possible.  Semi-dwarf trees take up less space and are easier to care for and harvest.  They usually produce fruit sooner than standard sized trees. Semi-dwarf trees will get to about 15 feet high.

If space is really limited choose dwarf trees.  Dwarf trees may need a little more care to prevent them from breaking from the wind and may need to be propped when loaded with fruit. Some may need permanent staking.

Almost all fruit trees sold today are grafted trees. This means that the root part of the tree is generally from a disease resistant, hardy variety and the top part or fruiting part of the tree is from another tree.  Most fruit trees do not come true from seed, particularly apples.  That’s the reason most gardeners will want to purchase fruit trees rather than growing them from seed.

Apples, pears, some plums and sweet cherries will need another tree nearby to produce fruit.  Tart cherries, peaches, apricots, some plums, and citrus are self-fruitful, but may produce better and tastier crops if another tree is nearby.

Apples are very fussy as to what can pollinate them. Two McIntosh apples will not pollinate each other, nor will two Red Delicious.  With apples it is particularly important to pick two different types of trees, but two that can pollinate each other. Some trees bloom at different times and won’t pollinate each other and others have genetic incompatibilities.  Catalogs and reference books can help you pick apples that will pollinate each other. 

Organic Delicious apples

Also check plum and sweet cherry varieties to see if they are compatible. There are some sweet cherries sold now that will produce fruit without a second tree.  Some plums will also set fruit as a single tree, but some won’t.  Pears of the same types may set some fruit but cross pollination with another type of pear is better.

Other things to consider when choosing varieties of fruit trees include whether the variety is suitable for your planting zone.  Some varieties may not be as cold hardy, may bloom too early or ripen fruit too late for your area.  Homeowners may also want to pick varieties that are disease resistant, especially if they intend to follow organic pest control methods.

Planting your tree

While different types of fruit trees may have different cultural requirements and thrive in different plant zones the actual planting of fruit trees of all types is quite similar.  Most fruit trees have similar soil, site, and planting needs.

Heavy clay soil should be amended not with sand, which creates cement, but with lots of compost and other organic matter.  Soil that is sandy and drains too quickly can also be amended with organic matter.  Do not amend individual holes; work the amendments into the soil before digging holes. Do not add fertilizer at planting.

Current research has shown that holes for trees should be re-filled with soil that was taken out of them and amendments like peat and compost should not be added to individual holes.  If holes are amended and the surrounding soil is not as welcoming to plant roots they tend to circle around in the hole rather than venturing bravely out to find food and water.  This can stunt tree growth or even kill trees.

Paw paw tree

Lighter soil in a hole made in heavy clay soil will attract water and act like a bathtub, rotting tree roots.  No matter what the salesman says you don’t need topsoil or peat for the planting hole.  A yearly layer of good compost on the soil around the trees will be worked into the soil by earthworms and other friendly creatures and will eventually improve the soil in the area.

Fruit trees are often purchased bare root.  Make your hole just deep enough to accommodate the length of the root from tip to where you notice a dark ring on the trunk.  This ring should signify the soil level where the tree was growing n the nursery. Do not plant them deeper than that.  Trees should be planted with the first lateral – branching root- just beneath the soil surface.

Potted trees and balled and burlapped trees should have pots and all burlap and any strings and wires removed. Gently wash most of the soil off so you can examine the root system.  Potted and balled trees are susceptible to circling roots, where the roots go around and around inside the pot or ball.  If planted like that the growth pattern will likely continue and it will eventually kill the tree.

If the roots are circling you’ll need to try and straighten them out, sometimes they will need to be pruned so that the cut end faces either down or to the side.   If there are a lot of bunched roots at the bottom, try to gently pry them apart and flare them out.  Plant the tree so that the top branching root is just below the soil surface, 2-3 inches deep.

Apple blossoms

Holes should be deep and wide enough so that no roots are crowded together. You can make your holes as wide as you want, it helps to loosen the soil around the new tree. Never wind long roots around in a hole.  This encourages circling roots and sometimes they will strangle the tree, cutting off water and nutrients to the trunk.

Look for the graft union on your fruit tree.  Most fruit trees are grafted on to different root stock.  It is important that the graft union is well above soil level.  If soil covers the graft union, the tree may send up shoots from the roots, and the less desirable root stock may overtake the desirable top stock.  Graft unions are a slight bulge, or scar like area on the trunk about 18 inches from the top of the roots.  If you planted the tree correctly you should not have to worry about this.

Refill the hole with the soil you took out and water the plant to settle the soil.  Do not tamp the soil down.  You want your tree in a loose, gentle environment.  Some people like to make a dam around the tree with soil so the ring it creates can be filled with water that will seep into the soil. 

You may have heard that it’s good to remove some of the branches or to cut the trunk back after planting by a third and so on.  Modern research has shown you should not do this. Don’t remove any branches unless they are broken or dead and don’t cut the top of the tree back.

Fruit trees can be mulched after planting. Mulch has advantages and disadvantages.   It keeps down weeds that compete with young trees and preserves soil moisture.  However, mulch can hide fruit tree pests such as insects and voles, which nibble at the trunk.  Mulch should never be more than a couple inches deep and should not actually touch the trunk of the tree. If you do not mulch keep the area beneath the tree mowed short but be careful not to damage the tree trunk when mowing or weed wacking.

Standard and semi-dwarf trees should not need staking.  Staking encourages weak trunks.  Dwarf trees however, may need a stake to support them or they may need to be tied to a trellis or fence.  

The trunks of newly planted fruit trees do need protection from animals who are very fond of tender bark.  If animals eat the bark off completely around the tree, called girdling, it will die.  You can use circles of fencing with small openings, called hardware cloth or wrap one of the spiral plastic tree wraps around the trunk. The cages should be as tall as the bottom limbs of the tree.  Areas that get heavy snows will need taller cages as animals will feed from the top of the snow banks. 

Water the newly planted trees once a week if it is dry, more often if the soil is sandy and the weather hot and windy.  Once trees are established fruit trees can stand some drought.  However, you will get larger and better tasting fruit if they can be watered.

Fruit tree care after planting

Fruit trees take a little more care than other garden crops.  You will need to prune, spray and eventually harvest your trees.   Most fruit trees need shaping and training in their early years to produce a good fruit crop.  They will need pruning every winter to help them maintain their size and shape. 

Proper pruning is a hard subject to explain in text. There are different methods of pruning that experts recommend.  Different types of fruit also need slightly different pruning methods. I highly recommend gardeners try to attend a pruning demonstration, many county Extension offices and garden clubs sponsor these demonstrations in late winter.

Here are some sites that can show you how to prune fruit trees.

Alabama-southern areas- http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0053-K/index2.tmpl

Slide show from MSU on pruning bearing apples

http://slideplayer.com/slide/9217709/

Penn state apple and pear pruning https://extension.psu.edu/pruning-apples-and-pears-in-home-fruit-plantings

University of Maine pruning slide show, diagrams

https://extension.umaine.edu/fruit/growing-fruit-trees-in-maine/pruning/

In general, anything growing beneath the graft bulge or coming up from the roots should be removed.  Remove a branch crossing or rubbing on another.  Cut long side branches back by a third.  Remove little branches coming off a main branch that are growing straight up. 

For most fruit trees you want branches that join the trunk at a good right angle and not like a V.  These support loads of fruit better.  Young branches can be weighed down so they develop a better angle or the improper angled branches can be removed.  They can also be spread downward by using a board between the trunk and branch, called a spreader.

To get your fruit you may need to protect it from birds and other animals.   You can cover the smaller trees with netting or you can use a variety of “scare” devices that are on the market. 

Fruit trees should be fertilized once a year.  Do not fertilize at planting.  In the early spring of the following year apply a general-purpose fertilizer such as 10-6-4 or you can use a fertilizer labeled for fruit trees.  A fertilizer higher in nitrogen is recommended, you may not need phosphorus and potassium. Have a soil test done at planting and then every 5 years to determine if there are any soil nutrient deficiencies. Some trees like citrus may require some nutrients in greater quantities.

Remember not to use fertilizers with weed killers in them on fruit trees. Also if the fruit tree is in a lawn area keep lawn weed killers away from them, at least as far as the drip line. 

Apply fertilizers in early spring.  Read the label directions for the amount to use as formulas vary. Here is a basic guideline- you are trying to get about a ¼ pound of actual nitrogen to the tree the first year after planting and increase it by a ¼ pound each year for five years. Then stop increasing the fertilizer amount, but keep fertilizing each year.

The actual amount of nitrogen does not mean the actual weight of the fertilizer.  The first number on the fertilizer bag is the nitrogen by percentage based on 100 lbs. of fertilizer.  For a 10-6-4 fertilizer a fifty-pound bag of fertilizer would have 5 pounds of actual nitrogen, a 25 pound bag would have 2 ½ pounds.  You’ll need about 2 ½ pounds of the complete fertilizer to get ¼ pound of nitrogen.

Spread the dry fertilizer over the soil evenly around the tree.  Make about a 2 feet wide circle around the tree the first year and in the following years spread the fertilizer out to the drip line of the tree. Don’t let the fertilizer get up against the tree trunk. Water the fertilizer in well.

To get a nice crop of fruit a preventative disease and insect spray program will need to be followed.  There are now some products considered organic and of low toxicity for those who do not like chemical pesticides.  While these products help, they are not as effective in preventing disease and insects as other chemical controls and the fruit produced may not be as perfect.  If you use no preventative pesticides you may end up with small, wormy or diseased fruit.

To make it simple for home gardeners I recommend a dormant horticultural oil spray in early spring, before the buds swell for all types of fruit.  Plums and cherries should have a second dormant oil spray when flower buds show a ½ inch of green.  Dormant oil is considered to be an organic treatment and is one treatment all homeowners should use.

Next choose a good home orchard spray, which you’ll find at garden stores.  These sprays contain both insecticides and fungicides for disease prevention.  Follow the label directions.  Generally, you will spray the trees just before the buds open, after the petals fall and at about ten-day intervals after that.  This would not be an organic method, but modern fruit tree sprays are pretty safe.

There are products considered to be organic such as Surround®, a clay coating for fruit and sprays made with sulfur and other compounds that you can purchase.  Organic controls are not as effective as some other pesticides and fruit may still show signs of disease or insects.  Some people are fine with that and some use no treatment other than dormant oil on fruit trees.

Don’t apply any sprays while fruit trees are in bloom, organic or otherwise, as this will affect pollination and can kill pollinators. 

Since diseases of fruit trees vary from region to region and treatment timing may also vary contact your local county Extension office for advice on fruit tree spraying.  I’m not going to describe diseases and pests because this article would become very, very long.  Once again, the county Extension office should know what diseases are present in your area and tell you what to look for and when and how to treat problems.

If conditions are very dry fruit trees will need to be watered for proper fruit development.   Weeds should be kept away from under fruit trees.  They can hide pests and compete for soil resources.

Every year clean up the leaves beneath the trees and any fallen fruit as these can harbor insect pests and diseases from year to year.

While fruit trees are more labor intensive than other garden plants the labor should be rewarded by a good crop of tasty and nutritious fruit.  Home fruit growers can also grow varieties of fruit not often found on the market.  If you have the space fruit trees are a good addition to the garden.