Grow Your Own Fruit Trees

Gardeners often think that growing fruit trees is horribly difficult, but that is not true. Fruit trees simply require a lot of patience and sunshine. While it will take a few seasons for any fruit tree to produce a tree full of viable fruit, it is well worth the wait. Once that tree is established and producing fruit, you will be able to enjoy free fruit for years to come.

There are a few important things to think about before choosing and planting a fruit tree. First off, you need to think about the climate and soil type you will be introducing to the new tree. If you live in an area with cold winters then it would not be wise to plant a fruit tree that requires warm weather year round. Fruit trees generally require a particular amount of low or high chill time so that the tree can break dormancy and develop fruit correctly. Local nurseries or garden centers should be able to help you figure out which fruit trees are best suited for your climate. They can also help you find a tree that is suited to your soil and to find a tree that will self-pollinate, eliminating the need for a companion cultivator planted nearby. Nursery staff can also help you find a disease resistant tree and let you know when it would be best to plant that particular tree, generally the spring or fall.

Now that you have eliminate the fruit trees that would not thrive in your climate it is time to look at your yard and where you might want to plant a fruit tree, or two. All fruit trees require a lot of sun and well-drained soil. Even a couple hours of shade can cause small, less colorful fruit. You can plant fruit tress in mixed boarders, in containers, near your vegetable garden or anywhere else on your property, that receives enough sun. You also have to consider how much room you have for the tree. A standard fruit tree can grow between thirty and forty feet tall, while dwarf trees will reach between ten and twenty feet high. Do not simply plan for the space of your young tree, plan for the tree at its predicted size once it is full-grown including the root spread. Do not plant within six feet of buildings or underground foundations, or within three feet of sidewalks. Keep in mind that the tree will use the same soil and resources that you use in your lawn and garden. If you plant the tree within or close to a garden, you might find yourself watering and adding to that soil more often. As the tree grows and begins to provide fruit the amount of on resources the tree uses will grow.

Now that you have chosen the type of tree, and where you want to plant it, we can get down and dirty. It is time to take a good look at your soil. Fruit trees do the best in soil that is high in magnesium, potassium and calcium. On the other hand, soil that is too high in nitrogen can lead to quick and lush foliage growth, which might sound good however can be an open invitation to disease and pests rather that the fruit you really want. I recommend doing a soil test to see just what you are dealing with nutrient wise so that you can make any necessary adjustments. You might be tempted to simply dig the hole for your tree and pile in your soil amendments and compost. It would seem the most logical base for promoting good growth, however doing that could cause significant growth problems. While that seems the logical option, it can actually stunt the tree's growth since the roots will have no incentive to grow and spread out in search of water and nutrients. The best way to amend the soil for fruit trees is to rake in the compost and soil amendments lightly into the top soil where you will be planting the tree. To go one better, you can lightly rake the compost into the top soil throughout the entire area that will be under the full-grown tree's canopy. Then you are ready to do the actual planting. When doing so I do suggest adding a little compost tea to the hole and surrounding area to give the tree and surrounding soil a quick nutrient and moisture boost.

To plant your tree, begin by digging a hole at least twice the width of the tree's root ball. This will guarantee enough loose soil around the root ball to encourage spreading roots. The hole should be at least as deep as the same depth of the container the tree came in. If the tree is bare root or come in a burlap bag then the hole should be twice the depth as the root ball. Leave a small cone of undisturbed dirt in the center of the hole. Place the root ball in the hole, directly over the undisturbed cone. Fill the rest of the hole in with the dirt that you had removed in digging the hole. When you are about halfway done refilling the hole with dirt take a break and fill the hole with water. Let the water slowly sink into the earth before finishing adding the soil to the hole. Water the soil around the tree one more time before shoveling on any remaining soil and packing it down firmly.

Once you have your tree firmly planted in the ground, it is best to give the roots a good soak once a week for the first year. Moisture is very important to the roots of young trees to support good growth. It is easy to test the soil to be sure your young tree is receiving enough water. Simply dip your finger into the soil, about three inches should be deep enough, and gauge the moisture present. If the soil is dry three inches down the tree's roots are due for a good soaking. When watering, the goal is to get the soil damp as few feet deep. Long-term fertilizer will not be necessary for your new tree if you add compost to your yard once or twice a year. The tree should grow an average of a foot a year, but if it is lagging behind, fertilizing in the spring would help. I suggest a simple application of compost to the soil, gently raked into the soil surrounding the tree. There are also foliar sprays that you can purchase at a local nursery or online. The foliar sprays can be absorbed into the tiny pores on the tree's leaves and taken into the plant around twenty times faster than the nutrients added to the soil for the roots. The time to use these sprays is when the buds on the tree begin to show color. Mulching around the tree is not recommended, because the mulch is the perfect home for several pests that would worry your poor tree.

Do not feel the need to dormant spray or use any other chemical fertilizer or pest control on your young tree. If you do chose to spray your tree for fungal or insect issues the spray after the tree has lost its leaves and gone dormant. Usually three applications during the dormant season are best to rid yourself of any problems. Remember to water well before spray and to avoid doing so on windy or rainy days. However, you could also simply let nature and beneficial insects to their part, letting your tree do what it does naturally in terms of pest and disease control. Although, simply keeping your tree well watered will help keep it stress free and resistant to bad elements. One simply thing you can do to avoid critters from attacking your tree comes after your tree is big enough to start producing viable fruit. Remember to pick what you want from the tree as it becomes ripe and to get rid of any fallen fruit. Toss any fruit that has been on the ground into your compost pile or simply as far away from your tree as possible, reducing the possibility that those pieces of fruit will invite pest or animal and insect varieties from setting up shop.

Remember that you will need to prune your tree during the dormant season as well, if you are going to prune at all. If buds or leaves have already appeared on your tree then you will need to wait until the growing season to end before picking up your pruning shears. I highly suggest reading a book dedicated to pruning fruit trees before you get out there and start cutting so that you have a visual reference rather than depending on what you might know about other trees. Each and every kind of tree has its own set of idiosyncrasies and quirks that will cause it to react differently to pruning and other actions.

Sources:

University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extentsion Growing Fruit Trees

University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFruit Trees : Planting and Care of Young Trees