Why Grow Your Own Fruit
- Convenience and self-sufficiency
- Pesticide Management
- High yields from one plant; lots of fruit for selling, donating, processing, storing and fresh-eating
Classifications
- Space considerations: Note the required space for espaliered (pronounced es-pal-yay-ed), dwarf, semi-dwarf and full/standard-sized tree varieties
- Espaliered: Not as much total yield but produces more fruit per square foot, great for small-space growers, flat 2-dimensional shapes, fruit in 3-5 years
- Dwarf: 8’ in diameter, full-size fruit, smaller yield, yield fruit in 3-5 years
- Semi-Dwarf: 12-15’ tall and wide, can produce up to 500 apples/season, produce reliably for 15-20 years, produce fruit in roughly 5 years
- Full/Standard Size: Produce anywhere from 4 to 8 bushels per season (400-800 pounds) depending on species, on average 20-30 in diameter
- Resource: https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/estimated-yield-for-fruit-trees
Pollinator Groups
Pollinator groups have to do with timing of blossom-set. Trees requiring a cross pollinator will need a partner tree of the same species, within the same pollinator group, but of a different variety
- Pollinator Groups
Group A or 1: early
Group B or 2: early-mid
Group C or 3: mid
Group D or 4: mid-late
Group E or 5: late
Zone Requirements / Chill Hours
- A chill hour is equal to one hour that a tree spends within the temperature range of 32-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Trees will be marked accordingly.
- If sufficient chill hours are not reached, trees will leaf out later and have a prolonged blossom period. This longer lasting bloom time will open the tree up to disease.
- Figs, olives, and quince have the lowest natural chill requirements
- Followed by persimmons, pomegranates, almonds, and chestnuts.
- Cherries, apples, peaches, and plums required breeding to develop low-chill varieties for areas with minimal chill
- Cherries, apples, peaches, and plums require more chill hours
- Resources:
- https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=16468
- Low Chill: https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/
Planting Basics
- Full sun, plenty of water, large canopy expansion so plan for mature size when planting
- Planting depth is determined by fruit species and size variety - note plant tag
- Soil pH: On average fruit trees love soil at pH 6.3-6.6
- To raise pH add crushed limestone
- To lower pH add nitrogen or elemental sulphur
- When to Plant
Best planted in late fall, winter (if ground isn’t frozen) or early spring when tree has gone dormant. Roots will esta