How to Grow Fruit Trees

Planting fruit trees adds beauty to your yard, in addition to providing fresh food for you and your family. No matter what type of tree you choose, once it is established it will give you shade and fruit for many years to come. It's important to give consideration to factors such as climate and size to ensure that your fruit trees will thrive.

Make sure that your fruit tree of choice will grow in your area. Some types of trees just won’t do well in certain places, especially in climates that get very cold or very hot. For example, if you live in the cold northeast with long winters and bitter cold you won’t be able to get peaches or apricots to grow, and if you live in the hot desert where the nights are warm you won’t be able to produce any apples.

Fruit trees require a certain number of chill hours, which is the number of hours the environment is below a certain temperature, typically 40 or 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the number of chill hours in your area and ensure that you have sufficient chill hours for the fruit you’d like. Different varieties of the same fruit may have different chill requirements. At the same time, be aware that some types of fruit trees cannot survive in a climate that gets too cold.

A fruit tree will change a lot between the time you plant it and the time it reaches maturity. The following steps will help to ensure that your new tree fits the space:

Look carefully at any sites you’re considering as possible planting locations and check to ensure that the mature tree will fit.

Consider the presence of overhead wires, roof overhangs or anything else that the tree might eventually encounter as it grows.

Choose a tree with the right height for your space:

Dwarf fruit trees grow up to about 10 feet tall

Semi-dwarf varieties grow up to 20 feet high

Full-size trees get taller than 20 feet, sometimes much taller   

Many types of fruit trees require the presence of two trees for pollination to occur. Generally for trees that require cross-pollination you’ll need to plant two yourself, unless you’re lucky enough to have a close neighbor that has the appropriate type of fruit tree to pollinate yours. If you plant only one tree of a kind that needs cross-pollination, you’ll never get any fruit. If you don’t want to plant two, choose a self-pollinating variety, which needs only one tree to produce fruit.

Take the size of your yard into account when choosing your trees and ensure you have enough lateral room, especially if you have to plant two trees of one variety. Fruit trees need to be planted far enough apart to allow adequate space for the mature trees, which can be 35 feet or more in full-size varieties.

Pick a location in your yard that has everything your tree will need. High spots with full sun and good drainage will help your tree to thrive, but if you choose a location with southern or western exposure, your tree might be encouraged to bud early, and a late frost could kill the blooms. If that were to happen, you wouldn’t get any fruit for the year. Be sure to plant where you can get water to the tree if it’s needed during the dry months of the year; adequate water will help your fruit develop well.