Fruit Trees — Part One

It is that time of year when gardeners dream of establishing their own fruit orchards. For the next few weeks, we will look at some of the requirements for a successful home orchard.

First is site selection. Where your fruit trees are planted will have far-reaching effects. Once a tree is planted, the chances of moving that tree are slim. If the site is unsuitable for fruit production, the tree will never grow well and produce fruit as it should. The following is a checklist of factors to consider before planting:

• Will the trees receive enough sunlight? Full sun (at least six hours per day) is a must for fruit trees.
• Will trees have enough room to grow to their mature size without interfering with their surroundings?
• Is the soil suitable for fruit trees (well-drained, proper pH, good tilth)?
• Are varieties close enough for cross-pollination to occur (generally, within 200 feet of each other)?
• Can the area be expanded for future plantings?
• Is irrigation a possibility?

When planting fruit trees, a few basic rules will significantly increase their survival and well-being.

Be sure to choose fruit tree varieties that are adapted to your growing area. Beware of buying plants from catalogs based in the northern and western areas of the country. Their varieties may not thrive here in middle Georgia. Consult your local Cooperative Extension Service office for their recommendations. 

Consider planting at least three varieties of most fruits-especially if cross-pollination is a factor. If one tree is lost, then two trees are left to complete the job.

You may want to plant enough different varieties so that fruit will ripen at separate times, providing a harvest over a number of weeks instead of all at once.

Thin the fruit soon after spring bloom. Most often, small fruit is due to an over abundance of fruit on the tree. The tree has only so much energy to devote to fruit production, so thinning is necessary to produce nice-sized fruit, such as with apples, pears, and peaches. A general rule is to leave one fruit along every eight inches of branch and remove the rest.

Space plants according to their expected size at maturity. Give them plenty of room. Plan spacing so that trees can be easily maintained (mowed, sprayed, etc.)

Arrange plants to maximize sunlight. Avoid planting tall trees where they will shade smaller ones.

Prune plants in a timely manner. Lack of pruning can result in limb breakage and reduced fruit production.

Follow a fungicide/insecticide spray program for those fruits that require it, or you will be sorely disappointed in the quality of your fruit.

Irrigate trees during times of low rainfall for best results. Some plants, such as figs and blueberries, have shallow root systems and require frequent watering. Drip irrigation is inexpensive and easily installed.

Keep good field records. Record on paper what varieties you planted and when you planted them so that when you harvest your fruit you will know what varieties performed well (or not so well). Do not depend on your memory or the plant I.D. tags-both will fade with time.

I hope these basic pointers will encourage you to create that home orchard you have always wanted. Go for it!

Later: more on fruit production.

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 and timlewis1@windstream.net.