Plant Fruit Trees Now!

We know you love to eat fresh edibles grown in your own backyard. With harvest time just around the corner, many are dreaming of fresh fruit and homemade pies. Why not plant your very own urban orchard this weekend? Not only will you be devouring the mouth-watering fruits of your labor for years to come, you will also have delightful blooming trees to decorate your yard early next spring.

Fruit trees require 6 or more hours of sun a day, but may not require as much space as you think. There are dwarf varieties of many favorites available, such as peaches ‘Bonanza’ and ‘Bonfire’. Other space-saving options include container growing, growing on an espalier, and columnar apples that grow full size fruits on very narrow trees. It’s worth noting that most fruit trees can easily be kept pruned to the gardener’s desired height. Some folks may also be concerned with how many trees they can fit in their yard and still get fruit. Its true that most trees require a cross pollinator, and those that don’t will still produce more heavily with one. However, there are some exceptions such as peaches, pomegranates, and plums. If your neighborhood has a lot of fruit trees, they may cross-pollinate each other, allowing you to cheat a bit.

Once you’ve selected your site, plant into native soil, or use North Haven Organic Potting Soil in containers. Mulch well wherever you plant. All fruit trees will benefit from a feeding of Espoma Tree-tone, and how often will depend on the variety of tree. During late December, you should spray with organic Dormant Oil to help head off any pest problems that might otherwise develop later in the season.

After choosing from all the wonderful fruit tree varieties at North Haven Gardens that perform well in our area, you can have your backyard orchard planted in no time. Let us know if you have questions!

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