How to Grow Sweet Fruit Trees
Growing fruit trees in your yard is a great way to save money and enjoy fresh fruit, and you need not be confined to apple or plum. You can grow peaches, cherries or pears as well. While all fruit trees have different growing requirements and USDA hardiness zones, they do have some things in common, like planting and site preparation.
Choose the variety of sweet fruit tree you wish to grow. Make sure it grows well in your climate.
Choose a place in your garden to plant the tree. All sweet fruit trees need well drained soil and full sun. The variety of tree will determine what type of soil you need.
- Growing fruit trees in your yard is a great way to save money and enjoy fresh fruit, and you need not be confined to apple or plum.
Improve the soil by adding compost or manure. Add 4 inches of compost or manure per square foot and work it into your soil to a depth of 8 inches.
Plant your fruit tree in the spring or fall, depending on the growing instructions for the specific tree. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and three times as wide. Place the tree in the hole and fill the hole with soil. If you are planting more than one tree, space them 20 feet apart.
Water your tree well for the first two years. Water it once a week or once every two weeks for 10 minutes per watering. Some fruit trees need more water, like citrus, while some need less, like apples.
- Improve the soil by adding compost or manure.
- Water your tree well for the first two years.
Mulch around the base of the tree. This holds in moisture and prevents weeds from growing.
Prune your sweet fruit trees in the spring while they are dormant. Remove any dead, damaged, over reaching or diseased branches at the trunk of the tree. Remove any crossing or vertical branches at the trunk of the tree. Remove any suckers or water sprouts at the base of the tree. Brush all pruning cuts with sealant.
- Mulch around the base of the tree.
- Remove any crossing or vertical branches at the trunk of the tree.
Fertilize your sweet fruit trees in the spring. Add 1 to 2 lbs. of water-soluble 10-10-10 fertilizer to the base of the sweet fruit trees and water for 10 minutes.
Tip
Many sweet fruit trees need two different varieties planted to cross pollinate with each other.
Warning
Be aware of any diseases or pests that might attack your fruit trees and defend against them.
Related Articles
References
Tips
- Many sweet fruit trees need two different varieties planted to cross pollinate with each other.
Warnings
- Be aware of any diseases or pests that might attack your fruit trees and defend against them.
Writer Bio
Hollan Johnson is a freelance writer and contributing editor for many online publications. She has been writing professionally since 2008 and her interests are travel, gardening, sewing and Mac computers. Prior to freelance writing, Johnson taught English in Japan. She has a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada.
