Choosing Your Fruit Tree

There are three common available sizes of fruit tree; Dwarf, Semi-Dwarf, and Standard.

Dwarf

Dwarf fruit trees can do well in an 8 ft.(2.5 m) diameter plot. They are easy to prune and harvest because they don't grow tall. The fruit is normal size, but the yield is less because of the smaller tree size. Dwarf trees are not as long-lived as the larger trees. Most dwarf trees begin bearing fruit in 3 to 5 years.

Semi-Dwarf

Medium-sized trees which require a growing area of about 15 ft.(4.6 m) diameter. Semi-dwarfs can range in height from 10 to 16 ft.(3 to 5 m) and need annual pruning to keep the height down and the shape balanced. Very productive, this size tree will produce hundreds of fruit per season. Occassionally, trees will take a year off and produce little or no fruit, especially after a season of heavy production. Most fruit trees planted today are semi-dwarf, because they produce a large crop from a tree with manageable size for pruning and harvesting.

Standard

That huge old apple tree in your Grandmother's back yard - the one that made the best apple pies you ever ate, is a standard, the only choice of size before the smaller hybrids were developed. Standards require more space and are a bigger job to prune and harvest. They can grow to 25 - 30ft.(7.5 to 9 m), or taller if left unpruned. If you want an "traditional" apple tree that the kids can climb in and swing from, get a standard. They will take many years to reach full size, so it may be your grandkids who play on the swing. Most standard trees begin bearing fruit in 3 to 5 years.

Maintenance tasks, such as pruning and yard work beneath the tree, should also be considered when choosing tree size.

Smaller trees yield crops of manageable size and are much easier to spray, thin, prune, net, and harvest than large trees. And, if trees are kept small, it's possible to plant a greater number of trees, which can offer more kinds of fruit and a longer fruit season.

Choosing the Best Fruit Tree for You

Choose local varieties

Ask at your local nursery for the varieties which do best in your area. Many exotic varieties are inviting, but the local varieties will produce best with the least effort.

Match the tree to your soil

Plums, for example, do well in damp soil conditions which might not be good for apples. Pears and apples can handle drier soil, but need good drainage. Peaches can get blight from too much rain, so they will do better in semi-protected areas, like alongside buildings under eaves which offer some protection. If you have a planting location in mind, consult with your local nursery or garden center.

You Will Need Pollinators

Not all fruit tree varieties are self-pollinating. Often, the right combination of varieties are necessary for fruit trees to produce fruit. Most apples are partially self-pollinating and will set some fruit off their own pollen, however these varieties will set more fruit if cross-pollinated with another variety. Ask at your local nursery about the pollinating requirements for trees you are considering.

Extending Your Harvest

If planting a few trees, choose varieties which will give you fruit for a longer time. With apples, for example, you can plant one early variety like Gravenstein for summer eating, a late summer variety like King for fall eating, and a winter keeper which can be stored all winter. Stored properly, the fruit from winter keepers will last to the following March or April. With three trees of different harvest times, you'll enjoy your own organic fruit for 8 months of the year.

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