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Michigan Gardener | April 2017 | MichiganGardener.com
vegetable patch
Getting started with fruit trees
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here seems to be a growing interwood, which usually produces better quality est in adding fruit trees to vegetable fruit than older branches. gardens. Many home gardeners with Depending on the age of the tree when larger yards are looking to add fruits to their planted, it may take several years before there harvest, and what sounds better than a nice is good fruit production. Once the tree is fresh apple or peach right off the tree? While bearing, then there is the need for protecting it may sound like a simple thing to do—just the developing fruit from insects and fungal plant a tree and get some fruit—there is actuproblems. This may mean an ongoing spray ally quite a bit of work that goes into managschedule, along with maintaining good hortiing fruit trees for a quality harvest. cultural practices such as pruning, fertilizing, The first thing to consider when plangood sanitation, weed control, etc. ning to plant a fruit tree is whether it is selfConsider the productive life of the fruit pollinating or not. Apple, pear, tree as well. Peach and nectarand sweet cherry usually require ine may be productive for 10 to 15 cross-pollination from a different years, while a standard apple tree cultivar. It is possible to find some may produce for 60 years. The pear self-fruitful cultivars (such as yeltrees I remember from my grandlow delicious apples or Bartlett parents’ home are still producing pears), but be sure to check before fruit and they are at least 70 years purchasing a fruit tree if it is selfold. If you are planting the fruit fruitful or not. trees in your yard, consider how Once you decide on the type of long you plan to live there. Mary fruit tree you want to plant, conLastly, if you don’t harvest the Gerstenberger sider the mature size of the tree. fruit and know how to store it, you Almost all fruit trees are grafted, may be dealing with spoiling fruit mainly to control the size of the tree. Trees on the ground. If fruit is left lying, you can may be labeled dwarf, semi-dwarf, or stanlook forward to visits from very happy yellow dard, but always check what the mature jackets and European paper wasps, who will height of the tree is considered to be. A be sampling the fallen goods! Good sanitation strongly dwarfing rootstock can still prois important to reduce these visitors as well duce an 8- to 10-foot tree, while a full-sized as prevent other fruit-damaging insects from or standard apple tree can be 35 feet or taller. finding harbor below the trees where they Fruit trees also need regular pruning to conmay reproduce and reappear the following trol their size and shape, increase their vigor, season. and encourage the development of young Growing and harvesting fruit can be a very rewarding experience, but it is not for the faint of heart. Be sure to research the needs of the fruit tree and consider the amount of time and effort you want to put into growing it. More information on growing backyard call fruit can be found at the MSU Extension “the little gardener “Gardening in Michigan” website: www.mithat could” garden.msu.edu. 15 Years Experience at Botanical Gardens
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Mary Gerstenberger is the Consumer Horticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State University Extension in Macomb County, MI. For vegetable and gardening information from MSU, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. Call the toll-free Michigan State University Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 for answers to your gardening questions.