Important Considerations
Climate Chilling requirements summer heat, winter cold hardiness
Size Tree and property
Soil type and drainage Most critical for stone fruits
Light availability Dwarf trees near standard trees
Important Considerations
Maintenance time required Apples need most spraying
Slope and cold-air drainage
Temperature change from Brigham City to Mantua in Sardine Canyon on a typical fall or spring day. As the elevation increases, note the constant decrease in air temperature. Also notice the large dip in temperature and decrease in elevation at Mantua. Mantua is a low valley within the canyon and cold air accumulates there.
Landscape Uses
Fruit and nut trees can be used as ornamental landscape trees Nut trees are usually very large, so may
work well as shade trees Dwarf fruit trees used as screen trees,
or patio plants Espalier of some fruit trees
Selecting Trees
North vs. South varieties Maturity Period Disease resistance
Also related to rootstock What you want to use the tree for Pollination requirements
Apples and pears need pollinator Most apricot, peach, sour cherry are self
fruitful
Tree sizes and rootstocks
Fruit trees are grafted on rootstocks Rootstock adds beneficial qualities such as
insect or disease resistance, cold hardiness, soil tolerance, and growth control
Fruits are categorized by mature tree size Standard, semi-dwarf, dwarf Is a function of the rootstock
Dwarfing has several advantages Easier to harvest, spray, bear sooner, more
trees Nut trees are grown as standards
Rootstocks for apples:
M9 - 1/4 size tree M26 - 1/3 size tree M7 - 1/2 size tree M106 - 2/3 size tree
Planting Fruit Trees
Same planting techniques as any other woods plant – can be bare-root or in containers
1. Hole 2-3x as wide as rootball, same depth2. Do not crowd roots at planting3. Backfill hole with soil you took out4. Water-in thoroughly5. Keep graft above ground
1. Keep scion from rooting
6. Stake upright if necessary
Training Forms
Central Leader Most sweet cherries, some apples and
pears Modified Central leader
Apples, sour cherry, pear, plum
Training Forms
Vase or Open-center Peach and related
Espalier Training in a 2-Dimensional plane Apples and Pears Fruit production in very small space
Thinning
Removal of a portion of fruits on a tree while they are still small Most fruit trees produce more fruit than
can fully mature Will be undersized and poorly colored
without Can also help prevent bearing in
alternate years Remove when ½” to ¾” in size
Pest Control
Chemicals will be required to keep most fruit pests under control
Very limited selection of organic pesticides
Wormy fruit is unacceptable Leaf diseases and sucking insects such as
aphids and mites can reduce carbohydrates moving into fruit, making fruit smaller
Apples are most intensive for spray needs
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