SAN ANGELO, Texas - Winter is a great time to plant many woody plants, including bare-root fruit trees. Peach, apple, pear and other trees can be purchased or ordered from nurseries during the dormant season. It may take a few years to start getting a crop of fruit, but it's sure to be worth it when the time comes. Nothing tastes better than homegrown fruit right off the tree.
Texas weather is certainly not predictable, and that can make it difficult to grow fruit trees. Late freezes and record-setting temperatures are just a couple of the events that can cause problems. But it's still worth a try to plant a tree or two if there's room in the yard, because there will be a good crop most years.
The main options include peaches, plums, apricots, pears, apples and pomegranates. Most apples are not self-fruitful and will need at least two varieties. The same goes for pear trees. It's important to choose varieties carefully, and select those that have proved to be successful in the area.
A good variety would be one that has the proper chilling hours requirement, is resistant to pests and is adapted to soil and other local conditions. Chilling hours are the number of hours with temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees, and fruit trees will not bloom or set fruit until the requirement is met. In the Concho Valley, we typically have between 800 and 900 chilling hours.
Most fruit trees try to produce more fruit than they can sustain and need to be thinned to produce high-quality fruit. For example, when fruit is still small, apples should be thinned to one fruit or two per cluster, and peaches thinned to 6 to 8 inches apart.
Strawberries are another popular fruit to grow, but they can be frustrating. They are sold in the springtime but don't do well in our hot weather. Research is being done on fall planting of strawberries inside a low-tunnel hoop house for protection through freezing winter temperatures. Raspberries and blueberries are simply not a reasonable option in this part of Texas, but thankfully we have plenty of other tasty choices!
Recommended varieties for the Concho Valley:
Apple: Top Red, Anna, Mollie's Delicious, Gala
Pear: Orient, Moonglow, Kieffer
Peach: Ranger, Redglobe, Belle of Georgia
Apricot: Harcot, Golden Amber, Harval
Plum: Morris, Ozark Premier, Methley
Pomegranate: Sumbar, Russian 18 (aka Texas Red), Salavatski
Blackberry: Brazos, Womack, Rosborough
Allison Watkins is Tom Green County Extension horticulturist. Contact her at AEWatkins@ag.tamu.edu.
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-304-7763.
Monday-Friday: 6am-8pm / Saturday: 6am-12pm / Sunday: 6am-1pm