Everyone’s always trying to eat healthy, and people do that in different ways. For some, it’s good enough to buy the organic brand of a product they like from the grocery store, but for others, they’d rather grow their own food so they know exactly how it was grown. If you’re one of these people and you’re interested in growing your own fruit trees, your dream is within reach!
Read up on how you can get your trees growing in your backyard and successfully harvest from them season after season.
Pick the Right Fruit for Your Area
The only way you can properly grow a fruit tree is if you’ve picked the right kind to grow in your area. Where you live, what kind of weather you have and what kind of soil is in your yard will all affect the growth of your tree, or if it’s able to grow at all for that matter. If you know any local farmers, talk with them about what they’ve found to grow best. You can also talk with friends who might have fruit trees themselves to talk about their experience.
Another option is to research online. You’re going to have to research how to care for your plant anyway, so you may as well look into the different types of trees that will thrive the most where you live. A great way to do that is to look at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This map has been created specifically to point out where plants grow the best, so you’ll get accurate and updated information.
Prep Your Area
Much like when you plant a garden, you’ll need to figure out how much space your trees will need to grow. They won’t stay saplings forever, and they shouldn’t crowd each other once they reach maturity. You can learn how to prepare your site and average that your trees will need 25 feet by 25 feet of space each, unless they’re dwarf trees, which require 12 feet by 12 feet.
Know When to Plant Them
Each kind of plant has a different season where they’ll grow better or worse. Don’t mistakenly plant your tree when it won’t get the best conditions to grow. The best way to know when to plant trees is to go a local nursery. If they’re selling fruit trees, it’ll be a good time to plant them. They’ll also be ready to help with any questions you might have, and may be able to connect you with local groups so you don’t grow your trees alone.
Figure Out How to Care for Them
Once your fruit trees are planted, you’ll need to know how to take care of them. Like with anything else, the care they’ll need will change depending on how long they’ve been growing. To succeed in caring for young fruit trees, you’ll need to do things like a deep watering every other week and removing dead fruit before winter to prevent rot. As your tree grows, you can keep up with local experts at your nearby nursery or farms so you know your fruit tree is never lacking anything it may need.
Growing your own fruit trees can be an extremely rewarding experience, because you get to know exactly how your food is grown and enjoy it when it’s fresh and ripe. All it takes to succeed is a little bit of research and maybe making a few friends with locals who know more about plants. Ultimately, you’ll be glad you went the extra mile to learn everything you could before you planted when you get to pick that fruit off the tree and enjoy its refreshing taste.
Emily is a freelance writer, covering conservation and sustainability. You can read her blog, Conservation Folks, for more of her work.