Plant bare-root fruit trees now
SAN ANGELO, Texas —
Who doesn’t like to bite into a fresh, juicy homegrown peach or apple? Most of us would love to have a fruit tree in the landscape to provide beautiful flowers in the early spring, and something delicious to eat in the summer.
Bare-root fruit trees are available now, during the dormant season, and it’s a good time of year for planting. It gives them time to establish a good root system before spring and summer come.
Growing fruit trees is no easy task, though. Be careful in crop selection and variety selection, and know that it may take a lot of work to get a decent crop of fruit.
Trees such as peaches and apricots are not easy to maintain, and it takes effort to keep them healthy. The list of fruit trees that are possible to grow in the area, in order of most reliable to least, is: persimmon, pear, apple, plum, peach, nectarine and apricot.
Before planting, evaluate the site; soil must be well drained in order for fruit trees to thrive. Sticky clay soil or heavy caliche is not well suited for fruit trees. If soil is a problem, build a large raised bed or berm to assist with water movement.
Another important consideration is the number of chilling hours. Different varieties of fruit trees have different chilling hour requirements, so when choosing a tree be sure to match it to local conditions.
The Concho Valley receives between 800 and 900 chilling hours per winter. Check the label when purchasing a fruit tree to make sure the chilling requirement makes it an appropriate tree for the area. If not matched, a tree will not produce well and can even be damaged by either too much cold or too much warm weather (depending on the variety).
Other growing requirements include full sun and plenty of wide open space to allow good airflow. If fruit trees are planted too close together or too near other plants or structures, the reduced air flow will allow more pest problems to develop.
For a list of recommended fruit tree varieties for the Concho Valley, visit http://tomgreen.agrilife.org/publications/horticulture-information/.
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The Concho Valley Master Gardeners are holding a spring training class and invite you to join. The course thoroughly covers many aspects of landscaping and gardening and will be held 6-9 p.m. Wednesday evenings every week from March through May.
Seating is limited, and the deadline to register is Feb. 24. Contact the Extension office for more information: 113 W Beauregard or 325-659-6528.
Allison Watkins is Tom Green County Extension horticulturist. Contact her at [email protected].
Fruit with Bill & Sheila
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