Selecting Fruit Trees for the Home Garden

Norm Mofjeld, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener

While visiting an apple orchard can be a fun fall activity, imagine being able to pick apples off your own tree – no driving, parking or paying involved. Planting a fruit tree can provide you with bushels of apples, pears, or stone fruit such as cherries, plums, apricots and peaches for many years. Autumn is a good time to plant fruit trees.

For success with fruit trees, select a location that provides at least eight hours of sunlight, and choose a variety that is hardy to Zone 3 or 4. Depending on the fruit, you might also need a pollinating partner tree, and the trees should be spaced at least their maximum height apart from each other. Once you’ve established that you have a good location for your fruit tree(s), the fun starts as you decide what type of fruit and the varieties you want to grow.

Apples are a popular choice for Minnesota gardeners, and there are dozens of options available. In fact, some varieties have been specifically bred by the University of Minnesota to thrive in our climate, and they even come in semi-dwarf and dwarf sizes. When selecting an apple tree, consider tree size, grow time, and yield. A standard apple tree can grow to more than 20 feet tall, takes up to eight years to bear fruit, and produces up to five bushels of apples in a year. A dwarf tree grows to a maximum of 10 feet tall, takes two to three years to bear fruit, and produces up to three bushels of apples per year (enough for most home growers). All apple trees require cross pollination with another species or crabapple within 100 feet to produce fruit.

Pears, like apples, generally require two varieties for pollination and will produce fruit in three to 10 years. Pears are less likely to be bothered by most insects and diseases, but in Minnesota they can get fire blight, which can kill the tree if not controlled immediately. Pear trees require more space than apple trees, as a standard variety can grow to 40 feet tall, while the semi-dwarf varieties grow to approximately 20 feet. There are very few hardy dwarf rootstocks available.

Stone fruit trees can produce fruit within a few years if you select trees that are at least a year old. Because they bloom early in the spring, the delicate flowers of stone fruit trees can be destroyed or damaged by late frost, so it is not unusual to have a season without fruit if weather conditions don’t cooperate. Some stone fruits such as European plums and tart cherries can be grown without pollinators; this makes them attractive for smaller yards.

Having your own home orchard can be rewarding and ‘fruitful’ if you select trees that are suitable for your location. For more details about pollination partners and good varieties for Minnesota growers, visit the University of Minnesota Extension site: Fruit | UMN Extension

Interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener volunteer? Applications accepted now through October 1. To apply, visit z.umn.edu/mg2023onlineapp