If you would like to plant a fruit tree for your yard, there are several considerations to keep in mind. In today’s blog, we’re going to list for you the most important points when choosing fruit trees.

Tree Size

The first thing to consider is the final tree size, not the size of the baby tree. Fruit trees are often grafted onto different rootstocks, and the type of rootstock determines the size. However, this is not always true. Walnut trees are not grafted, and they can get enormous. The point here is how much room do you have for your tree? It is possible to get some very small fruit trees that will stay a small, neat, and tidy shape.

Location

Along with tree size comes the location consideration. Your fruit trees need room to spread and breathe, but they also need lots of sun, the more the better. Do you have a nice, sunny location, where the fruit trees will get sun at least all afternoon?

Allelopathy

There’s a phenomenon with plants called allelopathy, and speaking of walnut trees, walnut trees are famous for it. In allelopathy, some plants actually interfere with the growth of other plants by putting out chemicals that are toxic to other plants. So, if you want a walnut tree, you have to have lots of room for it and be aware that the tree can damage other trees or shrubs nearby. The rule of thumb is to allow at least 50’ away from everything else for a walnut tree.

Pollination

The next consideration is pollination. Some trees are self-fertile, meaning they are perfectly capable of pollinating all their fruits without any other similar trees nearby. Examples of self-fertile trees are figs and quince trees. Other trees, like apples or pears, really need other similar trees to get a big crop of fruit. These trees help to pollinate each other. In the case of these types of trees, you need at least two within 100 feet of each other.

But there’s more. If you plant more than one similar-fruit tree to help with pollination, make sure you choose varieties that flower at the same time. If one flowers early like in May and one flowers late like in July, they will not help each other pollinate. The flowers of all similar trees need to be open at the same time.

If you stop by our flagship store in Surrey, we would be more than happy to discuss fruit trees with you. We will have plenty available to plant this spring.

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey.

 If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.