Nothing says summer quite like the zing to your tastebuds after biting into a plump, juicy locally-grown stone fruit. Craving succulent cherries and juicy peaches this season? Or need an upgrade from lackluster store-bought plums, apricots and nectarines? Cultivating fruit trees of your own is easier than you think. With the right planning, fertiizer and pest control, growing fruit trees yeilds a late summer harvest filled with fresh-from-the-garden peaches, cherries and more.
What is a Stone Fruit?
Peaches, cherries, plums, apricots and nectarines fall into the stone fruit category. Also referred to as “drupes”, stone fruits are a classification of fruit with thin skin and a stone-like pit at their center. The pit is a large seed that is either clingstone or freestone, describing how easily the pit is removed from the fruit’s edible flesh. Stone fruit trees come into season at varying times between early spring and fall. Most stone fruits ripen after they are harvested, making them highly seasonal.
Intermountain Stone Fruit Varieties
Growing factors such as water availability, soil conditions and growing season have a major imp[act on stone fruit production. The best way toensure an abundant harvest is by growing fruit trees that can thrive in our diverse intermountain climates.
Peach Trees: Reliance, Red Haven, Belle of Georgia
The key to growing peach trees in the Intermountain West is to choose a peach tree variety suitable to our climate. There are many with Reliance, Red Haven and Belle of Georgia being fan favorites. Exceptionally juicy and a whole lot of sweet! Peaches are a staple for eating fresh, baking delicious pies, making jams and canning or freeze-drying for storage.
Cherry Trees: Bing, Ranier, Stella, Vandellay
A primary factor in growing cherries in the Intermountain West is picking a cherry tree variety that can handle our specific climate. Examples include: Bing, Ranier, Stella and Vandellay. Will they be sour or will they be sweet? Grow your own sweet or tart cherries and enjoy them fresh, baked in your favorite desserts or preserved for later when canned or freeze dried.
Plum Trees: Burbank, Santa Rosa, Burgundy
Enjoy fresh, juicy plums fresh from a plum tree variety that thrives in our climae. Santa Rosa, Burbank and Burgundy plums are a few popular varieties. Toss them in a refreshing salad, bake up something sweet or save them for later by canning or freeze-drying.
Nectarine Trees: Fantasia, Artic Jay White
All the sweet without the fuzz. Nectarines are sweet and tasty like peaches but with a smooth skin and a firm texture. Fantasia and Arctic Jay White are a couple nectarine tree varieties that flourish in our Intermountain climate. Use them fresh, added to salads, baked into desserts or canned and freeze dried for later.
Apricot Trees: Moorpark, Bleinheim, Chinese/Mormon
Apricots might be small but they’re bursting with flavor. A few apricot tree varieties that do well in the Intermountain West include Moorpark, Bleinheim and Chinese/Mormon apricot. Craft delicious apricot jams and jellies, irresistible salsas and sauces or preserve some of that flavor for later by canning or freeze drying.
Planting & Caring for New Fruit Trees
Most trees are full-sun plants that require a well-drained soil. When planting new fruit trees, choose an area that receives an average of six to eight or more hours of direct sunlight per day and that drains well.
Trees need time to establish a strong root system before the winter months. Plant new fruit trees in the spring, early summer or fall. If you live in warmer areas, avoid planting in the summer months when extreme heat could impede the young plant’s growth.
Once fruit trees establish a strong root system, keep up with annual maintenance and general care. Fruit trees need adequate water and soil nutrients to grow and produce fruit. Rather than frequent irrigation, fruit trees need one good soaking a week to avoid potential root problems.
Replenish fruit tree nutrients by spading in an all-purpose garden fertilizer such as IFA Grand Champion 16-16-16 or IFA Premium Garden Fertilizer 16-16-8 into the soil. Applying IFA Bountiful Earth Humate in spring and fall also improves plant health by increasing nutrient availability and filtration through the tree’s root zone.
Fruit Tree Pest Control
Stone fruit trees are in danger of potential invaders. The Western Cherry Fruit Fly, Greater Peachtree Borer, Peach Twig Borer and Aphids (also see Tips for Aphid Control and Treatment methods) are common pests that can impact your fruit tree’s health and production.
Knowing what symptoms to watch for is the first step in protecting your stone fruit harvest. Curled leaves, deformed fruit, wilted twigs, dead bark and holes in the fruit’s skin are all indicators of fruit pests. Your fruit and fruit trees will display different symptoms depending on the present pests.
Controlling fruit tree pests requires both prevention and removal when necessary. Only use fruit tree sprays that are specifically labeled and formulated for your trees. This will help protect your trees without damaging the fruit.
Avoiding Common Fruit Tree Diseases
Like any other fruit tree, stone fruit varieties are susceptible to various diseases that can hinder their growth and productivity. Being proactive and implementing preventive measures ensures the health and longevity of your stone fruit trees so you can enjoy a bountiful harvest for years to come.
Shot Hole Disease
Shot hole disease or coryneum blight is a fungal disease that causes small, circular holes to appear on the leaves, which eventually turn brown and fall off. The disease can also affect the fruit, causing small spots to develop. Applying a copper-based fungicide in the spring and early summer can help protect stone fruit trees from this disease. Apply a copper-soap or Broad Spectrum fungicide by Fertilome for best results. Affected trees can be treated by removing infected leaves, branches and fruit and by implementing proper sanitation processes.
Bacterial Blight
Bacterial blight or bacterial spot disease is caused by bacteria that primarily affects the leaves and fruit of the tree. Bacterial blight typically appears as small, water-soaked lesions on the leaves, which eventually turn dark brown or black. The disease can also cause lesions on the fruit that lead to rotting.To prevent bacterial blight, it is important to practice good sanitation when removing infected leaves, branches and fruit. Applying a copper-based bactericide in the winter and early spring can help control the spread of bacterial blight disease.
Peach Leaf Curl
Peach leaf curl is a common fungal disease that affects peach trees, causing their leaves to become distorted, discolored and fall off. Prevent peach leaf curl by applying copper fungicides in the early spring before bud break.
Improve Fruit Production with Fruit Tree Pruning
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Pruning improves the overall health and growth of your fruit trees. Stone fruit trees require an "open vase" pruning method, which means opening up the middle of the tree to allow greater light and air flow to the center.
Branches should be evenly spaced around the trunk about 18–24 inches up from the ground, angled 45 to 60 degrees from the trunk. Prune off 50–80% of the previous year’s growth to stimulate new growth and remove all “suckers”–shoots coming from the roots and/or stems–on a regular basis.
Prune fruit trees annually to add years of better production. Keep in mind that fruiting buds on peach and apricot trees only occur during the second year of branch growth. Prune branches that bore fruit the previous year and leave enough new growth for fruit to bloom.
Backyard Growing for Urban & Suburban Spaces
Living in an urban or suburban area doesn't mean you have to give up on the idea of growing your own stone fruit. Even if you only have a small balcony or patio, you can still grow fruit in containers.
Bush cherry varieties such as Romeo, Juliet or Carmine Jewel cherries grow on compact bushes that reach 8 to 10 feet and do well in cold environments. These bush cherry varieties are also self-fertile, meaning they don’t need another tree nearby to produce fruit, but planting with two additional bush cherry varieties promotes a better fruit set among all the cherries.
If you have a bit more space, consider planting peach trees with a semi-dwarf rootstock. Trees with semi-dwarf rootstocks maintain the hardiness, disease resistance and harvests of full-size peach trees while maintaining a smaller tree size ranging from 10-15 feet. IFA’s Canadian Harmony, Contender, Elberta, Early Elberta, Hale Haven, Red Haven, Veteran, Reliance and Belle of Georgia White peaches are all semi-dwarf rootstock varieties that grow well in the Intermountain West.
Start Growing Backyard Fruit with IFA
There’s so much to love about growing stone fruit in your own backyard. Your local IFA has the trees, growing supplies and tips to help you grow your own stone fruit trees. Stop by and speak with a member of our expert staff for more info on stone fruits and fruit tree care.
Information for this article was provided by Marvin Potter, Garden Center and Live Plants Category Manager, IFA Country Store.