by Margie Siegal
Our relationship with fruit trees is mutually beneficial. When we take better care of fruit trees… we benefit, and the trees benefit too, not just as individual trees, but collectively, our interest, attention and garden space create havens for more fruit trees and for varieties that might otherwise disappear from cultivation. – Ann Ralph, Grow A Little Fruit Tree
I have decided to add an additional fruit tree to my backyard orchard. I decided which tree to buy by a totally rational, scientific method: eating a wide variety of fruit available at the farmer’s market (yum, munch, yum) and deciding what I liked best. I then read up on my favorite fruit. As much as I love white nectarines, peach leaf curl is a serious problem in this town, and I would rather avoid spraying lethal chemicals every 15 minutes. I have good luck with apples, but already have three apple trees. I have an excellent relationship with my Burgundy plum tree, and also with my two apricot trees…Bingo! A pluot! I love pluots. A pluot is a cross between an apricot and a plum, so a pluot should do well. Dapple Dandy is one of my favorite pluots, and it needs a pollinizer tree – and it just so happens that my sweet Burgundy plum is the best pollinizer for Dapple Dandy!
Growing a fruit tree is quite different than growing vegetables. If your peas don’t work out, well, there is always next year. A properly cared for fruit tree may outlive the owner. A tree is something that I – and many others- develop something like a relationship with, almost like a pet. The Grow a Little Fruit Tree book is all about nurturing that relationship, to produce a tree that you can be proud of, and that is healthy and happy.
One of the advantages of this book is that Ms. Ralph has spent the last twenty years or so working at East Bay nurseries, and Grow a Little Fruit Tree has a definite East Bay slant. Since many books on tree care assume you have snowy winters and no water problems, this is a major plus.
The book starts with an explanation of how Ms. Ralph got into fruit trees, then goes into the reality of managing a tall tree. Ann Ralph preaches the gospel of the small fruit tree, no taller than the person taking care of it. This is one spot where we disagree. If you are comfortable on a ladder, as I am, and want more produce for canning, drying or freezing, you may want to let your tree grow a little bigger. There are also fruit pickers on poles that let you work from the ground. However, the techniques she discusses, and the step by step details of how to prune are very useful, whether you have a six foot tree or a nine to ten foot tree. Proper pruning is essential for tree health and good fruit production.
Ms Ralph continues with a discussion of picking out a tree at a nursery and finding the best spot to put it. One point she brings up: is the fruit your prospective tree produces suitable for what you want to do with it? For example, can you make good applesauce – applesauce that you will want to eat- from Fuji apples that are excellent for eating out of hand? If in doubt, you may want to make some applesauce (or pies, or whatever you want to do with your harvest) from the same variety of fruit bought in the market to see if this is something that you will want to eat all winter.
There are many different varieties of fruit trees, many of which only grow well in certain areas or in certain types of soil. The author goes over the different types of trees, chill hours (many trees will only set fruit if they are chilled below 45 degrees for a certain period of time) and watering needs. Although much of the book is about pruning, she also discusses tree diseases and pests from codling moths to deer, and what to do about them. The book concludes with a chapter on when to pick your fruit for best flavor.
Right after the holidays is the best time to get a new tree in our area and that is when I am planning to get my pluot. January is when the wholesalers deliver to the retail plant nurseries and there is the best selection at that time. It is also the wettest time of year, so you will not have to water as much. Trees need regular watering until they are established. I will probably be getting a ‘bare root’ tree – meaning that the tree is not in a pot and has to be planted as soon as possible. Ralph says that this is the best way to get a healthy tree.
The book is all practical advice, delivered in a conversational style. The author has opinions (for example, she is against amending the soil before you plant) and is not shy about sharing them. The opinions are backed up by many years working at plant nurseries and taking care of her family’s trees. Reasonable minds may differ, but if you are just starting out with a tree, or if what you have been doing isn’t working too well for you, this is the book to have.
Ann Ralph, GROW A LITTLE FRUIT TREE, Storey Publications 2014