skip to main content

Tennessee Gardening

I Want to Plant Some Fruit Trees

12 years ago

Me and my husband live in East Tn, and my dad said to plant some fruit trees in Feb, and I wanted some input from you folks here who have also planted many trees etc. I am thinking about 2 apple trees. Need some that are easy to trim, etc, because we have health issues. What are some good ones to plant?

Thanks

Susan

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

maternut
12 years ago
For someone with health issues, I would stay with dwarf variety's. That would mean no climbing on a ladder to do your pruning. One variety I really like is Gala. With the dwarfs you may be able to have three or four trees compared to having two full size trees. Hope this helps.
Norm
brandon7 TN_zone7
12 years ago
I agree, apple trees can be very labor intensive. Do your homework before you make a decision. Some things to consider:

1. best scion cultivar for YOUR application
a. YOUR preference for taste
b. texture and quality of fruit
c. disease resistance and possibly even some pest resistance
d. production
e. fruit storage potential
f. possibly some of the other scion-related concerns

2. best rootstock for YOUR application
a. growth rate and relative tree size (especially as that relates to pruning and spraying requirements)
b. preciosity
c. production
d. adaptation to your soil and soil conditions
e. drought tolerance
f. how well the tree will be anchored and possible need for permanent support
g. resistance to certain pests and disease
h. graft compatibility
i. tendency to sucker
j. possibly some of the other rootstock-related concerns

3. site issues
a. soil type
b. drainage
c. sun-exposure
d. wind-exposure
e. amount of available space
f. ease of access
g. etc.

4. planting issues
See info in link: Planting a Tree or Shrub

5. source
a. somewhere that has decent quality trees (NOT one of the bigbox stores)
b. availability of your choice of scion and rootstock combination
c. availability of best size of tree (you probably shouldn't start with something over about 4' tall)
Helpful link: Sources for Fruit Trees and Plants
Related Discussions
WANTED: Wanted: Tropical Fruit Trees / Plants
Q
Comments (13)
Hi I am interested in your Haas avocado air layered, if you still have it. I have Dwarf ambarella seedlings. It is a tropical fruit tree producing edible soursweet juicy fruits the size of a chicken egg. It may grow to 6 or 7 feet tall after many years but usually stays below that. Can easily be grown to fruiting stage in a large pot. Please let me know if interested. Thanks
...See More
WANTED: I would like some of these Fruit and Fruit Tree seeds
Q
Comments (1)
Hello, I'm no expert, but i would recommend NOT growing those things from seed, the reason being that to the best of my knowledge these things do not breed "true" to seed. So when you plant an apricot seed a apricot grows, but its not the same genetic individual and might not have tasty fruit (or fruit at all) or might get blight very easily, or there is a small chance it will be as good or better then its parent... but its going to take many years to find out. So, perhaps you should look for rooted cuttings of trees or root divisions of cane fruits. Paw paws are a suckering shrubby tree so they are pretty easy to divide, just watch the tap root.
...See More
Fruit Basket Fruit Tree
Q
Comments (6)
I ordered my trees from a catalog/online, but generally, you order those the season before, unless they still have stock at the end of the season, but then you are planting late. I would try a local nursery. I think the four trees (and at least three or four that we pulled out) were from a big box store, but it could have been the soil and watering that killed them. As far as "fruit basket" trees, I think they're a little gimicky. Usually the type of place that sells them advertises heavily and has poor customer support, but that's just my impression. I would definately read about them from a reviewer site or get a good recommendation on the company before spending the money. I was tempted by a "strawberry tree" and a "tomato tree" before, and they were not really as advertised. I actually grew the "tomato tree" very fascinating huge leaves and extremely fast growth, but never a single tomato (I abandoned it after it became infested with insects and lost all of its leaves when moving apartments at college). When I did research more recently, I learned that they were advertising ploys for things that aren't really related, except possibly in appearance. I should have noticed that there were illustrations and not photos. I suppose grafting is possible, given that's how most fruit trees are established, but there's even more risk of the roots overtaking the different types of branches, pruning is much more important and complicated, and the loss of a single limb could obliterate one of your fruit types. At any rate, it could be a very interesting experiment, let us know how it goes if you do it!
...See More
preventing weeds on newly cleared ground
Q
Comments (1)
corn gluten meal is a working 'pre-emergent' form of weed control - it actually prevents the wee seeds from germinating. but otherwise, I've found that the weed-block that works best... is two layers of courogated cardboard, or newspaper by the section (about ten layers. with the new soy-based inks, newsprint is a viable garden material again) the basic technique is to soak the paper, and apply it to damp ground - I've successfully applied it OVER the weeds, and smothered even crabgrass. you then mulch over the paper. you can do this to the whole area, and then punch holes to plant, or you can plant, then paper over it. it lasts one season, the worms LOVE you for it, it works as an effective method of water retention, you get a karma point for recycling all that newspaper (it took me two ream-sized boxes of other people's papers to do my back yard, which is likely smaller than your living room) and the scary thing is how well it works - so far, trumpet vine is the only thing I've found strong enough to 'break through'...and that particular volunteer is the bane of my existance.
...See More
brandon7 TN_zone7
12 years ago
I meant to say...I agree that going with one of the dwarfing rootstock is likely the best choice, because dwarfing trees require much less pruning and are more easily maintained at a height convenient for harvesting, pruning, maintenance, and spraying.

Here's a video for inspiration:
Gene Yale's Backyard Orchard
susanp
Original Author
12 years ago
Maternut and Brandon thank you both for your info. It is a lot of good info. It will make deciding much easier.
anntn6b
12 years ago
AND in east Tennessee, be sure to choose cultivars that are resistant to Apple Rust. We just have too many cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana) which is the alternative host for the rust- if an apple tree is susceptible to rust in these parts, it will get it.
brandon7 TN_zone7
12 years ago
Specific disease resistance may be a good way to avoid a disease, but may undesirably limit one's selection. Apples (as a group) are particularly vulnerable to scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, and powdery mildew, as well as a few different pests. Cultivars bred for broad disease resistance may be lacking in other qualities. A spray regime, which will probably be necessary anyway, is another way to address particular disease concerns.

This is another one of the many cases where what's best for one grower may not be best for another. A grower who plans to spray only minimally may need to select cultivars with a broad disease resistance, but other growers may find taste or other characteristics well worth the effort required to spray their trees.

IF disease resistance is a primary concern, the following cultivars have had a pretty good across-the-board disease resistance rating in most evaluations:

Arkansas Black
Freedom
Liberty

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...

Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crazy for Fruit Trees

By Marianne Lipanovich

Whether a single citrus or a mini apple orchard, even the smallest landscape space can bear deliriously delicious fruit

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

EDIBLE GARDENS Grow Plum Hybrids for Your Favorite Fruit Flavors

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plums are cozying up with apricots, peaches and even cherries — here’s how to grow these hybrids for the best aspects of each

GARDENING GUIDES Prunus Virginiana Thrives Under Deciduous Trees

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant chokecherry for showy white flowers favored by native bees in spring, and to provide nesting habitat and food for birds

FALL GARDENING 5 Fall Fruits You Can Grow in Containers

Brighten your porch or patio with a potted pomegranate, kumquat, blueberry bush or another great fall fruit

GARDENING GUIDES Plant Black Cherry Trees for the Birds and Bees

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant Prunus serotina in the Central and Eastern U.S. for spring flowers, interesting bark and beautiful fall color

MOST POPULAR How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Summer Fruit Flies

By Mitchell Parker

Learn what fruit flies are, how to prevent them and how to get rid of them in your home

GARDENING GUIDES When and How to Plant a Tree, and Why You Should

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Trees add beauty while benefiting the environment. Learn the right way to plant one

Sponsored