fruit trees

[birdbrain5]

Hi everyone, I live in NC, and I'd really like to get some young fruit trees but I really dont know much about it all. What kind of fruit trees would be successful in my climate? Apples, oranges, peaches? If so, how old of a tree should I try to find that I can re plant and be successful with? How old do they have to be before they fruit? Also, is it true I need a "male" and "female" tree for them to fruit? If anyone knows of any good links or books for a "tree dummie" like me I'd appreciate any direction! Thanks!

*also! I have a ton of young pecan trees that were on my property when we moved here, I have no idea how to take care or harvest them. any tips? I'd sell a few too, they are about 6-8 feet tall, how much would they go for? thanks!!

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Most of the Tree Nursery Catalogs have all the information you could ever want on climate zones and planting/care of trees. Bear in mind that nursery catalogs tend to be over optimistic on growth and fruiting size/timing/ease. But there are gardening sites with more accurate info. Or you can join something like NAFEX ( http://www.nafex.org/AboutNafex.htm )

 

[catdaddy66]

I ordered from Stark Bros. Nursery and got some very nice peach and plum trees, as well as apricot and nectarine. I want to get cherry trees as well.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Apricots, I've tried 5 different varieties from the Nurseries only to have all eventually die before they could bear fruit, it seemed as tho there was a problem with the grafting joint. I did finally plant some Apricot pits from locally produced farmers market and have had those seedlings grow just fine and bear fruit----------It's worth the wait to be able to eat a tree ripened Apricot.

 

[gettinaclue]

I've done some reading on fruit trees and I believe apple trees need a male and female. I want to say it's one male to 6 female ratio - but I could be totally wrong - it's been a while since I've read up on them.

I was born and raised in NC, and there are a fabulous variety of fruit trees you can grow there ( I grew up on the east coast). Growing up there were apple, peach, pear, plum, and persimmon trees. Not to many cherry. I can only recall 2 ladies that had cherry trees and they always complained the birds ate them before they did LOL.

I would recommend you drive around town and take a look-see and see what you like. Most folks are more than happy to talk to you about their fruit trees and would be happy to teach you how to prune them if you help them in trade. Great thing about chickens is they can eat the waste fruit - give you eggs, and you can spread the chicken flickins to fertilize the tree.

Good luck to you!

 

[aussieheelr]

cool to see people out there talking about fruit trees. We've just started... and going about it wrong. We have 1 bartlet pear tree, 1 fuji apple tree, and 1 black tartanian cherry... and turns out I get to buy three trees this spring because they all need to be set up with a minimum of two per kind to produce efficiantly. That's ok though, we love trees

I would personally suggest getting a larger sized tree from a local nursery, ordering a "whip" (aprox 2-4' tall without branches) takes a few years to get any fruit and if you have some branches started you will already have a good start to form and sooner for your fruit.

My pear came through the mail and we've had it for 1 1/2 years and it will be another 3 before we expect fruit. For another $10 we could have got a much more mature tree locally.

 

[Wild Trapper]

Don't forget some berry bushes too, they are fruit too and usually bare the second year, so you wouldn't have to wait so long as with trees. I'd say forget orange trees in NC, it is probably to cold for their survival outside of a greenhouse.

 

[Sen]

Oranges or probably any citrus trees won't grow up there...we have two lemon trees, but this year they grew too lage for us to drape tarp over them to protect them from frost. We live in North Florida, and all but ONE lemon--from TWO trees which normally produce 20-30 a year (these are young trees yet, but the lemons they produce are bigger than my fist!)--froze on the tree and rotted. The trees themselves don't look so hot either. We had an unusually cold winter this year, but nothing like a North Carolina winter. You might be able to get citrus to grow there with a greenhouse, but that'd be the only way they'd survive winter.

Though not all trees need a "male" and "female" tree, you ARE always better off with two to four of the same species and subspecies to produce the fruit you want, because they all need to be pollenated. Cross-pollination tends to work better if you have them growing relatively close to one another. You'll need to do a bit of research to find out which species will work best in your area, and then research them more to find out about their particular reproductive methods and the sort of care they will need.

Fair warning though, be prepared to water the new trees every day for the first six months. We just had 6 new trees put in this summer, and we have to go out and water every day. It can be a bit of a pain, but the trees need it to help them get established in your soil. Be prepared to coddle them! Lol.

Good luck, and I can't wait to hear what you get!!

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

I have about 10 trees going in in a couple of weeks. I am so impatient...waiting a few years for fruit will be frustrating.

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:

This is excellent advice. It also saves the tree the stress of shipping and establishes a "relationship" between you and your local nursery which can be handy when something goes wrong later. See spots on the fruit? Go talk to the nursery the tree came from, if you chose a good one they'll have knowledgeable staff that can help you. Leaves yellowing? You got it, go talk to them.