Growing fruit in your garden is not as hard as it may seem. The key is to study your surrounding and determine what you are able to grow and how much. The most important requirement for growing fruit is full sunlight. If your area is totally shaded, fruit will not grow. It also allows the plant to become weak and more prone to disease. The site you choose has a big affect on the outcome of the fruit. Placing a fountain near a fruit plant is a great idea because the natural effect of splashing will water the plant. An area with an easy slope is the best place to plant, but is the slope ends in a pocket; it is not a good spot.
These areas are problematic in places with frost because the cold air collects in those areas cause damage to the buds in the spring. This causes mildew and other fungus to grow on the tree. Fruit needs good soil, but it can normally be improved to work no matter what the conditions. The space you have available will also determine what you can grow. Fruits like raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, dewberries, and loganberries can be grown to some extent on smaller spaces.
Tree fruits, like apples, pears, peaches, cherries, etc need room to grow. These trees tend to grow rather large, with a thirty to forty foot spread. Apples are the largest of these trees; pears are medium in size, peaches, apricots, and plums are considered medium to small. Dwarf trees are the most suitable for small spaces. These tend to grow no larger than fifteen feet, and are easier to prune and collect their harvest.
These dwarf trees will also begin to fruit sooner than standard varieties. They occupy less space so you can plant more trees. They can be planted against walls, and trained to grow on stout wires and stakes. Dwarf apples and pears can be easily obtained, where as dwarf plums and peaches are harder to find. Cherry-plum is a new hybrid that grows well in conditions were there are harsh winters.
These are small trees that can produce heavy crops of plums and cherries. These fruits will not be as large as their standard counterparts, but they are just as delicious. The size of the tree makes them perfect for a small garden. Typically only the size of the tree is smaller, while the fruit remains the same size. Most fruits come with a dwarf variety. Dwarf trees will vary in shapes and sizes, from nine foot to semi-dwarf twenty feet trees.
Apple Dwarf trees are classified by their number. The best one for a small garden in mailing number 9. The experimentation center in England is responsible for the classification. This tree will grow 9-10 feet, and the trees can be spaced every twelve feet apart. You will also need to know the type of apple when you ask for a dwarf variety, for example you will need to ask for a Macintosh apple on mailing number 9.
