Planting bare root fruit trees is a rewarding undertaking for home gardeners. Although these trees may take a bit longer to produce fruit, this initial patience allows the trees to establish a strong root system and acclimate to its new environment, leading to healthier growth and more abundant harvests in the future. Opting for bare root trees not only promotes stronger root development but also wider, more cost-effective options to pick from.
Selecting Fruit Trees For Your Area
Set yourself up for success when planting your bare root fruit trees by doing a little research to find out which fruit trees and varieties grow best in your area. The local Extension Agent website will often list fruit varieties best suited to your region. Ask a friend or neighbor who has had success with growing fruit trees which varieties they grow. Online nurseries, such as Stark Brothers will recommend trees according to hardiness disease resistance.
Another thing to consider is how big you want the tree to be. There are three sizes available for fruit trees.
Dwarf Fruit Trees
- Grow up to 10 feet tall
- Produce fruit quicker but a much smaller harvest
- Life expectancy is 15-20 years less than Semi-dwarf and standard trees
- Easier to maintain
Semi-Dwarf Fruit Trees
- Grow up to 15 feet tall
- Maximum amount of fruit per square foot
- Typically live 30-50 years
- Bare root semi-dwarf tree will start producing after 3-4 years
Standard Fruit Trees
- Some varieties can get up to 30 feet
- Produce double the amount of fruit as semi-dwarf but can be hard to pick above a certain height.
- Can live up to 100 years but often stop producing fruit after 50 years.
- Can take up to 6 years before producing fruit
Bare root fruit trees are available at up to half the cost of the potted version. That adds up to a considerable amount of savings if you are starting a small orchard.
Potted fruit tree roots can get wrapped around the pot. This can cause extra stress to the tree when planted before it starts growing its roots down into the earth and becomes accustomed to the soil. Young bare root fruit trees adapt quickly when planted, often faster than potted ones.
If you want healthy, manageable trees that produce abundant harvests and are affordable-then bare root, semi-dwarf fruit trees are the right option for you.
