A Winter Guide for Planting Fruit Trees

There are few things that rival a fresh-picked piece of fruit, perfectly ripened, from the branch of a tree in your backyard. Much of Texas has the perfect climate to grow a variety of pear and stone fruit trees. And while harvest time is usually in the fall, winter is when growers need to begin introducing new fruit into their yards and gardens.

Transplanted fruit trees require time to get their roots established before they can acclimate to new soil and begin to grow. The cooler soil temperatures in winter allow trees to break dormancy and their roots to begin working their way into the new dirt.

When to Plant

January and February are the perfect planting times, although temperature requirements for different trees in different parts of the state may vary. Contact your local horticultural specialist for details on what times are right for your location and season.

Where to Plant

Choose a spot that gets plenty of sunlight — morning sun, if possible. This will make your tree happy and maximize the amount of fruit it will produce. An early burst of sunlight will help evaporate dew and prevent tree disease. Also remember your tree may grow very large, so plant far enough away from your home that the roots won’t invade your foundation and branches cannot fall on your roof.

What’s Your Soil Type?

• Sandy soils are ideal, but in Texas, finding a well-balanced sandy soil can be difficult.
• Texas’s clay-heavy soil also works, but you may need to treat it before planting.
• Alkaline soils, common throughout Texas, bring with them the risk of iron deficiency and diseases like cotton root.

How to Prep:

The soil around your tree must drain well, since pooling and standing water around fruit trees can cause tree roots to rot. Don’t be discouraged if conditions aren’t ideal. You can improve your soil type by working in fertilizer, organic compounds, or elemental sulfur to decrease the pH of the soil; the more acidic, the better for growing. Check with a local horticulturalist, who will be familiar with the challenges and demands of your local soils.

Choosing Your Fruit:

Plenty of fruit-bearing trees thrive in Texas, but not all of them do. Here’s a little guide.

• European pears are challenging due to fire blight, so forget trying to grow the Bartletts and d’Anjous you find in the store.
• Oriental hybrids such as the Orient and Kieffer are perfectly suited to growing here and can be harvested for culinary uses or eaten straight off the vine.
• Peaches, apricots, and plums will happily thrive here. Springold, Sentinel, Harvester, Ranger, Bicentennial, and plenty of other peach trees can produce almost 100 pounds of fruit.
• Apples can be a challenge; they have a tendency to contract cotton root rot and don’t ripen to the same ruby red color as they do in places like New England. But if you keep the tree healthy, a Texas apple can be perfectly sweet.

Harvesting:

Patience is the name of the game. Some fruit tree varietals can take years until they are ready to bear edible fruit. In the first couple of years, remove small fruits that pop up so the young trees can focus their energy on establishing firm roots. Peach trees tend to begin producing edible fruit faster than other trees — sometimes in their second year. When the fruit comes in, break out the baskets and roll out the pie crusts. Your hard work has paid off!

Branch-Friendly Coverage

Does your property insurance policy cover damages if a tree branch hits your house? Is your roof in good condition? Call your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent to schedule a 360 Review of your home coverages.

Bottle up the fruits of your labors with jelly recipes using ingredients fresh from your backyard.

Coverage and discounts are subject to qualifications and policy terms and may vary by situation.