Juice up a small garden | South Salem Real Estate

Few things that you can do in the garden are more satisfying than growing your own fruit. But what if your space or time is limited? Based on my personal taste, and with a mild-climate slant, here are some choices when you have room for only one fruit tree.

These are plants that I have grown or wish I could grow. You might want to consider the same factors that I do: Will the homegrown, tree-ripened fruit taste better than what you can get from the amazing array at farmer’s markets these days? Is the tree fun or interesting or pretty to grow? Can you avoid the complications of pest control or pruning? Notice that below I don’t bring up a number of popular fruit trees, such as apples, which often need precise pest control — and so many good apples are available at markets today.

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Apricot

There’s no comparison between typical market fruit and apricots that are allowed to ripen on the tree to a near squishy, unshippable stage. Trouble is, the apricot is fussy about where it grows.

Botanical name: Prunus armeniaca, many varieties
Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5 to 9; find your zone). The trees are fairly hardy but bear fruit well only in climates without spring frosts. Mainly that means California’s coastal valleys.
Water requirement: Moderate; the soil must be moist while the fruit is developing.
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide
Care: Plant bare-root trees in winter. Prune in summer after the harvest. As with most fruit trees, bone up on pruning, fertilizing and pest control.

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Apricot blossoms, just before spring’s arrival, are beautiful in their own right — especially against the dark, gnarly branches of mature trees.

See how to grow apricots

 

 

 

 

 

 

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