Fall is the Time to Plant Trees - Fruit Trees

It's another beautiful fall morning here on the farm!  Today I want to talk about planting trees, specifically fruit trees.  How many of you realize fall is the best time to plant trees?  Though they can be planted anytime of year, fall is the best time as it gives them time to become established in their new home before spring.  Knowing this, I have always found it funny how this is the time of year when it's difficult to find trees in the garden section of the most popular super stores.  Your local tree farms will have plenty to choose from though.     

  When choosing a fruit tree to plant, one important consideration is chilling hours.  Chilling hours refer to the number of hours the temperature is at, or below, 45 degrees during the period of time between October 1st and February 28th. In the summer months, a tree develops next year's buds.  These buds become dormant in autumn.  The switch to dormancy is triggered by the trees exposure to chilling temperatures.  A lack of chilling time can delay and/or create substandard foliage, flowers or fruit.
In Texas, specifically the Bridgeport area,  the average number of chilling hours is around 800 to 900.  If in the north Texas area, as I am, planting trees requiring fewer chilling hours wouldn't be a bad idea as some of the north Texas winters can be pretty mild.  So how do you know how many chilling hours a tree needs?  Checking the nursery tag, or talking with your local nursery, will usually give you that information.  

For fruit trees that grow well in North Texas, check out The Plant Shed link at http://plant-shed.com/planting-fruit-trees-in-north-texas/  This is an awesome link that provides information on the sunlight and water requirements, as well as planting zones and chilling times needed for each tree.

Happy planting and God Bless!

Fruit trees can be grown in containers.  Many people choose containers due to limited space.  A container tree can be grown on a patio.  Others choose containers as it can be easily moved indoors during extremely cold temperatures or to more prime locations in the yard where shade and sunlight conditions are more favorable.