By Amanda Moon

It is fruit tree planting time again. When properly planned, planted and cared for, many of the basic fruiting trees can do quite well here in central Texas.  

Apples, peaches, plums, pears and of course the state nut – the pecan – are all possibilities for edible specimens and/or shade trees in your yard.

Most fruit trees require a few basic conditions to do well.  Deep soil (I know, I know, good luck on that!) is a necessity. But that doesn’t have to mean just ground soil. Planting the tree in a raised bed is an effective way to increase soil depth in areas with hard caliche. 

They also need an adequate source of moisture. Soaker hoses are a good way to control the direction and amount of water to where the trees need it most – on the drip-line at the edge of their canopies.  

If you put some mulch over the hoses and around the tree’s root zone, this will also help to control moisture levels, especially in the heat of the summer. A fruit tree also needs to be properly watered the season before to fruit well the next year, as the buds begin to form that prior season.

‘Chilling hours’ is an important term for fruit growers.  This is the number of hours in the winter when the temperatures drop below 45 but above 32 degrees. Many fruit trees, including apples and peaches, need a certain number of these hours to bud out. On average central Texas sees between 650 and 850 chilling hours each winter. The number of hours varies with each variety and type of fruit.  

For pest and disease management you can apply an all-season horticultural oil before the trees buds out in the winter, and again sparingly as needed during the growing and fruiting season. Be aware that cotton root rot is a problem here, so if you’ve had trouble growing peaches or other susceptible fruit trees, don’t replant in the same place. However you can plant a pomegranate or pecan tree, which are resistant to this disease.

Fruit Tree Basics:

Apple trees are an American classic, from the tales of Johnny Appleseed to the groves still thriving after 100 years in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park.

Here in Texas we need to make sure that we choose varieties that do well with fewer chilling hours. You will also need two different varieties with similar chilling hours to ensure production, as most apple trees are cross-pollinated.  

Gala and Fuji are good partners, and Granny Smith can actually self-pollinate if you only have space for one, as apple trees can grow quite large. Other good varieties for this area include Anna and Dorsett Golden (200-300 chilling hours), Ein Shemer (350 hours and self pollinated) and Golden Delicious (600 – 700  hours).

Peaches are well known as a Texas Hill Country crop and these smaller trees can fit quite nicely in many suburban back yards. They are beautiful when in bloom and are a good replacement for ornamental trees in the landscape.  

Peaches are self-fertile, so if you only have space for one fruit tree, this is a good choice. Pay close attention to the chilling hours because if they’re too low the tree may bloom too early and those blooms could freeze. Best varieties: Belle of Georgia, Elberta, La Feleciana, Sam Houston (very pretty pink flowers), Redskin and Loring.

Plums: If you enjoy fresh plums, Methley and Santa Rosa are good choices, and both are self-pollinating. Others may need a partner to produce. Bruce, Morris and Ozark Premier are other options. Overall plums do well in our area. 

Pear trees are another fruiting option for the Hays and Travis county areas. You can get away with only planting one, especially for home needs, but if you plant two you’ll get more fruit. Orient and Moonglow are good choices.

Last, but not least is the official state nut of Texas – the pecan. (No political comments please!). While our native pecan is good for a root stock and as wildlife food, if we want the big grocery store pecans we need to buy a grafted variety such as Choctaw, Wichita or Shawnee.  

Pecans make a wonderful shade tree and live for a long time. There are 100-year-old pecan trees on family property in Taylor that are just beautiful (and still producing).  I do need to mention one pesky problem for pecans: web worms.  Keep close tabs on the trees and break up the nest and spray with bT at the first sign of a problem.

Happy gardening everyone! 

If you have a gardening question, send an email to: iathyme@yahoo.com. (Please put ‘Ask Chris Winslow’ in the subject line.) Or mail your letter or postcard to: Ask Chris Winslow. It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748