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 pecans are all possib-
ilities 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 effectively 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 wat-
ered 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 ave-
rage 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 hort-
icultural oil before the trees buds out in the winter, and again spar-
ingly as needed during the growing and fruiting season. Be aware
that cotton root rot is a problem here, so if you’ve had trouble grow-
ing 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.
Amanda's Guide to Fruit Trees
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.
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Apple trees are an American classic, from the tales of Johnny
Appleseed to the groves still thriving after 100 years in Utah’s Cap-
itol 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).
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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. Over-
all plums do well in our area.
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Pear trees are another fruiting option for the Hays and Travis Co.
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 Moon-
glow are good choices.
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Pecans - the official state nut of Texas, (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! (Fruit trees: $35.99 for a 5 gal tree.)
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