Total newbie - no trees yet

General Fruit Growing
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Hi all,

I just found this forum, and searched around some but didn’t find the exact answers to some of my questions. I apologize if these answers already exist, and will gladly read through past posts if anyone wants to point me in the right direction.

Here are some of my questions, and the details I can think of to share:
Zone: 7b (lower Maryland, on the east coast)
My age: 42
Area available for planting: about 1/4 to 1/2 acre
Trees interested in: Plum, cherry and anything else suggested that is easy

Here is what I envision happening, but don’t know how to do it:
At 42 years old, I am hoping to plant some fruit trees that will bear fruit while my kids are still young. I’d like to be able to maintain fruit trees until they have kids, and be "that Grandpa with fruit trees :slight_smile: "

I’ve read that plum trees are really easy, followed by cherry. I’m open to other suggestions, but not really all that interested in apple.

I have the back half of my 1 acre yard I can plant trees in, so between 1/4 to 1/2 acre, but if it’s advisable I could plant one or two trees elsewhere in the yard.

Here is the main question I have for now:
I think if I plant full sized trees, they would last longer, but also be much bigger. I’ve just started reading about dwarf varieties, but I see that they do not live as long. So…if I plant dwarf trees, and they kick the bucket when I am around 60 years old (or sooner than that), can I replant the same dwarf trees in the spots where the first ones died?

If that is a emphatic “no”, then could I for example, plant a dwarf cherry tree where a dwarf plum tree died and be OK, or is that still a “no”.

Really, any info or suggestions on where to start out with growing fruit trees would be welcome. I don’t have any illusion that fruit trees are easy to grow but I still want to try it. Even if the first 15 years of my efforts fail, I’ll still have a chance to get it right for the grand kids :slight_smile: . There is so much information on the internet, I can’t seem to find good beginner info that doesn’t lead me down a rabbit hole of a topic I’m not ready to go down. I need the bare basics, and some really beginner tips.
Thanks for any help or info!

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Persimmons, mulberries, blueberries
All very easy, persimmons and mulberries especially. Blueberries just make the soil a bit acidic. All produce at a young age also. Welcome and good luck :+1:t3:
Picking easy fruits first is a good place to start, but honestly every fruit is easy if you are super worried about the production. It’s like anything in life, the amount of effort put in is shown in the rewards.

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Pawpaws will be relatively easy and pest free, you’re in the heart of their native range.

The real question is whether you want things you can grow without spraying pesticides. Many things will likely be very challenging there without a spray regime.

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Others may not agree, but personally I like a mix of dwarf and semi standard apple trees. You can be a dad with apple trees now when they bear in 3 years or so while the larger trees continue to grow. I do love the form and beauty of larger trees.

My kids are grown and have young kids but I have been the mom with trees for a long time now. Now their kids visit me and I am that grandmom to them.

I’m in 6b/7a Virginia and worry about late frosts so plums are not a good fit for me. Likewise cherries have not done well for other reasons. Peaches are hit or miss. Pears the same. Asian pears are more predictable for me and delicious. Apples have become my mainstay and the varieties are endless.

Blueberries and blackberries are good but my kids didn’t seem to latch on to them like the trees. Even so, they love the taste.

My fondest memories are watching my daughter from afar reading the tags and picking varieties of apples, seemingly in amazement. Likewise my grandson Nathan first reading the tags and gravitating to the tree he called Jo-Nathan.

Sorry to go on. One mom’s thoughts.

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Im not going to link them…but maybe someone will link Scott’s reports as he lives in MD… and he is pretty thorough about what works and does not work for him… not that any of it is set in stone but a good indicator and helpful

Most all trees can be pruned to whatever height you desire…personally i dont grow anything with dwarf rootstock and i do not plan on using a ladder to pick any of my fruits. Branches can be bent horizontally on just about everything to produce fruit sooner… That is easier to do if you plant dormant whips and prune and train as you go.

Alan has alot of posts on plums as well if thats what you are looking for.

Since you talk alot about ‘easy’… its hard to go wrong with a few selections of Euro and Asian pears. Clark’s posts are gold for those.

Honeyberries and Cane fruits are pretty easy and can last for generations…

I am an avid reader and grower of things… and stay down the rabbit hole… there is no end to the enjoyment or learning of having a nice orchard.

You have plenty of time to figure it out… the best time to plant is Fall (or is it?)…but only a handful of nurseries sell in the Fall… so you have this spring to order whatever you want…and keep them in pots or whatever is easiest for you to keep watered and let them build roots…then plant when the time is right. Plus all that time to plan and order from the nurseries that only sell in the Fall and onward.

So in summary i would choose the most disease resistant cultivars…and rootstock that does well in your soil and location… learn the basics of pruning and bending branches… and of course what kind of deer or varmint pressure you have… And by all means plant some blackberries and raspberries for the kids and grandkids… and to make jellies and jams…not to mention they bring pollinators within a year or so which you will need with your orchards in the coming years. Winter sew as much white clover as you can if you dont already have it established… which helps in fixing nitrogen, bringing pollinators and making the need for mowing of tall grasses and weeds less cumbersome.

Happy Growing.

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Hi Robert
Welcome to the Forum! You have plenty knowledgeable people here willing to assist. Perhaps the most knowledgeable in your region is @scottfsmith, he can tell you about the relative ease or difficulty with cherries and plums Maryland.
I found cherries too much of a challenge here due to insects and pests like squirrels and crows. But here my plums do very well. I can give you a good selection for plums, apples, and mulberry’s so pm me if you need help on any of those, but first chat with Scott. You can also use the members map to find other members near you and see what they grow! Your neighbors often know what’s best in your area due to their experiences
Dennis
Kent, Wa

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I don’t know where you read that plums are easy, in Maryland they require at least 3-4 sprays and maybe more. The plum curculio will cause all of the plums to drop if you are not spraying something. They can take a few years to show up once the tree starts fruiting so don’t be lulled into thinking things are easy based on the first year or two. Brown rot is another scourge of plums that also can take several years to get bad, but when it gets bad either you spray or you get rotting fruit. If you do decide to grow plums ask for the easier varieties. Cherries are similar to plums for me, they don’t get the curculio as badly but they can crack and rot.

As mentioned above there are a bunch of much easier things, persimmon jujube muscadine fig mulberry all don’t require any spraying. Pears can be easy but they are susceptible to fireblight. I was just spraying my apples for that just now.

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I used to live in Delaware and grew fruit there, somewhat similar climate to where you are. I agree on Mulberries and Persimmons (I prefer Asian over American) being the easiest. Figs will probably need winter protection, they are excellent, except when it rains.

Cherries are difficult: they crack in rain, birds love them, they are susceptible to canker (which can kill trees), cherry leaf spot and brown rot, plus you can find high quality cherries in supermarkets (at least more often than other fruits).

My favorites are nectarines and pluots. These are super tasty when home grown, with proper care. They require spraying, but can be as little as 4-5 times a year. I can recommend some varieties if you tell me what taste profile you like.

Next are apricots, peaches and pears. Pears probably require the least amount of care. Apricots oftentimes suffer from crop loss to late freezes, but where you are you can probably get a crop every other year if not more. Peaches are more pest resistant than nectarines, but most varieties are significantly less tasty than nectarines. For pears, I would recommend Seckel, Magness and Drippin Honey.

Like you, apples are my least favorite fruit, however there are 6 months of the year where the only homegrown fresh (vs. frozen or dried) fruit that you can eat is an apple! There are so many varieties, with wide taste profiles, that makes it hard not to find one (or a few) to like. Additionally, apple trees can easily outlive you (unless they die from a disease), on the other hand nectarine and peach trees live for ~20 years. Finally, homegrown apples with proper care can be really tasty, way better than any you get from supermarket or even pick-your-own orchard.

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Lot of good advice here.

I just emphasize that the lifespan of the trees is VERY far down on the list of considerations. Like practically non-existent.

Get something that works, is easy to grow and precocious. At least at first. That may be bramble fruit for all I know. I guarantee that the Grands wouldn’t care if they picked raspberries or apples.

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I think MD is working on persimmons to be their state fruit?

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