Fruit Trees
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Fruit Trees Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent As the local food movement continues to gain momentum, growing fruit trees is becoming more popular. There are some parts of the state, along Flathead Lake and the Bitterroot Valley, where orchards are highly successful and have a long history of fruit production. In other parts of the state, growing fruit trees is more challenging. Broadwater County certainly has challenges, but there are some plentiful small orchards including several Heritage Orchards. Understanding selection, climate, environment and soil can help you bring fruit trees to fruition.
At the nursery, don’t grab the first tree you see. Buy younger plants; one-year-old trees are best. Look for a good root system and don’t buy damaged trees. Trees on dwarf rootstalk will be smaller (easier to pick fruit and prune) and come to bearing age earlier. However, they are not as strong as a full-size tree. Semi-dwarf is a good option because they are a little smaller than a full-size tree but often hardier than a dwarf.
Cross-pollination is an important consideration of fruit trees. Most fruit trees require cross-pollination for fruit development. This means you need to buy more than one variety. Apples and pears require another variety to pollinate. Crabapples are a good option as an apple pollinator. Plums, apricots and peaches vary depending on the cultivar. Sour cherries are self-fruitful, meaning they do not require cross-pollination.
MSU Extension and Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations have coordinated research at various locations across Montana to study the adaptability of different cultivars to Montana climates. While this information is extremely helpful, cultivar selection should be based on your specific site. Contact your local Extension Office, Tree Board or nursery to identify the variety that will work best in your location.
There are many types of apples that do well here. What is your favorite type of apple? Chances are there is a similar variety that can grow well in your yard. Several of the best apple cultivars according to the research are Goodland, Honeycrisp, Zestar and Sweet 16. Honeycrisp is often a favorite. However, it is very susceptible to fire blight. Goodland is consistently the top cultivar at most research sites in Montana.
Pears are also an option. Parker and Golden Spice are the best-performing pears at the research sites. Parker is similar to the Bartlett pear. Golden Spice has small fruit, but excellent flavor for canning or cider. Another option with decent survivability is Ure. Most pears are highly susceptible to fire blight and need 110 days to mature from bloom. As a result, ripening can be an issue with pears.
There are fewer options for plums in our region. Toka and Mount Royal are the most successful cultivars at the research sites. Toka is a small red plum that performs well consistently. Mount Royal is a blue plum that is excellent for eating, but it tends to be a little picky about where it is planted. Plums often bloom too early and get killed by frost, so don’t expect a crop every year.
Chokecherries and sour cherries are other good fruit options. There are apricots and peaches for zone 4. On hardy rootstock, these trees will grow here. However, the challenge is to get them to produce fruit. Apricots are hardy, but flower buds often freeze. We typically don’t get enough heat units for peaches to ripen. Having a sheltered area and southern exposure increases the likelihood of success. Sweet cherries will not survive in Broadwater County. The only place in Montana where they grow is along Flathead Lake, because of the “lake effect” where warming winter temperatures allow them to grow.
After you select your trees, proper planting techniques ensure establishment of the root system and the overall health of the tree. The graft union should be 2 to 4 inches above soil level. And water, water, water! Trees in Montana need extra water. Unlike ornamental trees, fruit trees also need fertilizer. Do this before Father’s Day. Be cautious of over-fertilizing which can make trees more susceptible to fire blight and delay flowering.
If you need assistance with fruit trees, selection or care, stop by your local MSU Extension Office in Broadwater County at 416 Broadway or contact us at 406-266-9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.
