a fruit garden on your property means years of harvests since most fruits come from perennial plants. Your backyard orchard will feed your family, support wildlife, and add beauty and shade to your land.
From the day we moved here (and even before), we knew we wanted a family orchard. When we bought this place, there was already a mature lemon tree that gives us over 200 pounds of lemons yearly and two pecan trees that need better care to produce well.
Since then, we’ve added more citrus, peaches, plums, pomegranates, figs, apples, pears, grapes, blackberries, Barbosa cherries, beauty berries, and passion fruit. Someday, we hope to stop buying fruit altogether. We’re still years away, but we get closer every season.
Most of our trees are still young, and we’ve faced some struggles. The first year here, we planted too many trees, got overwhelmed in the summer heat, neglected them, and lost a few.
The next year, our neighbor released his pet rabbits because he didn’t want them anymore—and they chewed our small fig tree down to a stump. It’s bounced back and given us a few figs, but that setback cost us a couple of years.
Then last year, our peaches and plums were covered in blooms and tiny fruit. We were thrilled! But then came the wettest spring on record, and by mid-June, all four peach trees and one plum tree had dropped their fruit and leaves—eventually dying. So, we’re starting over.
Fruit trees are a long-term investment, but totally worth it. Most will produce for 20+ years, and while they need care, it’s not as demanding as a vegetable garden.
Planting a family orchard doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Learn how we’ve slowly built ours with these tips for success.
Deciding What Fruit Trees to Plant
First, think about what fruits your family loves most—start with those. No point planting figs if nobody eats them!
Next, find varieties that thrive in your area. People often say we’re lucky to grow citrus—and we are. But did you know Meyer lemons and Satsuma oranges can grow indoors in pots? They do great! So if you’re in a colder climate, consider an indoor orchard.
In moderate climates like ours, choose low-chill trees for fruits like apples, peaches, and cherries that need chill hours (temps below 45°F). Here, we get about 200–250 chill hours—pretty low.
Take notes for each tree: size, soil preferences, average yield, etc. Keeping these in a gardening notebook saves you from re-researching later.
If you’re short on space, try dwarf trees or train some to grow along fences .
Mapping Out Your Orchard
Before buying trees, grab your notes, some graph paper (printable in The Gardening Notebook), and head outside.
I use one graph square = 4 sq ft (adjust for larger properties—just stick to a consistent scale). Mark existing features—for us, that’s concrete slabs, the chicken run, bee yard, garden, and shed.
Decide where each tree will go and note it on the map. Check your notes to see if soil prep is needed.
For example, if planting blueberries in non-acidic soil, you’ll likely need to dig out the area and refill it with peat.
Once your map and notes are ready, buy your trees.
Planting Fruit Trees
Timing depends on your climate. Most places, plant in spring so roots establish before winter.
In mild-winter, hot-summer areas, fall is best (except citrus—wait until early spring). Sadly, nurseries rarely sell fruit trees in fall, so if you miss that window, plant as early in spring as possible.
Dig a hole slightly deeper and a foot wider than the pot. Soak the root ball in water to loosen it—this keeps roots from growing in circles. Some folks trim roots to encourage growth; that’s optional.
Fill the hole partway so the tree sits at the same depth as in the pot. Add water/soil from the soaking tub, let it absorb, then fill the rest with dug-up soil. Top with compost and water well.
This assumes your soil is suitable. Most fruit trees like well-drained soil. If you have heavy clay, mix in sand where roots will spread—anytime before planting.
Most Important Orchard Tip
Go slow. The idea of feeding our family homegrown organic fruit is exciting, and I’ve overplanted too many times.
Learn from my mistakes: only plant what you can care for each year. Mix fast-growing trees with slower ones to make the wait easier.
Early-Producing Fruit Trees
While most take 4–5 years, some bear fruit in 1–2 years. Unless you’re in Antarctica, at least a few of these will grow in your climate.
