Growing Fruit

Whether you want to start your own orchard, or you just want to grow some fruit in your back yard, here's some very basic information to help get you started. BUt the book "Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens' would be a much better guide!  See our book page.

CHOOSING YOUR PLANTS

If you want to grow fruit in Saskatchewan, you have a very diverse range of plants to choose from. Grapes, Plums, Currants, Apples, Sour Cherries, Saskatoon Berries, Haskap Berries, Pears, Strawberries and Raspberries. Just make sure you choose the plants right for your location. Look up your hardiness zone, and only buy plants suitable for your zone.

If you live in a city, you can sometimes get away with planting trees meant for a zone warmer. For example, Saskatoon is now rated zone 3 but a plant rated zone 4 might survive in the right location with some protection. This is due to the "microclimate" created by the buildings, roads and trees associated with the city.

Our article "Popular fruit varieties" has a list of what is commonly grown on the Canadian prairies and considered good for many fruit crops.

PLANTING LOCATION

Choosing the right location for your plants is extremely important for fruit growers, especially in Saskatchewan. Most fruit trees and bushes are borderline hardy in Saskatchewan's climate, to begin with, so trees planted in a low frost pocket, or an exposed windy location don't really stand a chance. In contrast, a carefully chosen planting location can coddle the tenderest of prairie cultivars.

If you're planting in the city, you usually don't have to worry about exposed locations or frost pockets but make sure your fruit plants are getting plenty of light. Avoid the north side of a big fence or the shade of a big tree. Fruit trees need lots of sun to bloom and ripen their fruit properly.

SOILS

An ideal soil for a fruit tree is a well-drained sandy loam. However, the soils at the U of S are made up of a notoriously poor draining heavy clay, and they support a wide range of healthy fruit trees. So don't despair if your soils are less than ideal.

PLANTING

The best time to plant is when the plants are not actively growing. In the spring before the plants are in full swing, or in the fall, once the plants have started to shut down for the winter. Watering for the first couple of years will help to get the root systems established. Once the trees are established, some people consider irrigation optional. Orchards operating without irrigation may not produce optimum yield, but can still produce a crop.

Planting distance is one of our most frequently asked questions. In general, the bigger the tree, the further apart they should be planted.

 

 

HARVEST

Harvest dates will vary from species to species, but they’ll also vary within species from cultivar to cultivar.  Planting the right combination of plants can give you fruit all season long.