At our grafting workshop, a MidFEx volunteer shows where to put the final touches on a newly grafted apple tree.

Answers to Common Questions

When we appear at gardening events, or while reading our e-mail, certain questions appear over and over again. This page is a collection of those questions along with our answers.

You can always e-mail us with your questions at midfex7@midfex.org. However, the best way to get your backyard fruit growing questions answered is to come to our events and to join MidFEx.

 
Is there any difference in the size of the fruit grown on a dwarf tree as compared to a standard tree?

Absolutely not. It's the tree, not the fruit, that is dwarfed. A dwarf tree just doesn't produce as much fruit.
 

I planted a new apple tree this past summer and it seemed to take well. Today I accidentally broke off the main stem. Is it possible to repair this type of damage?
 
The bad news is you can't really repair the main stem if it has broken off. The good news is that as long as the break is above the graft (attachment point of scion to rootstock), the tree will grow a new leader. You can help this along by pruning other potential leaders back and allowing just one to grow, preferably one that is fairly straight and near the center of the trunk. This leader will thicken in time, and the tree will continue to grow normally. However, if the break is at or below the graft, the new trunk will bear the inferior fruit of the rootstock; in this case the tree should be replaced. 

 
When is the best time to prune a fruit tree that has been bearing fruit?
 
If your main goal is to invigorate the tree and encourage new growth, you should prune when the tree is dormant, typically in the winter, or at least fairly early in the growing season. Hardy trees such as apple or pear can be pruned any time in the dormant period. Cold sensitive trees like cherry and plum should be pruned closer to the end of winter.
 
If you are pruning to open up the tree to more sunlight, the best time would be sometime during the late growing season ('summer pruning'). This is normally during and after August, depending on the growing season in your location. The advantage of pruning at this time is to avoid suckers or 'water sprouts' that frequently appear when pruning is done in the dormant period.

 
What can I do to prevent my trees from overloading and possibly breaking their branches?
 
The best way to control this is with thinning of the fruit early in the season. If the fruits are growing in clusters, try to reduce the clusters to 1 or 2 fruits each. Also spacing between fruits should be controlled, especially if there are too many fruits for a given branch size and strength. Not only will this protect the tree from overload but the remaining fruits should be larger because the tree's energy will not be excessively distributed. In general, recommended spacing for apples is 5-8 inches, pears is 4-5 inches, peaches and nectarines 5-6 inches, apricots 2-3 inches, cherries 1 inch, small plums 1 inch, and large plums 2-3 inches.

 
What are the advantages of planting dwarf vs. full size trees?
 
Typically, the dwarf trees will have a shorter waiting period for bearing fruit. This could be as much as 5 years difference in apple trees. They don't spread out as much, so if space is a limitation, you can get more trees into any given area. Dwarf trees are typically 20 to 40 percent the size of a full tree. This translates into advantages when it comes to spraying, pruning, picking fruit, applying nets, etc. Generally people plant full size trees if they have lots of space and they want a larger yield of fruit. Most backyard orchardists generally are better off with dwarf trees.

 
Where can I find a supplier for a particular fruit variety?
 
The best source of this kind of information that we know of is the ‘Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory’, which lists all the Nursery Catalogs and contacts for trees available by mail order. It is currently in its third edition and is published by the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa (ISBN 1-882424-57-3, soft cover). Besides trees and shrubs, this book also lists sources of rootstock. This book is available in soft and hard cover at Amazon.com other on-line bookstores. We also sell copies at our Fall Harvest Festival.

 
Where can I find more information about grafting techniques on the Internet?
 
The following are some web sites which might give additional information on grafting:
  instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/hort400/graftage/home.htm
  muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06971.htm   (with sound)
  www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG0532.html

 
I am having trouble with my fruit tree. Can you help?
 
It is hard to diagnose such problems remotely from an e-mail, but we can try to help if we recognize the symptoms. However, to make our job easier, you must give as much detailed information about your tree or bush as possible. Try to include the particular variety name, what rootstock it is on (dwarf, semi dwarf, full size tree), age of the plant, and any other data you may have. Our e-mail address is midfex7@midfex.org

 
Can you help identify what variety of fruit tree I have?
 
This is very hard to do without seeing the fruit directly, but giving certain information might help, such as color of the skin, texture (smooth or russet), shape and size of the fruit, when the fruit is ready for picking (early summer, etc.). We cannot promise a positive identification, but we might be able to eliminate varieties.

 
Can you supply me with scion wood or rootstock?
 
We are a not-for-profit organization, and consequently do not sell anything ourselves, except for an occasional fund raiser like our annual Harvest Festival where we sell apples, cider, etc. to help support our club. For rootstock, we suggest Raintree Nursery. For the last several years we've purchased rootstock for our grafting workshop from them.

 
How can I protect my apple trees from bugs and disease?
 
Some people try organic pesticides or hang up sticky traps, which can be found at mail order companies like Gardens Alive, but in many cases they are only partially effective. You may need a chemical pesticide to protect your trees. Start with dormant oil spray in the early spring to kill overwintering eggs and larvae. Follow up periodically with a fungicide-insecticide spray. Some of the liquid orchard sprays available in stores are easy to use and fit this need. Do not spray insecticides when there are blossoms, as this will kill the bees come to pollinate them. You also want to keep the trees watered and fertilized as needed.
 
It sounds like a lot of work, and it certainly isn't a trivial task. If you want clean fruit and healthy trees, that is your choice. Be sure not to spray a few weeks before harvest to allow the chemicals to dissipate, and wash the fruit before eating.

 
Can I grow a fruit tree from a seed?
 
Our web site section 'Why Fruit Trees are Grafted' discourages this effort. However, many people report good results growing peach trees from seeds. This is because many of the stone fruits like peaches are self fertile, and the chances of a outside gene being present to give an inferior quality of fruit are very much decreased. Trees like apples, which are not self fertile, will almost invariably yield poor fruit from a seed-grown tree.

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