Another factor that should be considered when selecting and planting fruit trees is your climate zone. Fruit trees normally are winter hardy. Apple trees can generally withstand temperatures as low as twenty-five degrees BELOW zero. Peach trees on the other hand cannot tolerate temperatures much lower than fifteen degrees BELOW zero. In fact we were advised by a horticulturalist from Purdue University in Lafayette, IN, that the cut-off point of degree tolerance for peaches was zero degrees. For every degree below zero, a crop loss of ten percent could be expected. Thus, at minus ten degrees an entire peach crop would/could be lost. We have had experience with these temperature extremes and found his theory to be most accurate. This current year is going to be a “toss up.” We have just experienced a very cold week with temperatures dipping near zero and staying in the single digits for several days. Only time will tell as one can never predict “Mother Nature.”
Most local nurseries and garden centers have years of experience in selling nursery stock and are knowledgeable about which varieties are suitable to plant in your climate zone. Personnel at mail order nurseries can be helpful in recommending what varieties are best suited for planting in your local area as well, just ask when placing an order. Again, buying from reputable garden centers or nurseries will give you the most successful results.
The length of the growing season also has an impact on the type and variety of fruit tree you can choose to plant. “Frost Free Days’ is a term used to define the length of the area’s growing season. Frost free days are the number of days between the last frost in spring and the first frost of fall. The average last frost date varies by location. For our area (southeastern Indiana) the last spring frost can range from April 11th through May 10th. Frost date estimates can be found by checking with the local county extension office, using “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” or researching your area’s frost dates on the internet.
Apple trees can be planted in late fall or early spring. We prefer to plant apple trees in early spring when the frost is out of the ground. New root development occurs best when the soil temperature is above forty-five degrees. We find that planting in early spring encourages good root development .
In our area most varieties of apple trees can withstand the temperature variations we experience throughout the year. However, if you choose to plant peaches or cherries, we recommend choosing more hardy varieties to plant.