Best Fruit Plants to Grow in a Cold Climate
Everyone that thinks of Fruit growing to their best has a picture in their mind. Mine tends to think of the orchards and fields of France and Italy, or plantations with their great Banana trees.
But not so much the cold – and I would be dead wrong! So let’s have ourselves a look at some Fruit that grow, or even thrive, in a colder climate!
Fruit
Apple Trees
It may surprise you to learn that Apple Trees are actually well known for growing strong in colder countries! Obviously, a new Tree is going to take some time to grow. But if you plan it properly – even when planting a partially grown tree you bought – you can get it fruiting for years to come.
It is best to plant your Apple Trees in Late Winter/Early Spring, when the weather is starting to get a little brighter. Pick a spot that gets flooded with that morning sunlight, preferably on sloping ground. Be sure to read up on proper Apple Tree care, do your pruning and watering as instructed. You can be enjoying your first successful harvest before you know it!
Pear Trees
Much like Apple Trees, Pear Trees thrive on that sloped ground, planting in Early Spring, with plenty of sunlight throughout the day! These hardy fruit trees are reasonably adaptable, and able to work with a variety of soils, but be sure to look up specifics before you get started!
Thankfully, Pear Trees actually require very minimal pruning. In fact, over-pruning, or pruning incorrectly, will cause untold damage and health issues to your plant! Get this right, and you have one of the best fruit plants available for the colder climates! Not to mention being the envy of your entire neighbourhood for growing all your own fruit and saving tons of money!
Raspberry Bushes
Some Raspberry Bushes are incredible at growing in colder climates. But a word of warning, the Thorn-less varieties tend to struggle! Thorny Raspberry Bushes are the best for surviving these cooler temperatures, especially the Red or Yellow variety.
A little more picky than the trees we have looked at, you will need to take extra care in the positioning and protection of your Raspberry Bushes. Keeping them separate from wild berries for example, as well as trying to keep them sheltered from the wind. Do your deeper research, and always know what you need to do before jumping in if you want to succeed!
Grape Vines
If a Tree is a bit much, then why not look smaller, and try a Vine – like Grape Vines! Planting a Vine is a little different to a Tree though. Definitely look up your chosen style and be sure you know what you need to consider, such as sloping and drainage! This time, either Spring or Summer is the ideal time to plant!
One trick to bear in mind with Vines is that they have a habit of producing more fruit than the plant is actually able to maintain on its own. Combine that with how they need careful attention and their planting styles can result in some soil erosion, and you have a more needy plant on your hands!
Plum Trees
Finally, we swing back around to another form of Tree, Plum Trees! Like our other trees, Spring is the best time to get started on them. As well as planting on sloping soil, where the sun reaches them early and sticks around as long as possible throughout the day. If proper care is taken when replanting an existing Tree, almost any time of year should be fine!
Plum Trees themselves are especially susceptible to overwatering, so it is imperative that you take care when measuring out your bucket! They also have a bad habit of outgrowing their space, and this comes back around to pruning once again. Learn what you need to do specifically for Plum Tree care, and then be careful in putting it into practice!
Remember to weed as well! This point would usually go without saying for gardening of any kind, but weeds love to grow up against trees and steal all their nutrients, which will kill off your fruit!
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this brief look at Cold Climate Fruit! If you have enjoyed this post, leave us a comment – or if you have any suggestions, you can comment those too!
For other articles by Showing You the Whey, why not have a look at Common Goat Health Conditions, or things you should Never Do in a Vegetable Garden?
I would love to grow a raspberry bush and some apple trees. This is something i can look into for next year. We’ve just started summer here.
I already have plum trees so that’s one off the list haha