Emma Erler, lead horticulturist at Kirkwood Gardens and Homegrown NH host, says it's not too early to place your order if you’re considering planting fruit trees in your garden this year.
“Actually most of the catalog nurseries that you're going to be ordering from already have their inventory ready for 2026,” she says.
When buying a fruit tree from a nursery, Erler considers where that nursery is located. In the spring, you’ll be able to purchase a fruit tree from a local nursery, but you won’t necessarily know where that tree originated.
“We want to buy plants from somewhere that's semi-local, or at least kind of in the same growing zone as us,” she says. “For me, that's peace of mind that those plants are going to do okay in my garden. I want to grow things that are going to have a high rate of success in New Hampshire.”
Even if you're buying plants of the same variety, like a McIntosh apple, if you get it from a grower in Virginia, that plant may not be as hardy as a plant that was grown in, say, Maine.
Erler says it’s important to realize that virtually all fruit trees are grafted. Grafting has been done for thousands of years, and it allows the grower to confer the benefits of the roots and the shoots separately. The top part – that part we think of as being the tree – is called a scion.
The rootstock is an important consideration for home gardeners because it determines tree size. Dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks limit growth to 6-15 feet (dwarf) or 15-25 feet (semi-dwarf) compared to 25-plus feet for standard trees.
If you're going to be planting a home orchard, plan to plant at least two of each type of fruit tree for pollination. Pollen from the same tree or variety won't fertilize its flowers to produce fruit. Pollen must move from the male part (stamen) of one flower to the female part (pistil) of another. This is why we value pollinators!
This means you’ll need two sweet cherry trees, for example. A sour cherry won't pollinate the sweet cherry. The same goes for plums: if you're growing a European plum, you need a second European plum, not a European and a Japanese plum.
For a smaller container garden, there are a few varieties of fruiting trees and shrubs that are self-fruitful, or self-pollinating, which means they produce fruit from their own pollen, and only one tree is required. But even those will produce a much better crop if you have a second cultivar.
“A lot of nurseries spell this out for you,” says Erler. “If you go on their websites, they might even suggest a plant that is a good pollinator for the other.”
There are hundreds of varieties of fruit trees that can grow here in New Hampshire. Erler has her preferred varieties, and she recommends checking out varieties recommended by UNH Cooperative as well.
“Our biggest concern is going to be disease issues," Erler says. "As a home grower, I don't want to have to be doing a lot of pesticide sprays.”
Apple varieties that Erler says are hardy and require less pest control:
- Liberty
- Freedom
- Pristine
- Enterprise
- Paula Red
Erler says peaches are difficult to grow in New Hampshire, thanks to our tough winter and spring weather. “If we have a late frost, that will often kill the peach buds or blossoms,” she says. If you want to try to grow peaches here, the varieties Erler prefers include:
- Madison
- Redhaven
- Reliance
- Contender
Erler says pears are actually pretty easy to grow in New Hampshire, and she likes the following varieties:
- Harrow Delight
- Magness
- Moonglow
- Seckel
For plums, Erler recommends:
- Green Gage
- Mount Royal
- Shiro
- Alderman
- Bluebird
- Superior
The nursery will ship the plants at the appropriate time for planting, and Erler recommends you get them in the ground as soon as possible after they arrive.
See you in the garden!
Homegrown New Hampshire is a collaboration between Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and NHPR.
