2 Great Fruit Trees to Plant in Marin – Marin Independent Journal

You have decided to add a fruit tree to your garden. Which variety should you choose, when and where should you plant it and how should you prune it? Consider a persimmon or pomegranate tree; they are perfect for Marin.

With the exception of citrus fruits, fruit trees require ‘chill hours’, a specific number of cumulative hours of chilling with temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees, to break their hibernation. Chill hours vary by type and can last seven to nine weeks (pear and apple, for example). Low-chill fruit trees may be available. Two beautiful fruit trees require only minimal chilling hours: persimmon (four days) and pomegranate (eight to thirteen days), making them well suited to Marin’s warming climate.

Persimmons, called the ‘fruit of the gods’, are native to China. They have lush, fruitful fruits. Fuyu (squat, round and eaten raw) and Hachiya (acorn-shaped, needs full ripeness before eating raw and good for cooking) are the most popular. Large, dark green, glossy leaves turn yellow in fall. After the leaves fall, the fruit hangs like orange ornaments on bare branches. Purchase a bare-root tree from a quality nursery and plant it in December or January after sufficient and cumulative chilling hours have occurred. Persimmons are self-fertile, so planting one tree is fine.

Place your persimmon in full sun with enough room to allow air movement; they can grow 25 feet tall and wide. Persimmons tolerate different soil types, but if you have clay soil, amend it with compost before planting. Ensure good drainage.

Irrigate in spring when rainfall is insufficient and in summer to retain moisture and prevent leaf and fruit loss. Once established, persimmons can withstand short periods of drought but require regular watering for a good harvest.

Prune your persimmon tree in late winter or early spring, when it is dormant and young, to create a strong framework. Pinch off vigorous shoot growth in the first two years to force growth into the framework. Pruning of mature trees should be light and focused on diseased, rotten or damaged branches (in accordance with fire-safe landscaping practices). Persimmons can also be pruned and trained to create a hedge, screen or espalier. Unless your tree has excessive or dysfunctional growth, you can skip pruning in the summer because many of the fruits form at the tips of the branches.

Native to the Middle East, pomegranates are round, red fruits with white inner flesh packed with crunchy, juicy, edible seeds called arils. Their Latin name means ‘apple with many seeds’, but they look more like a fossilized tomato. Pomegranates have glossy leaves and a long blooming season in the spring.

Plant in the spring, after the last frost. Pomegranates are self-fertile, but two or more plants together can improve fruit set. Pomegranates need at least six hours of sunlight per day or full sun. They grow 15 to 20 feet tall. Fruit bursts during the first fall rains, so pick your fruit before the rain starts.

Pomegranates prefer loamy soil, but will tolerate sandy or clay soils. They need 36 to 48 inches of water annually. Keep the soil moist during the growing season and in the fall to prevent split fruit. Pomegranates can tolerate long periods of drought, but will not produce much fruit. After years of drought, watering your pomegranate will help it produce fruit.

Pomegranates can be trained as a hedge or tree, but naturally grow as a shrub made of a tall, arching thicket of canes. If growing it as a shrub, keep the base diameter at 18 to 24 inches to make pruning easier and the fruit more accessible.

To prune a pomegranate in winter, remove dead, diseased or damaged canes; crossing sticks; sticks that extend the base beyond the desired diameter; suckers growing from the roots; outer canes that have sagged close to the ground; and weaker indoor canes, both to open the center to sunlight and to ensure that fruit will form on strong canes. Keep some indoor canes to replace older canes, as pomegranate fruit spores only produce about three to four years. Skip pruning your pomegranate in the summer unless there is excessive or dysfunctional growth.

For more information on chill hours for different fruit trees, visit homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Tree_Selection.

To learn more about growing different fruit trees, visit marinmg.ucanr.edu/EDIBLES/FRUITTREES.

The University of California Marin Master Gardeners, sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension, provides science and research-based information for Marin gardeners. Email questions to [email protected]. Add photos for questions about plant pests or diseases. Call 415-473-4910 to see when a master gardener will be in the office or drop off samples 24/7 at the sample box outside the office. To attend a gardening workshop or subscribe to Leaflet, a free quarterly e-newsletter, visit marinmg.ucanr.edu.

Originally published: November 1, 2024 at 12:00 PM PDT