Quick Answer: Best Fruit Trees to Grow in North Dakota
The best fruit trees to grow in North Dakota are apples, pears, apricots, crabapples, cherries, nectarines, grapes, peaches, and mulberries. It has warm summers and cold winters and is preferable to plant these fruit trees in early spring after the soil has warmed.
Are you planning to start growing fruit trees in North Dakota?
Then, check out this guide to help you choose the best fruit trees to grow in your North Dakota home gardens.
Shall we get started?
Contents
- Quick Answer: Best Fruit Trees to Grow in North Dakota
- Best Fruit Trees to Grow in North Dakota
- What Is The Easiest Growing Fruit Tree In North Dakota?
- What Is The Best Time To Grow Fruit Trees In North Dakota?
- FAQs
- Quick Recap: Top Fruit Trees to Grow In North Dakota
- Bottom line
Best Fruit Trees to Grow in North Dakota
North Dakota has a continental climate characterized by warm summers and cold winters. The gardening zone of the state includes 2b to 6a.
It is important to choose fruit trees that are well-adapted to the region and thrive its cold winters.
Next, let us take a look at the different fruit trees appropriate to grow in North Dakota home gardens.
1. Apple
Widely Grown Fruit Tree Of North Dakota
Apples (Malus domestica) are a popular and widely grown fruit tree of Noth Dakota home gardeners with good sanitation practices.
Why Grow Apple?
Different cultivars starting from Haralred to Honeycrisp that are early maturing and hardy will adapt well to North Dakota.
It adapts to different soil types and requires little care once established.
There are dwarf compact varieties suitable for small spaces. Two cultivars will reward you with bounty yields.
Maintenance And Care
Apple trees prefer a sunny site with good drainage and sheltered from strong winds. Avoid planting in heavily shaded areas, low spots, or areas where the water table brings salts.
Provide another apple or crabapple cultivar within 100 feet to produce fruits.
Prune in late winter once trees begin to bear to maintain a pyramid or cone shape. It is prone to scabs, powdery mildew, and cedar apple rust.
The complete growing guide of apples is covered here:
2. Pear
Rewarding Fruit Tree Of North Dakota
Pears (Pyrus spp) is one of the most rewarding fruit trees to grow in your North Dakota backyard for their pretty blossoms and delectable fruits.
Why Grow Pear?
Different varieties of pears, including Early Gold, Golden Spice, and Parker adapt to North Dakota climatic conditions and vary in their size, color, and flavor profile.
Another added advantage is that it adds beauty to your landscape with its pretty white blossoms and can be trained as espaliers.
Maintenance And Care
Plant pear trees in well-drained soil and away from frost pockets. It needs cross-pollination with two compatible cultivars for more yields. The standard trees need 15-20 feet of spacing.
Mulch the soil to insulate the soil and prevent premature bud break. Prune annually to maintain horizontal, stronger, and fruitful branches. Fireblight is the leading killer affecting the trees.
Here is a useful video on growing pears:
3. Apricot
Apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca) are popularly grown in North Dakota for their delicate blossoms in spring and golden fruits in summer.
Why Grow Apricot?
Many cultivars, including Moongold, Sout, Westcot, and Brokcot are hardy and can thrive in North Dakota climatic conditions.
It can be trained as trees, bushes, or against a wall. It can also be grown in containers on the patio. Its early spring flowers add landscape beauty.
Maintenance And Care
Plant apricots in a protected site out of frost pockets as they bloom very early. Apply wood mulch around the trees to retain moisture and keep the soil insulated.
Many cultivars need only one tree to produce fruit, and standard trees require 18-20 feet of spacing. Prune young trees in early spring. It is prone to bacterial canker, silver leaf, and peach leaf curl.
Check out this video to grow, care for, and harvest apricot:
4. Crabapple
Crabapples (Malus spp) are also grown in North Dakota home gardens for their tart-flavored fruits used for canning and making jellies.
Why Grow Crabapple?
Crabapples are hardy and adapt to the climatic conditions of North Dakota with a moderate growth rate. It is a perfect tree for small gardens as it is compact.
It adds ornamental value with pretty blossoms in spring. Also, it is productive thus making it a good garden plant.
Maintenance And Care
Crabapples grow well in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
Most varieties are self-fruitful but will produce higher yields if cross-pollinated with another apple or crabapple variety.
Mulch well-rotted manure or compost in spring and prune in winter to remove dead or diseased branches. It can be troubled by rust, fireblight, scab, and powdery mildew.
You may watch this video to grow crabapple:
5. Cherry
A fruit tree that is adored for both its delicious fruits and ornamental spring blossoms is the cherry (Prunus cerasus). It can be a perfect addition to your North Dakota home gardens.
Why Grow Cherry?
Tart cherries, including Evans Bali, are hardy and perfect for North Dakota home gardens. It is adaptable and can be productive giving an abundance of fruits.
It can fit easily into a landscape as the tree is small with a more spreading habit. It adds beauty to your landscape with its spring blossoms.
Maintenance And Care
Cherries prefer full sun and well-drained soils. Sour cherries need 15-20 feet of spacing and don’t require another cultivar to produce fruits.
One of the significant pest problems is spotted wing drosophila. Another major challenge with these trees is birds which can be prevented by covering the tree with a net.
The complete growing guide of cherries is covered here:
6. Cherry Plum
Cherry plums (Prunus cerasifera) are deciduous trees of North Dakota popular for their vibrant foliage, pretty flowers, and strong fragrant fruits.
Why Grow Cherry Plum?
Cherry plums are extremely hardy and survive the extreme weather conditions of North Dakota. It will resist drought and will bear fruits after one to two years of planting.
Also, it is ideal for novice gardeners and is less demanding than other fruit trees. It is perfect for gardeners with space restrictions.
Maintenance And Care
Cherry plum trees prefer sandy, well-drained soil and full sun. It can be spaced about 4-8 feet apart. It needs two different cultivars for fruitset as it is self-unfruitful.
Fertilize annually in the spring with an all-purpose fertilizer and prune lightly to remove dead or damaged branches. It is prone to mealybugs, borers, black knots, and cankers.
Check out this video to grow cherry plums:
7. Nectarine
Nectarines (Prunus persica nucipersica) are popular fruit trees that are loved by North Dakota gardeners for its delicate blossoms in spring and golden fruits in summer.
Why Grow Nectarine?
Different cultivars are hardy and can be grown in North Dakota. It requires little care once established and will reward you with bountiful yields.
Dwarf compact varieties can be grown in pots in small places.
Maintenance And Care
Plant nectarine trees in a protected site away from frost pockets and well-drained soil.
Most varieties are self-fruitful and produce fruits without a pollinator. Apply wood mulch around the trees to keep the soil insulated.
Thin the small and misshapen fruits to improve fruit yield and pruning to replace fruited wood with new wood.
A few problems troubling the tree are brown scale, squirrels, and peach leaf curl.
Click this video on planting and caring for nectarine:
8. Grapes
Grapes (Vitis spp) are fast-growing vines that are hardy and adapt to the climatic conditions and soil types of North Dakota.
Why Grow Grapes?
Hardy varieties of grapes can adapt and survive in North Dakota. It is vigorous and can adapt well to different soil types.
It will produce an abundance of good-quality of fruits enough for the family. It also adds ornamental value and gives shade.
Maintenance And Care
Plant grape varieties in a sheltered, warm, sunny location and well-drained soil. It can be propagated via hardwood cuttings, grafting, and seeds.
Most varieties are self-fruitful and require only one cultivar.
It requires a trellis with the posts 8-12 feet apart using two or three wires. Prune the vines each year to avoid being overgrown and dense.
It can be troubled by mealybugs and caterpillars.
You may watch this video for more information on growing grapes:
9. Peach
Peaches (Prunus persica) are one of the rewarding fruit trees to grow in North Dakota.
Why Grow Peach?
Many varieties of peach can survive the harsh winters of North Dakota. It doesn’t require expertise to produce fruits.
It can be both productive and ornamental giving high yields for the family. It also makes container specimens adding beauty to your deck or patio.
Maintenance And Care
Peaches can be grown in full sun and sandy soil with good drainage. The standard trees need spacing of 18-20 feet while dwarf types require 7-8 feet spacing.
Most cultivars are self-fertile and add organic mulch, including leaf mold or compost to keep the soil healthy. It needs balanced fertilizer around trees annually in the spring.
It is prone to peach leaf curl and peach tree borer.
Click this video to grow peaches organically:
10. Mulberries
Different hardy cultivars of mulberries (Morus nigra) can survive in the cold winters of North Dakota with routine care and protection from winters.
Why Grow Mulberries?
Certain mulberry trees, including Trader, can adapt to North Dakota due to its tolerance to extreme cold.
It is a fast-growing tree that is resistant to many diseases and insects. Its attractive, dome-shaped tree will add landscape beauty.
Maintenance And Care
Plant mulberries in moisture-retentive yet well-drained soil in full sun. Avoid planting near driveways to prevent staining by fruits.
Prune while dormant and do not over-fertilize. It will draw birds and requires draping with birds to prevent them from chewing the fruits.
Here is a useful video on growing mulberries in containers:
What Is The Easiest Growing Fruit Tree In North Dakota?
The easiest-growing fruit tree in North Dakota is apples.
Many cultivars of apples, including Dakota Gold, Red Baron, and Weathy are hardy and mature early. It will survive the harsh winters of North Dakota. It can adapt to different soil types of the state.
It requires little maintenance once established. You may also choose dwarf varieties if having small spaces.
The other fruit trees that can be easily grown in North Dakota are pears and apricots.
What Is The Best Time To Grow Fruit Trees In North Dakota?
The best time to plant fruit trees in North Dakota is in the spring once the soil becomes dry to work.
The bare-root plants can be planted in the spring after soaking the roots for two to four hours in water.
Dig a hole to allow the roots to spread out without coiling and plant so that the graft union is a couple of inches below the soil surface.
Organic mulches are required in the state. The container-friendly trees can be planted at any time with protection from cold winters.
FAQs
The leading fruit crop of North Dakota is Aronia or black chokeberry. It is easy to grow, doesn’t have any major insect pests, and can survive harsh winters. It adds beauty to the home landscape with glossy green foliage and white blossoms.
Raspberry is popular small fruit to grow in North Dakota. Other summer and fall-bearing types can be grown to extend the harvest. It can be established to grow in hedgerows or hills. The major pest affecting the plant is spotted wing drosophila.
North Dakota has different growing zones between 2b-6a. Most of the state is in zone 3b whereas red river valley and Fargo are in zone 4a. The northern part of the state has chilly 3a and 3b.
Quick Recap: Top Fruit Trees to Grow In North Dakota
Here is a quick recap of the top fruit trees that can adapt to North Dakota’s climatic conditions.
| Fruit trees | Why Grow? |
|---|---|
| Apples | 1. Hardy and suitable to grow in North Dakota 2. Requires little care once established and is productive |
| Pear | 1. Ornamental value and can be trained as an espalier 2. Hardy varieties and adaptive to North Dakota climate |
| Apricots | 1. Compact varieties available for small spaces 2. Popular stone fruit that requires low maintenance |
| Crabapple | 1. Compact varieties suitable for small gardens 2. Productive and ornamental |
| Cherries | 1. Sour cherries are adaptable to North Dakota climate 2. Compact habit and can fit into small space |
| Cherry plum | 1. Ideal for novice gardeners and resist drought 2. Requires little care and maintenance |
| Nectarine | 1. Hardy varieties suitable for North Dakota 2. Can be grown both indoors and outdoors |
| Grapes | 1. Adaptable to the climate and soil types of North Dakota 2. Ornamental and shade plant |
| Peach | 1. Can survive the climatic conditions of North Dakota 2. Makes a good container specimen |
| Mulberries | 1. Hardy fruits that can adapt to North Dakota 2. Ornamental and productive |
Bottom line
Hopefully, this guide has given you a few tips and considerations in selecting fruit trees to grow in North Dakota.
I am interested to hear your thoughts and experience in growing fruit trees in North Dakota home garden.
If you find the guide helpful, please pass it on to your friends and family!