DEEP SNOW: TIME TO PLAN FOR FRUIT TREES AND BERRY PATCHES

Although the snow is really deep and, Winter seems like it will never end, it is time to plan for which fruit trees and berry patches you will be planting in the Spring. Of course what you plant will be what you like but, you have to also take into account things like space, sunlight, how long it takes to generate fruit and, care of the plant.

Space is simple enough to take into account. You just have to know what you are planting and how much room the plant needs. In the case of trees, you might want to make sure the tree will not be too close to a building or overhead wires. In the case of planting berries you not only have to consider the potential size of the plant but, whether or not the plant may spread. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries etc, could far outgrow the original area in a few years. You must decide how far you want these plants to spread and make that literally a cutoff point. Anything that sprouts up outside of that area, if you can't or don't want to transplant it or give the plant away, must be considered a weed or else, your lawn or other gardens will suffer greatly.

Plants should always be planted with whatever sunlight is recommended by your garden center or from the label on the plants. Most plants do best in full or at least partial sun. Remember, plants like raspberries and blackberries when planted in full sun need a lot of water or the berries will dry up. Using a soaker hose is highly recommended.

Most berry patches bear fruit in 2-3 years, grapevines around 3-5 years and dwarf fruit trees in 5-7 years. Non-drawf fruit trees may take 10 or more years and nut trees could take up to 20-50 years (better hope your grand kids will like nuts). So make sure you do some research on your potential tree, bush or vine. Berry patches and fruit trees take a commitment of years not just one season.

Commitment to taking care of the fruit tree or berry patch is the last consideration to be covered (though it is by no means the last consideration you might have). Two major commitments are to weed and water. Berry patches should be watered everyday once they begin to grow in the spring. When the berries start to form, soaker hoses are recommended to keep the berries from drying up until only the seeds are left. When it comes to trees, make sure you remove any grass or weeds from around the bottom, leaving a circle of 2-3 feet on each side of the tree, depending on the trees size. Mulching is of course recommended for both trees and berries.

Finally, do some research first before you buy anything. Most seed catalogues have excellent information on the various types of fruit trees and berry bushes (vines) and what's great is, most seed catalogues are free. Make sure the plant will fit your area for both length of season and soil type (sandy, clay, wet or dry). And, you must have a long term commitment to your plants.