Prune the trees to permit sunlight and spray material to reach the center of the tree. Fruit trees that the home orchardist purchases from a nursery are usually one to two years old. After being planted, it takes another three to eight years for the fruit tree to begin to produce fruit. Overall, dwarfing rootstocks come into bearing earlier than standard or more vigorous rootstocks. Also, trees that grow at a moderate rate, generally produce fruit sooner than those that grow either too vigorously or too weakly.
Healthy trees have the ability to produce good quantity and quality of fruit.
Weak or diseased trees produce fruit of poor quality or no fruit at all. Three important problem areas affecting fruit trees are insects, diseases, and weeds. Cultivating around the fruit tree to reduce competition from weeds or grass helps in growing healthy trees. Most hardy fruit trees need a certain amount of cold weather to end their dormancy and promote spring growth. When winters are too mild, spring growth is delayed, irregular and slow.