The Time is Ripe for Backyard Fruit Trees. This year, we've expanded our selection of bare root fruit trees to include not only apples, figs, persimmons, and plums, which produce reliably throughout the Bay Area, but also peaches, nectarines, and pluots, which can perform well in situations that maximize winter chill and summer heat. The winter chill factor is an inexact science, especially in a climate as variable as ours. We offer primarily low chill varieties, but chill factor alone can be unreliable in predicting success. Depending on each location, otherwise iffy varieties may well be worth a try.
Summer heat increases the sugar content in fruit.
Heat-requiring trees like peaches and nectarines need warm summer days like those found in Oakland's Fruitvale District and in odd spots all around the Bay Area. For best results locate trees in open, sunny sections of the garden. Consider the possibility of mixing fruit trees into an existing landscape, or planting a hedgerow of fruit trees along a sunny fence. Instead, consider two, three, and even four varieties in a single planting hole. Close planting, in combination with summer pruning techniques, extends the fresh fruit season, assists cross-pollination, and makes good use of small spaces.