Is your home a fruit producer? PEI is a good fruit growing region. So what fruit trees grow for the region. Fruit trees to consider are apples, pears, plums and cherries. A few peach trees will tolerate PEI climate, they are not as productive as other fruit trees here on PEI. It is important to discover if your fruit tree of choice needs another pollinator for fruit production. Most sour cherries and Damson and Stanley plums can self pollinate so only one tree is needed. Many trees may need to have another tree for proper pollination. If you only have space for one, there are some trees that are 4 in 1; they have 4 varieties of pear or apples grafted in one tree. Honeycrisp is a tree that needs a particular pollinator tree which could be a white flowering crab tree, a Fuji, Gala or Cortland. Most apples, pears and sweet cherries are not self pollinating and need a partner to produce fruit.

Whatever fruit trees you choose, dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball, mix in a mixture of peat/compost and top soil, plant the tree so the top of the root ball is just under the level of the soil and water well. Consider watering weekly if there is no rain. Planting is best done during cooler, wetter months such as May and June for quicker acclimatization and earlier fruiting. Remember that fruit needs to be placed in full sun for the tastiest fruit, receive adequate rainfall, have food to eat, and be pruned regularly to enhance fruit size.