Fruit Trees

Fall through early spring is the easiest window, because cooler weather lets roots establish before summer heat arrives; that is the short answer to when to plant fruit trees in most of California. Container grown citrus, avocado and berry plants can go in the ground any time the soil is workable. Water deeply and often for the first year regardless of the planting date. If you are planting bare root stone fruit, do it in winter while the tree is dormant.

Some do and some do not. Almond and most stone fruit varieties need cross pollination from a second, compatible tree to set a full crop, while many citrus and avocado varieties are listed as self fruitful and bear on their own. Even self fruitful avocado trees such as Hass or Fuerte often set more fruit with a second tree planted nearby. Check the pollination note on each product page before deciding whether you need one tree or two.

A 1 or 2 gallon tree costs less, ships easily and settles into the ground faster than a boxed tree, so it is the practical choice for most yards. A 15 gallon tree gives an immediate head start on height and canopy if you are not willing to wait. Boxed sizes up to 48 inches give an established look right away, though they are heavy and priced for delivery by weight and distance. Match the size to your patience and your space, not just the price tag.

It depends on the fruit and the variety, and requirements range from under 300 hours below about 45 degrees for low chill types to over 800 for some traditional stone fruit. Coastal Southern California yards often fall short of high chill requirements, while Visalia and the Central Valley clear most chill needs in a normal winter. Citrus and avocado do not carry a chill requirement in the same sense; cold tolerance, not chill hours, limits where they grow. Check the chill rating on each stone fruit page.

Citrus and blueberries are the easiest fruit plants here to keep in a container long term, and the decorative pot sizes carried here are built for exactly that. Pots dry out faster than ground soil, so a potted fruit tree needs more frequent watering through a hot Central Valley or high desert summer. Choose a pot with real drainage and room for the mature root ball, since a tree left in too small a pot will stall, and move potted citrus somewhere sheltered on hard frost nights.

Hass is the everyday grocery store avocado, an A type flowering variety with dark, pebbled skin and a long harvest window, while Fuerte is a B type with smooth green skin and a milder flavor that ripens earlier. Planting one A type and one B type together, such as Hass with Fuerte or Zutano, tends to improve pollination and fruit set for both trees. Cold tolerance and mature size also vary, so check each avocado tree for sale on its own product page before choosing.