any success growing fruit tree in Colorado? (Denver, Colorado Springs: houses, neighborhood)

[willc86]

Hey all, so looking to buy a grafted tree...not sure if I should go apple, pear, or a peach tree. Ive heard Colorado is a good place to grow fruit trees. Any recommendations? Specifically Colorado Springs. Im growing tons of veggies now, but having an appetite for fruits now haha.

[SkyDog77]

I’ve had luck with apples and peaches. Don’t count on every year though. Late freezes happen some years and wipe everything out. Some years we got nothing and others we had more than we could give away.

[Colorado Rambler]

You can grow fruit trees here - but growing fruit on those trees? That's the tricky part. I've lost track of how many times I've watched my fruit trees get clobbered by a May cold snap. It will be warm all through April which encourages the trees to go into bloom early and then - WHAM! A cold front comes through in mid to late May, killing all the buds and blossoms and all hopes for any fruit. This happens all too often in Colorado Springs as well as the rest of Colorado.

I now live in SW Colorado and my home is surrounded by mature fruit trees - different varieties of apple plus peach, pear and plum. This year was a good growing season and I'm going crazy trying to figure out what to do with what feels like a million bushels of apples and pears - talk about an embarrassment of riches! However, last year we had a frost on Memorial Day, and I didn't get a single pear, apple or peach. Anyone who grows fruit trees in Colorado better be prepared for feast or famine!

The last few summers I have noticed more insect pests - everything from ant infestations to borers. The warmer winters we've been experiencing allow insect eggs and pupae to survive in much greater numbers than in the past, and what was once an annoyance can now become a real problem. Be prepared to fight off pear slugs!

As far as types of fruit, my advise would be to start off with apple trees. Apple trees do well pretty much everywhere in the Pikes Peak region. Peaches like for it to be warmer and do better on the Western Slope, especially around Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade.

Best of luck!

[TCHP]

I've seen apple, peach, plum, and cherry all do well in COS, but as pointed out above, it can be a highly variable yield.

[TigerLily24]

Fruit trees will grow here. There are a few around my neighborhood dropping apples and cherries all over the sidewalks right now.
I've also seen a couple of peach trees here and there.

Check with one of your local garden centers or the good folks at the Denver Botanical Garden for advice for your specific area.

[willc86]

thanks!! yeah Im worried about cold snaps, killing my apple tree ..... but my other option is a green house. They sell pretty cheap 10 x 10 green houses thats about 8 feet high. Not sure if that would help. but ehh for 25 dollars a plant might be worth it haha.

im thinking of trying an apple or 2 some raspberries, and maybe a cherry/blackberry tree. Just nervous on the apple tree.

thanks for the feedback!!!

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by willc86

thanks!! yeah Im worried about cold snaps, killing my apple tree ..... but my other option is a green house. They sell pretty cheap 10 x 10 green houses thats about 8 feet high. Not sure if that would help. but ehh for 25 dollars a plant might be worth it haha.

im thinking of trying an apple or 2 some raspberries, and maybe a cherry/blackberry tree. Just nervous on the apple tree.

thanks for the feedback!!!

I have had good luck with raspberries. There's a species of raspberry that grows wild in the foothills. I used to pick them off Highway 24 near Manitou.

The apple tree is the one you need to be least concerned with. In general, they will survive down to minus 25 degrees and do well in most of our state. Pears the same.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler

I have had good luck with raspberries. There's a species of raspberry that grows wild in the foothills. I used to pick them off Highway 24 near Manitou.

The apple tree is the one you need to be least concerned with. In general, they will survive down to minus 25 degrees and do well in most of our state. Pears the same.

Agreed. Apple may be your best bet. IIRC with certain species you may have to plant a pair of them to improve your yield through cross-pollination.

My MIL had a single peach tree on her property out on the northeastern plains. The tree was healthy, but the most yield she ever got out of it was one or two peaches.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Agreed. Apple may be your best bet. IIRC with certain species you may have to plant a pair of them to improve your yield through cross-pollination.

My MIL had a single peach tree on her property out on the northeastern plains. The tree was healthy, but the most yield she ever got out of it was one or two peaches.

We had peach trees at my first Wash Park house often we got nothing, but a couple years I had an over abundance of the sweetest softball sized peaches I’ve ever tasted. We were propping up limbs with 2x4s to save the tree from breaking.

[BarryK123]

I had fruit trees when I lived in the Phila area (zone 6). Apples and pears did great. Stone fruits were hit and miss due to late freezes killing the blossoms. The Denver metro is zone 5 (lower low temps), so it would be more iffy here.