• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Seed Starting
    • Plant Profiles
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Raised Bed Gardening
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • Plant Based Recipes
    • Canning and Food Preservation
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Vegetarian Meals
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Indoor Herb Gardening
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Where to Plant Fruit Trees

March 22, 2016 by Jeanne

Once you’ve chosen the types of fruit you’d like to grow, it’s time to figure out where to plant fruit trees.

where to plant fruit trees
Fruit trees need full sun.

Where to Plant Fruit Trees

You can grow fruit trees in the ground or in containers. The containers have to be big, and the trees have to be small (dwarf) sized. I’ll tell you more about the types of fruit tree sizes another day, but don’t worry if you have a small backyard. You can still add a fruit tree.

Fruit trees need full sunlight. Full sunlight is defined as six or more hours per day of bright, direct sunshine. You can’t skimp on this. Anything less than six hours a day of direct sunlight won’t help your tree produce fruit. The tree may live, but you won’t get fruit from it.

Sunlight is needed by fruit trees both for photosynthesis (energy production) and fruit production and ripening. So be sure that wherever you wish to plant your fruit tree, it gets plenty of direct sunshine. That’s the one thing you can’t skimp on!

So where to plant fruit trees depends first on the light conditions in your yard. Unfortunately, if a big building, a neighbor’s shed or a big old pine tree blocks the light, you won’t be able to grow a fruit tree.

Pear-Tree
All fruit trees like this pear tree need plenty of bright, direct sunlight.

Type of Soil for Fruit Trees

Where to plant fruit trees also depends on the soil you have to work with. Most fruit trees can grow just fine in any soil as long as it is amended with plenty of organic materials. A loam soil or a sandy loam is perfect for fruit trees, but I have mostly clay and as you can see from the photos accompanying these articles, I’ve been able to grow fruit just fine!

I recommend getting a soil test done before planting fruit trees in your backyard. A soil test will reveal the pH of the soil as well as its composition. You can get your soil tested at your local Cooperative Extension office. 

orchard early spring 2016
My orchard is planted on a slope. I am standing at the top of the slope among the apple trees looking towards the peaches and others.

Location: Slopes and Drainage

If you’re planting fruit trees in the ground, look for an area on your property that has a gentle slope. Plant the fruit trees near the top of the slope. Cold air sinks to the bottom of a slope. Water drains to the bottom, too. You want both warmer temperatures and well-drained soil, which you will find at the top of the slope.

What if you don’t have a slope? Don’t worry about it. Sure, it’s ideal. But fruit trees have been grown in many places that aren’t ideal. You can plant one in a container or simply plant a fruit tree wherever you have full sunshine and plenty of room for it to grow.

starting a home orchard
Starting a home orchard, the series at Home Garden Joy.

More to Learn! Read the Series

There’s lots more to learn and know about successfully growing fruit trees in your backyard. I’ve shared a series of articles here on Home Garden Joy with more to come.  I will be adding more articles to the series, so check back often for new information.

  • How to Grow Fruit in Your Backyard
  • What Fruit Trees Can I Plant?
  • Growing Fruit Trees in Containers
Pin1
Share
Tweet
1 Shares

Filed Under: Growing Fruit

Previous Post: « What Fruit Trees Can I Plant?
Next Post: Herbal Profile: Growing Calendula »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jamie

    May 19, 2016 at

    Living in the mountains, a lot of trees don’t do very well. I would love to plant an apple and cherry tree here, though – thank you for the tips! #HomeMattersParty

  2. Stacey

    May 20, 2016 at

    Thanks for sharing the gardening tips #HomeMattersParty

  3. Sahana

    May 22, 2016 at

    Your garden space is huge. Wish I had them to grow all the fruit and veggies at home.

    • Jeanne

      May 23, 2016 at

      Thanks Sahana! I grew up in an urban area and we grew veggies in a tiny backyard. Then I had an apartment with shade and grew them in pots on a deck. I am blessed now with plenty of room, but I do know what it is like to struggle to find space…you can do it!!!

  4. Crystal

    May 23, 2016 at

    We had peach trees in our backyard when I was growing up that were there when we moved it. It was always nice to have them there. Before I left Ohio, my step-father had apple trees. Now, they were my favorite to own!

    It’s nice learning more about how to plant them too.

    Thank you for sharing on the #HomeMattersParty. I am glad we co-host together.

  5. Michelle James

    May 25, 2016 at

    I would so love to have an orchard! Peach trees would be amazing! One can dream 🙂 #HomeMattersParty

  6. Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai

    May 26, 2016 at

    I love fruit trees…the blooms and then the fruit, so pretty and delicious! Thanks for sharing and being a wonderful co-host of the #HomeMattersParty – we love having you on the team! 🙂

    ~Lorelai
    Life With Lorelai

  7. Marisa

    May 26, 2016 at

    We have a peach tree in our backyard that was already there when we moved in. It hadn’t been maintained, so it overproduced fruit and all the peaches were bad. Then one of the branches snapped off because it was too heavy, so my husband pruned it a few months ago and now it’s doing very well. Thanks for the tips! #HomeMattersParty

  8. Crystal

    May 27, 2016 at

    Oh my goodness, how I would love a peach tree! I think I would be happy with any kind of tree. Last night I had a dream that my zucchini was overflowing. I was excited! Then, I woke up and remembered that my plant died 🙁 At least my green peppers are still going strong!

Trackbacks

  1. What Fruit Trees Can I Plant? - Home and Garden Joy says:
    March 24, 2016 at

    […] Where Can I Plant Fruit Trees? […]

  2. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - Tidbits of Experience says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  3. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - Home and Garden Joy says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  4. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - Love More Live Blessed says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  5. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - In the Kitchen with Stacey says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  6. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - Life With Lorelai says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  7. Home Matters Linky Party #87 - TigerStrypes Blog says:
    May 20, 2016 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

  8. Common Garden Pests - Home Garden Joy says:
    June 7, 2017 at

    […] our case, we have deer who try to pull peaches and apples from the orchard trees, potato beetles ruining the potatoes and then moving on to the tomatoes, and crows feasting on […]

  9. Home Matters Linky Party #87 | Tidbits of Experience says:
    April 17, 2019 at

    […] Jeanne show us how to Start A Home Orchard […]

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Featured

logo of the american horticulture society

Explore All Gardening Articles

Seed Starting Basics

Easy Ways to Save Cantaloupe Seeds

plants and tools in a wheelbarrow

Starting Peppers from Seeds

tomato seedlings

Seed Starting Resources

tomatoes on the vine

When Should You Start Tomato Seeds Indoors?

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Disclosure

Home Garden Joyo participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy.

Footer

raised bed garden

How to Build a Vegetable Garden Using Raised Beds

If you’re thinking about building a vegetable garden this year, raised beds are one of the best ways I know of to start a vegetable garden. Instead of renting a rototiller or hand-digging the soil, adding amendments and turning it all under to create a good garden bed, you start with the best soil mixture…

Read More

henbit close up

Henbit: Plant Profile

I’ve put together this henbit plant profile to spotlight a lovely plant – which many gardeners consider a weed. Weed or flower? To me, it’s a matter of perspective. Every spring, at least one of my raised beds is covered in a thick mat of henbit. Henbit is both lovely and practical despite being labeled…

Read More

fresh beets from the garden on the lawn after being washed

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Organic Beets

I wrote this Ultime Guide to Growing Beets to share my techniques for growing tasty, organic beets. Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition. Both the beetroot and the leaves and stems are edible. You can also can beets and beet greens to store them for year-round use. Here, I share with you a full guide…

Read More

a blue wheelbarrow and a red wheelbarrow filled with pine branches

Winter Homesteading Projects

Even though it’s cold and snowy out, winter homesteading projects beckon. As I write this, snow is falling in sheets outside my office windows, covering the orchard trees with a blanket of white. Last week, an ice storm knocked power out for 36 hours – and knocked pines down every which way. We had poles…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme