A home fruit planting can provide tasty, fresh ripe fruit for family use or sale. Tree fruits add beauty to the landscape, excitement to meals and are a place to grow and work. There is pride, enjoyment and relaxation in growing and harvesting fruit. It brings families and friends together for enjoyment and friendship.

A well planned fruit garden will supply fresh fruit at peak quality all summer long which cannot be matched in the grocery market. In addition, fruit trees serve a triple purpose: food, shade and beauty. Fruit provides vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fiber which are all important to the human diet. If you plant carefully select kinds and varieties, the rewards will be immeasurable. Success will depend on proper planning according to space, climate, site, variety selection and efficient cultural care. Table 1 provides information for planning a successful fruit garden.