Fact Sheets - General Fruit Information

Almonds in the Home Garden

Almonds are currently not a recommended crop in northern Utah, including the warmest parts of the Wasatch Front. However, almonds are found in Utah’s Washington County and are well adapted to that warm climate.

Apple Production and Variety Recommendations

Apples recommended in this publication were selected for overall popularity, ability to grow in Utah, and general availability. Some listed varieties are less common and may need to be purchased via mail-order or from online retailers. 

Apple Trees: Training and Pruning

Training and pruning are critical parts of growing a productive apple tree. The rewards of proper
training are a tree that is easy to harvest, has sustained high yields, and quality fruit.

Apricots in the Home Garden

Apricots  originated in China,
but can be grown in most of the western world including much of Utah. Like peaches, plums, and
cherries, apricots have a large, hard pit or ‘stone’ in the fruit and are considered ‘stone fruits’.

Blackberry Selection

Historically, Utah has not been a significant blackberry producer. This is likely due to harsh winters and frequent late spring frosts, which result in significant crop loss. Blackberry canes often suffer from some cold injury in
Northern Utah,

Blackberries: High Tunnel Production

High tunnels have been effective in extending the growing season for numerous crops in Utah.
Blackberries can be grown under high tunnels as a method of frost protection and extending the season later into the fall.

Blackberry Management

Blackberries can be grown successfully in Utah but careful cultivar selection and care is needed. Harsh winters and frequent late spring frosts often result in significant blackberry cane damage and crop loss.

Blueberries in Utah

U.S. consumers have become increasingly interested in blueberries. Part of this is due to the exceptional flavor and versatility of the berries, while some of the interest can be attributed to recent discoveries regarding the health benefits of this “super food."

Calibrating Your Orchard Sprayer

The costs of fungicides, miticides, insecticides, foliar nutrients, wetting agents and plant growth regulators continue to increase. For a full spray program on apples, for example, the cost of spray materials alone could potentially exceed $700 per acre per year.

Calibrating Your Orchard Sprayer - Spreadsheet

Caneberry Irrigation

Proper irrigation of caneberries (raspberries and blackberries) is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive planting. Over irrigation slows root growth, increases iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, and leaches nitrogen sulfur and boron out of the root zone leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Critical Temperatures for Frost Damage on Fruit Trees

The following table, developed by Washington State University, lists Fahrenheit temperatures for each stage of development at which 10% and 90% bud kill occurs after 30 minutes exposure.

Grape Vine Management

Grapes are the most widely planted fruit crop in the world. They are used for wine, juice, raisins, table fruit, jam and jellies. With careful management, grape plants are long-lived, productive and an excellent addition to home gardens.

Grape Trellising and Training Basics

Grapes are a wonderful addition to the home garden. With proper care and pruning they are longlived and productive plants. This fact sheet discusses basic pruning information and introduces two common training methods suitable for the Utah
home garden.

Hazelnuts in the Home Orchard

Hazelnuts or filberts can be useful crops for home food production or hobbyists in Utah. Several species have nuts with good flavor, with American, beaked and certain hybrid types most likely to produce consistently.

Iron Chlorosis in Berries

Chlorosis is a symptom of iron deficiency common in Utah berry crops. Chlorosis is characterized by interveinal yellowing in mild to moderate forms, with more severe cases resulting in the leaf becoming almost white in color and then curling and browning of leaf edges.

Orchard Irrigation: Apple

Proper irrigation is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive apple orchard. Over irrigation slows root growth, increases the potential for iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, and leaches nitrogen, sulfur and boron out of the root zone leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Orchard Irrigation: Cherry

Proper irrigation is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive cherry orchard. Over irrigation slows root growth, increases the potential for iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, and leaches nitrogen, sulfur and boron out of the root zone leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Orchard Irrigation: Peach

Proper irrigation is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive peach orchard. Over irrigation slows root growth, increases the potential for iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, and leaches nitrogen, sulfur and boron out of the root zone leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Peaches in the Home Garden

Peach trees are native to Asia and are a popular fruit tree with cultivars widely grown across temperate climates, including select areas of Utah. Size varies with cultivar and management but trees usually grow about 20 feet wide and 15 feet tall.

Peach: Training and Pruning

Training and pruning peach trees is critical to the production of quality fruit. The rewards of proper pruning and training are abundant yields of high
quality fruit that are easily harvested. Pruning and training early in the life of the tree will help establish the desired form of the tree and make future pruning and maintenance less complicated

Peach and Nectarine Varities for Northern Utah

Plums in the Home Garden

Three types of plum are commonly grown in Utah:
European, Japanese and American species. These species vary in where they are successfully grown and for what the fruit will be used for.

Red Currants in the Garden

Red currants are hardy and relatively easy to grow in Utah. A few plants will produce enough to supply a family with plenty of antioxidant-rich berries. They are easy to tuck into a landscape and are a wonderful addition as a border plant or on their own in the garden

Raspberry Production in Utah

Raspberry plants for new plantings should be obtained from reputable nurseries. They should be certified virus, disease, and insect free. Plantings with starts from established fields bring all the accumulated diseases and pests, and such plantings often decline within two to three years.

Raspberry: Summer Bearing Cultivars

Summer-bearing raspberry plants have a perennial root
system with biennial canes, meaning the root system
may live for many years while the individual shoots live
for only 2 years

Raspberry: Fall Bearing Cultivars

Raspberry plants have a perennial root system with
biennial canes. In other words the root system may live
for many years, while the individual shoots live for only
2 years.

Strawberry Irrigation

Proper irrigation of strawberries is essential to maintaining a healthy and productive planting. Over irrigation slows root growth, increases iron chlorosis on alkaline soils, and leaches nitrogen, sulfur and boron out of the root zone leading to nutrient deficiencies.

Strawberry Plug Plant Production

Annual hill strawberry plantings are generally established by using either fresh dug or dormant coldstored “frigo” plants. Both fresh dug and dormant plants are relatively inexpensive.

Strawberries in the Garden

Strawberries are one of the most popular small fruits in the home garden. The attractive plants are relatively easy to grow, require minimal space, and produce the first fruit of the new season.

Walnuts in the Home Orchard

When purchasing walnut trees for nut production, two important aspects to consider include approximate flowering and ripening times. In Utah’s climate, potentially damaging frosts are common early in the growing season when flowers are present and late in the growing season during ripening.