Make Fruitful Difference This Arbor Day
How Planting Fruit Trees Can Benefit Home Gardens and Communities
Nothing sparks as much excitement and anticipation for Kansas City gardeners as the warmer temperatures and longer days that come in April. Every year we anxiously await the thawing of soil so that we may tenderly plant, care for, and harvest our annual vegetable gardens, enjoying the fruits of our labors for many months of the year. Tomatoes, peppers, greens, and beans are sure to be on your list of veggies this year, but have you considered adding a fruit tree to the mix?
In addition to delivering the first full month of spring, April also brings us Arbor Day, an annual celebration of tree planting that dates to the sixteenth century. Here are three reasons to consider planting a fruit tree in your garden this month to celebrate Arbor Day:
1. Fruit trees are the gift that keeps giving.
Unlike vegetable gardens, fruit trees are a perennial food source. Though most orchardists recommend waiting until year three for fruit production so the tree can establish a strong branch structure to support its fruit, many trees reach full production by year six and continue producing well for 20 to 30 years. Jujube trees, which grow successfully in our region, often produce fruit (known as the Chinese date) for 50 years or more.
2. Homegrown fruit is delicious and bountiful.
Just as a homegrown vegetable is more flavorful than its grocery store counterpart, the same goes for homegrown fruit. Commercial growers often pick fruit before it is fully ripe, which can result in bland flavors. Growing fruit in your backyard allows you to harvest and enjoy pears, apples, peaches and more at their peak, right off the tree. The bounty is often plentiful enough to share with your neighbors; some apple varieties in Kansas City can produce 300 pounds of fruit each year. Once the trees are well established, they require little more maintenance than a typical garden.
3. Trees support garden and community health.
Trees, including dwarf fruit trees, offer many environmental benefits for your yard, garden, and neighborhood. Fruit tree nectar draws pollinators to your garden and entices them to stay while the tree blooms. Honeybees especially love fruit trees, and with their dwindling numbers, organically grown fruit trees offer a safe and nutritious food source. Fruit trees also help retain rainwater in your yard, keeping the soil more moist for your garden. In addition, growing your own fruit helps reduce the demand for commercially grown fruit, which cuts down on carbon dioxide caused by harvesting and transporting fruit from commercial facilities.
Orchard steward attends to tree next to urban garden.
If you are enticed by the idea of planting a fruit tree this year,
consider using organic practices to ensure the health of the fruit eater and the earth. Organizations such as The Giving Grove, based in Kansas City, offer simple-to-follow educational resources for organic fruit production that have been tried and tested locally for almost a decade. These free resources can be found here.
The Giving Grove creates opportunities for communities to grow, harvest, and share healthy food by providing resources to plant edible tree gardens in areas of the city where access to fresh foods is limited. There are more than 275 Giving Grove orchards in the U.S., planted with the support of local Giving Grove partners. The benefits of these neighborhood orchards expand past good nutrition. The urban orchards create safe and clean green space, help lower urban air temperatures, reduce stormwater run-off, and absorb carbon dioxide.
Planting a fruit tree not feasible this year?
If growing a fruit tree is not feasible for your garden this year, you can still plant fruit trees this Arbor Day by supporting The Giving Grove. Thanks to the success of the Kansas City neighborhood orchards, The Giving Grove is expanding its reach to cities across the country with high rates of food insecurity. A $50 donation can provide a fruit tree and the supplies needed for its upkeep. Monthly donations of $50 for one year can fund an entire urban orchard, providing nearly 12,000 servings of free, fresh food for a neighborhood. To learn more about The Giving Grove and how you can plant fruit trees this Arbor Day, please visit our Arbor Day page.
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