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Michigan Fruit Trees For Sale
Want to know all about growing fruit trees in Michigan? There are different things to consider for growing and choosing from the right Michigan fruit trees for sale, such as the
- Climate
- Soil type
- Precipitation
- Growing zones
- How to choose the best suited fruit trees for Michigan
Michigan Overview
Filled with indescribable beaches, falls, and mountains, Michigan is predominantly the ancestral home of the Fox and Sauk, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes. These native tribes have vast knowledge on how to take care of the land in ways that cultivate biodiversity, protect trees from diseases, and don’t harm nature. After white settlers colonized the region, Michigan entered the Union in 1837. Its name comes form the Algonquian Chippewa Indian word “meicigama” which means “big sea water”. Due to the introduction of many different fruit varieties, Michigan now has many orchards growing apples, peaches, and many other fruit trees. We have listed some of our best Michigan fruit trees for sale below.
Climate
The climate has a huge influence on fruit trees, just as trees have a large impact on the climate. For example, many fruit trees require a certain number of days of cold temperature in order to bear fruit in the spring (chill hours).
- Most of Michigan has a humid continental climate, characterized by warm to hot, often humid, summers and cold winters.
- Since Michigan has two peninsulas (Lower and Upper), the weather varies based on the region. For example, the Lower Peninsula has typically milder seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. Whereas the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula have more extreme weather, with heavy snow, freezing temperatures, and shorter summers.
- The average high during the summer is in the 80s.
- While during the winter, the temperature can drop to subzero for long periods of time.
Soil Type
Most fruit trees need mineral-rich, well-drained, and loamy soil.
- Although Michigan has many different types of soil, the state soil is the Kalkaska soil. This soil is not only sandy and used to grow timber, strawberries and potatoes, but also covers around 750,000 acres of land.
- If you would like to know the soil in your county, check these USDA soil surveys.
If you would like to see what soil type you have in your backyard, you can do a simple squeeze test.
- When you do the squeeze test, you will know that you have loamy soil if after squeezing a handful of moist soil, the soil holds its shape but crumbles after lightly poking.
- If you want to also check for Ph, drainage, worms you can try these DIY easy tests.
Precipitation
Most established fruit trees will need about an inch or so of rainfall every 7-10 days in order to grow and be healthy. Annually this would mean a minimum from 36 – 52 inches of rain. Periods of drought can harm the tree while long periods of rain can cause diseases such as scab and canker for apple trees.
- Michigan gets on average around 35 inches of rain annually.
- However, it also gets on average about 160 inches of snowfall throughout the state due to its proximity to the Great Lakes.
- In fact, the regions in the Upper Peninsula will get much more snow.
Michigan Growing Zones for Fruit Trees
Growing zones help growers know which trees will thrive in their region. For example, certain peach trees with 5-8 growing zones, shouldn’t be planted in a 3b zone because the low temperatures will harm the tree.
- Michigan has growing zones ranging from 4a to 6b.
- In summary, temperatures get cooler the further north one gets.
The map below shows the growing zones of the different regions in the state, with some regions reaching -30°F and others reaching 0°F. You can find the zone for your zip code here.
Best Michigan Fruit Trees For Sale
There are many trees that will grow well in Michigan. In fact throughout the regions, there are already many apple, peach, plum and various other fruit orchards. In order to pick the right trees for your specific location and needs, you should therefore also consider the following characteristics for each tree. You can read more about these considerations here.
- Pollination
- Rootstock
- Chill hours
- Disease resistance
Some of our recommended trees to grow in Michigan include the following.
- Apples
- Apples are in fact one of the most important commercial fruit trees grown in Michigan. This is especially so since it is the only fruit tree that can reliably produce a crop in the Upper Peninsula due to the climate and weather conditions.
- We recommend growing cold-hardy and disease resistant varieties such as Idared, Redfree, Pristine, Enterprise, Empire, Honeycrisp, Ginger Gold.
- Pears
- Pears are especially well-adapted to the Lower Peninsula because of the mild winters. In fact Bartlett and Bosc are one of the most commonly grown in Michigan.
- You can grow a variety of pear trees, especially in the Lower Peninsula, such as Bartlett, Harrow Crisp, Anjou, Bosc, Duchess Stark, Moonglow.
- Peaches
- Lower Michigan, especially in the southwest, is ideal for peaches since there won’t be any winter branch die-back or loss of dormant flower buds.
- Selena, Contender, Encore, Flamin’ Fury, Harmony, Madison, Redhaven, and Saturn.
- Cherries
- Although tart cherry trees are more adapted to colder climates, both can grow in Michigan. However, since sweet cherry trees bloom earlier they are mor likely to be threatened by a late spring frost.
Browse more varieties of fruit trees for sale here.
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Meteor Tart Cherry Tree$26.95 - Redhaven Peach Tree$26.95
- American Persimmon Tree$10.50
