By Norman Winter
Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center

Peaches and plums grow well in Mississippi and can be an asset to the home garden if placed correctly. Gardeners must pay close attention to the basics of site selection, varieties, weed control, irrigation and pest management to produce high quality fruit.

Good soil drainage is imperative since wet feet spell doom. Soils with standing water or ones that remain saturated for even a day or two following a heavy rain are unsuitable for fruit trees.

All is not lost if your chosen site is wet. By planting on raised beds similar to those used for a vegetable garden or a rose bed, fruit can be as good as any grown.

Prepare beds by mounding or scraping topsoil into rows 6 to 12 inches high and 8 to 10 feet wide. Topsoil works better for fruit trees than a highly organic landscape-type mix. Use railroad ties or landscape timbers to frame your bed.

One of the prettiest settings I ever saw was in a curved bed edged with limestone rocks and planted with annuals and perennials. When in bloom, the fruit trees fit just as a dogwood or redbud would have in its place.

Full sunlight is needed for best fruit production. Choose a site that is sunny for at least eight hours a day. Morning sun is critical for drying the dew on the tree's leaves, which helps prevent diseases. Deeply cultivate and make any necessary adjustments to thoroughly prepare the soil before planting.

Nurseries and garden centers across Mississippi have a great selection of trees available. Look for medium sized 3- to 5-foot trees with roots that are still moist. If you purchase trees before you are ready to plant, place them in a shallow trench covered with moist soil.

Plant as soon as possible to allow root development before spring growth. Before planting bare-root trees, soak the roots for one hour to make sure they are not under any moisture stress.

People often prepare the planting hole incorrectly. Dig the hole slightly larger than the tree's root system to allow it to spread naturally. Don't dig deeper than the root system as loose soil beneath the roots will likely cause the tree to sink. Plant the trees at the same depth they grew at in the nursery.

Pack around the roots with soil taken from the hole. Do not add fertilizer. Water thoroughly and make sure air pockets are filled and the soil is the proper level on the base of the tree.

Peaches and plums will develop a canopy at least 15 foot diameter at maturity, so plant them at least 10 feet apart. Bare-root fruit trees must be pruned to a height of about 24 inches after planting as they don't have enough roots to support a 6- to 8-foot tree. This pruning allows you to develop an open canopy with three to five scaffold limbs, which will make harvesting by hand easy in the future.

Your local county extension office has the latest in fruit variety recommendations and cultural tips to help your success.