Chill Hours
Chill hours are the total number of hours under 45°F during the winter. Our mild winters are best for fruit trees requiring less than 500 chill hours. Plants needing more chill hours may not bloom or set fruit every year. Most cherries, for example, need more than 1200 chill hours and will never set fruit in Oracle.

Bloom Date
Oracle at times has winters with late frosts after a warm period. These will destroy the buds on early blooming plants. However, if the price of getting a late-blooming variety is also getting one with high chill hours, then you must choose low chill hours over late blooming. Otherwise, choose another species.

Tree Size and Longevity
It can be hard to get at the fruit at the top of a 25' full-sized tree that has not been pruned to control its height. Some ways to control the size of a fruit tree are to use (1) genetic dwarf tree varieties which are smaller at maturity; (2) dwarfing rootstocks; and (3) large containers that limit the root volume and hence the total size of a tree. The disadvantage of dwarf varieties is that, for some species, they have a shorter life span than full-sized trees.

Pollination
Some fruit plants are self-fruitful and do not need pollen from another source. Many, however, require a second variety as a source of pollen and each can pollinate the other. Still others simply do better with a second plant of the same variety. A few varieties do not produce pollen at all and are dependent upon another. Finally, some species have male and female flowers on separate plants. To sum up, you may need to purchase two plants rather than one unless you are sure that you have a self-fruitful variety.

Years Before Fruiting Another factor to consider when choosing a fruit-bearing plant is the number of years between planting and when the first fruit will appear. Generally, plants grown from seed can take the longest time to produce fruit; plants purchased in five-gallon containers will take less. Pineapple guava, for example, can take 10 years from seed to produce its first fruit.

Low Water Plants
Some plants have low water needs when not bearing fruit or growing roots to support fruit production. These include blackberry, quince, pineapple guava, walnut, pinyon pine, pistachio, almond, pomegranate, and jujube.

Most Successful Fruit-Bearing Trees
Fruit-bearing plants that are the easiest to grow in Oracle are Granny Smith apple, low-chill apricot, low-chill peach, pomegranate and jujube.

Read About Your Plant
It is important to have enough information about the plant you want to buy that you understand selection and cultivation issues thoroughly. Get a book that describes the plant or do an Internet search and read several web sites. Be familiar with Oracle's climate zone, chill hours, and soil. Choose the microclimate in your yard that is best for the plant. Understand what varieties will do best here as opposed to Tucson. Know what fertilizer to use when and what soil acidity level is needed for each plant.

Planting Trees
Do not plant fruit trees near other trees or large shrubs where their roots may compete. Keep a minimal distance based on the sum of the maximum widths of the two trees divided by 2. Fruit trees require large holes at least 3' deep that drain well and are filled with properly amended soil.

Watering Fruit Trees
Build a dirt dike outside the drip line of the tree, flood the entire root zone under the leaf canopy with water, and soak the soil to a 3' depth. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Most fruit trees will need soaking in this manner once a week while they are fruiting. Avoid getting water on trunks or leaves.

Culling Excess Fruit
It takes many leaves to support one fruit, and larger fruit require more leaves. For most prunus species, remove excess small green fruit so that those remaining are spaced 8" apart. This includes apricot, peach, nectarine, plum and pluot. Other species may also need green fruit culling to provide a proper leaf to fruit ratio. Culling keeps the total fruit load from breaking branches and avoids undersized fruit.

Reasons to Use Containers
Strawberries and blueberries need moderate to high soil acidity and consistent moisture. Containers are an easy way to achieve this environment since Oracle soil is alkaline and dry.
Figs have very tasty roots and may need protection from burrowing animals. A large container is one way to do this, and will also keep the fig small to minimize frost damage during the winter. One caution: do not use concrete containers. They are alkaline and inhospitable to acid-loving plants.

Companion and Antagonist Plants
Antagonist plants are those that should not be near the plant you are putting in the ground. They may take up the same nutrients as the desired plant, chemically interfere with its growth, or carry the same diseases. Companion plants are those that keep insects away with their scent or those that attract beneficial insects which prey on plant-destroying insects.

For example, do not plant blackberry vines where tomatoes, peppers, potatoes or eggplant have grown or are growing. Pear trees need to be far away from apple trees, roses, pyracantha and Bermuda grass. On the other hand, apple trees are helped if you plant chives, marigolds, nasturtiums and/or onions thickly around them as companions.

Critter Protection
All food crops in Oracle need to be grown in large cages to avoid being browsed by hungry rabbits, birds, javelina, deer and the occasional bear.
Irrigated trees need to be in an area surrounded by a stout fence to keep out javelina that like to dig and lie in moist, shaded soil. Trees should also be draped in large bird nets, reaching to the ground, with no openings.
At the very least, use 3' high chicken wire to keep rabbits out. Young rabbits can get through 2" x 4" fencing.