Based on many of the calls we have been receiving more and more people are wanting to grow more of their own fruits and vegetable at home.

This is always a good thing but it does require more work and, in the end, often has slightly higher cost with year round maintenance. However, most homeowners see the extra cost as a worthy reward. The question we have been seeing a lot is about establishing fruit trees in home lawns. Here is some help.

Q: When is the time to maintain and plant fruit trees?

A: Fruit trees are best when planted from late October through early December.

If you are planning on planting some new trees and have not decided what to plant yet, I would begin visiting your garden center of choice and checking what options you will have available.

There are several sizes and varieties of every fruit tree you may want in your yard, so you can be specific about what you are looking for.

If garden centers don’t have what you are looking, some mail order sources allow you to get rare fruit trees that can often be hard to find.

If you are planting new trees where older trees were once established, I would move the new tree at least 10 feet away from where the old tree was planted to reduce the risk of any soil diseases or insect pressures that may potentially exist.

Fruit trees perform best in full sun and well-drained soil.

Incorporate rich organic matter into the planting hole and dig a hole that is at least three times larger than the root ball of the new tree. Remember to never plant a tree any deeper than it was originally grown at the nursery.

Q: Can I prune fruit trees now?

A: If you have limbs that are diseased, dead or hazardous, go ahead and remove them now. This rule applies to not just on fruit trees but any trees around your home.

Right now on your fruit trees you can also remove any shoots that form along the lower trunk or main branches.

You need to wait until late December through the middle of February to prune your fruit trees. The main reason behind pruning a tree is to control or direct its growth, maintain its health and increase the yield or quality of its fruits.

With more mature trees that are well established, you will prune the center of the tree more, keeping it relatively clear of growth and increasing air circulation.

With trees older than five years, make sure that you keep at least 50 percent of the previous year’s growth. For trees younger than five years you may want to keep about 70 percent of the previous year’s growth.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.