Grandpa's Growing Tips

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Check here before you contact us. The answer is likely already here!

Grandpa was a fruit grower all his life, so he became a real fountain of backyard fruit growing knowledge, wisdom and common sense for his friends. Not only did he know how to grow the best fruit for the market, he knew what worked well for the garden orchard, too. Click on a subject below to learn more about a particular area of backyard fruit production.

Click on one of the icons near the bottom of the page to download handy reference charts that may be printed out or viewed in a separate window. Usually requires Adobe Reader or another pdf reading programs in order to open properly. 

Beware! Ole Grandpa can get a little pithy when it comes to talking about planting, pollination, spring or fall planting, soil additives, trimming, training, fertilizing, critters, harvesting, mulching, dwarf or semi-dwarf, spraying, chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, organic, etcetera...even about Grandma too!

If the answer isn't here, you can always Ask Grandpa! or send an email to AskGrandpa@GrandpasOrchard.com. We will try to get an answer to you that reflects Grandpa's wisdom and fruit growing philosophy.

Additional Links of Interest
Download Additional Information
  • A Quick Planting Guide
    Updated in 2012--- Grandpa's Quick Planting Guide that is included in every order shipped.
  • Apple Maturity Chart (pdf)
    Updated for 2013! Use this guide to help determine approximate ripening times for almost all the apple varieties offered at Grandpa's Orchard.
  • Apple Pollination Chart---4 pages.
    Updated for 2013! 4 page chart that includes almost all the apple varieties that are offered by Grandpa's Orchard.
  • Apricot & Peach Maturity Chart
    Use this handy chart to help determine approximate ripening times for apricot and peach only.
  • Cherry & Plum Maturity Chart
    Use this handy chart to help determine approximate ripening times for plums, sweet and tart cherries.
  • Cherry Pollination Chart
    Updated for 2013! Use this handy guide to determine which sweet cherry varieties will pollinate each other. Info on tart cherry also.
  • Chilling Hour Map-USA
    Use this Chilling Hour map as a REFERENCE ONLY. Chilling hours are quite variable within regions and this map may not reflect your region accurately!
  • Chilling Hours - Apple
    Use this handy guide to help understand chilling hour requirements for apples.
  • Chilling Hours - Pears
    Use this guide to help understand chilling hour requirements for pears.
  • Chilling Hours - Stone Fruit
    Use this guide to help understand chilling hour requirements for stone fruits--- peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, and cherry.
  • Pear Maturity
    Use this handy chart to help determine the approximate ripening times for both European and Asian pears.
  • Pear-Asian Pollination Chart
    Use this handy chart to help determine the best pollinators for Asian or Oriental pears.
  • Pear-European Pollination Chart
    Use this handy guide to help determine the best pollinators for European pears.
Grandpa loved to share and improve his knowledge. Here he is discussing peach varieties and culture with his good friend Paul Friday, breeder of all the Flamin'Fury peach varieties.
Grandpa loved to share and improve his knowledge. Here he is discussing peach varieties and culture with his good friend Paul Friday, breeder of all the Flamin'Fury peach varieties.