Question: I want to raise some fruit in my garden, but I don’t want to spend hours pruning and spraying every month. What types are productive and comparatively easy?

Answer: If you had room for only three fruit crops, you would have blackberries, plums (probably Methley) and Orient pear. All are adapted over big parts of the state, and each will produce well with minimum care and space. If you have ample room, you could include a pecan tree. Each of these could be given an “A” grade. Those that would rate a “B” in most of the state would include peaches (pest problems), figs (cold-sensitive in northern half of state), grapes (higher maintenance), apples (insect and disease problems) and blueberries (well adapted only to East Texas’ acidic soils). Cherries, strawberries, apricots and nectarines are more difficult in Texas. Citrus trees grow well, of course, in the Rio Grande Valley.