Is morning, afternoon or in-between sun the best for fruit trees?

Question

I have a clear 100 foot north-south swath through a wooded lot. If I plant fruit trees (apples, peaches, plums, pears) would it be best to put them on the east side (shaded in the morning) or the west side(shaded in the afternoon) or right in the middle? I live in Austin, TX and it gets damn hot in the long summers.

Thank you.

My _guess_ would be that the best spot under these conditions would be one that gets morning and noon sun, but is shaded after 3 PM or so, in the heat of the summer, when the light-to-heat "ratio" is the lowest. — Ed Staub, Jan 05 '12 at 01:36

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 05 '12 at 17:04

5

In your area, if you have to cut part of the light back, It would be best to cut it off the end of the day. Why? Well, starting at the beginning of the season, we find that fruit trees need their morning sun to get them warmed up for the day. In an area that has only afternoon sun the trees are noticeably behind others grown in morning sun. In summer, The trees will benefit from the shade in the afternoon, especially in your area. Fall and winter benefits would be minimal. If you were living in Vermont I would definitely advise planting in afternoon sun.

edited Jan 05 '12 at 17:04

Tea Drinker

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answered Jan 05 '12 at 02:20

J. Musser

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In Vermont, do you mean full sun all day, or shade in the morning? If shade in the morning, why? – Ed Staub Jan 05 '12 at 04:21
@Ed Staub Because the trees would rather have the warmth of afternoon sun in a colder area. – J. Musser Jan 06 '12 at 02:11

Is morning, afternoon or in-between sun the best for fruit trees?

1 Answers1