FAQs
(frequently asked questions)

Can you really grow fruit in Fairbanks?
Yes! See the hardiness page for more information on varieties that do well within the different microclimates of Fairbanks.

Are all Alaska grown apple small and tart?

No! Some apples, such as PF21, Orange Pumpkin, and Westland are really big. Some, such as Alma Sweet, are really sweet. We sell many varieties of apples and their characteristics vary widely.

Why are fruit trees grafted? Why not just grow them from seed?
We graft for a couple of reasons.
One is to graft to a root that is hardy enough to survive our winters. We usually graft to Siberian crabapple. Some varieties that can grow here might still not have hardy enough roots to survive without the hardy base of a Siberian crabapple.

Another is that all named apple varieties are clones. A Fuji is a clone. A McIntosh is a clone, a September Ruby is a clone. We clone them by taking the branch of a known tree (known to taste good, be cold hardy, etc.) and grafting it to a root. Growing from seed, you wouldn't know what you are going to get, and since trees take a long time to produce fruit, you might invest a lot of time and effort into something that won't be any good.

Why do I need more than one tree?
Most fruit trees are not self-fertile. This means they cannot be pollinated by pollen from themselves, and since all trees of the same variety are clones, it means that they need pollen from a different variety. You can get by with only one tree if you have more than one variety grafted to the tree. Also, most cherries, and all the cherries we sell, are self-fertile, so you only need one tree.

How long until I get fruit?
Most of our apple and plum trees have produced fruit at about 5 years old, but there is a lot of variation. Cherries seem to produce a little more quickly, but again, there is variation. Honeyberries will usually fruit within a year or two. Pears... well, we've only gotten a few pears from one tree in the many years we've been trying. We are still working on trying to find a pear that really does well here.

Do moose eat fruit trees?
Yes!

How tall is your fence?
7 1/2 feet.

Why don't you grown the varieties of apple that I buy at the grocery store?
Because of our climate, we can only successfully grow and ripen fruit trees that are both cold hardy (because our winters are so cold) and ripen quickly (because our summers are so short). Most grocery store apple varieties simply don't meet those criteria. We have experimented with many, many, many varieties, but we sell the ones have proven to be successful. Grocery store apples are bred to store and travel well, and the truth is, many of our apples would not do well on a long cross-country journey. However, nothing compares to the taste of a fresh locally grown apple that you picked yourself!