How Do I Make My Fruit Trees Sweeter?

Growing young fruit trees requires care and attention in order to see them bear produce in your expected timeframe. However, it can happen that the fruit you have been waiting to harvest for so long turns out to have a disappointing, bland taste. Don't worry! We have done research to help you find out what you should do to make your fruit taste sweeter.

If your fruit trees are producing fruit that isn't as sweet as you'd like, you can try the following solutions below.

  • Allow time for the plant to be fully established
  • Improve living conditions to generate higher leaf production
  • Thin out the flower buds

While the taste of the fruit your tree produces depends on the species the tree as well as other environmental conditions that can't be manipulated, there are a couple of solutions a home gardener can do in order to develop the taste of the fruits produced. Continue reading as we discuss these solutions as well as other important information to help your tree produce sweet fruit.

Apple branch with fruits close up on background of brick wall of a country house. How Do I Make My Fruit Trees Sweeter

How Do I Make My Tree Produce Sweeter Fruits?

Fruit trees, or any flowering plants that grow fruits, are generally trees that yield produce fit for human consumption. While not all fruit trees produce sweet fruits, common fruit trees like pomme and stone fruit trees are expected to have high levels of sugar compared to other plant produce.

There are a few ways you can try in order to enhance the sweetness of the fruits your plant will bear, but it is important to note that the flavor ultimately depends on the natural disposition of your plant. Below are some of the suggestions you can take to make your fruit tree produce sweeter fruits.

Ripe Peaches on Tree.

Allow Time For The Plant To Be Fully Established

It can be exciting for home gardeners to finally see their tree bear fruits after years of waiting, but it is not uncommon for the first harvest to include fruits that are on the flavorless side. This is because younger trees naturally produce bland fruits compared to their fully established counterparts.

If you pick fruit off of a young tree that is not yet fully established, you can expect the fruit to taste a little weak compared to the sweeter fruit of a fully grown tree.

One thing you can do to eventually harvest sweeter fruits is to simply allow the plant to go through its growth process. The growth cycle of each fruit tree is different depending on its life cycle and species.

For the first harvest, you can allow the fruit to stay on the tree longer, although leaving it for too long will lead to a fermented flavor before the fruit falls or rots.

If you choose to follow the natural process, there is little you can do to quickly enhance the flavor of the fruit. However, by allowing the fruit tree more time to be fully established, the plant itself will be the one adding sugar to its products with the help of its fully grown canopy and bigger foliage.

Improve Living Conditions To Generate Higher Leaf Production

Just as we discussed above, by letting the fruit tree establish itself in the soil, it will naturally bear sweeter fruits over time. You can enhance the growth of your tree by proactively improving the living conditions you provide for it.

Improved living conditions will result in a healthier tree with more leaves that can produce more sugar for the fruits. Below are some tips you can follow to help your tree grow healthier foliage.

Plant The Tree In An Area That Receives Sufficient Sunlight

Fruit trees, much like a lot of other plants, need enough sunlight to perform photosynthesis. Make sure to allow your tree at least eight hours in direct sunlight daily. This will help your plant produce the nutrients essential for its growth.

orange trees close up in the backyard with ripe fruits

Plant The Tree In Well-Drained Soil

To avoid damaging the tree roots, plant your tree in well-drained soil. Well-drained soil will retain the water that your plant needs while draining away all the excess that can hinder oxygen from reaching the roots.

It is also important to note that water-saturated soil can promote the propagation of harmful bacteria that can rot plant roots, which can then result in a weak tree.

Add Organic Mulch Around The Dripline Of The Tree

Spreading organic mulch around the dripline of the fruit tree will help conserve the moisture necessary to avoid drying up the soil. The dripline is the imaginary circle right under the outermost circumference of your foliage.

You can spread out a 2-4" high pile of mulch going around the dripline and 6" away from the trunk of the tree.

Figure Out The Appropriate Watering Frequency

While plants need well-drained soil to avoid water saturation, not enough water can also negatively affect the fruit production of your tree. Make sure to provide the appropriate amount of water for your plant to allow its roots to soak up all the essential nutrients in the soil.

It is important to note that there is no set amount of water your plant requires, and it will depend on other external factors that are unique to your plant's location. Other elements such as humidity and the soil's ability to drain are also important things to consider when deciding how much you should water your fruit tree.

Thin Out The Flower Buds

The process of thinning out flower buds improves the tree's capability of producing fruit of much higher quality. This is because the more fruits a tree has to grow, the fewer cells there are to be distributed to each fruit that needs to mature.

If you thin out all the flower buds before they can grow into fruits, then the remaining flower buds will be able to receive more cells, which will result in fruits of better quality.

Which Fruit Plants Bear Sweet Fruits?

Growing your own fruit tree at home can be satisfying, especially when you get to reap the literal fruits of your hard work. However, it can be disheartening to find out that you do not appreciate the flavor of the fruit you have in your garden.

This can happen if you have made the mistake of purchasing a plant that produces a different variation of the same fruit you were expecting.

The best way to avoid this mistake is to pick out the correct variety of plant that produces the best tasting fruit according to your palette. Below is a table of common fruits and their sweetest variations.

Common Fruit Sweetest Variety
Mango Carabao/Manila/Philippine Mangoes
Grape Champagne Grapes
Cherry Black Cherries
(Bing, Sweetheart, Tulare,
Chelan, Lambert)
Pear Comice/Bartlett/Williams Pears
Watermelon Pony Yellow/ Super Gold Watermelons
Fig Calimyrna/Adriatic/Black Mission
Brown Turkey Figs
Banana Apple/Candy Apple/The Manzano
Cadvendish/Ladyfingers Bananas
Date Sukkary/Khadrawi/Medjool Dates
Pineapple Antigua Black/Sugarloaf
Natal Queen Pineapple
Apple Fuji/Ambrosia/Gala Apples

How Often Should I Fertilize My Fruit Tree?

If the current growth rate of the fruit tree is stunted, you can apply a balanced fertilizer once a year in early spring before flower buds develop. To figure out the ideal amount of fertilizer, refer to the age of your tree.

Per one year that the fruit tree has spent planted in your home garden, you should apply 0.10 pounds of actual nitrogen.

However, it is important to note that fruit trees generally do not require fertilization. Fruit trees that are planted in lawns regularly fertilized also do not need fertilization. Make sure to not go past the one pound limit of actual nitrogen on fruit trees that are 10 years old or older.

Organic red ripe apples on the orchard tree with green leaves closeup. How Do I Make My Fruit Trees Sweeter

To Wrap Up

Fruit trees require sufficient care and attention in order to grow. They also need to have the appropriate living conditions so that they can successfully bear fruit.

In this article, we discussed ways of making a tree produce sweeter fruit. We also discussed a couple of suggestions you can take in order to help your tree produce fruits of better quality. Make sure to follow the necessary steps so that you can enjoy a sweeter harvest during your tree's next fruit season.

Made it to the end? Check out some of our other related posts!

How Much Fertilizer Should You Use For Fruit Trees?

15 Fruit Trees You Can Grow In Pots at Home

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