Backyard Fruit Production in Utah’s High Mountain Valleys Maegen Lewis, JayDee Gunnell, Mike Pace, and Teryl R. Roper Utah’s population has seen significant growth in recent years, resulting in population increase outside of the Wasatch Front and into high mountain valleys. These locations include Bear Lake Valley, Ogden Valley, Morgan and Henefer, Park City, Wasatch Valley, and Sanpete Valley. Much of the information presented here applies to the Uintah Basin and other high-elevation locations in eastern Utah. A common characteristic of these valleys includes high elevations (greater than 5,000 feet), leading to short growing seasons. Many homeowners who are new to these regions wish to establish perennial fruit crops in their gardens. This publication outlines the challenges to fruit production in Utah’s high mountain valleys, offers mitigation suggestions, and lists plant materials that might be successful.
Climate High mountain valleys can be challenging for fruit production due to very cold winters and a short frost-free growing season in summer. Midwinter temperatures can often be fifteen to twenty degrees colder in the mountain valleys than along the Wasatch Front. Further, some of the valleys are “bowls” without drainage for cold air to escape. Thus, cold air settles in the valleys overnight, and temperatures plummet. When choosing a site, select a location that will allow air drainage. Typically, elevations 50 to 100 feet above the valley floor are less freeze prone. Very cold midwinter conditions will damage tender fruit buds and, if prolonged, the branches and trunks of trees can be injured. This is especially true for stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries). Temperatures may also drop quickly in the fall, and plants do not have time to acclimate to the low temperatures. This process ordinarily occurs over weeks, not hours. Homeowners will find severe damage to fruiting wood and scaffold branches in the spring caused by the sudden shift to cold temperatures in the fall. High mountain valleys also have short growing seasons of less than 120 days. Typically, the last spring freeze is in late May to early June, and the first fall frost is in mid to late September (Table 1). Most popular apple and peach cultivars require 140 to 180 freeze-free days. Further, these valleys will sometimes warm in the spring, only to experience late spring frosts which can damage both emerging flowers and young developing fruit. Spring temperatures below 28 °F will severely damage developing flowers or fruit, leading to an almost total crop failure.
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