What are the consequences of climate change for fruit trees?

Whether apple, pear, cherry or plum: fruit trees accompany us throughout the year. In spring we enjoy their blossoms, in summer they provide shade, and finally we can harvest their fruit.

However, climate change is altering the conditions under which our fruit trees grow: Higher temperatures and longer periods of drought play a role, as do earlier flowering, late frosts or heavy rain.

What does this mean for fruit trees in gardens and in commercial fruit growing? And what can we do to adapt our trees to the changing conditions?

Content

• How does climate change affect fruit trees?
• Early flowering and late frost
• Heat and drought
• Heavy rain and other extreme weather events
• Impact on the fruit harvest
• pests and diseases
• Climate change and professional fruit growing
• What can you do for your fruit tree?
• Which fruit trees cope well with heat and drought?

How does climate change affect fruit trees?

Climate change doesn't simply mean warmer temperatures for fruit trees. Rather, various growing conditions are changing simultaneously.

Temperatures in Germany have risen significantly in recent decades. At the same time, periods of drought and low soil moisture have also become more frequent and significant. During the growing season, water scarcity can impair plant growth and development.

The following changes may be particularly relevant for fruit trees:

• higher temperatures and heat waves
• prolonged periods of drought
• an earlier bloom
• Late frosts after an early start to the growing season
• Changes in precipitation
• Heavy rain, hail and storms
• altered conditions for diseases and pests

Earlier flowering increases the risk of late frosts

One consequence of climate change for fruit trees is already evident in spring: higher temperatures are causing the growing season to begin earlier. Federal Environment Agency Documented for apple trees is a clear trend: On average over the last ten years, apple blossom started about 15 days earlier than in the 1970s.

This poses a particular risk for fruit trees: early blossoming can coincide with a later cold snap. Blossoms, and especially young fruit, are sensitive to frost. A warm March can therefore lead to an early blossom in a fruit tree, while frosty nights in April subsequently cause considerable damage. In professional fruit growing, such events can lead to significant crop losses.

Heat and drought put fruit trees under stress.

Another challenge is water supply: High temperatures increase evaporation. If, at the same time, there is a prolonged lack of precipitation, soil moisture decreases. In Germany, the number of days with very low soil moisture has increased in recent decades.

If a fruit tree cannot absorb enough water through its roots, it falls into a coma. Drought stressPossible consequences include:

• reduced growth
• curled or wilting leaves
• Premature leaf drop
• smaller fruits
• Premature fetal death
• lower yields

How well a fruit tree can cope with drought depends heavily on its location. An established tree in deep soil with good water retention capacity has different requirements than a young fruit tree in shallow, sandy, or compacted soil.

What do heavy rain and other extreme weather events mean for fruit trees?

Climate change is also altering the distribution of precipitation. For fruit growing and agriculture, in addition to drought, heavy rain, hail, heat, and storms are also relevant weather risks.

Heavy rain can cause large amounts of water to hit the ground in a short period of time. The fruit itself can also be damaged by extreme weather. For example, rain shortly before harvest can cause cherries to split. Hail, in turn, can directly damage leaves, branches, and fruit.

Therefore, for fruit trees, it is not only the annual amount of rainfall that matters. The timing and form of water availability are also crucial.

How does climate change affect the fruit harvest?

The development of a fruit depends on many factors: water, temperature, sunlight and nutrient supply play a role, as do the conditions during flowering and pollination.

Drought stress during key developmental phases can negatively impact growth and yield. Federal Environment Agency points out that both drought stress and excessive water during critical development phases of agricultural crops can negatively impact yields.

In fruit cultivation, another factor comes into play: If the blossom is damaged by late frost, fewer fruits may develop afterwards.

The effects of climate change can therefore vary greatly from year to year. A fruit tree might suffer primarily from drought one year and be damaged by a late frost during its flowering period the next.

What role do pests and diseases play?

Pests and plant diseases also react to changing climatic conditions: Milder winters, higher temperatures, and longer growing seasons can alter the living conditions of certain species. At the same time, trees weakened by heat or drought may be more susceptible to additional stresses.

However, it would be too simplistic to say that climate change generally leads to "more pests". The relationships vary depending on the species, region, and weather patterns.

Therefore, it is becoming more important for fruit tree owners to regularly observe their own trees and recognize changes early on.

What does climate change mean for professional fruit growing?

For agricultural businesses, the changes are particularly challenging: they have to plan for the long term, even though the growing conditions are changing.

Various adaptation measures are becoming increasingly important. These include selecting varieties suited to the location, measures to improve and protect the soil, and efficient irrigation. For example, frost protection irrigation is also used in professional fruit growing to protect against late frosts.

At the same time, higher temperatures can also create new opportunities. Longer growing seasons can favor the cultivation of certain heat-loving crops or varieties. Climate change therefore does not bring only disadvantages for fruit growing – but it does require increasing adaptation to altered and sometimes more difficult-to-predict conditions.

What can you do to support your fruit tree?

You can also do a lot in your own garden to help your fruit tree cope better with heat and drought.

Healthy soil is particularly important. Humus-rich soil that is as uncompacted as possible can absorb and retain water better. mulch layer It can also help to reduce evaporation from the soil surface.

During prolonged dry periods, additional watering may be necessary. In such cases, it is usually more effective to thoroughly and slowly moisten the soil rather than frequently applying small amounts of water.

You should pay particular attention to young and newly planted fruit trees. Their root systems are not yet developed enough, so they are less able to withstand dry periods.

You can find more information in our guide. Water fruit trees properly.

Which fruit trees cope well with heat and drought?

Anyone planting a fruit tree today should also consider how well it copes with heat and prolonged periods of drought. However, there is no such thing as a universally "climate-resistant" fruit tree.

How well a tree can cope with changing conditions depends on several factors. Besides the type and variety of fruit, the location, soil conditions, and rootstock used play a particularly important role.

In grafted fruit trees, the rootstock influences, among other things, how vigorously a tree grows and how its root system develops. Weakly growing fruit trees are often more dependent on a sufficient water supply. Vigorous rootstocks, on the other hand, can develop a larger root system and thus access water from a greater depth in the soil. However, the most suitable rootstock always depends on the specific location.

When choosing a new fruit tree, it's therefore worth considering more than just taste and yield. Other important factors include:
suitability for the regional climate

• heat and drought tolerance
  
• the flowering period and the associated risk of late frost
• a substrate suitable for the location
  
• the demands on soil and water supply
  
• resistance to diseases
  

Even regionally proven varieties can be a good choice. However, climate change is also altering local conditions. Therefore, a variety that has performed well in one region for a long time is not necessarily the best choice for the future.

If you're planning to plant a new fruit tree, it can be helpful to seek advice from a local nursery. They can help you choose the right variety and rootstock for the location and local conditions.

You can find more information in the article. The best trees for heat and drought: climate-resilient species for the garden