Regular watering is the most important requirement for fruit trees; watering basins work well to ensure the roots are thoroughly soaked. Mulch will help keep the soil moist and prevent weeds; just be sure to keep it away from the trunk of the tree. Apply fertilizer in spring; use a low-nitrogen fertilizer for apples and apricots and a balanced fertilizer for figs, peaches, pears, and plums. Continue to feed Asian pears, pears, and plums throughout the growing season.

Individual fruits are susceptible to different pests and diseases. If a particular disease is especially prevalent in your location, such as fireblight, look for disease-resistant varieties. In all cases, try to stop pest infestations and diseases before they become too serious.

Clean up fallen fruit and leaves, and keep pruning tools clean. Remove diseased limbs and leaves to keep diseases from spreading. Nontoxic approaches to pests, such as handpicking and spraying with water or insecticidal soap, can often take care of a problem before it gets out of hand.

For some problems, such as peach leaf curl, you may need to use a dormant spray in winter. You may also need to place a net over developing fruit to prevent birds, squirrels, and other animal pests from getting the fruit before you do.

Thinning the immature fruit helps increase fruit size and also prevents branches from becoming so laden with fruit that they break. Leave 2 to 3 inches between apricots, 4 to 6 inches between Japanese plums, and 8 inches between peaches and nectarines. Apples should be thinned enough to keep the branches from breaking. Cherries, figs, pears, and European plums generally don’t need to be thinned. If your tree has a single central trunk that continues to the top, remove any fruit developing on it to prevent it from bending.

Note: Most fruits taste best when left to ripen on the tree. The exception is pears; they should be picked when green and left to ripen off the tree. You’ll know a pear is ready to be picked when it easily snaps free from the branch.