Planting Fruit Trees CLose Together

[ReptileAddiction]

So I have a dwarf peach tree growing in my front yard. It is a runt it is basically a branch sticking out of the ground with some leaves on it I have had it for years. It does give me a nice crop every year. It did get about 6 inches more growth this year so I am expecting my harvest to be double in the spring! In the same bed there is enough space for a dwarf lemon and a dwarf orange/nectarine. If I plant an orange near my lemon will my lemons be sweet and my oranges sour? Or will only the seeds be affected? Same with the peach and the nectarine. Eventually in that area I want to have 4 citrus trees and 2 pit fruits along with my blueberries.

[applestar]

I'm thinking you don't want to grow peaches/nectarines in the same bed as citruses and blueberries which prefer acidic soil. I'm not even sure if citruses and blueberries are companionable in terms of soil pH nutrients and water needs.

Also, blueberries almost definitely require birdnetting, and growing with trees may pose difficulties.

When they have similar requirements, training dwarf fruit trees using espalier and spindle techniques and/or pruned in "bush" style enables closer planting.

[applestar]

Also why your peach tree is so small -- how many years have you had it? 6 inches doesn't seem enough for one season's growth.

What variety is it? Is it one of those patio peach super dwarf varieties or columnar varieties? Is it a variety that is recommended for your area? -- is there a sufficient chill period issue or watering issue involved? Soil pH?

[CharlieBear]

Peaches and nectarines play very nicely together, they are only a few genes apart. Basically nectarines are a type of peach with smooth skin.
Check with your extention about that peach tree and see if they can pinpoint the problem if there is one. I am wondering if it gets enough water in the summer and if there is enough nutrients in the soil or are you growing it where a developer removed all or most of the topsoil when the area was developed. Also do you mulch the area or is it surrounded by grass? The extention will also want to know about the sun levels in that area. Are you trying for example to grow them in mostly morning light?
Blues if you are thinking about them then you would need to have a separate bed, if you will for them and I mean them. You need at least 2 varieties to get a decent crop. If you choose the small varieties you will not get large amounts of fruit from each bush. If you do plant blues besure the spacing is right, too many people plant them too close tegether and then have problems down the road. Before you go down the blues path I would suggest you read the pdfs on blueberry care from the Oregon state extention they are very good and free to read to the public.
As for the citrus check with your county extention about that question or Floridas experimental station.

[ReptileAddiction]

The blues are actually in a bed that is separated by a walkway but is still technically the same bed. I know how to grow blues I have been doing it for years. The peach is recommended for my area and is a normal dwarf. I will call my county extension office.I mulch the area but it also has some shallow rooted groundcover that is about 2 feet from the tree. Crab grass has taken over the area so the whole bed minus a few things is going to be redone soon.