KNOW YOUR ZONE
For fruits, the most important things are plant hardiness and chill requirements.
Garden catalogs in the U.S. and Canada usually list hardiness zones. These are usually based on the average minimum temperature. Here in zone 5, winter temperatures can dip as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit for sustained periods.
In some specific situations, plants that aren't usually hardy in your zone may nonetheless survive. This is more likely to be the case if it is growing in a protected location, such as on the south side of a house where it will get lots of sun. Apparently in some areas the winters may seem milder than they have historically been in the past. This can lead gardeners into zone denial in which they choose plants that are marginally hardy at best. I'd rather be realistic and select ones recommended for zone 5.
The microclimate is another factor that can affect the hardiness zone. In some cases, the microclimate may work to your advantage and protect less hardy plants. However, microclimate may also work to your disadvantage if growing conditions are actually more severe. An example would be sloping land where cold temperatures or wind can adversely affect the plants at the bottom of a hill.
Keep the chill requirement in mind when choosing fruit plants. For this measurement, the catalog should list the number of hours of cold temperatures needed by the plant before it can break dormancy in the spring. This will sometimes be listed within a certain range, such as 250 to 300.
Chill requirement varies from one variety or cultivar of fruit to another. Before ordering fruit plants, call your local cooperative extension service, or check their website to see what the recommendation is for your area. Using the information they provide, you can then choose suitable varieties for your garden.
POLLINATION
For some fruit plants, pollination is a crucial issue. In most cases, you will need to plant compatible varieties as pollinators. To pollinate some apple varieties, you can use crabapples. But it is still a good idea to make sure that the crabs you have will be compatible with the apples you intend to grow.
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