Standard sized fruit trees take a very long time to reach their full height, but they usually begin to bear fruit after only three to five years. The best variety of fruit tree to buy would be one that carries fruit and does well in your area, because a local fruit tree takes less work and grows the best. After you have dug the hole, line the hole with some compost or fertilizer so that the tree will grow better. After you have done this you should set your fruit tree into the hole, and spread the roots out evenly so that the tree will be strong and stable. When all of this business is done, take the soil that you dug up and fill in the hole completely. Maintaining a Healthy Young Tree Making sure that your fruit tree stays healthy is very important, but not as hard as some might think. There are several vital things you need to do: don't harvest all of the fruit on the tree at the same time; make sure the soil is healthy; watch out for pests; plant it correctly; be sure it is protected when it is young. If your tree grows over your fence the fruit could drop into your neighbor's yard, which might seem like a nice thing but would probably annoy some people. One of the most important things of all to keep in mind when planting a fruit tree is whether or not your soil in your yard is suitable for your tree. It is best to daily go outside and pick all of the new ripe fruits, along with any that have fallen off of the tree or are starting to rot on the tree. By doing this, you will prevent bees and wasps from becoming too dependent on your tree for nourishment. Growers of fruit trees are constantly faced with diseases and pests to worry about. If you remove the branches that are taking all the nutrients, you will begin to see a flourish in the other ones. Pruning also keeps the tree in shape by keeping the branches even. This prevents it from becoming weighed down on one side. Having too many branches on one side could cause the tree to become permanently crooked.