When starting new bare-root trees purchased from a nursery, I have found that nearly 100% survival can be achieved the first year provided that the nursery stock is of high quality, is planted before breaking dormancy, and receives sufficient water. The three greatest causes of young tree mortality, for me, have been browsing by deer, girdling by mice, and crown rot due to poorly drained soil or wet thatch.

Apples

With apples, it is my experience that dwarf and semi-dwarf trees generally bear their first sizable crop of fruit the 5th year after nursery stock is planted. This is often preceded by a trivially small crop – a dozen fruit or fewer – the during the 4th year.

With seedling trees, the first sizable crop for me has come in the 8th through 10th year depending mainly on the vigor of the variety (Honeycrisp requiring 10 years while Prairie Spy requiring only 8). My experience with M.111 “semi-standard” trees is limited – I have two trees, each five years old, and one has borne its first sizable crop this year.

My father lost substantial numbers of trees on M.7 to fireblight, and some to uprooting due to wind. Otherwise, apple trees once well established have been long-lived for us.

We have found apples to bear reliably. Some varieties, notably Haralson, are prone to biannual bearing. I have lost one crop due to hail. Otherwise, provided insects and disease are controlled through a regular spray program, apple crops are reliable.

Plums

I have found plums on standard rootstock to bear 6-8 years after planting. Unlike apples, the trees are not long-lived. Superior, in particular, is prone to bearing one solid crop followed by decline and death of the tree. Toka is prone to bear extremely light crops although I'm experimenting with heavier pruning to try to address this. I'm experimenting with some other varieties of plums to try to find one that's a little more grower-friendly, but the answer may ultimately be planting new trees every few years.

Tart Cherries

My father and I have both found North Star to be productive but short-lived. These trees are highly susceptible to mechanical damage, with a hit from a lawn mower or string trimmer, or storm damage, often enough to kill the tree. We also have run into rootstock compatibility problems. North Star is particularly prone to having the fruit eaten by birds. When we've had a large crop, bird damage has been less of a problem proportionally, since the local bird population becomes satisfied. When the trees are still small they can be netted.

Meteor and Evans, both later than North Star and with lower quality fruit, are larger trees at maturity, and have been more reliable for us. I don't have accurate cropping records for my first few years, but the North Star cherries were the first to bear a crop, after 3-5 years, with the Meteors following a year or two later. The Evans gave us its first crop, quite light, after 6 years, and is now 7 years old and still not bearing much.

Pears

We have lost two planting of pears to phytophthora root rot due to a poorly chosen planting site. As a result, we do not yet have pears of bearing age, the oldest tree being in its seventh year at this writing and bearing two fruit.

Apricots

Apricots have been the least rewarding of the fruit trees my father and I have grown. We've had them on three different sites, and the very best we've been able to achieve is a small to moderate crop every two or three years, with Sungold and Moongold. On one site we had a problem with bitter fruit and excessively early blooming. Crops come as early as the 6th year on full size trees.

I'm trying new varieties. I planted Puget Gold in 2003, and it has been slow to become established. I'm going to try planting some of the Harrow varieties in 2010 to see if I have any better luck with those.