Summary

Guide to selecting peaches, plums, and tart cherries for home fruit production in Tennessee, with clear expectations about their high disease, pest, and weather risks. Explains critical site needs such as full sun, good air drainage, well-drained soils with adequate rooting depth, and a soil pH around 6.0 to 6.5. Emphasizes matching cultivars to chilling-hour needs to reduce freeze and frost losses, and notes that sweet cherries are not recommended for Tennessee. Includes cultivar suggestions for peaches, Japanese and European plums, and tart cherries, plus notes on pollination needs, common disease resistance, and the role of rootstocks.