Last year I started vegetable gardening in raised beds. I found I really enjoyed growing things. So this year, I decided to try my hand at fruits also.

My soil is clay but berms and/or raised beds really weren't an option. But the fruit tree area does have a pretty decent slope so I'm hoping most of the water will drain off. I am thinking of adding some french drains too, if needed.

I purchased three figs and two citrus in containers a few months ago (LSU Purple, Alma, Celeste, Moro Blood and Owari). An received a tall unknown mandarin as a gift over Christmas. The Lowes tag only says mandarin.

I also purchased five bare root persimmons and a bare root asian pear.

Everything looks to be growing well except for the persimmons and they haven't broken dormancy yet.

Should I be removing all of the fruit from all of the trees since they are first year trees? Does that include the Breba figs that are forming on my LSU purple?

And if the answer is "yes" to fruit removal, should I just pinch off the fruit/blossom swelling?

Thank you in advance,

Gregg