Carefully choosing where to plant your fruit trees is just as important as selecting the right types of fruit trees to grow. And there are certain spots you shouldn’t plant a fruit tree, either for your tree’s health or to save yourself some headaches, or sometimes both of these reasons. Avoid the following places when planting fruit trees to ensure a better harvest and less maintenance hassles.

1. In Poor Soil

Less-than-ideal soil could be rocky or heavy clay soil, nutrient-poor, or soil with poor drainage that stays too soggy. It’s much easier to amend and improve the soil before you plant than try to remedy the situation after your fruit trees start to struggle. Ensure your planting site has well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter such as compost. Or, opt for a raised bed or large container that you can fill with quality potting soil.

2. In Too Much Shade

If you plant your fruit trees in an overly shady spot, you’ll likely end up with a disappointing harvest. Most types of fruit trees need full sun to yield a good crop because they need lots of energy from sunlight to produce fruit. In addition to affecting the quantity of fruit, plentiful light also impacts fruit quality by helping flavors and colors to fully develop. Place your fruit trees where they will get at least 8 hours a day of direct sunlight.

3. Next to Your House

Planting any tree too close to your house isn’t a great idea, but it’s often even worse if it’s a fruit tree. Besides the roots possibly damaging pipes or foundation, fruit trees can be messy, especially if you don’t keep up with harvesting. Fallen fruits tend to attract pests that you probably don’t want near your home, such as ants, rodents, and roaches. And some tree fruits, such as mulberries and cherries, can leave stains on siding, roofs, and decks that are difficult to remove. Another consideration is if you do need to treat your fruit trees for pests and diseases, you don’t want those chemicals too near your abode where they could seep inside.

4. Near Paths and Driveways

Similar to not planting near your house because of the mess and potential structural damage, keep fruit trees well away from paths and driveways. The roots can crack paving materials and cause uneven surfaces. And dropped fruit can make a smelly, sticky mess where you drive and walk, or even damage vehicles as it falls. Another problem is if you use de-icing salt on your pavement, which can harm nearby plants when it washes into the soil.

5. Where Diseased Fruit Trees Were

Many tree diseases are caused by fungi and bacteria that hang out in soil. If you remove a diseased fruit tree and decide to replant in the same spot, those pathogens are likely more concentrated in the soil and ready to attack your new tree. It’s best to wait at least three years before replanting in the spot because the pathogens will naturally decrease over that time without a new host to infect. Instead, choose a different spot to plant your tree where nothing diseased has been growing.

6. Near Streets

In urban environments, planting along high-traffic streets increases the concentrations of pollutants from car exhaust that can contaminate the fruit. And planting near any street could expose trees to harmful salt spray when roads are treated in the winter. Plus, planting a fruit tree within easy reach of passers-by on the street may mean you’ll end up sharing the harvest, whether you want to or not.

7. Where Herbicides Are Frequently Used

Many types of fruit trees are sensitive to herbicides, which can cause stunted growth and reduce fruit production. With repeated exposures, you’ll likely end up losing the tree altogether. So don’t plant fruit trees in the middle of a lawn that you regularly treat with weed killer, for example. And planting fruit trees along a border with agricultural fields or golf courses could make the trees more vulnerable to herbicide drift.