Fruitful Land

Step1

Receiving Your Trees - Easy care for your new trees.

There are two ways you can buy your trees, Bareroot or Container.

Bareroot trees come just as the name implies. You get a dormant tree grafted to a rootstock that is usually two years old from being grafted at the nursery and the roots are not in any soil or growing medium. These trees are mechanically dug out in the nursery in the fall or early spring and stored in root cellars until they are shipped. Bare root trees are shipped from march to april or may depending on the nursery and your location, it is by necessity a seasonal order and delivery system. It works well and you are able to buy trees at the best price in this condition. Plan ahead and place your orders early to get the varieties and rootstocks you want for your orchard.

Container trees are available in pots at many nursery centers across the country. These trees are temporarily "planted" in pots and can be maintained throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons in your area. Variety selections will be limited to what the particular nursery has in stock, but you can choose your trees and drive them home the same day. You also get to see the tree you are buying and asses its vigor and health before you buy.You should b looking for green healthy leaves free of defect or insect damage and smooth clean bark free of wounds and disease. Also, the tree should be actively growing. Container trees will be more expensive.

Either way works - Bare root trees are available seasonally with a much wider selection of Varieties and sizes (Full size - 15'-30', semi-dwarf 12'-15', and dwarf 6'-12'). Container trees give you the convenience of planting over a longer period of time. Note:No matter which type pf tree you buy, the the best time to plant is either in the Spring or the Fall. The heat and accompanying dry periods of the summer are not best for starting new trees.

When you receive your trees store them in a cool, partially shaded spot and DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT. Keep them moist until planting. If you cannot plant your bareroot trees within 4-5 days you should "heel them in" - that is, dig a trench and cover the roots with loose soil. Again, be sure that the roots stay moist (but not soggy)

Step 2

Digging the Hole

- it's not rocket science, but you can certainly do it right or wrong

Dig a hole about 18" by 18" to plant your bareroot tree. Dig a hole 3"-4" wider than the container for container trees. People tend to dig holes deeper but too narrow. Avoid digging a shallow dish and forcing the tree roots to turn upwards on the outside edges. The tree roots should have enough room to spread out and lay "naturally".

Tree should be planted so that the bud union is about 2" above the finished soil level. If the bud union is buried in the soil, the tree Scion (the top part of the tree graft) will root itself and you will lose any tree dwarfing characteristics of your rootstock. Tamp the soil just enough to remove any air pockets.

You can amend the soil with compost, but it is not absolutely necessary. You need to avoid heavy clay soils and locations that will be waterlogged often. Apple tree roots will not grow in soil that cannot breathe so these locations must be avoided. Apple trees in wet locations can only grow roots on the very top few inches of soil. When and if the tree produces a good crop, it will most likely tip over from the weight of the fruit and the lack of support.

Step 3

Water the hole and the tree - its not hard and it prevents early stress.

It is a good idea to fill the hole with water and let it soak into the soil before planting the tree. Its a good idea to do this twice before planting the tree. I usuall place bareroot trees into a bucket or trough of water when I take them out to plant. This hydrates the roots and ensures a good start. If the soil is dryer than the roots, the soil will actually pull out moisture from the roots that you so carefully hydrated and put the transplant under stress almost immediately. Thus, we water the hole before we add the tree. Simple.

Add 2-4 gallons of water to the tree after it is planted to moisten tthe soil at the roots.

Step 4

Fertilizer do's and don'ts - Its easy to prevent early disasters.

Do not sprinkle, pour or otherwise introduce fertilizer into the hole at planting. Just don't do it. Trust me, its unnecessary and potentially harmful. The salts found in fertilizer have a great potential to burn the already stressed root system. If you want to fertilize your trees, wait a few weeks and add a 1/2 rate of recommended fertilizer mix on a ring about 12"-18" from the trunk. If your soil is lacking in good structure it is better to add compost (50/50 volume)with your "regular" soil I recommend 3-4 small feedings during the first year over one big one. If you are like me, I have other interests and things to do throughout the summer and it is OK to do one feeding a few weeks after planting and just maintain suficient water for the rest of the season.

Step 5

Pruning at planting - Yes you need to do this!

All bare root free standing trees whether they are full sized or dwarfed should be pruned at planting. Understand that the tree's roots have already been pruned when they were dug out of the nursery. Prune the main leader to about "chest high" no matter how much higher the stem may be. Do not worry about how much length you are cutting off. This heading cut will stimulate the tree to develop lateral limbs coming out of the trunk at about 12"-24" from the ground. This is exactly where you want the main scaffold limbs to develop so this one cut is principle in establishing a well structured tree.

Remove any narrow (nearly parallel) limbs that may compete with your chosen leader.

Remove any broken limbs. And you are done!