Planting Your Fruit Trees
You will want to make sure you plant your fruit trees properly. Follow the guidelines below.
Preparing the tree
Soak the roots or root ball before planting. In the south, bare-root trees can be planted late winter as this is when the tree is in its dormant stage. Container-grown trees can be planted any time of year, but fall through early spring is best.
Planting your tree
- Place your tree in a sunny position that provides good drainage. This will maximize the time your fruit has to ripen.
- For bare root trees, dig a hole a third wider than the roots and to the same depth as the tree's roots, firming the bottom of the hole into a slight mound. For container trees, dog a hole twice as wide and no deeper than the root ball.
- Insert your tree into the planting hole.
- Fill in planting hole with backfill mixture of 70% native soil and 30% or so of a good organic compost or soil ammendment.
- If necessary, stake your tree.
- Water well.
- Feed your tree with a well-balanced fruit tree fertilizer or an organic fertilizer.
After Planting Care
During the first season after planting your fruit tree, you'll need to make sure to provide supplemental water during dry spells, but don't overwater.
During the second season, some experts suggest picking all or half of the flowers from the trees in spring. This allows the tree to put it's energy towards getting more established rather than towards producing fruit.
See related articles below for tips on fertilization and disease and insect control.
