Once you’ve decided on the type and variety of your tree, we need to decide when we’re going to plant and prep the planting area. This could be the yard where you’ve decided the tree will go straight into the ground, raised planters, or pots on your porch if that’s all you have the room for. Make sure that you’ve taken the adult size of the tree variety into consideration.
Time of year to plant.
You can plant trees at any time of the year, but the best time to plant a tree is in the spring when the ground is workable. High temperatures in the summer are stressful for new, unestablished trees and can cause them to suffer or even die before they get established. You can break ground and begin preparing as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, since trees you’ll get in spring will still be dormant. A light frost won’t hurt anything at that point if you’re planting early.
For some climates without hard frosts, planting in the fall works the best. When planted in the early fall, a tree still has plenty of time to establish its roots and hunker down for the winter ahead without the stress of summer heat.
Either way, a young tree needs time to establish its roots, making it easier to find water and nutrients, before the stress of either a hot summer or cold winter.
Best place to plant
The best site to plant a tree depends on what type of tree you want to grow. Some fruit trees handle growing in the part shade well: plums, quince, pears, and the American Paw Paw. Most fruit trees, though, need a minimum of eight hours of sunlight daily to fruit. Make sure to read the requirements for each tree that you want to grow before planting.
Once again, be sure you know the mature size of the tree and that includes the root zone. There’s a saying in landscaping, “right tree, right place.” You don’t want to plant something now that in 10 years will have grown into your water main or upended your patio pavers. Pay attention to where power lines are, utility lines, sewers, sidewalks, anything a full-sized tree might run into.
If planting in containers, be sure you are ready to move the containers around as the season changes if your area gets full sun in the early spring but then is fully shaded by mid-summer because of tree cover or whatever. Pay attention to the way the sunlight in your planting area shifts through the seasons and be ready to adjust accordingly. If these means you need to put bigger pots on castors before you plant to make it easier to move around, then go for it.
Test Your Soil for pH, nutrients, and drainage
Generally, the soil for fruit trees should have a pH range from 6.0 to 7.5, but research each type of tree before planting to find the proper pH range for each one. You should test your soil for nutrients, too. You want to avoid amending if possible because once the roots grow past the amended soil, they'll need to be able to survive on the nutrients that are naturally available.
Check the soil drainage by digging a hole one foot (0.3 m) deep and filling it with water. If the water drains quickly, the area should be fine for planting a fruit tree. If the water stands in the hole, choose another part of the yard, amend the soil in that area to make it better draining, or consider planting in a raised planter bed where you can completely control the soil. Most fruit trees, especially apples, do not like having their feet wet all the time so choose your spot wisely. If you choose to amend, dig the soil to a depth of at least two feet (0.6 m) and work in a little bit of compost. If you have to do too much too it to get the right texture, choose a different spot to plant or go the container route instead
Prepare the hole
Dig your hole 2 to 3 times wider than the current root ball, but make sure it’s not deeper than the current pot holding the tree (if it’s a potted specimen). The bottom of the hole should be only as deep as the root ball, and the diameter of the hole will likely be about 3-5 feet wide. If it’s bare root tree, look closely at the root ball and don’t dig the hole any deeper than that to be sure you’re not planting it deeper than the graft point.
Most fruit trees are grafted. This means the rootstock at the bottom of the tree is a different variety than the fruiting part above the graft. Rootstock is selected for hardiness, early bearing and also helps to control tree size. The scion, or the fruiting part, is selected for the flavor, texture, and color. If you put soil above the graft line, the top of the tree will grow roots on its own, which negates all the benefits of the selected rootstock. You’ll be able to look at the lower portion of the tree trunk and see where the graft is. It will look like a large knot maybe six inches or so above where the roots are. Be sure to keep that knot several inches above the soil line.
Planting
If you’re planting bare-root trees, the roots need to soak in a bucket of water in a shady location for one to two hours before planting. That’s just enough to rehydrate their tissues. At that point, trim off any damaged roots.
Look for the flare of the trunk near the soil level or above the root ball on bare root trees. Place the tree with up to 25% of the root ball higher than the surrounding soil level. Then, use the existing soil to cover all of the roots. This helps water run away rather than collecting around the trunk of your tree, to keep it from rotting at the base of the trunk. This also helps ensure that you can mulch the tree properly without covering the grafting point.
After your tree is in the hole and the roots are spread apart, fill the hole in with the remaining soil then pack the soil around the roots. If there are big air pockets around the roots the tree can dry out, so be sure to tamp the soil down well. You should also water really well at this point to help eliminate air pockets and get those roots established in the soil. Add more soil, press it down gently and water again. Continue this process until the soil reaches the actual ground level. Be sure not to overwater, though, you don’t want the roots waterlogged or they’ll rot.
Staking
It’s important to stake your tree when planting, to protect it from wind damage. There are several ways to do this, but the most common method is to insert a stake before filling the hole with soil. Alternatively, you can push it in after you’ve gotten the soil backfilled and tamped down tightly. Either way, the stake should come up a third of the tree’s height.
Staking is also super important for pot or container grown trees, maybe even more so. You also may want to place your containers in an area that’s out of the path of direct winds while your tree gets established.
Mulch
Whether in the ground or in a pot or container, you want to mulch your fruit tree right away after planting. This will retain the moisture in the soil and protect the roots. It will prevent grass and weeds from growing around in-ground trees and keep them from competing for nutrients and water as well. You should have a two- to three-inch-deep layer of mulch spread about 2 feet out from the trunk of the tree in all directions or to the edge of your pot for patio varieties. You don’t want the mulch touching the trunk, so leave a few inches of space between the base of the tree and your mulch.
Protect the trunk
Finally, you may need to provide your young fruit tree with some protection. If you live in an area where deer or rabbits are prevalent, they may eat the bark of the trunk, opening it up to insect pests and diseases and possibly damaging the vascular system of the tree. So, you can protect it with a barrier chicken wire or hardware cloth circled around like a small fence, or collars specifically designed to protect the trunks of trees. If you do use anything that is wrapped around the tree itself, like a collar, be sure you are paying attention to the growth of the tree, so it doesn’t get too tight.
Your Friend in the Garden,
Karin
