Planting a fruit tree
Tips for growing fruit trees
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Fresh, healthy organic fruit. Yours for the picking!
Fruit trees may offer a better return on effort than anything in the garden.
A single semi-dwarf apple tree, for example, can produce up to 500 apples in a season, with a productive life of 15 to 20 years. Several trees, with different harvest times, can bring fruit to your table 8 months of the year. Consider the benefits of planting your own fruit trees:
Pyola Insecticide Spray
plant-based pest control for fruit trees
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Surround®
Crop Protectant
mineral-based protective barrier
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Fruit
Trees online
'ready-to-plant' fruit trees delivered
to your door
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Compost Tumbler
simplifies and speds up the process of making compost
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Savings - The cost of organic fruit is high. Averaged over a ten year period, organic apples from your own tree will cost about a penny apiece. Compare this with the supermarket price for organic apples.
Good for the environment - A fruit tree filters the air, conditions the soil, provides shade, shelters wildlife and attracts pollinators to your garden.
......Dwarf: Small trees for small spaces. Dwarf fruit trees can do well in an 8' diameter plot. They are easy to prune and harvest because they don't grow tall. The fruit is normal size, but the yield is less because of the smaller tree size. Dwarf trees are not as long-lived as the larger trees. Most dwarf trees begin bearing fruit in 3 to 5 years.
Standard: That huge old apple tree in Grandpa's back yard is a standard, the only choice of size before the smaller hybrids were developed. Standards require more space and are a bigger job to prune and harvest. They can grow to 25 - 30', or taller if left unpruned. If you want a "landmark" tree that the kids can climb in and swing from, get a standard. They take many years to reach full size, so it may be the grandkids who do the swinging. Most standard trees begin bearing in 3 to 5 years.
Maintenance tasks, such as pruning and yard work beneath the tree, should also be considered when choosing tree size. Smaller trees yield crops of manageable size and are much easier to spray, thin, prune, net, and harvest than large trees. And, if trees are kept small, it's possible to plant a greater number of trees, which can offer more kinds of fruit and a longer fruit season.
• Match the tree to your soil. Plums, for example, do well in damp soil conditions which might not be good for apples. Pears and apples can handle drier soil, but need good drainage. Peaches can get blight from too much rain, so they will do better in semi-protected areas, like alongside buildings under eaves which offer some protection. If you have a planting location in mind, consult with your local nursery or garden center.
• Provide pollinators. Not all fruit tree varieties are self-pollinating. Often, the right combination of varieties are necessary for fruit trees to produce fruit. Most apples are partially self-pollinating and will set some fruit off their own pollen, however these varieties will set more fruit if cross-pollinated with another variety. Ask at your local nursery about the pollinating requirements for trees you are considering.
• Extend the harvest. If planting a few trees, choose varieties which will give you fruit for a longer time. With apples, for example, you can plant one early variety like Gravenstein for summer eating, a late summer variety like King for fall eating, and a winter keeper which can be stored all winter. Stored properly, the fruit from winter keepers will last to the following March or April. With three trees of different harvest times, you'll enjoy your own organic fruit for 8 months of the year.
Defined leader. One central branch should be the obvious 'leader', which leads the growth straight up. A tree with no clear leader will require frequent pruning to keep the shape in balance.
Well balanced branches. Look for the 'candelabra' shape with branches extending evenly in all directions. This even growth will keep the tree balanced and growing straight, as well as maximizing fruit yield.
No
low branches. Branches should be starting from
the same general area along the tree stem. Avoid trees with one lone branch,
low down. This is out of balance, and low-lying fruit encourages pests like
raccoons. Low branches also get in the way of lawn care beneath the tree.
Several
feet of stem. You don't want your tree to start branching too low - it will be hard to walk
under when harvesting, and it encourages pests.
Sprinkle
compost on the bottom of the hole.
Put some dirt back in the hole, leaving a mound
in the center.
Set
tree in hole
with the root ball on top of the mound. The graft line of the tree should
be about 3" above the ground. Adjust the height of the mound if necessary.
Spread roots evenly in all directions.
Fill
hole
with soil and firm gently with your foot. Check that the tree is vertical.
Be sure to 'overfill' the hole so the soil is an inch or two above ground
level. The soil will compress when watered, and settle to ground level.
Stake
if necessary. Tie tree to stake with a rubber tie or piece of cloth. The tie
should be loose so as not to girdle the tree. Allow plenty of room for the
trunk to thicken.
Fence
if necessary. Deer will eat the bark of young trees, given the opportunity.
• Always keep graft line clear of debris and above ground. If the graft line goes below ground the tree may revert to its root stock and give the wrong fruit - like crab apples!
• Thin the fruit. If the size of the fruit produced from your tree is below expectations, it may be due to an over-abundance of fruit on the tree. The tree has only so much energy to use to produce fruit, so thinning (removing some of the fruit) is essential to produce large fruit in some species, such as peach and apple. For best results, thin fruit trees early in the season, when the fruit is still quite small.
• Does your tree fail to produce fruit some years? Healthy, productive trees sometimes take a year off. However, if a fruit tree produces an over-abundance of fruit which is not thinned, the tree may become a biennial producer. Therefore, it is prudent to thin the fruit when trees produce a large amount of fruit.
• Defend against Apple Maggots. The apple maggot is the most destructive pest of apples grown in home orchards. This insect is a type of fly which pierces the skin of ripening fruit and lays eggs. In 5 - 10 days, the eggs hatch a maggot which burrows through the fruit. These pests can be managed by using sticky red sphere traps. Hang one trap for every 100 apples in a tree. For more information, or to purchase apple maggot traps, click here.
• Other Pests? See our Natural Pest Control page.
• Rake the leaves. Fruit tree leaves should not be used as mulch around the garden. If the leaves are still on the ground, cover the area with ground limestone. This will prevent spores on the leaves on the ground from developing.
• Prune during the dormant season. All major pruning should be done in late winter or spring. Ask your nursery for a leaflet on pruning. Some pruning is usually required each year to keep the tree growing in a balanced shape.
• Water during dry seasons. Water once every two weeks during dry spells; put a pan under tree and water until it fills 5 - 8cm (2 - 3") to ensure water reaches the root zone.
• Make a field plan. Record on paper when you planted and what varieties you planted so when you harvest you'll know what variety you are enjoying. Do not depend on memory or the plant identification tags to know what you planted - both will fade with time.
• Beware the weedeater! A weedeater can quickly damage a fruit tree by cutting the bark at ground level. This can stress the tree to cause reduced blooming and fruiting, and repeated injuries can even kill the tree.
• Prepare your trees for winter. Read our page Fall Care of Fruit Trees
Fruit Tree Feed/Mulch - Spring Treatment
You can use the following mix to promote root and vegetative growth for fruit trees in the spring:
5 shovels leaf mould
5 shovels garden compost
5 shovels peat moss
1 cup bonemeal
1/4 cup each: rock phosphate, alfalfa, greensand
Top-dress with 2" of the above mix in early March and again in mid-June.
You can have live 'ready to plant' trees delived to your door. Choose from over 200 species. more info
Dwarf Citrus trees from Spring Hills
Meyer Lemon, Lime, Navel Orange, Banana dwarf trees in pots. Also available: strawberries, blueberries, honeyberries. These are all edible fruits which can be grown in small spaces. Once on the Spring Hills site, click the "Small Fruit" link on the 'Browse' index. more info
Helps fruit trees grow faster and bear big, delicious harvest. Eleven macro- and micronutrients are in the mix, including copper and sulfur, which produce the sweetness so characteristic of well-grown tree-ripened fruit.
Price: $9.95 (3 lb bag) buy Fruit Trees Alive! Build-Up Formula
Helpful to newly planted trees, this tree support reduces staking time and helps young trees develop strong roots, improves trunk taper and natural form. Patented design keeps trunks and roots in place but allows enough "give" for normal sway even in strong wind.
Price: $12.95 buy Tree Support
Easy-to-use Tree Guards coil around the trunk of a young tree to protect against damage from rabbits and rodents, as well as from winter sunscald. The 24" strip of coiled vinyl has ventilation holes. Use on trees up to four years old. Apply in fall, remove in spring.
Price: $9.95 buy Tree Guards
This two-piece "collar" fits neatly around the tree base. Six vents allow air circulation, and a convenient marker indicates the proper mulch depth. This simple device blocks crawling pests, prevents damage caused by lawn and garden equipment, keeps mulch away from bark and protects against animal pests.
Price: $19.95 buy On-Gard! Tree and Plant Protector
Loaded with practical advice on everything from selecting varieties to planting and pruning for apples, pears, cherries, apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines. Sections on insect, disease and wildlife control, as well as Resources & References.
Price: $14.95 buy The Backyard Orchardist
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