“He who plants a tree plants a hope.”
-Lucy Larcom
Planting a fruit tree is truly an investment in the future, it may take a year or three before a tree begins to bear fruit, but most fruit trees can be productive for 20 to 30 years or more. To give a fruit tree its best chance at a good start in life, a little preparation and forethought goes a long way.
The Best Time to Plant a Tree
Is the tree you wish to plant a deciduous tree, which loses its leaves in autumn and goes dormant in winter? Best time to plant deciduous trees is in winter when they’re dormant, but they can also be planted in spring and autumn, when they’re actively growing.
If you’re planting an evergreen tree, which is in leaf all year round, then the best time to plant is in spring, and the next best time is in autumn. The reason? In spring or autumn the weather is mild, and the tree is still growing, so the roots can grow to reach more water as the tree needs it.
Planting in summer is a bad idea as the roots can’t grow fast enough to access more water when extreme heat and wind strips moisture from the leaves. Unless you plan to water daily, or several times a day, then avoid summer planting.
Evergreen fruit trees are not planted in winter because their roots don’t grow in winter, the rootball remains the size of the pot the tree came in until the weather warms up. On dry winter days, cold winds will strip moisture from the leaves, and once the pot-sized rootball dries out, the tree won’t be able to access any more water, causing the tree to dry out.
It’s important to pint out that tree purchasing time doesn’t have to be the same as tree planting time, it’s okay to buy trees earlier and plant them at a later date. Evergreen trees can be kept in pots over winter, and just like any other container plants, will need to be checked for water, and watered when they need it. An evergreen fruit tree can be planted in the ground in winter, but if it is, it should be treated just like it’s growing in a pot (because the roots are the same size as in the pot) and watered as often as one growing in a pot would be!
The Best Place to Plant a Fruit Tree
Trees and plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to photosynthesize, producing sugars which they use for energy. More sunlight equals more energy, which equals more fruit.
All fruit trees need a minimum of 6-8 hours of bright, direct sunlight while they are in leaf to bear fruit.
As sunlight is reduced, fruit production drops, and beyond a certain point, fruit trees will not produce anything at all, and in some instances, can become much more susceptible to diseases.
If you have a spot in the garden that is sunny throughout most of the year, but in deep shade in winter, then plant a deciduous tree there, winter shade won’t matter as the tree won’t have any leaves at that time.
Planting a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees? Plant the deciduous trees closest to the sun and the evergreen trees behind them. The deciduous trees need to be facing the sun so the soil warms up faster, allowing them to come out of dormancy earlier in spring, and to ensure that they receive enough light as their new leaves emerge.
Soil Preparation for Tree Planting
A few minutes of soil preparation before tree planting can save countless hours of work trying to fix a problem that isn’t easily fixed! Seriously, initial soil preparation can make all the difference between success and heartache when it comes to growing healthy, productive fruit trees.
All soils are made of various mixtures of sand, silt and clay, and each has its benefits and problems.
Sandy soils drain well, but don’t retain moisture and nutrients, which can be a real problem in the peak of the summer heat.
Clay soils retain moisture and nutrients well, but don’t drain very well and can become waterlogged during wet winter weather, causing tree roots to rot.
Both of these extremes and any other soil problems can be improved by adding organic matter, such as compost and manure. Mixing organic matter into the soil improves moisture and nutrient retention in sandy soils and drainage in clay soils.
Compost restores the soil structure, but does not contain much nutrients, so if the soil is quite depleted and lacking fertility, it is best to also add some manure to provide nutrients for the tree’s growth.
How to Plant a Tree in 6 Easy Steps
- Dig the hole, which should be three times the width of the pot the tree came in. If the tree came in a 30cm (12”) pot, then dig a hole 90cm (36” or 3’) wide. Dig the hole to the same depth as the rootball, so the top of the roots in the pot sit at exactly the same level in the ground.
- Mix some compost into the soil at the bottom of the hole to improve the soil below the rootball.
- Take the soil from the hole, and mix it in a bucket in the following proportions – 7 parts soil, 2 parts compost, one part manure. If manure is not being used, use 7 parts soil and 3 parts compost instead. It’s easy to measure with a spade, garden trowel, potting mix scoop, or small empty plastic pot.
- Sit the tree in the hole, holding the trunk straight and vertical, making sure that the top of the root ball is level with the top of the soil.
- Fill around the tree with the soil-compost-manure-mix, then water it it, don’t pack it down! If the soil level settles down lower after watering, and more soil-compost-manure mix and rewater. Mix some seaweed extract into a watering can and water around the tree. Seaweed extract contains compounds called cytokinins, which are natural root-growth stimulants, which help a newly planted tree establish itself and put its roots down quicker.
- Stake the tree to support it (if required), this prevents the new roots from being torn when the tree sways in the wind. Place two stakes outside of the filled hole (not through the rootball against the trunk!), and tie the stakes to the trunk using purpose-made soft tree-tie fabric strip (or pantyhose) in a figure-8 shape to support the tree.
Feed the tree with a balanced fertilizer in at the start of spring, then again in the start of autumn (September and March) to support healthy growth of roots and branches.
Most fruit trees won’t fruit the first year they are planted because they divert all their energy for growth into producing new roots, branches and leaves. After this, they will be more better established and able to reward the gardener with home-grown fruit!