Time to Plant Fruit Trees

Time to Plant Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are the pride of every grower, especially when it comes to their fruits. A fruit tree needs good care, and even during planting, you need to set up good starting conditions for its future growth. Every tree needs attention - whether it's pruning, shaping, fertilizing, and especially harvesting fruit. To ensure good conditions for a new tree, you also need to know something about its planting method. Some trees are best planted in autumn, while with others it's better to wait until spring and overwinter them in a "stabilized" position for now.

From September onwards, we can dig holes for new fruit trees. This allows them to settle and soften, making it easier to accept the new tree. The size and depth of the holes differ depending on the type of tree you'll be planting.

• If you decide to plant and purchase "whips without crowns", these don't have many roots, so you don't need to dig very deep holes. Both depth and width should be 40 cm. If you're planting in heavy, clay soil, the hole can be deeper and wider.

• If you're planting two-year-old or three-year-old saplings with crowns, these already have larger roots. The hole should be 80-100 cm wide and 60 cm deep.

Several days to weeks should pass between digging the hole and planting the sapling. This is so the walls of the hole can soften and weather, so rain can fall into it, and overall it can adapt to the roots of the new sapling.

The distance between holes for planted trees depends on the variety and crown size:

• cherries and walnuts form large crowns and should be planted 10-12m apart.
• apple and pear trees form half-standards - but will spread over time. It's therefore advisable to plant them 6m apart and plant something like currants or gooseberries in the gaps between them.
• shaped trees only need to be planted 2m apart
• trees in fruit walls can be planted 1.5m apart

Before planting, soak the tree's roots in water! Trim them. Under no circumstances should you prune the tree's crown. This is only done in spring.

When purchasing saplings for planting, also get suitable fertilizer so the freshly planted sapling has enough nutrients.

When to Plant Fruit Trees

After October 15th is a good time to start autumn planting. Before planting, immerse the purchased sapling - its roots - in water for at least 2 hours. Trim the roots so they point downward. Don't shorten the crown - only do this in spring!

If we're planting a young sapling with a weak trunk, it's advisable to provide support. Drive the support stake into the hole before planting the tree.

What to Put in the Hole Dug for a New Tree

Before planting, water the hole thoroughly and let it soak in. Add the soil excavated from the hole mixed with well-matured compost to the roots of the newly planted tree. Instead of compost, we can also use Vitahum. We can also add a "cocktail" of industrial fertilizers. Adding potassium salt is suitable. If you have Cererit on hand, use it as well.

Warning! Never fertilize with farmyard manure!

Always plant the tree a few cm higher. The soil will settle after planting. Until the soil settles, do not tie the tree firmly to the support. After planting, water the tree thoroughly.

Around freshly planted trees, make protection from wire mesh against wildlife browsing. If you don't have wire mesh, coat the trees with an anti-browsing preparation, such as Aversol.

Peaches - are not suitable for autumn planting. It can happen that even if you insulate them with straw or peat, they will still freeze. If you have already purchased peaches, place them diagonally in the dug hole and cover up to half of the trunk with soil. Water them well. Then plant in spring.

Planting apricots and peaches is demanding. It is not advisable to plant them in the place of another older tree that you have removed. It is advisable to fertilize and loosen the soil a year before the planned planting.

The Most Popular Tree for Planting

Among the most popular trees for planting are apricots. Apricots are loved by children and industrious housewives alike. Homemade apricot compotes, cakes, jams and dumplings taste good to everyone. Preparing the soil for growing apricots takes time. A year before the planned planting, work organic fertilizers into the soil. Dig and loosen the soil to a depth of 20-60cm.

Fertilize the soil with quality compost. You can add peat. Vitahum should also be well-matured, at least 2 years old. If we have calcareous soil, it is good to work in a larger proportion of peat. If, on the other hand, we have very acidic soil, adjust the soil slightly with lime powder. The fertilizer that you work in now will last the tree approximately 2-3 years. After all this fertilizing and loosening, we must let the soil settle.

We then plant the apricot in the prepared hole in autumn (preferably in October). Don't forget regular watering until the first frosts.

There are many varieties of apricots on the market that you can grow. If you have a larger garden, definitely choose the Velkopavlovická variety. It grows into a more massive crown and gives a large harvest. It has large and regular fruits. For smaller gardens, choose the Bergeron variety. It comes from France and has a cultivated lower growth. It is a later variety with regular fruits.

How tall is the tree you planted first? Have you already planted your first tree? Don't hesitate! Share with your friends on Facebook!

Author: Hana Michalíková, rostliny-semena.cz