Fruit trees are easy to grow in backyards, and produce beautiful flowers and fruit for years. Apple, peach, plum and pear trees all grow well in a variety of climates. When choosing a tree to plant, first confirm with the seller, whether the fruit tree of your choice is suitable for the environment in which you will plant. See Step 1 onwards to learn how to grow fruit trees that will last for years.
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Part 1 of 3: Choosing Trees and Planting Locations
Step 1. Purchase a rooted tree without soil
Apples, plums, pears and other sweet fruits come from grafted trees to produce the best tasting fruit. Although fruit trees can be grown from seed, the resulting trees do not necessarily produce edible fruit. To ensure that the tree you are planting produces the fruit you want, it is best to buy a rootless tree, that is, a very young tree that has been grafted.
- You can find soilless rooted trees in the nursery in the last months of winter.
- Buying soilless rooted trees from a nursery is your best bet, as the nursery will sell trees that do well in your area.
- Rooted trees without soil should be planted as soon as possible after purchase.
Step 2. Find a spot in the yard that is open and exposed to sunlight
Fruit trees generally need six hours of full sun a day to grow strong and produce healthy fruit. Look for a spot in the yard where the tree will not be shaded by your house or other taller trees. You should find a spot with no leafy trees nearby, so that fruit trees don't have to compete with other plants for nutrients and water.
You should also choose the location of the fruit tree by imagining its size when it is large. Consider the width and know that the roots of the tree will reach as far as the length of the branches. This means you should not plant trees too close to buildings or roads for cars
Step 3. Check the drainage of your planting area
In addition to full sun, proper soil drainage is important for fruit trees to grow healthy. The soil should not hold too much water, as this can cause fruit tree roots to rot in the soil. Check soil drainage by digging a hole 30 cm deep and filling it with water. If the water dries quickly, the area is suitable for growing fruit trees. If water persists in the hole, find another part of your yard to plant a tree.
If the soil in your yard is rich in loam, it can cause the soil to drain poorly, but you still have a few other options. You can plant fruit trees in elevated soil and mix the soil with compost to make it loose and well-draining
Part 2 of 3: Digging Holes and Preparing the Soil
Step 1. Prepare to plant in the spring
Fruit trees can be planted at any time of the year, but with areas experiencing very cold winters, it is best to wait until spring. This will give the tree the opportunity to quickly adapt to the soil and grow its roots. This is also the best time to dig the soil, as the soil will be softer and easier to dig.
Step 2. Add compost to the soil if needed
If you have soil that is rich in loam, or soil that is hard and compacted, it's a good idea to loosen the soil to a depth of at least 60 cm and mix in the compost. This will loosen the soil and make room for the tree roots to start growing. Use a garden shovel or tractor tiller to loosen the soil, then add compost and mix the compost with the soil.
Step 3. Dig a wide hole
Use a shovel to dig a hole twice as wide as the root of the tree you are planting. Fruit tree roots tend to grow outward, and this will give the roots room to grow. Make sure the roots are surrounded by loose soil so that the roots are not stuck in dense soil.
- At the same time, it is important not to dig the hole too deep. Since you are working with a rooted tree without the grafted soil, it is important that the graft is at the base and the tree above the ground.
- If you are planting more than one tree, plant them at least 45 cm apart. The more space between you can give, the better.
Step 4. Follow the instructions for improving soil conditions during the tree planting process
Depending on the type of tree you are planting and the quality of the soil, you can add organic nutrients to the hole you dug before planting. In some cases, all that is needed is to spread compost at the bottom of the hole.
- Ask people at the nursery about improving soil conditions and what they suggest. In some cases you may not even need to improve the condition of the soil because the existing soil already contains enough nutrients.
- Do not add compost and other nutrients unless advised. Once the roots have grown through the nutrient-rich soil, they need to be able to survive on naturally available nutrients, so feeding too much nutrient-rich soil won't help in the long run.
Step 5. Position the tree in the hole
Throw a small amount of soil into the hole, about a finger long to create the mound, and position the root ball of the fruit tree over the center of the mound. Spread out the roots and make sure the graft line is at the base of the stem higher than the soil level. Add or remove soil from the mound as needed. Make sure no exposed roots are not covered with soil.
If there are roots on the graft or above, cut off these roots and check again to make sure the graft is underground. If the roots can reach the ground from the graft, the tree will always have shoots growing from the base which will weaken the tree
Step 6. Press the soil around the roots
Fill the hole around the roots of your tree with nutrient soil, and make sure you cover all the roots. Step back and check if the fruit tree is standing vertically. Press the ground gently.
Step 7. Water the roots
Water the entire area until the soil fills the space around the tree's roots. Add more soil, press gently, and water again. Continue the process until the soil is level with the surrounding soil surface.
Make sure the roots are not submerged in the tree; when submerged in water, the roots can become rotten
Step 8. Attach bollards to your fruit tree when needed
If you are in a windy area, stand the tree upright by tying it to a strong stick with a long piece of cloth or rubber. Make sure the ties are loose enough so they don't hold the tree as the trunk grows. The bollards will help the tree grow upright and tall.
Step 9. Cover the soil with a layer of straw and leaves
This layer will keep moisture in the soil and protect the roots. This will prevent weeds and weeds from growing and competing for nutrients and water with fruit trees. Make sure the graft line is not covered by straw and leaves; This line needs to be visible above the ground.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Fruit Trees
Step 1. Determine if it needs to be trimmed
If you want the tree to have branches that produce low fruit near the ground, you can trim them to knee height, and cut the stems off a node or two. This will direct the tree's energy to produce low stalks in the cuts you make. On the other hand, you can trim the stems at the base of the tree if you don't want the tree to have low branches near the ground.
Step 2. Protect the tree from the sun
Many fruit tree growers use a mixture of one part diluted white latex paint and one part water to paint the tree trunk as a sunscreen. If you live in an area with very strong sunlight, such as in the southwestern United States, using this method can protect your tree from sun damage.
Step 3. Control weeds
It is important to clean the area around the tree as weeds grow, to protect the roots and keep the tree growing healthy and strong. It is better to pull the weeds by hand, than to use herbicides.
Step 4. Do not over-water
There is no need to keep the soil moist, as this can cause root rot. Let the rain water your tree. If it doesn't rain in a week, water it thoroughly, and then let it dry again.
