Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Landing Site
• Part 2 of 3: Digging a hole and preparing the soil
• Part 3 of 3: Caring for your fruit tree

Fruit trees are surprisingly easy to grow in your backyard. In the spring they will delight you with beautiful flowers, and in the summer or autumn with an abundance of fruits. Apple trees, peaches, plums and pears - all of these trees grow well in different climates. When making your choice, consult with the fruit nursery whether the conditions of the area in which you live are suitable for the selected fruit tree. Read this article to learn how to plant fruit trees so that they will bear fruit successfully for many years.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Landing Site

1. 1 Buy a grafted tree. Sweet apples, plums, pears are obtained from grafted trees. Although fruit trees can be grown from seeds, their fruits may not be suitable for eating. To ensure that your chosen tree bears fruit with good tasting qualities, it is best to buy a sapling grafted onto a sturdy rootstock.
   • You can buy a seedling with an open root system or in a pot. Seedlings with an open root system are dug up and sold while they are dormant. Immediately after purchase, the seedling must be planted in the ground. Potted seedlings should also be replanted at rest. They will have more thin roots.
   • Buying from a local nursery will be the best choice, as there you will buy a tree that will grow successfully in your area.
2. 2 Choose an open, sunny spot on your property. Fruit trees usually need at least a full 6 hours of sunshine to grow strong and bear fruit well. Find a place on the site where the tree will not be shaded by the house or other, taller trees. There should not be a lot of other vegetation near the fruit tree that would compete with it for nutrients and water.
   • When choosing a location for a fruit tree, you must visualize it as an adult. Imagine the width of its crown and note that the roots of the tree extend the same length as the branches. This means that you should not plant the tree too close to a building or road.
3. 3 Check the drainage capacity of the soil at the proposed planting site. Besides the sun, good soil drainage is the second essential condition for fruit trees to thrive. The water in the soil should not stagnate, otherwise the roots will rot in it. Test soil drainage by digging a hole 30 cm deep and filling it with water. If the water is absorbed into the soil quickly, the site is perfect for planting a fruit tree. If the water stagnates, choose a different location.
   • If your site has heavy clay soil that does not provide sufficient drainage, the tree can still be planted using certain techniques.For example, you can plant a fruit tree in a raised bed, or loosen the clay by mixing it with compost or peat to improve drainage.

Part 2 of 3: Digging a hole and preparing the soil

1. 1 Plant the tree in spring. Although fruit trees can be planted at any time of the year, it is best to do so in the spring in areas with cold winters or hot summers. Then the tree will immediately begin to adapt to the soil and grow roots. Spring is also the best time to dig the soil as it thaws and becomes soft during this time.
2. 2 Add compost to the soil as needed. If you have clay or heavy, dense soil, it is a good idea to dig up at least 60 cm deep and add compost or peat. This will make the soil looser, provide better drainage and create better conditions for root growth. Use a garden shovel or cultivator to dig up and loosen the soil, then add the compost and mix with the soil.
3. 3 Dig a wide hole. Use a shovel to dig a hole twice as wide as the diameter of the roots of the tree you are planting. The roots of fruit trees usually grow away from the trunk, so this will give them plenty of room to grow. Make sure the roots are surrounded by loose soil rather than tightly packed soil that will restrict their growth.
   • At the same time, it is important to dig a hole that is not too deep. Since you are working with a grafted tree, it is important that the grafting site, located at the base of the trunk, is above soil level.
   • If you are planting more than one tree, plant them at least 45 cm apart. Keep in mind that for some trees this distance should be up to 6 m. When buying a tree, find out how much it will grow to determine how far to plant it from other trees. In general, the more space you give the tree, the better.
4. 4 When planting fruit trees, follow the recommendations for improving the soil. Depending on the type of tree and soil condition, you can add organic nutrients to the planting hole. In some cases, it is sufficient to put some compost on the bottom of the pit.
   • Consult your garden nursery for soil improvement. It happens that the soil does not need to be improved at all, since it is already rich in nutrients.
   • Do not add compost and other nutrients unless advised to do so. Once the roots have grown outside of the improved soil, they should be able to survive on the nutrients found in the normal soil. Therefore, planting in very rich soil will not be beneficial in the long run.
5. 5 Place the tree in the planting hole. Pour loose earth about a finger's length into the hole to form a slide. Place the seedling on a hill with its roots, spread the roots and make sure the grafting site at the base of the trunk is above ground level. Adjust the position of the tree by adding or removing soil from the slide. Check if all roots are in the ground.
   • If the seedling has roots at or above the graft site, cut them off and check again that the graft site is above the ground. If the roots from the grafting site reach the soil, then shoots will always grow from the roots, weakening the tree.
6. 6 Tamp the soil around the roots. Fill the voids around the roots of the tree with nutritious soil and make sure the roots are completely covered with soil. Step back and check if the tree is upright. Tamp the soil carefully.
7. 7 Water the roots. Water the planting area well so that the soil fills up any voids around the roots of the tree. Add soil, tamp it gently and water again. Continue this process until the soil at the planting site is level with the ground at the site.
   • However, do not overfill the water: if the roots of the tree are flooded, they will start to rot.
8. 8 Install tree supports if necessary. If you live in an area with strong winds, reinforce the seedling by tying it to a sturdy peg with a cloth tape or elastic band. It should be loose enough not to restrict the growth of the tree trunk. The support will also help the tree grow upright and tall.
9. 9 Cover the soil around the tree with a layer of organic mulch. This will keep the soil moist and protect the roots. In addition, mulch inhibits the growth of grass and weeds that compete with trees for nutrients and water. Check that the vaccination site is not covered with mulch; it must remain within sight, above ground level.
10. 10 Protect the tree from animals. If there are hares or other animals in your area that like to nibble on young trees, it may be worth protecting the tree from them. To do this, you can cut off 90-120 cm of netting or similar material. Bend the net into a ring and place it around the tree, securing it with a peg. The hedge should be higher than the tree.

Part 3 of 3: Caring for your fruit tree

1. 1 Decide on pruning. If you want the fruiting branches to grow low above the ground, prune the tree to knee height and reduce the side branches to one or two buds. This will channel the energy of the tree into the growth of low side branches. If you prefer that the tree does not have low branches, cut the branches that are low from the ground.
2. 2 Protect the tree from the scorching rays of the sun. Many gardeners use a white emulsion paint solution, half diluted with water, as a sunscreen when painting the trunk of a tree. If you live in an area with very hot sun, this method will help protect the tree from sunburn.
3. 3 Fight weeds. In order for the tree to grow strong and healthy, and its roots are protected, it is necessary to regularly weed the area around it. Weed by hand without using herbicides.
4. 4 There is no need to over-water the tree. The soil should not be wet all the time, as this can lead to root rot. Let the rainwater feed him. If it hasn't rained for a week, water the tree well, but then let the soil dry again.