Tips For Planting and Growing Fruit Trees
If you want to plant a new fruit tree, several points need to be considered. First you need to decide on the kind of tree and the place of growing. In case you buy the young tree in a nursery think carefully about the way of transport: I know of a man who had an accident on the way home with his truck. His tree was divided into two parts.
As soon as you safely arrive at your home, you can start with the preparation. First you need to examine the clump of roots, because the hole you have to dig should be bigger and deeper in size than the roots. This sounds like a lot of work, but it is important to get all of the soil back to the hole. You do not want to have a heap of useless dirt in your yard! In a second step you need to put some compost or fertilizer in the whole, so that your tree will grow well. After these steps you can put the fruit tree into the hole spreading its roots out evenly. Only then the tree will be stable and strong.
When the tree is set in the hole you need to put the soil back into the hole and fill it up to the edge. The soil can be a little higher than the rest of your yard, it will be compressed when watered. It is important that the tree is vertical and stable, only then you should firm up the soil in a gentle way.
The trunk may be unsteady and bendy. In that case you tie the tree with a rope to a stake, but not too tightly because the trunk needs room to grow. As soon as the new tree is sturdy and can withstand windy and rainy weather, you may untie the rope. Finally you should mulch the soil around the tree and, if wild animals can access your yard, put a fence around it. This is necessary because some animals like to eat the bark especially of young trees.
If your tree is successfully planted it will bear its first fruits after three to five years. In case your tree is carrying many fruits, pick some of them off, otherwise the branches will be too heavy. The branches can even break off if the fruit gets too thick. It is also possible that your tree will not carry any fruit in some years. This is a normal reaction of a healthy tree and a kind of pause. In the following year it will probably bear fruits again.
If you have any problems with pests, watch out for decaying leaves at the base of your tree. Rake away old leaves regularly so that harmful bugs get no chance to breed and to harm your tree.
Remember to prune your tree in wintertime and spring, so that it will be healthy for a long time. During dry times, you should water the tree every two weeks. Avoid hitting the tree with your lawn mower or weed eater or anything that could disturb the process of growing. The best you can do for a great growing experience is to give your new tree plenty of water and sun.
