We all love a crisp apple or a zesty lemon, but the taste of fresh fruit is so much better when you know it comes from your own backyard. However, it can often be difficult, frustrating, and incredibly time consuming to actually get those fruit to grow! Here are some helpful tips on how to plant and care for fruit trees!
How To Plant And Care For Fruit Trees
Space
While this depends on what kind of trees you plans to grow, a safe distance between trees is about eight feet. This allows enough space for them to grow without their roots interfering with each other.
Pollination
Some fruit trees are self-pollinating while others require a mix of bees, butterflies, wind, and spores to start producing fruits. Talk to your local nursery about what plants work best in your area so you can get the most fruit possible from your garden!
Timing
Some fruit trees grow best at specific times of the year, whether that be early spring, late summer, or somewhere in between. You can find this information online or by talking to other fruit tree growers, just make sure that you get your tree planted at the most optimal time.
Digging the Hole
This may sound like an easy task, but there’s quite a bit of calculating that goes into it. Make sure the hole is wide enough so the roots don’t get bent and tall enough to cover the entire root system. The wider the hole, the more space the roots have to expand.
Loosen Dirt
When digging the hole, many gardeners often forget to loosen the dirt around the edges. If you don’t do this, oftentimes the roots have a harder time penetrating the soil, thus delaying growth and possibly causing damage. Take a little extra time and make sure to loosen any clods of hard dirt that may be around the hole’s edge.
Stakes
Not all fruit trees need to be staked down, but if you’re worried about awkward growth or strong winds bending the trunk, then stakes are a great option to prevent that from happening! Keep the stakes at a reasonable distance and make sure the pressure is evenly applied across the trunk so it doesn’t get bent.
Plant it!
Finally, time to plant! Lightly place the tree into the hole and spread the roots out evenly. Once you’ve done that, equally add soil until you’ve covered both roots and hole. Make sure not to damage the roots by heavily compacting the soil or carelessly tossing it into the hole.
Fertilizer and Soil
Every tree and region will require different types of soil and fertilizer, so be aware of what will best help your fruit tree grow. Usually a combination of topsoil, compost, and/or fertilizer are used to get your tree as healthy as possible. When in doubt, ask the local nursery for tips and advice.
Watering
Many fruit trees get damaged in their first few weeks and months because of overwatering. While your tree will need water, pay special attention to the condition of the soil and tree at the beginning. Usually you will want to water until the top two inches of soil are moist.
Pests and Disease
Again, the type of prevention you use will depend on where you live and the pests and diseases that are most common to plants in that region. You can choose a chemical pesticide or go with a natural repellent to keep your fruit tree as healthy and strong as possible.
I hope these tips on how to plant and care for fruit trees helps you! Looking for more fruit tree tips? Check out my post on easy ways to prune fruit trees!
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