It has been some time since my last blog.... no real excuses except time just keeps moving on.  Now is the time of year (Jan.-March in Portland) to plant your new tree!  I prefer buying bear root trees from the nursery as they tend to be more vigorous after planting.  Below is a step by step pictorial guide to planting your bear root tree.  Happy February.

Tree Planting Guide

 

Have the area in which you plant to plant your tree free of grass and/or mulched the year before you plant

Bare root Tree from Nursery – Buy your tree or have it shipped to you in the winter

With the fruit tree centered in the area of planting, measure the size of the planting hole, generally 2x as wide as the area of the roots

Using a digging fork, excavate the area for the tree hole putting the dirt removed to the sides of the hole

Place the tree in the excavated hole so that the roots spread out naturally to all sides and the graft union is 2-3” above the soil line

 

Refill the hole with the soil removed, tamping it lightly as you go and keeping the tree as vertical and straight as possible.  Fertilize the planted tree with about a cup of pelleted fertilizer spread evenly around the planting area

 

Mulch the entire 12’-12’ grass free area about 6-8” deep

 

Water the tree lightly over the entire planting area until there is standing water

 

Perform the Initial Pruning Cut of the tree to about 2-2.5’ above the ground

Exceptions to the Rule #1 and #2:

 

1.    Do not perform initial pruning cut to stone fruits as they are very susceptible to bacterial canker in the winter in the Pacific North West.  Stone fruits are generally precocious and should grow well without the initial pruning.

2.    Do not perform initial pruning cut to a tree grafted with multiple varieties as you could most likely prune out all your grafts!!