Receiving Bare Root Fruit Trees

RECEIVING AND PLANTING YOUR BARE ROOT FRUIT TREE

  1. Unpack your trees, remove all packing materials. Do not allow the roots to dry out.
  2. Dig a hole, wider than seems necessary, so the roots can grow outward without crowding. Remove any grass within a 3-foot circular area. To aid root growth, turn the soil in an area up to 3 feet in diameter.
  3. Plant the tree at the same depth it stood in the nursery, with plenty of room for the roots. Partially fill the hole, firming the soil around the lower roots as you go. Use organic planting mix. Do not use fertilizer at this time.

 

  1. Shovel in the remaining soil. It should be firm but not tightly packed. Construct a water-holding basin around the tree. Give the tree plenty of water.
  2. After the water has soaked in, spread protective mulch two inches deep in a 3-foot diameter area around the base of the tree, but not touching the trunk.
  3. Water the plant very well until the soil reaches saturation. Allow water to drain and repeat so soil reaches field capacity. Do not water again until the plant leafs out in the winter.
  4. Once the plant begins to bud/leaf out in the Spring, begin to deeply water weekly. Increase the frequency of water as the temperatures warm up towards the summer. Apply fertilizer in the Spring (around March – April). Use a complete fruit tree fertilizer, once the plant is leafed out.