 |
|
Dormancy is necessary for the health and life of fruit trees, which need a period of rest and cold to bring on their growing cycle in the spring; the safest time to transfer these young ones from the nursery to your garden is when they are in a state of dormancy. Whether you are planting bare root or containerized fruit trees, planting them in foreign soil requires a little bit of introduction.
If you choose to plant bare root, the lack of soil around the root base means that the roots will grow into the native soil, the same soil they will remain in during their life span. This ensures a healthier, stronger tree.
Fruit trees like loose soil with good drainage, and sunny locations; poor drainage is particularly troublesome to cherries and apricots. If your soil conditions are less than perfect, but the location you've chosen is, why not plant your new additions in a raised bed? This allows you to completely control the soil into which you are placing the trees. Whether in your native soil or in a raised bed, your trees need not be planted too deeply; the root system is what should be underground, not any part of the trunk. If your soil is a heavy clay type, try adding a few shovelfuls of a good amendment, well mixed with the native soil. This will help break up clay soils and improves drainage. No matter which kind of fruit tree you've chosen, practice patience. Choose smaller specimens, as the larger the tree the more out of balance will be the root to stem ratio. And while it may be momentarily painful, top your first year bare root off at 2 to 3 feet in height, with no side branches remaining. Doing this means that the scaffold, which is the lower side supporting structural branches, will be lower to the ground, making harvesting and pruning less of a chore. Pests can be a problem, but if you are proactive, and treat during the cool, dormant months, it will prove much more effective than waiting until warmer weather as this is when pests become active. February is the perfect time to prune trees, with the exception of larger limbed apricots, which should be pruned in July or August or prior to winter rains. (Smaller limbed apricots can be pruned in January.) After pruning, apply dormant oil spray, before the buds open. This will provide effective control of over-wintering scale, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and mites. Be sure to take this time to apply dormant sprays to apples, apricots, pears and peaches. Most dormant sprays are copper-based; read instructions carefully and do not spray near bird feeders or ponds. Fixed copper sprays on cherries, peaches and plums will control canker; allow six weeks between applications of copper and any sprays containing sulfur. Coming into March, apply a fixed copper spray to stone fruits only to control brown rot; do not use sulfur products on apricots. Group together trees that have similar spraying needs, and those varieties of fruit trees that require pollinators. Bees and the wind will assist you with this, so how lucky if your neighbors have cultivars that are needed for pollination of your trees! And imagine how sweet that first bite of fruit will taste! |
