Planting Bare Root Trees

Planting a potted tree or rose bush  is similar to planting a bare root one.

There was a question on Facebook about this, so to help out any of you planting bare root trees here is one good way. If you can't get them planted right away, unwrap the roots and let them soak in a bucket of mud in the coolest place you can. Fruit trees need full sun and well drained soil. Around here drainage isn't usually an issue unless you are on some of the heavy clay in a low spot; that could cause root rots if excess water can't drain away from the roots in a day or so.

Dig a nice big hole, much wider than you think you need it to be. And probably deeper. If the soil is heavy clay then score the sides and bottom of the hole so that it is not a slick bowl. The scores will help the roots get out into the soil a little easier.

I usually add some well aged compost or leaf mold and mix it into the soil in the bottom and mix more of it about half and half with the soil that I'm going to put back into the hole. Don't use any chemical fertilizers or fresh manure! They will burn the tree roots.

Take a look at the trees roots and spread them out gently. With your pruners cut back any roots that have gotten broken. Spread the roots out in the hole. There will be a knob or bump on the trunk where it was grafted. You want that knob to end up just above the soil line when you are finished, so adjust the position of the tree with that in mind. And of course make sure the trunk is standing up straight.

If the soil is very dry I usually fill the hole to the top with water and let it soak in before I go set the tree in. Gently begin the back fill, firming up the soil as you go. You don't want to have any air pockets down around those roots. You will probably have to hold the tree up a bit at first, until you get enough soil in there and get it packed down a bit.  When I've got the roots covered I usually water again, to help settle the soil even more.

There have been several studies done about whether pruning a tree at planting time helps it (the theory is to make less top because it's lost so many roots in the process). Most of the studies show that pruning does not really give the tree an advantage and that the very, very best thing you can ever do for your trees is to mulch them. I generally don't prune newly planted trees, unless I am planning an espalier (where you prune it to grow flat along a fence or wall ) or some of the branches are broken. If they are broken I either cut them back to the first bud below the break or take them all the off at the trunk.

Now make a berm  at least 3-4 feet out away from the trunk to hold water. You will need to enlarge this area each year as the tree grows. Tree roots (in fact most plants) go deeper into the soil than the top and they grow wider than the branches. Now fill the berm area with about 4-6 inches of mulch, the best is course compost or tree leaves. Next would be straw or hay. Redwood chips are not really that great; they are more for weed control. What you want under your fruit tree is material that will not only help keep the water in the soil, but also break down slowly and feed the tree.

I especially recommend you check out the Dave Wilson Nursery site. They have some great articles about planting and caring for your back yard orchard, especially about different styles of pruning and when and why you should prune depending on the objectives you have in mind.