Planting out fruit trees

kate83

I've got a few fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry and plum) that I've had growing in containers for the last 3/4 years. I'm wanting to plant them out into the ground as it's difficult to get the watering right in pots. They're all on dwarf rootstocks so will need staking but I was reading that you should remove all fruits in the first year to let it establish - does this just apply when they're very young or whenever you're planting it somewhere new? I don't want to take them off if I don't have to as last year was the first year they'd all produced a decent crop.

GreenNotM

Hi Kate

Not sure about the advice you have been given. No need to stake them - a little wind rock will thicken the stem and you will not risk damaging the bark with the tie. I would view the trees as established, so no need to remove the fruit.
Plant them no deeper then they are in their pots , if you can place them so most growth is into the prevailing wind.

The hole should be twice the width of the container, to allow for the roots to be spread, if pot bound. The bottom of the hole should be undistrubed soil, no need to over dig.
Water/soak the container before you start digging. Fill the hole with water. allow it to drain. When you come to take the trees out the pots - loosen the roots, if pot bound, cutting away some of the roots (1-2cms) will stimulate root growth. Place the tree in the centre of your hole, then slowly fill with the soil you have removed, sub soil in first, top soil at the top, do not use anything else. Tread down the soil every 3 inches added - you do not want air holes around the roots. Water and wait for it to drain at each level, till the hole is full of soil.

With the excess soil - create a watering-dish around the tree 2ft diameter, a soil ridge to hold water. Then slowly fill this dish with water. Allow to drain then add a mulch to suppress weed growth and help reduce water loss. If you want to feed the tree - just add a slow release one to the top soil around the watering dish and under the mulch... the newly planted tree will need regular watering, to help it over the shock of the move. Trees do not move in nature !

HTH helps and it is the latest way of planting fruit trees !