Fruit Trees are a great addition to any yard. They not only have beautiful blossoms but they also produce tons of fresh fruit for the stay-at-home gardener. Some of the best trees to plant are Apple, Cherry, Peach, Pear and Plum. One good thing about Fruit Trees is that they are not that particular about the soil that they live in like so many other trees.
A Fruit Tree's biggest requirement is at least 6 hours of direct sunlight along with adequate watering. As far as planting, Fruit Trees can be planted as soon as the ground is thawed. DO NOT prune your Fruit Trees in the fall. Pruning in the fall may encourage the tree to continue growing. It must stop growing for some time in order to harden-off before winter. If it does not have this hardening-off period, it will not become come fully winter hardy, and winter injury will occur.
How to Plant a Fruit Tree: Start by cutting through the sod in a circle that is about a foot wider than the diameter of the root ball. Then dig a hole wide enough to allow the root system to fit without roots wrapping around the edge of the hole in a circle. Trim off any broken or damaged roots before planting. Place the trees in the hole and fill the hole with topsoil.
Pack the soil in the hole by gently stamping it with your feet. After the hole is filled, water the trees with two to five gallons of water, poured slowly enough so that the water doesn’t run off. Watering the new trees is important to help get it started, especially in the first few weeks after planting. A good rule is to apply five gallons of water around the base of the trees every week of the growing season in which there is less than an inch of rainfall.
