Education
How to Plant a Fruit Tree
Please read the instructions carefully before you start planting so that you understand the full process before you begin.
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Many customers worry that cold temperatures around the time of planting will damage the tree. If your tree is well planted, you do not need to be concerned by any temperatures above 20°F.
1. Your trees have arrived! Open the box(es) and pull out the bundle(s).
We usually wrap the roots in plastic, which you can leave on for now. You should remove the trees from the box regardless of whether or not you are able to plant them immediately. If you purchased directly from our homestead or at a local event, you can simply leave your trees in their planting bags; if you are not ready to plant for a few days, please be sure to water your plants regularly.
2. If you can plant your trees immediately, go to step 3. If you are not able to plant your trees immediately, please do the following:
Never let the roots dry out!
If they are still in plastic wrap, you can stick a hose inside it to dampen them. If you are planning to plant within 24 hours you can soak the roots in a bucket of water. Do not soak them for more than 24 hours as they will drown.
Do not let your trees freeze or bake.
Keep them in a cool, dark place such as a garage.
If you cannot plant for a week or longer, you should “heel in” your trees.
This means covering the roots in soil and keeping them moist. It’s like a half-way house for your trees. This step is not required if your tree(s) is already in a grow bag.
3. Time to plant
Dig a hole the size of a bushel basket. This would be about 16" deep by 16" in diameter (or as wide as the root system). If you have a nice rich, loamy soil then just use the same soil for backfill. If you have poor soil, make a 50/50 mix with either potting soil or compost. Your soil should be crumbly, if it is soggy enough that you can form mud balls, you can simply replace the backfill with fresh soil.
4. Bring out just one tree at a time, or drag a bin with water in it to the planting area and put all the trees into it.
This is important because you don’t want the roots to dry out while you are planting.
5. Place the tree in the hole.
When you have finished all planting steps, the graft union should be 2-3" above the soil line.
6. Backfill the hole with your soil mix half way.
Do not add raw fertilizers or raw manure to soil mixture. Tamp the soil thoroughly with your heel to eliminate air pockets. Pour in ½ gallon of water. Allow the water to drain. Tamp again with your heel. Tamping thoroughly is an important step. This gets rid of air pockets. Backfill the rest of the hole with soil. Water again. Tamp again with your feet. Come back the next day, after it has completely settled and water and tamp yet again. Of all the waterings in a tree’s life these are the most important! The end result should be a slight bowl surrounding the tree to aid in water retention.
7. If you are going to stake your tree (recommended for dwarf and semi dwarf apple trees), then this is the time to do it.
A good solid metal T-stake 8' to 10' tall will work. Make sure to pound it well into the ground. Ideally, you should pound it in next to the tree before backfilling. This is an important stake; the weight of future apple crops depends on it, so take your time and pound it in well. The stake should be about 5" from the central leader (trunk) of the tree.
After You Have Planted Your Trees:
Topping Your Trees
So your trees are planted. What's next? Topping your trees.
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This can be a painful process, but please do it! Although we sometimes have to prune the trees to fit into the shipping boxes, the pruning that we do at shipping time is usually not enough. Be brave! Cut the tops as we suggest below, and you and your trees will be much happier. Topping promotes strong, healthy growth and gives you a well-shaped tree.
If you don't top the trees, the chances of it surviving are decreased.
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To top your trees, trim the central leader back to 38" from the graft union and all side branches back to 3/4" nubs. This will give your trees their greatest chance of survival and vibrant growth. Use Dutch cuts! If the tree is shorter than 38" from the graft union, there is no need to top it.
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(A Dutch cut is a type of pruning cut used to encourage regrowth. The cut is made at an angle such that the remaining stub is wider at the base and narrower at the top. This encourages new growth to emerge at a nice wide angle from the underside of the cut.)
Fertilizer and Water
All trees should be watered 1-2 times a week throughout the season with 3-4 gallons of water. We do recommend fertilizer a month after planting:
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4 oz of 10-10-10 or 10-20-10 (the extra phosphorus helps root development of young trees) can be scattered around the base and watered in.
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If using Miracle Grow, follow the label instructions.
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Too much fertilizer is not a good thing; too little, and you don't get enough growth. Do not fertilize after August 1. This is like giving a toddler coffee at bedtime.
Weeds and Critters
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Keep the weeds away as these steal nutrition from your tree and provide a hideout for damaging insects. Use whatever method you prefer: landscape fabric and cardboard are popular choices, but growers should be aware that these materials make great homes for voles and mice, which are likely to girdle your tree over winter. We do not recommend herbicides in the establishment year.
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For deer, the best protection is a fence. Repellents work only if applied every 7-10 days without fail. There is no point in planting a tree if the deer, mice, etc. are going to destroy it. Lots of money and time wasted!
Fruit Tree Height & Spacing
You are probably eager to know just how many trees you can plant on your land. Perhaps you would like to grow not just apples, but also peaches, pears, and cherries. Whatever your goals are, the guidelines on this page will help you plan your slice of paradise.
There are several reasons why trees need adequate spacing: In order to properly care for your tree, you need to prune it every year and mow around it regularly (if the area is planted with grass) during the growing season. This means you need to be able to maneuver easily around the tree when it is mature. Additionally, proper spacing allows for good airflow and light penetration, both of which are necessary to the health and productivity of a fruit tree. As is often the case in the universe of agriculture, there are no hard and fast rules for tree spacing, but you do need to give a tree enough space to achieve its full “treeness” so you need to know roughly how big the mature tree will be.
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Below we have outlined some very rough and ready dimensions for mature trees, but these should be adjusted to accommodate varieties that are extremely vigorous such as Mutsu or Northern Spy. For example, a modern orchard will plant Honeycrisp on dwarf G.11 rootstock at a spacing of 3' between trees and 10' between rows, and use a renewal pruning system to keep them contained and fruitful. Honeycrisp on G.11 will reach a height of about 10' and a diameter of 6-8' if allowed to reach its full capacity. By comparison, Mutsu will reach a height of 12'-14' on G.11 and require 8-10' between trees. Don’t worry if your trees are crowded later on down the road. You can always compensate with summer pruning.
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If you are planning to use a special training method such as espalier, you should research the spacing that is appropriate to that training.
Guidelines for Tree Spacing
The table below is intended to provide guidelines for spacing. The spacing recommendations refer to the average spread of a tree with a permanent scaffold system.
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As a general rule, keep your trees at least 6' from a structure or fenceline unless you are growing espalier.
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The final diameter and height of a tree will vary significantly according to numerous factors that include variety vigor, pruning, and growing conditions.
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If a pollenizer is required, it should be within 100 feet of its partner tree.
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For further reading about planning garden spacing, check out Tips on Planning a Fruit Garden at Dave’s Garden and Fruit Orchard Design for Small Spaces at Mother Earth News. Homesteaders will find great advice on forums such as homestead.org, which has published Planning the Homestead Orchard.
Trees Per Acre
The chart below provides guidelines for trees per acre in large orchards. The top row designates spacing between trees, while the left column designates space between rows.
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Realistically, if you are only looking to start a small orchard or you want a few trees for your back yard, all trees sold by Hidden Homestead Nursery, LLC can be planted roughly 10’ apart. You can plant closer, but please remember that when the trees mature, you’ll need to get your mower between/underneath the trees, etc. So, spacing is your friend in terms of ease.
