I worked on starting our new homestead orchard this week and put together a step by step guide how to plant bare root fruit trees. I ordered three varieties of peach trees from Legg Creek Farm: the Rio Grande Peach, Red Baron Peach, and Florida King Peach. Ordering one tree of each variety will yield plenty of fruit one day for our family.
Why plant bare root fruit trees?
I planted both potted fruit trees and bare root fruit trees at our old home quickly realizing the bare root trees acclimated themselves much more quickly than the potted trees. The bare root fruit trees looked healthier overall and had faster growth rates than their potted counter parts.
Using a mail-order nursery with bare root trees usually offers more fruit tree varieties than big box stores. I have also found that the online nurseries also add more information about the varieties regarding pollination needs and required chill hours. Pay close attention to the chill hours required for your area. Chill hours are how many hours of weather you have between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Below is a map of chill hours for Texas. If you’re in another state your local agriculture extension agent should be able to tell you how many chill hours are in your county.
Bare root trees are also more economical to acquire through a mail-order nursey. The freight is significantly less as soil is not included. The nursey will soak your trees roots in moist material, often times sawdust, wrap the roots really well in plastic to hold in the moisture and ship them to your door step.
Steps for How to Plant Bare Root Fruit Trees
- As soon as your trees arrive, prepare to plant them quickly. If you must wait a day or two, keep them stored in a cool dark place. Check their roots for dryness; if they are dry rehydrate the packing medium.
- Soak your bare root fruit trees’ roots in a bucket of water for one to two hours prior to planting.
- Dig a hole twice as round and deep as your tree roots.
- Back fill the hole with some of the native soil, mixed with about 1/3 – 1/2 a bag of compost. Mix the the native soil and compost together well.
- Water the compost and soil mixture well and place your tree in the planting hole.
- Gently fan the tree roots out to train the roots to spread outwardly.
- Fill the rest of the hole with native soil and compost.
- Keep the soil line approximately 2-3 inches below the graft line (small bump shown on the trees trunk area).
- Create a berm of soil around the tree to create a small bowl so the tree can capture water.
- Water, water, water. The first two weeks after planting, water your tree every other day. Thereafter, water weekly unless you have received 1″ of rainfall.
It’s very easy to grow your very own fruit and economical, especially when you start with bare root trees. Patience is a virtue as it will take 2-3 years before you get your first fruit, but it is well worth the wait.
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