Fruit trees provide your yard with shade, beauty and edible fruit in season, making them a true multipurpose plant. Planting new trees during dormancy minimizes shock and enables the tree to quickly send out new roots and establish during the spring growth flush. In areas with mild winter weather and few freezes, planting occurs at any time during dormancy, from late fall to late winter. The trees are available as bare-root trees or container plants, depending on the variety and whether they are fully dormant or semi-dormant.
Select a planting site that provides the amount of sunlight and soil drainage necessary for the specific fruit variety. Most fruit trees require full sunlight and well-drained soil to grow well.
Dig the planting hole 6 inches wider in all directions and 6 inches deeper than the root ball of the tree. Dig the hole 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep for a bare-root dormant tree.
Drive two 2-inch-wide, 6-foot-long stakes into the ground on either side of the hole, placing them about 2 feet out from the center of the hole; most fruit trees require support to grow straight until their roots are established.
Set the fruit tree in the hole. For bare-root trees, make a mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots around the mound. Set balled and burlap-wrapped roots in the holes with the burlap still in place. Set the tree at the same depth as it was growing previously or with the graft union scar on the trunk sitting level with the soil surface, or slightly above it.
Cut the ties holding the burlap in place, if applicable. Spread the burlap open in the hole but do not remove it from beneath the roots; the burlap decomposes on its own and won't block root growth.
Fill the hole a third full with the removed soil, then water thoroughly to firm it up. Continue adding soil in small increments followed by watering until the hole is filled.
Build a 4-inch soil mound around the base of the tree in a circle extending 3 feet out from the trunk. Fill the mound with a layer of shredded bark mulch. When watering, fill the space inside the mound with water, then allow it to soak in. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, until new growth shows, then water the trees every 7 to 10 days.
Tie the trunk to the two stakes. Dormant trees can fall over in windy weather since the roots have yet to begin growing and anchoring the tree. Wrap a rubber tree tie around the trunk 2 to 3 feet from the ground and attach it to one stake, Repeat with a second tie and the other stake. Keep the ties loose enough that they do not constrict the trunk and still allow slight natural movement in the wind once the tree begins to grow and root.
Things You Will Need
- 6-foot stakes
- Rubber tree ties
- Citrus trees, which grow well in warm climates and mild coastal regions, are only semi-dormant in winter since they are evergreen and usually sold as potted plants. Cherries, plums, apples and other deciduous trees are typically available as bare-root plants when sold as dormant trees.
- Purchase dormant fruit trees from local nurseries to ensure you get a variety that grows well in your area, especially in regions that experience minimal frost. For example, most apples require more winter chilling than they receive in a mild coastal region to set fruit unless you plant a low-chill variety, such as White Pearmain.
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