Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
Have you ever wanted to grow your own fruits? It’s a great way to make your garden look lovelier. And, you get to enjoy free fruits without having to go to the store and pay for them. If you’ve ever wondered, here’s how to plant new fruit trees in your garden.
In this article we go through the steps you can follow to plant your own tree at home. You get to choose the type of fruit you want so you can pick them from the tree and eat fresh.
Let’s get to it.
When is the Best Time to Plant a Fruit Tree?
One of the first things to consider is when to plant your tree. After all, we now live in a world where everyone wants instant gratification. And, since it takes the tree some time to grow and bear fruit, you might as well start at the right time.
One of the reasons why choosing the right time of the year to plant is you want your tree to grow on the right time. This, for most parts of the country is between March, April or June. But, if you’re in a hurry, you can start as soon as spring comes.
Spring is the optimal time to start planting because the weather starts to get warmer. In general, plants don’t like the cold. So, winter isn’t a good time for growing anything in your garden. If you live in an area where it snows hard and frost occurs, this can also be dangerous to trees because the icy cold can make their bark break.
Snow and rainy seasons aren’t good times as well. Excess moisture on the ground makes it harder for plants to grow. Plus, excess water also increases the risk of disease and pests.
Summer may or may not be a good time to grow your tree depending on where you live. Plants have a harder time growing when the weather gets really hot. The intense heat also causes the soil to dry up faster which means you’ll need to water your garden more frequently to make sure it’s well hydrated.
How to Plant a Fruit Tree Step By Step
1. Choose the Location
Now that we know when to plant, it’s time to choose where to put your trees. Unlike flowers or shrubs, trees can be a bit harder to find spots for. The main reason for this is that they can grow really big.
This means it’s very important to choose a spot where there’s enough room for it to grow. Ultimately, how big it gets will depend on the species you get. Some trees become huge. Others not so much. If you don’t have a lot of free space, you can opt for dwarf fruit trees.
These are much smaller than your regular fruits trees. But, they bear fruit as well. You can even plant many of these dwarf trees indoors as long as you don’t have very low ceilings.
Here are a few things to know before deciding on your tree and it’s planting site.
- How big does the mature tree get. Consider the height and diameter of the tree. Also, take into consideration how wide the branches spread out.
- Is the location far enough from your home, sidewalk, power lines, sewers or your neighbors? Trees grow in all directions. Its root system will expand and can damage sidewalks, walkways and sewer lines. Its branches and leaves extend outward which can grow into you home, windows or your neighbors’ place. Similarly branches can get tangled with power lines can cause electric disruptions.
- Does the location get at least 6 hours of sunlight daily? This is a good rule of thumb to make sure it gets enough exposure to help it grow.
- Is the soil in the site fertile? This is very important since it low quality soil means your tree won’t grow fully and possibly not bear fruit.
2. Start Digging
Now that you have all the preliminaries ready, it’s time to start digging the hole for the tree. This will take some work on your part depending on what tools you have.
A shovel works quite well if you’re willing to do it manually.
When you’re ready, dig a hole that’s about two time the depth and width of the tree’s roots. This will give you enough space to set the roots onto a solid foundation.
Many gardeners will also advice you to add compost in the hole. This improves soil quality making the root grow faster and better.
3. Planting the Tree
Next, it’s time to plant the tree. This is going to be a two to three person job, depending on how big a tree you get. You want to make sure that you set it on the right spot so that its root system is able to get hold of the soil in all directions.
In addition, it’s important to make sure that the tree is standing straight up. You don’t want it to tilt at an angle which will result in it growing like the leaning tower of Pisa. This makes it very difficult to maintain as the tree gets bigger.
4. Refilling the Hole With Soil
Once you have the tree in place, it’s time to put the soil back. You want to use the soil that you dug up when refiling the hole because this soil is very fertile. This soil will help your tree set its roots and also grow big and bear fruit.
When you’re almost done refilling the hole, make sure to tamp the ground to get rid of air pockets. You want the soil to be packed in so that the tree doesn’t fall in any direction when you leave. This also prevents strong winds from tipping it over during the first day or two.
5. Taking Care of Your Fruit Tree
Once you’re done planting, its time to get ready to care for the tree. Start by watering. And, if needed prune it. You’ll need to watch to see it grow and take care of it like you do other plants in your garden.
Related Posts
Plants You Should Grow Side By Side
9 Best Bathroom Plants for Your Home
9 Delicious Edible Plants You Can Grow In Your Apartment
Best Plants For Your Vegetable Garden
