Planting some trees..fruit trees

   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #1  

shady1701

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Jul 7, 2003
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I just got started on my project to plant some trees i was wondering if anyone has a orchard or knows any trips.. Just tilled about 1/2 acre in long strips about 15' apart 4.5-5' wide after i had subsoiled it..

now i'm going to plan on putting some out i'm looking at miniture peaches, apple trees. I was wondering spacing and any way to keep down the maintence on them.
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #2  
10 to 12 feet between trees and rows would be ok for the dwarf varieties. The spacing would depend mostly on the size of your mower. UC recommends digging an 8 to 10 foot box to place a tree in. Planting height is determined by the upper roots which should be partly exposed. They claim soil amendments have no effect on the tree's viability. There should be at least a foot of bare ground around the trunk, compost or mulches touching the tree is a no, no. Grasses produce chemicals that inhibit tree growth. I've got two sour cherries, two different apples, a necterine, a plum and a pear. The plum evidently got transported too far, and died from wind burn. Staking should be done on two sides using relatively wide cloth strips, and should be removed when the tree is capable of standing upright on its own hook, that is when the ground firms up enough. More trees die from overwatering than any other cause. Of course, I had to plant in the wettest year since I've been in TN. Good luck, and great eatin'.
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees
  • Thread Starter
#3  
yap were supposidly 20" above normal for the year already.. I'd say thats right the corn here didn't get 5' hopefully my late setting will make a little more.

I was going to plant next month. I had set some out about 2 months ago and 2 of the 6 i put out died of heat..
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #4  
Dig the holes this Fall. Order bare root stock this Fall (it has all the little roots and hairs intact) for early spring delivery and plant. You get the full complement of roots, they're cheaper and that first important season is long as the trees hormones are raging. With the holes already dug you can plant earlier otherwise it will be too wet to get equipment in the field that early in the spring /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #5  
I'm not an expert, but do have about thirty trees in our orchard. This is my second orchard. I reluctantly left the first, well established one in Indiana when I moved south.....

Personally, I've had better luck with fall planting than spring, so I would go ahead and put them in this fall if you have the time and if your winters are not too severe. Even though they are supposedly semi-dormant when shipped, they will settle in and put out some roots to help them get a jump on spring. Don't use too many amedments to your soil....sometimes they do more harm than good. Mulch them well, but not right up against the trunk.

Sabi
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #6  
Have to agree with planting in the fall, especially in your area. Gives the root system time to establish itself without the added stress of trying to produce leaves and the extreme heat of summer.
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Well i tried planting some elm trees i had "established" in my front yard but they have died of course now after it raining all spring/summer it hasn't rained in close to a week..

When do you all guess be the best time to plant would next month sometime be about right i think it starts getting cooler here around middle sept?

I also have another property that has alot of dogwoods and maples i thought about putting on a hill here any tips on transplanting probaly 6-8' tall trees?

thanks for info..
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #8  
I've got a couple of dogwoods that were pushed over, against my wishes, by the dozer man who cleared my electric right of way. They still bloom every spring. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
   / Planting some trees..fruit trees #9  
Shady,

Generally summer transplanting is a no-no because it puts too much stress on the plants. Most nurseries won't even ship to your area til October, which is a pretty good clue. They want to wait until the sap stops flowing strong and the trees are headed towards dormancy before uprooting and shipping them. I would wait until around mid-October if I were you. In the meantime you can dig your holes and prepare your soil.

In addition to making sure the soil is pressed around the roots so no air pockets remain, and that they are well watered in, you may also want to protect the tops from dessication (drying out) If Indian summer conditions persist and you are concerned about sun scald, you can drape burlap over the branches.

Regarding moving small forest trees...it can be tricky. All the above applies, plus you will want to get as much of the roots as you can. Tractor time! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif....try to minimize the time between digging and planting...you can do that by prepping the holes in advance and putting the trees in as quickly as possible. If you do have to hold them over, put them in the shade and cover the roots well or heal them into a shallow ditch. A bit of pruning at planting time is also a good practice...but don't take more than a third of the growth off.

One other thought....either whitewash the trunks or, better yet, pick up some of those plastic trunk wraps to help protect your young trees.

Planting is fun and it is a thrill to see them grow. Enjoy!

Sabi
 
 
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