Saving some fruit trees

[1930]

Tractor supply had many trees under an overhang completely neglected, more than 30 of them were fruit trees, I was able to buy them for 5 dollars a piece. Average height is 8 ft some 12-14 and some 5-6 ft high so nice sizes.

They need help, the pots were much too small, they werent watered in who knows how long, some had completely defoliated, some of the varieties will never produce fruit in Florida so why they were even in Southish florida Ill never understand.

I brought them home Thurs evening, same night put them in 15 gallon pots and added some cheap Lowes tree and shrub potting mix. I also gave them some liquid miracle grow stuff cause its all I had.

Some are showing improvements, some dont look much to any better. There were also 7 fig trees, they spruced up almost immediately with the sunlight and possibly the miracle grow helped.

Ive already put the fig trees in the ground on my property. Ive noticed fig trees appear to be a very hardy tree.

Id like to save every one of them regardless of wether Id see fruit or not. Im sure they would make very nice looking trees.

Can someone please tell me what else I could do? Thanks

 

[Jstpssng]

I would keep putting the water to them. If you scratch the bark and it's green inside the trees are still alive; if the inner bark is brown they probably are dead. Still, for $5.00 you can't go wrong.

 

[Diggin It]

I got a real Charlie Brown type Nectarine tree from them a few months back. I thought sure it was a goner, very little green anywhere and not more than a foot tall. Soaked it, potted it, fed it, watched it. No signs of new life, but what little green there was stayed green. Maybe a month later new small leaves appeared in the two leaf sections. They grew a bit, then stopped. Some time later a nub appeared just above the soil line. What popped out of that nub is now close to three feet tall with a few branches. Next Spring, I'll nip off the old stem and let the new one take over.

Water and fertilizer, Miracle Grow if you have it.

 

[rswyan]

... Id like to save every one of them regardless of wether Id see fruit or not. Im sure they would make very nice looking trees.

Can someone please tell me what else I could do? Thanks

They were probably root-bound.

If you didn't hit the rootballs and loosen them up when you repotted them, I'd pull them out of whatever they are in now and do that. Use a claw-type tool or a turning fork. You might even take some hand pruning shears and give the roots a slight trim to stimulate new growth.

 

[jaxs]

I got a real Charlie Brown type Nectarine tree from them a few months back. I thought sure it was a goner, very little green anywhere and not more than a foot tall. Soaked it, potted it, fed it, watched it. No signs of new life, but what little green there was stayed green. Maybe a month later new small leaves appeared in the two leaf sections. They grew a bit, then stopped. Some time later a nub appeared just above the soil line. What popped out of that nub is now close to three feet tall with a few branches. Next Spring, I'll nip off the old stem and let the new one take over.

Water and fertilizer, Miracle Grow if you have it.

The nub is below graft line and will not be same as top portion of tree,
It might become an attractive tree but fruit will be inferior or non-existant. OP should watch for this and base decisions on keep or destroy on fact tree will not produce desirable fruit. It would be wise to prune heavy during apporate month for each varity to balance top with roots next growing season. A small but vigours top is more resistant to disease,drought and insects that a large weak top.

 

[1930]

There is still green in the cambium layer, not badly root bound but still in need of larger pots.

 

[mcfarmall]

The nub is below graft line and will not be same as top portion of tree,
It might become an attractive tree but fruit will be inferior or non-existant. OP should watch for this and base decisions on keep or destroy on fact tree will not produce desirable fruit. It would be wise to prune heavy during apporate month for each varity to balance top with roots next growing season. A small but vigours top is more resistant to disease,drought and insects that a large weak top.

Yup. Fruit trees are made by grafting the desired strain onto a "rootstock". The sucker that sprouted down low is from the hardy rootstock and will not likely bear any desirable fruit.

 

[big bubba]

They were probably root-bound.

If you didn't hit the rootballs and loosen them up when you repotted them, I'd pull them out of whatever they are in now and do that. Use a claw-type tool or a turning fork. You might even take some hand pruning shears and give the roots a slight trim to stimulate new growth.

absolutely 2nd this. as mentioned, before installing them on site, rough up the existing root ball. sometimes i use a hack saw to score 1/2" deep cuts (or more) around the root ball circumference. otherwise the trees will continue to be root bound in their new location no matter how well you treat them. good luck, you got a deal if they do well. & don't forget irrigation if it's dry over the dormant season, many times people forget that in the cool weather.
also, do you have deer in the area? buck rubs can be devastating during the rut, they also love tender shoots & leaves.

 

[Diggin It]

Mine was in a small cardboard tube/package like a rosebush, not a bigger tree bucket. Not sure there is/was a graft, but I'll look closer today. It does have new growth on the old/original stem, so that is probably still viable.

.

 

[skipmarcy]

Another helpful hint I've used many times for trees and some other plants is to mix 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water and water with it a couple of times over a week or two. For my fruit trees I also used the fertilizer stakes you drive into the ground around the drip edge for the first couple of years, twice a year.