Two years ago, before we moved to the acreage, we planted a bunch of hardy fruit trees. We were so excited that we bought all these fancy varieties of apples, pears, and apricots. We planted them and watered them with care, only to discover two years later that almost all of them had died except for one.
I thought I knew how to plant a tree. Don’t you just dig a hole twice as wide as the base, put dirt in it, water it, maybe prevent it from some deer, and walk away?
Clearly, the answer is no.
I recently had an onsite masterclass with my friend, ISA Certified Arborist and Urban Forester Dave Kearnsy of Kearnsy Consulting and Educational Services. I figured since I was reinvesting in hardy fruit trees, this time, I wanted to plant them the correct way.
So, on a warm June morning, I gathered a few of my neighbours who also wanted to learn, and Dave showed me, in the most kind way possible, that everything I had done was wrong. Here’s what I learned, so you won’t have to make the same mistakes.
HOW to Properly Plant a Fruit Tree
1. Dig a shallow, angled hole
I thought I knew how to dig a hole. To be fair, probably everybody reading this also thinks they know how to dig a hole to plant a tree. However, digging a shallow, angled hole instead of a deep circular hole is very important. This will allow the roots to move. I also realized the error in my ways when I dug up one of the dead trees, and you could see that the roots hadn’t moved from the original pot shape in two years.
2. Massage the roots to within an inch of their life (if it’s a potted tree)
Where we live in Saskatchewan, we tend to get the trees and plants that are last on the shipping container, meaning that we tend to get the most root-bound things possible. You’ll need to massage those roots out very hard to give your plant the best chance at success. When you remove them from the container, if you feel like you’re almost killing the tree, you’ve probably massaged the roots enough.
Related: How to Plan and Grow a Thriving Orchard in Zone 3
3. Expose the roots to light as little as possible
With the second set of trees, I got bare-root seedlings. When you’re planting those bare roots, it’s important to keep them covered as much as possible and not leave them out in the sun for too long. This kills off important microbes. But don’t quote me on it; ask Dave for clarification!
4. Don’t plant too deep
Have you ever seen those really old trees where you can see the base of the roots coming out of the soil? That’s the correct planting depth. Most people cover that part entirely, and that’s one of the number one reasons their trees end up dying. This is also why I don’t like planting flowers underneath trees because, in doing so, you build up the soil, which can also lead to killing your tree.
Related: 28 Hardy Fruits You Can Grow in Zone 2 & 3
5. Refill the hole with a mixture of existing soil and a good-quality compost
We do this so that the water gets down to the roots. If you leave them in two separate layers, the water will permeate the first layer before it goes to the second layer, but by mixing the layers, we’re making things easier on the tree.
6. Mulch and stake the tree
Grass is one of fruit trees’ worst enemies, so by mulching, we give our trees a good chance at life. In addition to staking, you might also want to put some sort of fence, chicken wire cage, or hardware cloth around the trunk.
Related: 6 Hardy Fruits You Can Grow From Seed
If you live in Saskatoon and area, Dave runs these classes in person. He offers several different kinds of learning opportunities, and you can learn all about them on his website. I would say, after my experience with Kearnsy Consulting, if you’re going to buy some fruit trees or other trees for your orchard or acreage, put some money aside to learn from Dave so you’re not spending an outrageous amount of money on trees just to have a dead orchard!
Do it correctly the first time, and give your trees the best chance of success!
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Happy gardening!
Kirby Trueman