- Author: Lee Miller, Master Gardener
Fall is the time to think about planning for the coming bare-root season when fruit trees and other plants are available in the bare-root stage which makes them cheaper to purchase and handle. For most of us with small back yards, it is best to buy fruit trees that are dwarf so that we can have more trees and more variety on the site. Keeping trees to a height of 8 ft. will also mean you won't need a ladder for pruning. You can also find trees with multiple varieties grafted onto one rootstock and this will work well for conserving space and providing a variety of fruit. However, it is important to learn how to prune such trees as one variety may become dominant to the detriment of others.
Another consideration is pest problems. I once had a lot of apples in a rather large home orchard. In retrospect this was a mistake as codling moths were a problem that I could not effectively deal with so I lost a lot of apples to this pest. I also had indigenous fire blight and that was a problem for pears and apples. Usually, it is best to buy apple or pear cultivars that are firelight resistant. I remember one heirloom apple that I had that was about 6 years old and coming into production with lots of apples and it got fire blight which went right to the root and killed the tree which was a great disappointment for me. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, persimmons, figs and plums do well in home gardens.
When purchasing bare-root trees in stores where the roots are usually enclosed in plastic bags with wood shavings or moss to keep them moist, it is wise to make sure the bag is well sealed so that roots are not drying out. If possible, purchase early in the bare root season and get them in the ground ASAP. When planting, make sure that the root is at the same depth as in the nursery, thus keeping the graft site above the soil level.
To plan the home orchard, make sure water for irrigation is available. Drip systems and mini-sprinklers will work well and conserve water. Mulching will help conserve soil moisture. Also, trees will need at least 6 hours of sunshine to be productive.
Pruning the trees properly is extremely important as is fruit thinning to promote larger and better fruit. The first pruning after planting is one of the most important and simple cuts to make. The tree should be topped at about 24-30 inches from the ground and any shoots below that point should be reduced to one bud. This will invigorate the tree and get it off to a good start and also shape the tree to an open center which is desirable for most fruit trees.
Young trees should be encouraged to grow vegetatively for the first 3 years. I leave two or three fruits on the tree to get a taste, but heavy cropping is avoided to develop the tree structure which would be slowed by too much fruit. Some trees like cherries, pears and some apples, will require spreaders to help spread branches to a 45 degree angle.
Upright branches generally remain vegetative and vigorous. Horizontal branches generally are more fruitful. Remove any suckers, water sprouts, or branches growing straight up into the tree. Downward bending branches eventually lose vigor and produce only a few small fruit; remove the part hanging down.
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