Planting and Caring for New Fruit Trees...
When you have decided on which kind of fruit tree you would like, and
where you would like it, you can finally start to plant it. If you want to buy a
tree from a nursery, be especially careful when you are taking it from the
nursery to your house. I once had a friend who put the tree in the back of his
truck, but clipped a sign on the way home. The entire tree snapped in half,
and my friend was left a very sad man.
When you have gotten your tree safely back to your yard, look at the
bottom of it and see how big the clump of roots is. It may seem like a lot
of work now, but you want to dig a hole that is twice as wide as the
clump, and just a little less deep. Making the hole slightly bigger than
the clump of roots allows there to be room for the soil that you dug out
Ready to be put back in place.
Otherwise, you would be stuck with a giant heap of unwanted dirt, and
nowhere to put it. After you have dug the hole, line the hole with some
compost or fertilizer so that the tree will grow better. After you have done
this you should set your fruit into the tree hole, and spread the roots out
evenly so that the tree will be strong and stable.
When all of this business is done, take the soil that you dug up and fill
in the hole completely. Unless you want big piles of dirt everywhere, you
should be sure you use all of the dirt, even is it is a couple inches
higher than the rest of your yard.
This is because it will compress when watered. Before you firm up the
soil, make sure that the tree is completely vertical and will not fall over.
After you have checked that the tree is perfectly vertical you can gently
firm up the soil.
If the tree's trunk is not yet completely sturdy and can be bent, you need
to tie the tree to a stake with a bit of rope. Be sure not to tie the rope
tightly to the tree, as you need to allow room for the trunk to grow. Once
the tree is sturdy enough to withstand all types of weather, you can take
the stakes off of it.
When all of this is done, you should mulch around the base of the tree.
If you live in an area where wildlife can access your yard, then you
should put a fence around your tree, because some animals will eat the
bark off of young trees.
Once you have successfully planted your fruit tree it will start to bear
fruit after it is three to five years old. Once your tree starts to carry
a lot of fruit you should periodically pick some of the fruit so that the
branches aren't weighed down too much.
If the fruit gets too thick, the branches can break off. On some years
your tree might not bear as much fruit as others, but this should not
worry you. Healthy trees often take years on "vacation" where they
produce little or no fruit.
After you've planted your tree you might start to have some problems with
pests. To help keep these pests away, always rake away old leaves, brush,
or any other decaying matter that could be holding bugs that could be
harmful to your tree.
To make sure that your tree always stays healthy in the long run, you
should prune it during winter or spring. Water your tree every two weeks
during dry times, and be sure not to hit your tree with a lawn mower or a
weed eater because it could severely damage the growth process.
Also, just make sure that your tree gets plenty of water and plenty of sun,
and your growing experience should be just great.
Shockingly easy INCOME!
