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Tips on Planting Stone Fruit Trees:
Before we know it, spring will be here. The first day of spring falls on March 20th, which means it's less than four weeks away. In these last few weeks of winter, we have been drying oranges, fertilizing, and planting trees. We're just finishing up planting a new apricot orchard, and now, we'll patiently tend to this new orchard for the next 1000 days before it provides any fruit. If you are interested in planting any bare root, fruit trees, now is the time. Some think they need to wait until spring, but in reality, it is very near to the end of planting season. The best time to plant bare root, fruit trees is prior to blossoming. Here are some tips that can help you pick the best tree for your needs.
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The taste of the fruit
For example, if someone enjoys juicy sweet apricots in the summer and decides to plant an apricot tree, they shouldn't walk into a nursery and grab any apricot tree. Look to see what trees are sweeter or tangier. If you like many tastes of fruits, you can find a tree with different vareties on one tree. In other words you can pick a cherry tree that grows big red Bing cherries on one limb and tasty yellow Rainier cherries on another limb.
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Resistance to problems
Find a tree you can manage - Earlier ripening peach and nectarine trees are less susceptible to worms and some dieses.
- Persimmons, Citrus, and Pomegranates are good choices becaues they have fewer pests.
- Mid season Plums, Prunes, and Apricots are next.
- Late season Peaches, Nectarines, Pears, and Apples are more susceptible to problems like peach leaf curl, worms, and fire blight, to list a few.
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Chill Hours
An important thing to consider when finding the right tree is the amount of chill hours that a tree needs to properly come out of dormancy. Have you ever wondered why a tree can go through a warm spell in the winter but did not begin to bud? It is because the tree has not been in a state of 32° to 45° for a long enough period of time. If a tree enters spring and has not had enough chill hours, it can diminish the amount of fruit, reduce the quality of fruit, and even weaken the tree. Local nurseries should know how many chill hours a fruit tree will need for your area.
More on Chill Hours
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Self Pollinating Trees
One will also need to know if the tree they pick is self pollinating. Some trees need another type of tree for cross pollination in order to produce fruit.
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- Root System
Pick a tree with a healthy root system that does not look dry, diseased, or has turned in to a large root ball. The stem of the tree should be strong and straight.
- Planting the tree
As you wait to plant your tree, make sure the roots do not get dry. We use an organic mixture of microorganisms that are beneficial to the tree and help fight harmful microorganisms.
Pick a sunny spot for your tree where the soil allows water to drain well so the tree will not be in standing water. Dig a hole that is slightly wider than the root system and the same depth as it was planted at the nursery. Remember this, plant a tree too high and it should be fine, but plant a tree too low and it will probably die. Trim away any dry, diseased, dead, broken, or exceptionally long roots.
Place the tree in the hole and spread out the roots. Fill the hole with moist dirt. Mildly compact the dirt around the tree. This will help keep air from the roots and help keep the tree viable.
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