WHEN TO PLANT FRUIT TREES.

Fruit trees grown in containers can be planted at any time of year.
Bare-root fruit trees are planted from November to March.
During spring give each fruit tree a good feed of blood, fish and bonemeal and then give a good thick mulching of about 3 iinches depth. Keep grass well away from the fruit trees for about 3 years as the grass is very hungry and fruit trees in their early years find it hard to comppete with. Feed with rose-fertiliser every spring.
Knowing not just when to plant fruit trees but how to plant fruit trees is vital to achieving the desired result.
WHERE TO PLANT FRUIT TREES.
Fruit trees should be planted in sunny warm, sheltered at a distance, spot. Frost pockets need to be avoided at all costs. Well worked manured and free draining soil is a must. Feed in spring with fertilizer.
DWARF FRUIT TREES.

Dwarf fruit trees are basicaly the combination of two fruit trees with different characteristics. The first part is what is known as the rootstock. The trpe of rootstock chosen will determine how strongly and to what size the tree grows. The second part of the combination is chosen for the type of fruit to be produced and its cropping ability. The two types are grafted together and the result is that the rootstock controls the roots and size of the tree and the attached part controls the type and amount of fruit. Of course there is more to the process than this, but this is all the grower needs to know.

PRUNING A DWARF FRUIT TREE.

After planting your dwarf tree between November and March prune back all the leading shoots to about 9 inches of new growth.
Then in July.August cut back everything except the main stem (the leader) to about six leaves. Trin laterals and sub-laterasl back to about 3 leaves.
The winter following the main stem is cut back to about 9 inches of new growth. When the tree grows to about 6 or 7 feet you can then prune back into the old wook.
The overall aim is to achieve a pyramid type shape.

APPLE FRUIT TREES.

Apple fruit trees can supply you with enough fruit to keep you going over a long season. The best way to do this is to plant a few different varieties.
The early varieties of apple trees can be eaten as soon as picked whilst the later varieties are best for storing.

WHERE TO PLANT APPLE FRUIT TREES.

Apple trees enjoy a sunny open site that is sheltered at a distance from strong winds. Frost pockets must be avoided. Good drainage is essential for apple trees so proper soil preparation is vital. Dig a very large hole work in plenty of manure or compost along with bonemeal. Its always a good idea to check with a local gardener as to any specific growing conditions which might apply to your area.

POLLINATING APPLE TREES.

The only way to really make sure that pollination occurs is to grow several varieties that all flower the same time. This way you are not leaving it to chance.
CHERRY TREES
HOW and WHERE TO PLANT CHERRY TREES.
Cherry trees will tolerate open positions but they do much better as fan trained trees grown against walls, frost pockets must be avoided at all costs. The hole for your cherry tree must be well dug over and manure added the sutumn before planting.
Try choosing a cherry tree that is already fan trained. Bare-root trees can be planted in November whilst container grown trees can be planted at any time.

Set the tree in it’s hole about 12 inches from the wall and tilt its branches back towards the wall. Cut the stems back to about one third of their original length this helps with the production of sideshoots. Mulch the soil at the base with plenty of organic manure. A small dusting of tomato or rose fertilizer can be applied every April. Do not let the soil dry out.

FIXING WALL SUPPORTS FOR CHERRY TREES.

Fix horizontal wires along the wall at 12 inch intervals. The stems of the cherry tree are then tied to these wires as the tree grows. You will need about 10 feet either side of the tree for growing room.

PRUNING CHERRY TREES.

Cherry trees shuld be pruned in spring or summer. Cut out stems that are weak, tangled or growing away from the wall. After fruiting, cut out the side shoots that bore the cherries. Acid cherries flower on one year old wook while sweet cherries set their fruit buds at the base of side shoots that re growing from older wook. It is very important to check exactly the pruning needs for each particular cherry tree.
PEACH AND NECTARINE FRUIT TREES.
Peach and nectarine fruit trees can be treated in the exact same manner.

WHERE TO PLANT PEACHES AND NECTARINES.

Peaches/Nectarines are best grown as fan trained trees against a south or west facing wall. The soil needs to be dug deep and plenty of well rotted organic manure worked in. If your soil is on the acid side work in some lime a few weeks before planting.

SUPPORT FOR PEACHES/NECTARINES.
Fix horizontal wires to the wall at 12 inch intervals, keep them in place withmetal vine eyes screwed into the wall plugs.

PLANTING NECTARINE/PEACHES.

Container grown plants can be planted at any time of the year, as long as the soil is kept moist. Water the roots well before placing in hole, set the tree back 12 inches fron the wal. In February apply some blood, fish and bonemeal and then a heavy, about 3 inches deep, organic mulch.
PLUM TREES.

Plum trees are probably the easiest of all fruit trees to grow and look after. Plum trees will self-pollinate and there is very little pruning to be done.
PLANTING PLUM TREES.
Unlike most fruit trees plums are relatively, shallow rooting so they do appreciate well dug and manured soil. If your soil is acidic add a little lime a few weeks before manuring. Plum trees need plenty of sun and a good spring mulching. Container grown plums can be planted at any time and bare roots can be planted from November to March. Best to choose 2 0r 3 year old trees. If available. If planning an orchard give them about 10 feet of space either side.

Fan trained plums will grow well on a south facing wall with a wire framework at 12 inch intervals. It is important to keep the soil at the base of the tree grass free and well watered during the first year.

PRUNING PLUM TREES.

Plum trees can be pruned back in spring or sumer with newly planted trees being pruned in March. Remove weak, tangled shoots and trim the remainder back to about half their original size. After the first two years, just a gentle tidying up pruning will suffice.
FRUITING.

Plum trees will drop small fruits in th ‘June Drop’ and you can further thin out if necessary afer this. Prop up heavy, fruit laden branches.
PEAR TREES.

Pear trees must have all of the following to thrive.
1.. Warmth
2. Sun
3.. Shelter.
4.. Really well dug manured soil.

To be absolutely sure of pollination, plant at least two different varieties that actually flower at the same time. A good dusting of blood, fish and bonemeal prior to planting and a heavy spring mulch goes a long way towards succeeding with pear trees.
Keeep grass and weeds well away fron the base of the plant for at least the first 3 years as pear trees just cannot compete with hungry grass at this stage.

PRUNING PEAR TREES.

A general tidy up pruning or trimming back the main shots during the winter and clipping back the laterals to 4 or 5 buds will suffice.
Apply a good handful of rose fertilizer in Spring and thin out the fruit in mid-July should do the job.

When choosing fruit trees

Although the process of growing and caring for a tree is generally
challenging and even difficult at times, sometimes one of the hardest
parts is choosing which kind you want. You have to choose between the many
sizes, fruit, and other attributes. The different sizes include: dwarf,
semi-dwarf, and standard. Your choice can affect everything about your
growing experience, including the amount of work you have to put in and
the amount of rewards (fruit) you will obtain.

Dwarf trees are ideal if you only have a limited amount of open space in
your yard. They take up as little as only as eight-foot diameter plot of
land. Although the dwarf fruit trees are smaller than the others, their
fruit is just the same size and the shortness makes them easier to prune
and harvest. Dwarf fruit trees aren’t known for living quite as long as
larger fruit trees. They begin to bear fruit after three to five years, so
if you are going to buy a dwarf fruit tree from a nursery you should
always check and see how old it is.

Semi-dwarf trees are medium sized, and when they are full grown they take
up a fifteen-foot diameter. Semi-dwarf fruit tree’s height can range from
as low as ten feet to as high as sixteen feet. To keep them from getting
to large you should prune them at least once a year. Occasionally
semi-dwarf fruit trees take a season off and produce little or no fruit,
but mostly they produce hundreds of fruit every year. Many people enjoy
having semi dwarf fruit trees because they produce more fruit than a dwarf
tree, and they are generally easier to harvest and maintain than a
standard fruit tree.

Standard sized fruit trees take up much more area the then any of the
smaller tree varieties, and they are also harder to keep manageable and to
harvest all of the fruit. If you do not prune them at least once a year
they can grow as large as thirty feet. If you are just looking for a good
tree to provide you with plenty of delicious fruit from and to keep your
yard shady, a standard sized tree would be the perfect tree for you.
Standard sized fruit trees take a very long time to reach their full
height, but they usually begin to bear fruit after only three to five
years.

The best variety of fruit tree to buy would be one that carries fruit and
does well in your area, because a local fruit tree takes less work and
grows the best. Although fruit trees bearing other, more exotic kinds of
fruit may seem more exciting, they usually won’t grow as well in your
area. That’s not to say it’s impossible. You can definitely try to grow a
more exotic tree, but it will take much more commitment and time.

Another factor involved in deciding on a type of tree is what kind of soil
you have, because some trees do better in damp soil while others are
better suited for drier soil. If it rains often in your area you would do
well to plant a plum tree. But if you do not get very much rain you would
do better to plant a pear tree or an apple tree. Before choosing which
type of fruit tree you would like, consult your local nursery or gardening
guru to find out which trees would do well in your area.

Other things that you should look for while looking for a fruit tree at
the nursery are things like how sturdy it is, if all of the branches are
evened out, how straight the tree stands, the condition of the roots that
support the tree, the length of the stem, and the height of the fruit from
the ground. Making a careful and deliberate decision can mean the
difference between having the stunted fruit from your lopsided tree being
eaten by animals all day long.