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| Trees |
 Buying and Planting Fruit Trees:
Fruit trees and fruit bushes should be purchased in October or November just before new growth begins to grow again in the Springtime. The earlier they are planted in the autumn, the better. It is vitally important, however, that there is not too much heat about, as this will hinder planting and conversely, the ground should not be waterlogged or frozen either. When buying plants from a garden centre, you should look for a plant that is around 2 years old, as this will prevent you from having to do the shaping which is best left to trained nurseryman.
The ground should be prepared according to the individual needs of the type of fruit. If plants are delivered by mail order, do not remove them from the plastic packaging that surrounds them if the soil is not ready to plant in. Instead, keep the plants inside until conditions permit planting. The day before planting, you should unpack the plant and soak the roots in water for at least 6hours in order to fully supplement the plants needs prior to planting. Often, taller species of plants will need to be supported too, using a stake or cane to keep the plants upright in poor weather and high winds. Drive a length of baton into the ground where you wish the plant to be placed and then begin to dig the hole.
When planting, the hole should be approximately twice as wide as the root ball of the plant in question and one and half times as deep. The bottom of the hole should be turned over with a garden fork and a generous amount of compost incorporated. You may also like to sprinkle a good handful of bone meal into the hole too to encourage good root growth and development. Hold the fruit tree or bush upright and tease out the roots from the root ball, especially if the plant appears root-bound. Place the teased root-ball into the ground and back fill with soil previously removed. Firm this initially with gloved hands, before stamping round it with your foot to ensure that the air is removed from the ground surrounding the plants root base.
Once firmed, the ground should be slightly raked off and leveled. It should be watered well to resettle the soil around it and any resulting differences in soil height should be leveled off using more earth. Check every week that the soil remains soft and moist and that the plant shows no signs of damage or disease. You should avoid trimming or pruning the plant in its infancy as this may plunge the plant into shock and prevent it from developing properly over the coming months. Check it regularly for and signs of pests too on the new growth as this stage of the plant’s development will make it most susceptible to diseases. Good luck and I hope you have a productive harvest in the coming years.
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