How to Raise Fruit Trees
- 1). Make a plan for your garden orchard. Determine which types of fruit trees you wish to plant. Will you start with seedlings, bare-root stock or container-grown, established young trees? Seedlings will take from six to 10 years to produce fruit, bare-root trees require four to six years and established container planted trees will bear fruit in three to four years.
- 2). Choose planting locations. Fruit trees require seven to eight hours of sunshine each day to develop and mature. If you plan to raise organic fruit, choose land that has never been treated with toxic chemicals.
- 3). Test the soil in your orchard. Take a sample to your local county extension office or landscape contractor to test for nutrient content and pH levels. Amend the soil as recommended. Fruit trees benefit from generous applications of organic matter and compost. Apply aged compost near the base of established trees and work it into the soil. For new trees, add compost during planting.
- 4). Decide how many trees you'll plant and determine the spacing. Fruit trees should be planted at least 15 feet apart. Lay out the spacing to allow room for equipment and access as trees mature. Trees planted too close together will be stunted and won't bear as much fruit as they are capable of producing.
- 5). Stake and train young trees to maintain their shapes and encourage proper development. Fruit trees should be staked for the life of the tree to obtain optimum growth and to prevent tree breakage. Traditionally, fruit tree form and structure have been maintained by pruning. However, tree training is a much more desirable and efficient way to develop and maintain fruit tree structure and shape. A well shaped fruit tree is visually pleasing, whether in an urban landscape, cottage garden or commercial orchard.
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