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How to plant a bare-root fruit tree
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Friday, 10 January 2025 at 12:00 pm
Lots of fruit trees can be bought bare-root. We show you how to plant them.
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Fruit trees need to be grown in the right conditions if they're to flower and fruit to their full potential.
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Bare-root fruit trees are generally cheaper to buy than potted trees, and the time to buy and plant them is from November to March. When planting them, good soil preparation is vital, especially if you want your tree to give you years of enjoyment.
- What to plant in March
Choose a site in full sun, making sure there's room for the branches to grow and develop over time. To grow different varieties of fruits in a small space, consider a family fruit tree, which consists of two to three fruit varieties grafted onto one tree.
Get your tree off to the best possible start with the help of our step-by-step planting guide, below.
You Will Need
- Bare-root fruit tree
- Spade
- Tree stake
- Mallet
- Saw
- Rubber tree tie
- Mulch
- Watering can
Total time: 30 minutes
Step 1
Unpacking the fruit trees
If you're buying mail order, open the package straight away. The tree pictured is a bare-root and doesn't come in a pot.
Step 2
Checking over the fruit tree
Plant the tree immediately. If you can't, heel the roots into damp soil, firm well and water to prevent them drying out.
Step 3
Digging the planting hole
Dig a deep, wide planting hole and check that it's large enough to accommodate the entire root system. It's a good idea to have this done before your tree arrives.
Step 4
Adding compost to the base of the hole
Add compost to the base of the hole and fork it in, and also mix compost with the soil you removed to improve it.
Step 5
Hammering a stake firmly into the hole
Hammer a stake firmly into the hole and position the tree. Saw off the top of the stake just below the bottom branches.
Step 6
Filling around the roots with improved soil
Hold the tree so that the roots are well inside the hole and fill in around them with the improved soil.
Step 7
Firming the soil in around the roots
Press soil down firmly around the roots as you fill, to remove air pockets and give good soil contact with the roots.
Step 8
Attaching the tree and stake together with a tree tie
Use a plastic tree tie to secure the trunk to the stake. Ties come with a rubber buffer to stop the stake rubbing the trunk.
Step 9
Watering in the tree before mulching
Water well, then mulch with compost to keep it moist but, to avoid rotting. Don't pile it against the base of the tree.
Quince tree
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