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Growing Fruit & Nut Trees

Growing Fruit & Nut Trees

By: Powell Gammill

[This is the second part of a multipart installment on growing edible plants.  Part 1: Food Production appeared in the August, 2011 issue of Freedom's Phoenix magazine.]
 
Plums, peaches, apples and oranges.  I love fruit.  Most fruit grows on trees.  If you have ever had a fruit tree you know that fruit tasted better than anything equivalent you ever had in a store.  There is a very good reason for that.  Store  bought fruit is almost always picked while still green to ship and ripened in ethylene oxide tanks and other methods to artificially ripen and color them.  Others, like apples, are stored for months in silos before being shipped and the texture is often less than desirable.  The best way to get fruit is to grow your own if you have the property and trade with others.  A few trees can be well suited to indoor containers and I will discuss them later.


Trees are like kids.  Their first two to four years requires a lot of care, and afterwords they can mostly take care of themselves.  They require training (in the form of pruning).  Some tree species live longer than others.  Some die or become much less productive after only 12 years, others will outlive your grand kids.  Some put on fruit much later in their life (only after 7 to 10 years in the ground) than others.  You should know what to expect by reading up on what each tree species and variety need to thrive, and know when they pollinate and when they fruit.

A mistake I see is people wanting to plant trees at the wrong time of the year.  And plant things they have never tasted because those catalogs make them sound so good.  Please go to a store and buy a fruit type to taste to make sure it is to your liking. 

You may have to go to an organic store or International grocery to get more exotic fruits (and usually these are picked and shipped ripe).  Now it is true they may not taste anywhere near as good as what would grown on your tree.  But for example, in Phoenix, Arizona--where I reside--besides anything that would grow in a Mediterranean/subtropical area will grow here, we can grow virtually all tropicals as well.  I am not a fan of mangoes or papayas--too sweet for my tastes.  And undoubtedly the ones grown locally are probably even sweeter.  But if I had some romantic notion of growing my own mangoes without having ever tried one I would be terribly disappointed in two years when I tried my first bite wouldn't I?

This is true for varieties as well.  Have you ever had a "Saturn" peach?  I just tried one.  It is a squashed, in my opinion unattractive, doughnut shaped peach.  It sure must taste great to be in the supermarket competing with the other peaches, I thought.  Ah, no it pretty much tastes like a peach so I fail to see the current popularity.  But I could grow them here (200-250 chill hours) if I wanted.  After trying them I don't---there are plenty of other larger peach varieties to grow.

How to know what produces fruit in your area and what does not?  Neighbors and Clubs.  Look around your area.  You can spot fruit and nut trees.  How are they doing?  Knock on doors and introduce yourself.  Ask about what they have had success with and what they have not.  What variety they are growing.  You may want to plant something else with an idea of trading when both crops come in.  Additionally there are local garden clubs.  Often these are more concerned with non-edible flowers but often there are members with an interest also in edible crops.  You can always start your own group.  In Phoenix, we have a branch of the California Rare Fruit Growers which is dedicated to growing trees few would think would grow here in the desert.  Their members have a wealth of knowledge about growing other things as well. 

Every state has numerous
County Extension Agents available for consulting.  As well as a Master Gardener program.  And there are Community College and University Agricultural and Horticulture Depts. as well.   Many municipalities have arborist, gardening, composting, mulch and water conservation information and sometimes cheap to free supplies.  Google is your friend.  Local libraries often have books dedicated to growing in the area.  And you may have a botanical garden or two.

The last resource I can think of is plant nurseries.  In my experience the chain nurseries or Superstore nurseries (Walmart, Home Depot) are neither good for plants or advice.  They stock trees picked by someone back east with no idea of what grows in your area and they order the same stuff for the entire nation.   I use them for some supplies.  But it is the local multigeneration family nurseries who have experts on staff, and stock plants that are well adapted to growing in your climate and on proper root stock.   I exclusively buy from them unless they do not have what I am looking for.  And then I order online.  [Note: State laws restrict importation of some plant varieties...legal circumvention can occur though finding someone in the state already growing what you want and getting a potted, cutting or graft material, having fertilized seed sent or a cutting for graft (called a scion, that needs a compatible rootstock or tree).] 

Bottom line:  What grows well?  When does it fruit?  When does it pollinate and its pollination requirements?   What variety fruits okay or poorly?  What doesn't fruit at all?  In Phoenix, avocado trees grow well...but with very rare (and unknown reasons) exceptions none fruit.

Plot your property

One can plan a garden.  But for a piece of property the first thing to plan is where to place the trees.  You start with the trees and work your way down.

Have your outline of your property to scale.  The placement of a home (if any) and other current structures. All underground pipes (utility companies usually provide a free service to mark them) should be indicated.  And even some adjacent items in neighboring properties (shade, pollinator trees, wind breaks, water runoff for example) that may influence your plan over the years to come.  You have sketched out the summer and winter sun's path as it crosses your property in the day.  You have indicated prevailing winds at times of the year [note prevailing winds in the typical pollen season too].  Structures (including trees) that cast shadows on your property and their location at various times of the year.  And the lay of the land; how water will flow, cold spots (aka microclimates; usually low lying areas or shaded areas on north side in northern hemisphere), high spots (which often drain well), difference growing patches/species in current vegetation, etc.   You have noted what types of plants thrive in the area, and even what type of trees and shrubs your neighbors may have in the area (this can be several houses away-they may pollinate your trees).  You have noted where water comes from: spigots, roof runoff, alleyways, street runoff.

Trees produce fruit or nuts for a few weeks of the year.  Some fruit will store on a tree for months.  Others must be harvested and processed right away. Some fruits will last in cold storage for weeks or months, some will decompose quickly.  But trees can produce a crop at different times of the year (sometimes twice a year) depending upon the species and even the variety.  Fruit production can be measured in hundreds of pounds per tree, far more than the typical homeowner desires.  I like to start with trees.

TREES

Big tall primary trees that will provide shade on any home as well as food.  Generally a nut tree can do this best for tall and slender, while plum trees can develop a large wide canopy of large deciduous leaves perfect for sitting under.  In the northern hemisphere, placed on the west and southern sides of a home tall trees will shade the home on the summer and if they are deciduous will drop their leaves in the winter to allow the sun through.  They can also provide a place for food producing vines to grow up.  And under them can grow secondary trees, shrubs and ground cover crops.

They can cool areas, mix the atmosphere, attract and conserve moisture, hold soil and attract life. Decades later they can provide lumber or fireplace wood when their productive life comes to an end.  At the very worst they can be shredded into mulch.

Many trees will grow in various climates.  Some won't.  Some can be adapted or cross bred to adapt.  But though many trees will grow, far fewer will produce fruit and in the environments that are just barely acceptable they may produce low yields. 

For the first rounds of planting I would recommend
only planting fruit and nut tree varieties known to thrive and produce well in your area.  When first starting out you will make enough mistakes without worrying about trying to give your trees some extra attention to get them productive.  If your neighbors already have some of these trees plant others---believe me you will be trading a lot of excess with them. 

Selecting a tree

Trees come in containers as small as 1 gallon.  Around here I mainly see 5 gallon, 15 gallon, 24” box and several hundreds of gallons box.  The bigger the bucket, the more the tree costs, the more water you have to get it, and the more you pay to ship and perhaps plant it.  People generally plant the 250 gallon or more because they immediately want an adult tree in their yard.  Generally the shock of transplant will prevent any fruit on such mature trees for at least two year or more.  A 5 gallon bucket tree however, may also suffer the initial transplant shock for the first year, but should spring right up by the second year and may even start to produce fruit. 

The farther from the tree farm the buckets get transported the more they cost.  In Arizona, most of the trees come from southern and central California.  For $100 in California, I can buy around five fruit trees.  In Phoenix $100 gets me three.  This is another reason to initially plant only that which is known to thrive in your area.  Why make it harder on yourself?  There is a good chance of killing a tree, there presumably is even a better chance if that tree is going to struggle further with the environment.

When you are at a nursery look for trees in 5 gallon containers.  They grow to maturity just as fast as 15 gallon trees and yet cost a third as much.  Look for a tree with no fruit or flowers---if it has fruit or flowers it has been in that pot a while and used up energy reserves to fruit.  Look for insect infestations under leaves and in the top of the pot's soil and reject such plants.  Avoid damaged trees or ones with a split trunk unless they are multiple variety hybrids.  Look for the proper variety grafted on the
proper rootstock for your area.  Look for 1/2" to 3/4” in diameter trunk near the base because they have not been in the container long. 

How to plant a tree.


There are different methods but they generally come down to dig a hole slightly less deep than the container it comes in, or add dirt until the root ball sticks about an inch above the hole.  Fill hole with water. After draining fill it again. It should drain within four hours. If not you have a drainage problem and it will have to be dealt with (probably by either digging it out or a raised bed planting). If the underlying soil is very hard a lot of gardeners suggest burrowing down with a pick four feet to break up the ground and then refilling with the dirt.  This allows the roots to push their way through.  Ground can be too hard (too much clay--add sand to promote drainage and aeration) and the roots will never establish themselves deeply for wind resistant support.

First if it is a container tree water it well to keep the root ball together. If it is a bare root soak it in water for two to five hours just before planting.

Some recommend digging the hole no wider than the container, others up to three times the container's diameter.  Some recommend planting in a high quality potting soil (preferably composted from wood chips and leaves, i.e., tree parts), others say put it in just the soil it will have to grow in anyway, and others compromise half and half to give it a kick start. 


Some argue potting in a high quality soil when the surrounding soil is lacking will encourage poor root spread outside of the rich soil.  So far I am with the 50:50 soil crowd, but I m starting to lean towards the unamended crowd.  Because of hard soil, I dig a three foot diameter hole about four feet deep for the 5 gal. container and add dirt back and water until I reach the magic 1 inch rise above the ground level for the root ball.  This promotes drainage away from the tree's crown and lessens the chance for rot.  Add water to the hole. I fill it up and let it drain. 

You should not need supplements, but that is dependent upon the needs of the tree species and any deficiencies in the soil.  The most common being either pH or potassium.  Never put mulch or incompletely composted material into the hole as it will burn the roots.  Never top off with fertilizer for the same reason.  Fertilizer is not needed the first year.

Next to the hole, I plant the tree by laying the container on its side manipulating only the container, then giving the bucket a hard wrap with my knuckles on the bottom and pulling the bucket way from the root ball.  Another method for trees with sensitive roots is to cut the bottom out of the container.  Seat the container in the hole and split the side to remove the remaining container. 

I examine the root ball.  If it shows
any signs of root circling the container (meaning the tree has been in the container too long) then you must cut the root ball before planting by using a knife and making an X incision in the bottom about an inch deep.  And then cutting the sides in quarters an inch deep to match up with the X.  This is to cut up the outer circular roots otherwise they will continue to grow in this circular pattern and you will lose the tree either to wind or nutrient starvation.

Never pick up a tree by it's trunk --- you can break it and there goes your $20-$35 tree.  Pick it up by the root ball--another reason to like 5 gallon trees.  Set it in the hole at whatever orientation you desire.  Is it still about an inch above ground level?  Add or subtract dirt until it is. 

Orient it until it is positioned where you want in the direction you want.  In sunny Arizona, if it is a cutting on a rootstock orient the cutting face to the east to prevent sunburn on this spot.  This is probably good advice for all of the sunbelt states. Further north may not care, and if orientation is cared about it will probably be for espalier reasons.

Fill in the dirt around the sides leaving about a 3/4" to one inch rise where the roots are above the ground level.  This mound will shed water off of the root area so it will drain faster preventing fungal infections.  Make a shallow watering trench around the tree crown (where the leaves are).  Water heavily/deeply.  Look for solid pocket collapse and fill in if needed.  You do not want any underground air pockets where roots will not grow. 

Planting bare root trees.
Just like the tree in a container but without the soil or container; it looks like a stick.  Convenient shipping.  You should plant them as soon as you get them.  They are best acquired and planted just after the last frost.  [Container plants with established roots can be planted not only after last frost but up to two months (or more in some areas) later.]  Dig a hole as big as the roots.  [Or if the soil is very hard, dig down and out four feet as above and refill.] Fill with water.  Let drain.  Plant and tamp in the dirt to remove all air pockets around the roots until the hole is filled leaving a one inch rise mound to shed water as above.  Do not put soil up against where the bark has formed as it will rot. You want this bark-root interface to be the line where the one inch rise occurs. 

One other type of nursery tree is one in a “ball in a burlap sack.”  These are rare to encounter these days.  The roots on them are more sensitive to damage than either the container or bare root so treat them gently before planting.  Can water the ball to keep moist, and keep it cool but you should plant as soon as possible.

In the south where a dual planting season may exist, you can also plant trees after the fall starts to arrive and the summer cools down...essentially when 85 degree temps start to arrive. 
Protection from freezing must be provided in winter however.  Also some tree species are amenable to planting year round if protected from extreme temps and too much sunlight until they become established.  It is usually not beneficial to plant in sub-optimum times but if there is no choice some species will survive it.


Chill Hours

One of the most important concepts in getting fruit trees to produce fruit is chill hours.  While defined somewhat differently in temperatures used, it can be defined as the number of hours in the winter a tree while dormant is exposed to temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  In Phoenix for example, we get on average 300-350 chill hours a year.  If a tree variety needs more chill hours and does not receive then it will never flower and fruit no matter how gorgeous it looks (if the estimated chill hours--which is imprecise--is not met).   For instance, there are several varieties of apple trees that will produce fruit in Phoenix, but most apple trees require a great deal more chill hours than Phoenix can provide and so are not going to be productive here.  This is the reason a lot of apples come from colder parts of the country.  God I love Braeburns (800 chill hours) so I am SOL in growing them where I live.  On the other hand, in an area that gets surprise freeze snaps once winter is over a really low chill variety may have started flowering and those flowers would be killed off diminishing the yield that year.  So there is a balance to be struck, or protecting the trees from frost as a priority in the early spring.

It is also possible to cheat.  Everyone's yard is a collection of hot and cold spots.  Cold spots tend to be depressions, on the north side of the home in the northern hemisphere, in the shadows (north side) of evergreen trees, and in sheltered areas where cold can collect (like next to a block wall) and not be disturbed in the mornings. Planting varieties with chill hours 100 to even 200 hours above the area's average can be successful in these cooler areas.  Also the estimates of chill hours required is often off...so if you take a chance sometimes it pays off.  If you end up stuck with a non-producing but otherwise nice tree it can serve as a grafting tree or rootstock.

Lastly there is a
California grower who claims chill hours--at least for apples--are bogus and has a technique for artificially creating "chill hours" through a trick to the tree involving early leaf stripping that permits almost any apple tree to grow in almost any area.  Perhaps I will give Braeburns a shot to see if he is correct.

Pollination

Some trees are self fertile---they produce fruit without outside pollination.  Often they will increase their yield with a nearby pollinator however.  Other trees require pollination and often only by specific varieties though this usually has to do when the male flowers releases their pollen more than a requirement for the variety's pollen.  This pollination can be done manually, but why not encourage pollinating insects to do the work for you.  They are evolved experts at it after all.  Bees, bumblebees, wasps, flies, moths, and butterflies have roles in pollination.  So do flying vertebrates like birds and bats, for example hummingbirds. 

Knowing what pollinates your trees can help by providing them an environment in which they will want to remain.  Planting nearby flowers or flowering herbs, and having water sources and pollinator food sources can help.  Providing a pollinator shelter.

Required tree pollinators should be located down wind from the target tree(s) using the prevalent winds during pollen season.  The closer the better.

 

Branches bearing flowers with pollen we wish to assist pollinating a tree(s) can also be cut and placed in a barrel with water with a little cider vinegar added located upwind next to the target trees for a few days to allow wind and pollinating insects to do their thing.

Most fruit trees have male and female flowers or both sex parts in the same flower (combined) but some are exclusively one or the other.  Exclusive ones usually need a nearby male present to fruit...or at least a male's presence causes them to produce more fruit.  One male in such a case can fertilize multiple female trees: The magic minimum ratio appears to be 1 male for every 8 females.

Planting distance

In commercial groves ten foot tree spacing in long rows is not uncommon.  But in your yard other arrangements may make more sense.  Your trees will not be a uniform mono-crop but a diverse group of fruit and nut producing trees.  They will each produce a different crop at a different time. 



So experimenters have found out you can plant trees as close as six inches from each other to increase density of trees per given area.  But this requires training (pruning) the trees to grow away from one another.  This can also be encouraged by planting them at an angle away from each other.  Trees can be planted together in groups of two, three or four.  Planting distances of three feet apart allow getting in between them.  It is best to make sure the same rootstock is used for all trees in a cluster so growth will be the same.

The downside: It can be harder to prune in the adjacent areas, trees will be imbalanced---weight (center of gravity) away from each other, and lower fruit yields (but how many pounds of fruit can your eat from a tree in a week or two?).

Such densities encourage planting a wide variety of fruit, planting variety's with different timings of fruit maturation, planned partial shade or fuller sunlight for some depending upon their orientation with respect to one another, joint wind and frost protection, and readier pollination.

Groups (clusters) or individual trees should be spaced apart by at least the distance of the canopy that is to be allowed. 

This brings us to the question of how high and wide should we allow the trees to get?  This can be controlled through genetic predisposition, rootstock selection and vigorous pruning.  It is generally the latter that should be used for home owner's fruit trees.  Keep them small generally so you do not have to climb around looking for fruit. 

What do you call fruit you cannot reach?  Bird food.  So keep your tree's maximum height at ten feet so a short step ladder can reach most areas.  Many argue for six feet maximum so everything is reachable.   These small sizes also make protecting them from adverse conditions (heat, provide shade, freezing) as well as bird predation easier.

Smaller sizes means you can plant more variety in a given area.   And you will still get a lot of fruit.

Some trees are desired to also produce shade either for a home, patio or other area or just to sit under.  These trees can be planned to allow either much greater height and/ or a wider canopy.  Just keep in mind even these trees requires annual pruning and fruit thinning after budding should also be considered (you might want to consider species and varieties that don't need such thinning to produce great looking food).  That means trips up into a tall tree(s) for someone.  These can shade out large areas reducing their productivity for some food producing plants while creating opportunities for others.  Tall and wide tress can also provide a natural trellis for fruit bearing vines (which naturally would climb trees).

Fruit thinning.
Early in fruit production it is wise to remove and broken branches or nonproductive growth and then thin fruit so that a fist's distance is between adjacent fruit.  You want to prevent fruit from touching each other (
usually) as it matures.  On some trees over 90% of the little immature fruits will end up in the compost pile.  But that means a lot less work for the tree to grow the remaining fruit to maturity.  This will result in better appearing fruit of greater size and sweetness. Using high density plantings, appropriate pruning to keep the tree small and fruit thinning you can still have trees producing a more manageable 25 to 50 pounds of fruit per tree.



Controlling tree height

The secret for deciduous trees is usually to cut the tree off above one or two nodes about 18 to 24 inches above the ground after you first plant it.  Believe me this takes some getting used to but it works.    Your beautiful tree you bought in a nursery now sits a two foot stick in the dirt with you discarding most of the upper part of the tree.  This is how those EZ-trees are made (which is another way of doing it, just buy an “EZ-tree” and plant it).  But your tree will sprout out from these buds and you can shape it into its future appearance.  Pruning for size and shape the first three years of its life in your yard are critical to how it will look for it's life. It will still produce a couple of hundred fruits.  And it may have its productive life extended by being kept short. 

Protecting trees from bird predation

Wrap them in sheets of tulle when the fruits are getting near ripening.  Tulle is the netting used to make bridal veils.  It comes in a variety of colors.  White would probably help in heat protection, while black could increase heat in colder fruiting crops.  Tulle can be obtained from
Amazon.com in rolls ("bolts") of 9 yards by 50 yards for $35 including shipping.  Completely wrap the tree and you will have no birds being trapped or injured in netting, and for those fruits that drop off the tree when ripe they collect in the bottom of the netting and you simply open them up and harvest and reseal daily.

Obviously there are other methods to protect from bird, mammal and insect predation with varying levels of success.  But putting up with
some predation strikes me as alright just to have some wildlife taking up homes in your yard.


Pruning and espalier

Books have been written on just this one topic so this is only lightly covered here.  Pruning is vitally  important to your perennial plants.  It is one of the tree maintenance things owners must do to prevent disease and create productive plants (the other two are watering and fertilizing).  It can be done right and it often is done wrong.

Do it right.  There are right times of the year to prune, right ways to prune and then there is the opposite.  Each variety and desired shape may have a different form of pruning that needs to be implemented.  But once you have done it, it is not hard to do.  The best way to learn is to learn from a successful neighbor.  Consulting youtube videos is informative as well.

Right tools for pruning.

Hand shears:  For branches up to half an inch in diameter.  Avoid cheap:  Blades must be sharp.  No flat blade (anvil style) that crushes---you want to cut through the branch cleanly in one cut!  Anvil style blades will crush.  Pick a tool with good fitting blades that do not have a gap, or the branch will be left hanging by a couple of strips of wood.  You want "bypass" style blades that cut past each other and are usually curved.   Decent metal that will hold an edge---plant material is one of the hardest things for steel to cut through, and dulls a blade fast. A single clean cut is less likely to attract disease.  Put in your pocket or get a holster.  It is also useful if it has a locking mechanism that prevents it opening while in your pocket but a one handed squeeze unlocks it.  Comfortable hand grips too.

Loppers:  Same as the hand shears in every way except they have two foot long handles on them for cutting branches up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Rat-tail file to keep them sharp.  Sharpen on outside of cutting edge only.

Hand saw:  For cutting large branches.  If folding make sure it doesn't fold onto your fingers!  Usually want a belt sheath with it if it is not a folding saw.  Slight curve to the blade.  These saws are especially made to cut through green wood without clogging unlike your normal wood saws.

There are variants of both loppers and saws on a long pole to reach up high in trees. Another reason to keep your trees short.

General rules:  Prune in the winter for size and to open up the tree to light and air.  You want to wait until the sap stops flowing but before the buds first start to appear.  Usually January.

Never prune more than a third of the tree growth back.  Some exceptions like fast growing peach trees.  Never prune below the crown of the trunk.

Remove any damaged or diseased branches.  Remove any suckers coming out of the rootstock graft.

Pruning can be done at other times of the year to remove damage and disease or to open up areas, but this should be done with care and with the goal of improving fruit production for the remainder of the tree.

Young trees.
Two methods:  1.  Central leader promotes a tall tree.  A single best upward "tree" branch is promoted.  A point up conical shape defined.  Any competing branches are either trimmed away or forced to become side branches through wedging wooden slats, roped ground ties or attaching weights on the ends of the branches.  Since branches will eventually get four inches in diameter, you want branches to be separated by eight to twelve inches.  Branches should angle out away from each other to balance the tree.  Figure three branches, means a third the way around from one another.

2.  Open center promotes a short, productive tree.  Cut off the top shoot above three well placed branches.  Keep the tree short.  For most of the fruit trees I advocate this is the method of choice.


Mature trees.
Pruning is variable to species and variety.  If most fruit is borne of young wood then you want to prune old wood to encourage new growth.  If most fruit is borne on old wood then you prune most of the young wood  out of the way to open the older wood up, reducing shaded nonproductive areas.

Espalier.
Intense pruning of young trees followed with high maintenance pruning for their remainder of their lives.   Really you train the trees for form a shape you desire them to form. Usually a flat 2-Dimensional shape against a wall or fence (productivity in reduced or otherwise unused space) or to create a fence of trees (aka a Belgian fence).

Cordons (branches) are grown along wires, a trellis or temporary wood slats to form the desired shape of the tree.  Apple and pear and maybe plum work well as espaliered trees.
Loquats, citrus and figs too [as do some vines (grapes) and shrubs].


Roots
Roots need air to live.  Soil is full of air.  Roots can drown, so soil needs to drain.  Roots absorbs nutrients and water to carry to the rest of the plant.  Roots interacts with other plant roots (may compete) and microorganisms.  Serves to anchor the tree. 

Myth:  Tree roots are as long as the tree or up to three times the length of the tree.  Or for that tree above the ground there is at least an equally long tree underground.  Not true for most species.  There are generally  a series of long thick roots that extend downwards and at 45 degree angles from the tree.  These are permanent support roots that keep the tree from being blown over by the wind.  Certain trees evolved to resist certain winds, in certain soils in a certain manner.  When a non-native tree encounters unfamiliar circumstances and unfamiliar soil types it may have problems growing roots the way it is evolved to and becomes susceptible to being blown over or being at a disadvantage to competing for water and nutrients.

Most tree roots exist within the top eight inches of soil.  These are the feeder roots.  They extract minerals and nutrients as well as water from the soil for the tree.  In deciduous trees, they annually die off for the winter along with the leaves.  And about a month before the leaf buds start showing these roots start to grow back out.

Most root activity takes place at the "tree line"  This is the ringed area directly under the canopy of the tree, where in nature water would normally be shed during the rain carrying any bird and insect droppings, pollen and other dist that had accumulated on the leaves since the last rain with it.  Feeding the tree.

This is the area you reform annually as the maturing tree crown expands for your watering area and the area you fertilize.


Watering.

You want to form a swale around the tree.  A swale is a fancy name for a shallow ditch used to divert and collect water.  In this case a shallow ring around the tree's canopy.  With a shallow mound rising in the center where the tree's trunk is present to shed water away from the trunk to prevent fungal rot.  Do not put soil up against bark.  You want to plant the tree so this bark-root end transition point above the roots is maintained above where the soil will be.  As the tree grows it will naturally lift the area up a bit to shed water away from the trunk.

Young trees get watered frequently.  Every other day in the summer for the first couple of months.  Then adding a day or two between waterings as it gets older.  At some point waterings may be weekly to monthly in the summer as the tree becomes mature and depending upon if the tree is a native species or not.  In the fall and spring waterings are less frequent.  And in the winter often no watering takes place though a single heavy watering can actually help prevent freezing.

How to water?
It is best to water deeply.  This is best accomplished by running a soaker hose, hose or drip (probably bubblers) irrigation system for several hours on very low output around the swale while the water is allowed to soak in.  The target depth is usually four feet. 

The best way to water is to use a soil probe depth testing rod:  A 5-6 foot "T" shaped rod made of rebar that can be forced into the ground.   It penetrates the soil readily up to where the water level is.

A deep watering will water the roots and drain down.  Then it will spend many days evaporating back up.  This will serve to cool the roots.  Failing to water deeply will result in a shallow root system making it vulnerable to drought and wind. 

Too frequent watering is probably the number one reason trees die; from fungal rot and attracting root attacking predators. 

A modified French drain can be constructed of a two to three foot long, four inch diameter PVC pipe with a few large holes drilled into the sides.  This is planted upright near the tree and kept in place for the first two years of life. You can buy a fitted grilled top to plug up the end.  This can be used to deeply water the tree. Leave the pipe empty as roots can't grow in air.  At the end of two years rock or dig the no longer needed pipe out of the ground and reuse it elsewhere.  If you do the pattern planting of two, three or four trees together you can plant the pipe in between them if space permits.

Mulch
Mulch can be anything that shades the ground, prevents evaporation and prevents wild temperature swings in the ground.  The best mulch is the natural stuff:   The leaves fallen off trees, bark and shredded tree waste (Note: It is possible for the latter to transmit tree disease.).  It will decompose in the year to a compost covering and need to be replaced.  Pine needles can help acidity the soil as it protects.  Cedar and eucalyptus have harmful insect repelling properties.  Speaking of insects, natural mulch is very quickly (4 days in my yard) occupied by hundreds of minute spiders that will kill predators on your tree.  A two to four inch thick layer provides the benefits of shading the ground in the summer, cools the roots and cutting water evaporation.  In the winter an four to eight inch layer can prevent freezing the ground.  Mulch will promote other beneficial soil life in the root zone including beneficial worms, bacteria and insects.

Keep mulch all the way out to the tree line, BUT do not allow it within eight inches of the trunk as it too will promote fungal rot.

Fertilize
Books have been written on just this topic too.  All plants extract nutrients from the soil.  They may do so at a rate greater than it gets replenished.  There is a need to replace these nutrients and an optimal feeding cycle and formula will yield greater fruit production, earlier fruit production in a young tree, more disease resistant plants and better fruit quality as well.

A big mistake is using chemical fertilizers which can burn roots and over fertilizing plants which can lead to a rapid growth but quick depletion of resources and a failed plant or fruiting cycle. Organic fertilizers while containing far lower amounts of the nutrients release them much more slowly into the immediate environment and over along period of time.

General rule of thumb is to fertilize three times a year: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. But be careful, over fertalizing is very bad for the tree.

NPK: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium respectively (discussed Part 1).  These are the main nutrients plants demand along with about two dozen other micronutrients.  Trees deficient in nitrogen have their oldest leaves turn yellow and drop.  Phosphorus deficiency takes a red or purple cast on the leaves.   Potassium deficient leaves dry out starting with the oldest leaves and at the leaf margins.  Leaves that turn yellow but their veins remain green denote an iron deficiency probably not because of lack of iron but because too low a pH prevents iron uptake by the tree. 

Grafting
Books have also been written about this one topic.  I will only rudimentary cover it except to say as scar as it seems, it is really quite easy to do for many species and varieties.  It generally only needs a tree saw and a specialized grafting knife. 



Why would you want to graft a tree?  Sometimes in removing a tree that just is not productive but healthy, you can keep the root system and add a new variety that will hopefully be productive.  You can also graft a branch of a variety onto a productive tree to create a dual variety or even a triple, quadruple and quintuple variety tree.  This can mean one tree producing the same type of fruit at different times of the season or even different fruits on one tree.  This can be a great way to ensure cross-pollination as well.  These 2-way, 3-way, or 4 in one, etc, trees are usually available from nurseries for planting as well.


Grafting is pretty simple.  Make a cut in a tree.  Open up the trunk or bark exposing the cambium layer.  Take a cutting of a young recently budded branch from the desired tree and cut a wedged shape piece to fit in this slot or groove on the tree.  This is them sealed with plastic to prevent moisture loss and hold the graft tightly together until it heals (fuses) together.  The remaining exposed area is likewise sealed.  And finally the scion itself it wrapped in parafilm to prevent moisture loss.  Once budding and growth occurs this can come off.

The resulting scion is a identical clone of the tree it was taken assuring a fruit producing female genetically equivalent to the desired tree and usually same flavored fruit.

A cutting is different.  A cutting is the cutting off of a side shoot off of a tree and planting it into a pot of soil.  Many species will propagate from this again producing an identical female tree of the mother for transplant later.  Without rootstock however many non-native trees may suffer disease problems without being grown on rootstock.

Why not grow from seed?
For most trees probably not a good idea.  It is a pain to get trees going from seed. And remember with a seed you have a 50:50 chance of getting a male in those trees with separate sexes which means no fruit.  Also taste wise you get the genetic combination of the male and female who made it up which is unlikely to be an improvement over what you have tasted a female parent tree reproducing.

Still there are reasons to try to cross varieties to produce a hybrid tree.   Closely related species can be hybridized.  The stone fruits for instance (The stone fruits: peaches, nectarines, apricot, plums and cherries (almonds too)) are all related and have been crossed into hybrid species with variable success in the taste department.  The pome fruits: apples and pears  are now being cross-bred.  Such mixed hybrids usually require a cross pollinator either from a parent species or an equivalent hybrid.

What the heck is root stock?
Rootstock are generally plants from the same species of related species that produce trees of inferior fruit quality, but are superior in growing in the area the tree varieties we want to grow are to be grown.  They frequently have superior disease resistance or drought resistance or a dwarfing varieties, etc.  They are grown for a year, and then cut off near the ground and a scion (a cutting from the tree variety desire is grafted onto the rootstock.  This then usually grows together and for another year or two before being transplanted to a container and shipped. 

Wind
It is
best not to protect young trees from wind as they will usually be weak in life.  But certain species and certain areas are prone to breaking young trees.  Protection can occur by planting near buildings or walls, near dense shrubs or by staking them out.  If the latter is used, remove any nursery stake present in a container plant and drive one six foot long 2 by 2 into the ground about 18 inches deep near the side of the tree.  Fix a rope, old lamp cable or light chain to it and loop loosely around the young tree such that it is not supporting the tree but will catch the tree if it bends more than a two foot arc.  This allows the tree to sway on the wind building up its fibrous stamina to resist wind in the future but will prevent it from snapping if he wind really picks up.  Place another such stake on the direct opposite side in a similar manner.  You can use an old hose or some other material between a chain or cord and the tree to help keep the chain or cord from cutting into the tree.

Trees  expected to pollinate should be planted directly upwind of their targets using the prevailing winds present during pollen production. 

Protection
Young trees may require protection from a wide variety of conditions to get them established and keep them healthy.  Too much sun can burn them.  Too much heat will kill flowers and therefor fruit, and like all plants once the temperature gets above 85
°F they slow down metabolism.

Cold can kill, split plants.  Snow and clinging ice can crush trees and break branches.  Freezing can destroy flowers and fruit. 

Too little water can kill the tree if the upper root layer dries out.  It will certainly redirect its priorities from fruiting that season to regrowing the lost tender roots.

Too much water can cause drowning, rot and predation.

Wind was just discussed, can break branches, cause flower and fruit loss, can cause sever evaporation and freezing. 

Predation can destroy trees by attacking the trunk (borers typically) or the roots.  Predators can eat the flowers or the fruits.  Remember if anything happens to the flowers no fruits for that season. 

Lack of a nutrient or pH can sicken a tree making it vulnerable to their predation as well as killing fruit production. 

 

Protecting the tree from your lawn guy's weed whacker or lawn mower can be done by placing a barrier cone or 1/2” grid fencing circling the trunk. This can also protect from rabbits that like to gnaw on young tree bark. Painting the trunk white with a 50:50 dilution of latex paint can protect the trunk from sunburn on exposed areas. Driving a 6 inch deep metal sheeting into the ground completely surrounding the tree in a four to six foot radius can keep gophers away from tender roots and help keep grass stolons out.

Planting trees in containers
Books are written on container gardening.   Growing trees in such pots or planters (like old half wine barrels) is a subsection.  A few trees can be well adapted to inside growth, but they still need to get their chill hours in to fruit.  But fortunately containers can be moved outside with appropriate freeze protection in the winter. 

Reasons for using containers outside is in areas without soil like a patio. 

Containers inside should be secured from leakage onto the floor. 

Containers inside or outside require about twice as frequent watering.  Outside containers are more susceptible to overheating or freezing.  Inside plants rarely suffer from insect predation: white flies can be an exception enjoying the damp soil to lay their eggs...a applied vinegar solution repels.  Inside containers are weed free.  A mulch of leaves or stone can help inside. 

Good candidates for container fruit trees include most citrus including kumquats, figs, pomegranate, passionfruit and feijoa.

Disease and Pests
Books have been written just on this.  They are usually specific for species, sometimes varieties and environments.   Some susceptible plants need not worry because the disease organisms of the vector of the disease is not found in the geographic location of the  planting.  In other cases it may in fact be necessary to employ barriers, surveillance, encourage predation on he disease organism or its vector, develop resistant varieties, alter conditions to disfavor development of the disease or simply forgo a particular fruit variety altogether. 

Detecting a problem requires familiarity with your trees and periodic inspection.  At the first sign of a problem hit the Internet and your local Cooperative Extension Agent, Ag. Dept or Master Gardener for help.  They can often ID the culprit and suggest a solution. 

Take of photo of the disease to send it, and perhaps samples if so directed.

On last thing, plants can be toxic to other plants (called allelopathic).  Juglones are especially noteworthy for trees.  While pecan and hickory trees secrete inhibitory juglone their toxin is pretty much restricted to themselves.   Not so the related walnut tree species which can inhibit other plants for up to 50 yards from its tree line.

Mulberry trees are notorious allergenic pollen producers which is why their male plants are often banned in municipalities.   

Landscaping
Another category books are dedicated to but in this case I am including it for the limited purposes.  Containers can be part of landscaping.

Landscaping can include incorporating a wide variety of plants for symmetry and to enhance of hide structures, paths and areas.  Timing and areas of of beautiful flowers and fruits can be thought out ahead of time.  Location of trellises and fountains and pathways are included in landscaping.   Creating swales and other waterworks designed to slowdown and bank water passing thorough the property can as well.

Trees represent an investment in time for the first few years of the tree.  But afterwords they need only an occasional pruning, fertilizing and watering and produce hundreds of pound of fruit.  That is an impressive and efficient bounty.  How soon one reaps such a bounty is indicative of the species and variety grown and the geographic location of the tree.


Powell Gammill is a certified Permaculture Design Consultant whose interests lie in creating an environment in which food is grown to benefit families and to draw neighbors together.  Where dependency on outside resources is diminished.  And properties are improved with use instead of being depleted.

 

 
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