Bareroot FAQ's
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Do fruit trees need a lot of space?
That depends on how hard you're willing to prune them. There are lots of ways to get fruit in limited space gardens. Close planting, hard pruning, espaliering.
Can I plant a fruit tree in my lawn?
Most types don't want to be watered that frequently. Cherries are especially sensitive; don't even plant them near your lawn. Apples, pears, crabapples, quince are all tolerant. Plums and apricots are intermediate; probably ok in a properly watered lawn, but you are asking for more disease problems due to the sprinkler spray.
Do I have to spray my fruit trees?
If you don't spray your peach and nectarine trees, you will get more peach leaf curl than you would otherwise.
... do I have to spray any of my trees? Can I spray all of them?
Apricots and plums (and pluots) are prone to brown rot, a fungus which kills the blossoms and rots the fruit. I recommend spraying them around the bloom period. For apricots, look for the resistant variety called Harcot.
What about apples and pears? Will spraying get rid of the worms?
The dormant spray helps prevent certain fungus problems, but does not control codling moth.
So apples and pears are fussy here?
Codling moth and fireblight are frustrating problems with apples and pears.
Apple fruit is prone to
codling moth
, and some varieties are prone to fireblight. In a quick check of reference books, I couldn't find any of the varieties that we grow in this area listed as resistant to fireblight, but growers in colder climates have more options. Codling moth has multiple generations here throughout the season, so earlier-ripening varieties have a greater chance of a higher percentage of worm-free fruit. Examples: Gravenstein, Gala.
Pears can get codling moth as well, but there are varieties considered resistant to fireblight among both European and Asian pears. Some crabapple varieties are resistant to fireblight.
Are roses fussy?
Some rose growers like to fuss over their roses, but that is their choice.
Some roses are prone to fungus diseases, but many varieties aren't. Most will grow and bloom better, and live longer, if they are pruned in the winter. The plants do respond to regular fertilizing, but don't require it.
How do you grow asparagus?
Good winter drainage, lots of organic material. The crown needs to be several inches below ground.
What about multi-grafted trees? Will that take care of the need for a pollenizer?
Yes, but I have reservations about these. The different types often grow differently, some more vigorously, some more upright or more spreading in habit. It can make it difficult to prune them. A better bet is to
Plant two trees close together, even in the same planting hole?
This is easy and simply requires that you prune the trees so that none outgrows the others.
With global warming, should we plant "low chill" varieties?
Actually, chilling hours here have fluctuated but mostly have increased over the last decade. From a low of 700 to a high of 1300 (which we appear to be heading toward this year as well), our chilling hours are sufficient for nearly any fruit variety.
The Southern Oscillation (El Niņo, La Niņa) probably has the most direct effect on chilling hours. El Niņo years tend to be wetter and warmer, La Niņa tend to be drier and colder. Still, it's a rare year here in the Sacramento Valley that we don't get enough chilling .
What about lilacs? Don't they need winter chilling?
Yes. Plant lilacs out in the open, away from the house. Same with peonies.
What is the advantage of bareroot?
What you get in the bareroot season is the biggest root system at the lowest price. The roots are so big, they have to be pruned to fit in containers. Properly planted and watered, a bareroot tree establishes faster than a container-grown tree. This is when nurseries have the largest selection of fruit tree and rose varieties.
Should I prune it?
No. The nurseryman I bought my birch tree from was old school; in the past bareroot trees were topped to "bring the tops and roots in balance." Research has found that the young trees establish better if the top is left unpruned at first. The more leaves you have, the faster the roots will grow. Pruning to train the tree can begin in the first winter after planting.
What do I do with this tree until I can plant it?
Keep it moist! The roots should be kept in moist shavings, potting soil, or compost. Water them daily, and sprinkle the top as well. Plant ASAP!
Pruning out the central leader during field production leads to a low-branched tree, which makes it easier for the homeowner to control the size and pick the fruit.
How do I plant this thing?!
Dig a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the roots without bending them, typically 3' wide by 18" deep. The graft union should be out of the ground a couple of inches. You can add fertilizer to the backfill, but don't add compost. Backfill, firm the soil, then soak the tree thoroughly. Tug it up a little if it settles. You don't want the graft buried, and you don't want the tree in a low spot. It should be "crowned up" an inch or so. Make a basin for watering by pulling excess soil to form a ring around the tree. Water thoroughly again. When it is dry, paint the trunk with an interior white latex paint, up to the first branches to prevent sunburn on the bark.
My watering advice for this area:
give the tree one gallon of water every day until it leafs out and starts to grow. You don't need to water on rainy or foggy days. Then gradually water less often and more deeply. By May - June you should be able to have it on your regular watering cycle. The crucial watering time is March to early April, when we first get dry and warm. Don't let those fine root hairs dry out! A north wind in March kills lots of young bareroot trees.
What to choose?
The bins of bareroot trees can be a little overwhelming. There may be a dozen or more types of peaches, for example. Scores of roses. Lilacs, wisteria, flowering cherries, flowering plums, crabapples; shade trees. Nearby you may find artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, and even horseradish.
What's easy to grow?
Pomegranates, persimmons, and figs. Just plant, water, and wait. No pruning needed. All are tolerant of drought, but are not particularly susceptible to rot so they can be in a garden or even in or near a lawn. Cherries are very easy except for sensitivity to rot. No pruning or spraying needed.
But don't shy away from the other fruit varieties. Home orchard care is not difficult: some seasonal pruning and possibly some spraying. Organic options are available for the occasional pest problems. We are fortunate to live in an area where you can grow all the major types of stone fruits (apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums, pluots), the pome fruits (apples et al.), Mediterranean and Asian fruits, and more. Factors in selecting a variety include flavor and ripening period, ease of size control, pest problems, chilling hours, and cross-pollination requirements, if any.
What about citrus?
Citrus trees may be available now, but not bare root as they are evergreen. It is an ok time to plant them, but warmer weather is optimal. Look for
best selection of citrus
in spring and summer.
Jargon: what's all this stuff on the label?
Semi-dwarf
I am getting away from this term as it is misleading. Some rootstocks make a tree grow more slowly. But they don't (usually) keep the tree much smaller than a regular rootstock. You determine the size of the tree by how you train and prune it.
Exceptions: there are some extremely dwarfing rootstocks for apples that keep the plant miniature, small enough to grow in a tub or barrel. "Genetic dwarf" (miniature) varieties are available for peaches and nectarines, and there is a dwarf almond.
Rootstock
There are specific rootstocks for certain situations: nematode-infested soils, poor drainage. Mostly these are for commercial plantings. You may want to ask locally if you have a need for special rootstocks. If you ask me, the answer will be 'no'. If drainage is an issue, elevate your planting. If you want a smaller tree, prune it.
Pollenizers and pollinators?
"
Pollenizer
required." A few fruit varieties are self-sterile, either completely (Bing cherry) or partially (many apples). So they require the presence, within bee-flying distance, of another type which blooms at the same time. Not another tree of the same variety, but another variety. It can be in your neighbor's yard, or even a couple of doors away.
Apricots, peaches, nectarines, etc., are mostly self-fruitful. Plums and pluots are complicated, so check before you buy, but there are some self-fruitful plums.
Some pears and apples are partially self-fruitful, and others will produce fruit without a pollenizer in our area but require one elsewhere.
The bee is the
pollinator
.
Chilling hours?
Deciduous fruit trees need a certain number of hours between 32 - 45F to break dormancy and develop their flowers properly. Too low chilling, the flowers don't open right. Low-chill varieties planted in cold areas may break dormancy too early, and try to flower while frost could still occur and damage the blooms.
For more information on chilling hours, check out the UC Cooperative Extension Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center Website:
http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu
© 2009 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
www.redwoodbarn.com
Feel free to copy and distribute this article with attribution to this author.
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