At its core, planting a tree is not very complicated… however there are a lot of little things to think about. Here are the basic parts of my tree planting process. As with all my learning, it’s a work in progress, and I am willing to learn new perspectives and add or subtract from my process. If you have suggestions, I’m all ears – you can leave a comment below, or email me at matt@theurbanorchardist.com.
Receiving your tree: My trees are sold and delivered 'bare root', meaning that I grow them in the ground, not in pots, and to deliver them to you, I pack their roots in damp sawdust to see them through until they are planted. Trees can handle this unnatural situation of being out of the ground just fine for a little while – people ship bare root trees all over the continent like this – but the sooner you can plant the better. If you can't plant your tree right away, it can be stored somewhere cold and dark, like a cool garage or shed, for a few days, as long as the roots remain in contact with a damp medium. Just make sure it doesn't get exposed to freezing temperatures.
For more information, my Nursery Information page website has a little bit about this, and this article by Akiva Silver - The Benefits of Bare Root Trees - goes into the benefits of this method.
Immediately before planting:
If you are planting right away this is not essential, but it is a good practice to submerge your tree’s roots in a bucket of water for a short period of time immediately before planting (anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours… I am not aware of research that concludes how long is too long, but much longer than that seems risky to me). This is more important when you are planting more than one tree, and you have multiple trees waiting in line for their turn – when you remove one tree from a bundle and shift them all around, the damp sawdust packed around their roots does not always stay in contact with each tree’s roots, so a bucket of water is a safer holding place for your trees. This also allows them to fully hydrate themselves before being planted.
Planting: When planting a tree, you want the planted tree to end up sitting at the same level that it was growing in the ground. This usually pretty easy to figure out – there is often a slight change in the colour of the bark, and you can tell where the topmost roots begin.
With a bare root tree, you don't need to dig any deeper than the root system – digging deeper and then back-filling risks that back-filled soil (which is now relatively loose compared to before it was dug and replaced) settling and sinking after planting, and leaving your tree’s roots exposed to air, when they should all be in contact with soil.
A tip I learned from local tree legend Henry Kock is to shovel your soil onto a piece of cardboard, or wood, or a tarp – this makes it easy to refill the planting hole afterwards, so you don't need to comb it out of the surrounding grass, and you ensure you put the required volume of soil back in the hole.
There are many Youtube videos about how to plant a bare root tree... here's one: How do I Plant Bare-root Trees?, and another: How to Plant a Bare-Root Tree: Easy Step-by-Step Guide.
Ultimately it is not complicated - you just need to get them in the ground in a good location, at the right depth, ideally well-mulched afterwards.
Amending: I rarely amend the planting hole with compost or fertilizer – you don't want to baby the tree in its immediate environment; you want it to reach out and seek nutrients in its surroundings, and establish a strong root structure. However, spreading compost on top of the soil after planting is generally a good idea, and will fertilize the tree over time from the top down.
That said, I recently attended a presentation by Helen Atthowe, author of The Ecological Farm, and she had very good results from adding a mix of minerals (determined based on a soil test – in her case, things like elemental sulfur, rock phosphate, boron, azomite, and more) to her planting hole, up to two months before planting. Her trees did not receive any subsequent mineral fertilization and they performed very well (thanks to a multi-faceted strategy involving cover crops and more). So, there may be nothing wrong with amending your planting hole, but I have (up to now) generally amended afterwards by topdressing.
Regarding planting time:
When planting a leafed-out potted tree it is best to plant on a cloudy day – less sunlight means less photosynthesis, which means less stress on the tree while it is getting over transplant shock. When planting a dormant bare root tree, this is not as relevant, as the leaves are not out and there is no water draw due to photosynthesis.
Planting before a good rain (or during a light rain) is the best, if the timing works out, because it means less work for to water each tree. If there is no rain in the immediate forecast, give each tree a good soak after planting, to help the soil settle around its roots. You may notice the water causes soil to sink in certain spots – add additional soil to even out the planting hole, and water a bit more to settle that soil.
If freezing weather is in the forecast, then it is especially important to give your trees a good soak to settle soil around their roots, so that there are no air pockets adjacent to roots which would lead to freeze damage.
After planting:
As I said above, give the tree a good deep watering to settle it in. Topdressing with compost is always a good idea. And mulch is essential. Leaving the soil bare will lead to the soil drying out faster, and regrowth of grass or other plants within your tree's root zone. A deep mulching keeps weeds at bay, allows your soil to stay hydrated longer, and insulates the roots from freezing damage. Wood chips are great, or straw, hay, dried leaves... any kind of organic matter. I mulch deeply, at least 4"-6" – it settles significantly over time. Remember to mulch like a ‘donut’, not a ‘volcano’ – you don’t want mulch settled up against the trunk of the tree.
You shouldn't need to stake your tree (none of my trees are staked in the nursery and they grew fine), unless it is leaning (some do) – in that case, use a simple stake (I’ve used 4’ bamboo stakes, a sharpened 2” x 2” piece of lumber, a piece of rebar, a metal t-stake...) on the opposite of the lean, placed at distance of 1’-3’, and tie the tree with a gentle material in a way that keeps the tree straight but allows it to still move around. Staking the tree tightly, in a way that immobilizes the tree from blowing around in the wind, prevents the tree from developing its own strong wood, and will act as a crutch that leads to a weaker tree over time.
On watering:
Fruit trees require adequate water in well-drained soil (and will not do well with poor drainage and a waterlogged situation). And, as is true with most other plants, including house plants, it is important to allow the soil the dry somewhat between waterings. My rudimentary method is to put my finger in the soil – if it feels damp to your touch, then don’t water! The tree’s roots have adequate moisture. If you put your finger in the soil and it feels a little dry, then it is time to water.
It is also important to water deeply, not shallowly – you want the water to reach down to the bottom of the roots. Watering shallowly will encourage a shallow root system that is poorly anchored, which results in a less self-reliant tree.
A tip I use with almost all trees I plant is to form a circular edge of soil around your tree to act as a dish to prevent water from running away. The diameter will depend on how big your tree is, and its needs – perhaps 2’-3’ in diameter. This is especially helpful if you are watering with a bucket, because you can quickly water and walk to the next tree, and ensure that your water will stay in place and percolate downwards.
In short, it is better to give deep soakings at somewhat less frequent intervals, than frequent shallow waterings.
My very rudimentary watering protocol is about one 5-gallon bucket of water per week of no significant rain. That said, I still check first with my finger to see how dry or wet the soil is. If it's very damp, I don't water.
Protecting from animals:
Trunk protection from voles and rabbits is crucial. I have lots many trees to rabbits, and it is extremely frustrating! I have plastic spiral trunk guards for sale for this purpose - in case you are interested, here is the link: Plastic Trunk Guards. If not that, I recommend putting something around your trees - it would be chicken wire, hardware cloth, etc.
Products that use animal blood, like Plantskydd, can work too, but will need reapplication throughout the winter.
And if there is a risk of deer browsing through the winter, you should put up a circle of fence around each tree. I generally use two bamboo stakes and a circle of 4’ or 5’ tall chicken wire/cattle fencing/whatever you may happen to have.
If a longer video interests you, this is from one of my favourite fruit tree authors, Orin Martin: Planting a Bare Root Fruit Tree. I like this video because he talks of other aspects of your fruit tree's context beyond what I've mentioned above.