Planting Fruit Trees in Winter

I have never experienced discontentment in winter. I keep myself active in my little urban orchard by choosing fruiting trees and vines I can get in the ground now for future harvest. Early to late winter is a great time to plant your chosen beauties. Once you purchase a tree, planting seems like it would be a simple task: dig a hole, plop your new fruit tree in, water and done. Not so fast, my intrepid gardener, there are a few steps to take to ensure a long life and years of fruit production.

Plant Fig Trees Now for Fall Harvest

Step one is to find a location for your tree on the north side of your landscape, supporting current plant dormancy and providing full sun exposure after emerging from winter. We do not know what advective freeze events are around the corner and certainly do not want to encourage bud break and expose tender new growth to extreme colder temps. Keep an eye on weather forecasts during this time of year to help support your decision for planting. It is important to look up and around at surrounding buildings and trees to ensure your site is not covered by shade during the growing season. Another preliminary step is to make sure the area drains well; make an assessment if you need to plant on a berm or in a raised bed to improve drainage. Also commit a soil test of your growing area. You need a baseline measurement of soil nutrients, pH and salinity levels to determine the right varietal as well as practice sustainable tree maintenance. Information reported from a soil test will help guide you to the best ratio of fertilizer for ongoing management.

Next step is to dig a hole twice as wide and no deeper than the root ball. Some may be planting bare root trees or vines, making it slightly challenging to determine how deep to make the planting hole. Look for a distinct color change where the roots meet the trunk, called the root collar, and plant at that level. You can also use the part of the trunk that naturally flares at soil level as a visual guide. This trunk flare/root collar zone is well below any graft union you may see on the trunk. Remember that you will have a bit of settling after planting, and I suggest having the final level at least one-inch higher to account for settling.

Examine & Correct Roots Before Planting

As you remove your tree from its container or pull away burlap from a ball and burlap tree, look over the root mass and remove any inward growing or fixed curling woody roots. It may be challenging to clearly see the tree roots surrounded by soil if container grown. There is a technique called root washing, which is removing all soil from the root mass by washing with a hose, exposing any malformed roots for pruning and providing an opportunity to clearly see and adjust the roots as you plant. I believe there is merit to this method, and whatever technique you decide to use always make sure to prune out any malformed roots you see.

Always save and use the native soil for backfill to encourage optimal root growth and reduce an abrupt change in soil texture at the interface between the planting hole and surrounding soil. Tree roots serve a dual purpose: they absorb and transfer water and minerals as well as provide a foundation and support. Supplemental material like peat moss or shovelfuls of composted material may encourage roots to become more localized and not readily move out of the rich environment of the soil amendments in the planting hole. Mix and use as much of the native soil as you can even if you decide to build a raised bed. Once you place the tree in the hole, backfill with one-third of collected soil at a time, making sure to lightly tamp the soil enough to hold everything in place, water in the soil until you see it pool slightly, then let drain. This action helps reduce air pockets that may collect while planting. Repeat this activity until you fill up the hole to surrounding soil level. Build a 4-inch berm around the tree at least 2-feet away from the trunk and fill the berm with water for final settling. Staking may not be necessary; you will be pruning your fruiting trees to a single trunk that will not be top heavy and therefore will not necessitate this kind of support. If you do decide to stake, check on your tree throughout the year to ensure it has firmly established roots and remove the stakes within a year of planting. In the absence of seasonal rains, hand water your trees every four days for two weeks and increase the time between watering until you can water the tree every twenty days. Always take into account soaking rains; the key is not to over saturate the soil, which can lead to root rot. Remember that lawn sprinklers do not replace good old hand watering.

Browse online to Aggie Horticulture to find out more specific information about fruit tree culture: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. I will be marketing a 2025 Urban Orchard seminar series, and to best serve your interests I invite you to browse to my website and take a survey: https://brazos.agrilife.org/horticulture/urban-orchard. From grafting trees to cultivating blackberries, figs, peaches and pomegranates, I will review your answers to get things growing. Producers and home growers are welcome. Take care my friends, and I’ll see you in the winter garden.

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