When you have decided on which kind of fruit tree you would like, and

where you would like it, you can finally start to plant it. If you buy

your tree from a nursery, be especially careful when you are taking it

from the nursery to your house. I once had a friend who put the tree in

the back of his truck, but clipped a sign on the way home. The entire tree

snapped in half, and my friend was left a very sad man.



When you have gotten your tree safely back to your yard, look at the

bottom of it and see how big the clump of roots is. It may seem like a lot

of work now, but you want to dig a hole that is twice as wide as the

clump, and just a little less deep. Making the hole slightly bigger than

the clump of roots allows there to be room for the soil that you dug out

to be put back in. Otherwise you would be stuck with a giant heap of

unwanted dirt, and nowhere to put it. After you have dug the hole, line

the hole with some compost or fertilizer so that the tree will grow

better. After you have done this you should set your fruit tree into the

hole, and spread the roots out evenly so that the tree will be strong and

stable. 

When all of this business is done, take the soil that you dug up and fill

in the hole completely. Unless you want big piles of dirt everywhere, you

should be sure you use all of the dirt even is it is a couple inches

higher than the rest of your yard. This is because it will compress when

watered. Before you firm up the soil, make sure that the tree is

completely vertical and will not fall over. After you have checked that

the tree is perfectly vertical you can gently firm up the soil. 

If the tree's trunk is not yet completely sturdy and can be bent, you need

to tie the tree to a stake with a bit of rope. Be sure not to tie the rope

tightly to the tree, as you need to allow room for the trunk to grow. Once

the tree is sturdy enough to withstand all types of weather, you can take

the stakes off of it. When all of this is done you should mulch around the

base of the tree. If you live in an area where wildlife can access your

yard, then you should put a fence around your tree, because some animals

will eat the bark off of young trees.

Once you have successfully planted your fruit tree it will start to bear

fruit after it is three to five years old. Once your tree starts to carry

a lot of fruit you should periodically pick some of the fruit so that the

branches aren't weighed down too much. If the fruit gets too thick, the

branches can break off. On some years your tree might not bear as much

fruit as others, but this should not worry you. Healthy trees often take

years on ìvacationî where they produce little or no fruit.

After you've planted your tree you might start to have some problems with

pests. To help keep these pests away, always rake away old leaves, brush,

or any other decaying matter that could be holding bugs that could be

harmful to your tree.

To make sure that your tree always stays healthy in the long run, you

should prune it during winter or spring. Water your tree every two weeks

during dry times, and be sure not to hit your tree with a lawn mower or a

weed eater because it could severely damage the growth process. Also just

make sure that your tree gets plenty of water and plenty of sun, and your

growing experience should be just great.