I took your advice on an older video of planning fruit trees. That was 5 years ago. My peach trees were smaller than what you’re planting in this video and they are very healthy, even with our drought this summer in Ohio. My 4 year old peach trees gave me a bumper crop this fall. I did not fertilize and watered a few feet away from them to encourage them to search for water and nutrients. Best advice, I believe, to give trees a great start! Thank you!
Great advice Luke. I have been growing fruit trees for 60 years. Your new orchard needs vole/mice guards for the next several years during winter months. Also the big issue is how are you going to manage pests. People expect their grocery store apples to be perfect. This only occurs with heavy pesticide use. I have had good luck with surround kaolin clay but I still can't manage the perfection of the neonicotinoids and antifungals that huge commercial orchards use. Kind Regards, Craig
What about improving very poor soils prior to planting? I suppose that goes against the mindset of “plant where it wants to grow” but some of us don’t have that luxury
What about established trees that are dug out of the ground with the root structure in tact using that specialized giant circular spade tool attached to large tractors? Won't they continue to fruit as normal?
Started with 2 apple trees about 20 years ago. Add one new tree each year. We now have 27 different types of fruit trees in our mini orchard. Looking forward to seeing updates on care of the trees throughout the sessions. And possibly learn how to Propagate/ graft trees.
I know you indicated How much water was needed per week I'm wondering If you are in a cold climate And you get snow Do you still Recommend a recommend watering Weekly
Bonus tip: Don't plant a jujube near your lawn or you'll be constantly digging out traveling roots in your yard (feel like I planted bamboo.. need to collar that sucker).
Pick a pruning method and stick with it. Different fruit trees take different times for fruit to grow on it. Some fruits only grow on 1 year old branches some grow on 2 year old branches. Don't plant apples around cedars. Cedar apple rust sucks. I use huge hugelkulture holes. I am in white sand on an end moraine so water just runs right through it. I like full size to xl rootstocks. I got some crab apple seeds from Top of the lake roadside park. Figured it's so cold right there by the lake. The snow and ice seem to stay there longer. Might make a good rootstock.
Last tip is a doozy. I had to learn the hard way a couple years ago. Wasted $75 per apple tree for larger trees from a nursery. Planted $20 3 foot apple twigs trees from the mail the following year. They are all the same size now and no fruit yet🤦🏼♀️
We love to have apple trees but don’t know how invasive are their roots. Would you please explain or compare apple tree roots with another fruit tree roots? Thanks for sharing.
I heard from an orchard owner to dig your hole square to keep the roots from growing in a circle; if you dig a round hole they can keep growing in a circle. Your thoughts?
Will you chat about or share tending to newly plants fruit trees in the winter and the care you plan to take? About to plant 8 trees in west central Indiana! Excited for your guys’ new venture!
Hey Luke, I planted a Bartlet pear tree and a Keifer pear tree ( for a pollinator) at the same time ( appx 4 years ago). The Bartlet tree was loaded the past 2 years. This year I literally finally got 1 pear from the Kiefer Pear tree. Any Ideas on what may be happening? Thanks!
Actually if you plant the graft below the ground you wont get the root stock growing out. But you will turn your tree into a full size tree of the grafted variety not the root stock. Your grafted variety will root above the root stock and grow into a full size tree. This is helpful to know because if the nursery does not have a standard size tree, you can plant the graft below the ground and the tree will root and grow as a full size standard tree. Have done this many times and have never had one grow into the root stock variety. Of course as always with fruit trees you should always remove any sucker branches that grow at the soil line of your tree as they will probably be a growth of the root stock variety.
Talking about round pegs and square holes… I always dig a square hole when planting trees. It helps avoid the roots curling around the hole and they tend to break out of the hole instead. We've got a lot of clay in our soil, maybe with your sandy soil it makes no difference.
41 Comments
This is great information, thank you!
I took your advice on an older video of planning fruit trees. That was 5 years ago. My peach trees were smaller than what you’re planting in this video and they are very healthy, even with our drought this summer in Ohio. My 4 year old peach trees gave me a bumper crop this fall. I did not fertilize and watered a few feet away from them to encourage them to search for water and nutrients. Best advice, I believe, to give trees a great start! Thank you!
So, Tough love at first, stellar child later.
❤❤❤ great information, shared
Is it doable to remove a peach tree and plant it somewhere else if it's been in ground for 6 months?
Great advice Luke. I have been growing fruit trees for 60 years. Your new orchard needs vole/mice guards for the next several years during winter months. Also the big issue is how are you going to manage pests. People expect their grocery store apples to be perfect. This only occurs with heavy pesticide use. I have had good luck with surround kaolin clay but I still can't manage the perfection of the neonicotinoids and antifungals that huge commercial orchards use. Kind Regards, Craig
What about improving very poor soils prior to planting? I suppose that goes against the mindset of “plant where it wants to grow” but some of us don’t have that luxury
Why would an apple trees or peach tree have hardly any flowers or none at all? My trees are well over 5 years old
Thank you Luke for another great article
Thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just had a grapefruit tree and an orange tree removed.
I have to have mesh for awhile for my sticks that I just got in spring. Deer trim them for me. Especially berry bushes that don't have thorns.
Timely for me, thank you!
Love the farm series! So happy to watch the development.
What about established trees that are dug out of the ground with the root structure in tact using that specialized giant circular spade tool attached to large tractors? Won't they continue to fruit as normal?
Any advice for planting bear root trees in the fall? Should I cover them for the first winter, they are about 12 inches tall.
Started with 2 apple trees about 20 years ago. Add one new tree each year. We now have 27 different types of fruit trees in our mini orchard. Looking forward to seeing updates on care of the trees throughout the sessions. And possibly learn how to Propagate/ graft trees.
Awesome information and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I hope you are going to put tree guards around each tree to protect them from rabbits and mice.
I know you indicated How much water was needed per week I'm wondering If you are in a cold climate And you get snow Do you still Recommend a recommend watering Weekly
Bonus tip: Don't plant a jujube near your lawn or you'll be constantly digging out traveling roots in your yard (feel like I planted bamboo.. need to collar that sucker).
Hey Luke
I want to plant some fruit trees in my yard but I have a lot of clay and hard ground
What do you think I should do
Thanks
💯 facts! Good video
Pick a pruning method and stick with it. Different fruit trees take different times for fruit to grow on it. Some fruits only grow on 1 year old branches some grow on 2 year old branches. Don't plant apples around cedars. Cedar apple rust sucks. I use huge hugelkulture holes. I am in white sand on an end moraine so water just runs right through it. I like full size to xl rootstocks. I got some crab apple seeds from Top of the lake roadside park. Figured it's so cold right there by the lake. The snow and ice seem to stay there longer. Might make a good rootstock.
If there is any chance of moles or gophers, make the hole 3X and line it with two layers of chicken wire.
Last tip is a doozy. I had to learn the hard way a couple years ago. Wasted $75 per apple tree for larger trees from a nursery. Planted $20 3 foot apple twigs trees from the mail the following year. They are all the same size now and no fruit yet🤦🏼♀️
We love to have apple trees but don’t know how invasive are their roots. Would you please explain or compare apple tree roots with another fruit tree roots? Thanks for sharing.
A question u didn’t answer that I see get many different responses to is is it better to plant fruit threes in spring or fall?
I heard from an orchard owner to dig your hole square to keep the roots from growing in a circle; if you dig a round hole they can keep growing in a circle. Your thoughts?
Will you chat about or share tending to newly plants fruit trees in the winter and the care you plan to take? About to plant 8 trees in west central Indiana! Excited for your guys’ new venture!
Luke if you do more fruit tree videos it would be interesting if you commented on which ones need a pollinator and which ones don't
I wanna plant more fruit trees, i wish i had enough money to buy a home, some day
Hey Luke, I planted a Bartlet pear tree and a Keifer pear tree ( for a pollinator) at the same time ( appx 4 years ago). The Bartlet tree was loaded the past 2 years. This year I literally finally got 1 pear from the Kiefer Pear tree. Any Ideas on what may be happening? Thanks!
Actually if you plant the graft below the ground you wont get the root stock growing out. But you will turn your tree into a full size tree of the grafted variety not the root stock. Your grafted variety will root above the root stock and grow into a full size tree. This is helpful to know because if the nursery does not have a standard size tree, you can plant the graft below the ground and the tree will root and grow as a full size standard tree. Have done this many times and have never had one grow into the root stock variety.
Of course as always with fruit trees you should always remove any sucker branches that grow at the soil line of your tree as they will probably be a growth of the root stock variety.
Great tips on trees.
My neighbor has planted fruit trees on city property. That is a mistake.
I look forward to hearing your pruning advice. 😅❤
Talking about round pegs and square holes… I always dig a square hole when planting trees.
It helps avoid the roots curling around the hole and they tend to break out of the hole instead.
We've got a lot of clay in our soil, maybe with your sandy soil it makes no difference.
Luke, if a tree has been grafted then doesn't it take away the heirloom uniqueness?
I'd love to learn more about growing plum trees in the midwest
Planting 200 fruit trees with a shovel is a mistake…..😂