I’m planning on placing it in that corner there about ~5-10ft away from the fence. Other than stakes to keep the tree upright any advice on taking care of it. I’m slightly concerned about the health of the tree and the time of year is it to plant it. The leaves are a little curled as you can see in the photos.

I live in Plano, TX which places me in a zone 8 for hardiness, but I read online this tree is good for down to 6, so I’m not too concerned about the cold seasons, but a little worried about the age of this tree for this first year.

Any advice welcome.

by CPLCraft

21 Comments

  1. Wayward_Plants

    That tree wants out of that pot and in the ground. Do it soon so he can lay down some roots before going to sleep for winter. It will be fine

  2. MellyF2015

    Plant now!

    Don’t add anything to the hole since it should be ok in your soil already.

    You have rain in the area today.

    Fall is the best time to plant trees.

    The rain and cooler weather allow for root development.

  3. Madamiamadam

    Call before you dig! It’s a free service. You can usually request it online. Every time I’ve done it the city has come out within 3 days

  4. Samus7070

    The canopy spread says 20-30 feet when mature. Think of it like a circle and those numbers the diameter. You’ll want to plant it 10-15 ft from your fence or it will spread over it with time. It’s a good idea to prune it down when yo plant it. Most fruit tree pruning should strive for a goblet shape but that depends on the type of tree. Apples for instance should have a central leader. Do some research on what your tree needs.

    The fruits you’ll get in a few years will be edible. Native plums produce smaller fruits than the plums you’ll find in the supermarket but they’re still tasty. Enjoy! I wish my city gave out fruit bearing trees. They only give out ones that are sterile. If they flower they don’t produce fruit and aren’t beneficial to pollinators.

  5. CrankyWife

    My experience in Houston: It absolutely will reach that 30’ spread. Mine did in only 7 years. The spring flowers on it smell like grape kool aid. I leave the few fruits on it for the birds, as they are very small.

  6. timidusuer

    Yay for all the Arbor Day trees North Texas cities give away! Got my redbud from them last year.

  7. AriellaRomanov

    Don’t plant it too deep, you want the root flare exposed above the surface. It’s already too deep in the pot. You can remove the stake as well; letting the tree sway will help it build better roots. It’ll probably also require regular deep watering for a while to help it get planted.

  8. jungledreams21

    One of my favorites. I’ve found some in the wild where I go hunting!

  9. blownbythewind

    Cool program. Remember to look up before planting. Are there any power lines that would impede growth later.

  10. Blagnet

    I would watch the Anne of all Trades YouTube video on how to plant trees (or how not to plant trees). It talks mostly about root placement and it’s super helpful!

  11. austinlvr

    I LOVE this tree. It’s so gorgeous in Spring, and the plums are tart and picturesque and store well. Hope you enjoy!

  12. UserNameInGeorgia

    Soak it well for about an hour and then plant it. Hose water it well the first year. Don’t rely on sprinklers. Good luck!

  13. Deep-Bill7717

    Must be a liberal city. *scoff*

    Lol jk pls dont ban me and my poor comedy

  14. Trivi_13

    And nobody thought to call ICE?

    Good people!

  15. Fun-Durian-1892

    If it was free, maybe it’s a native tree? I randomly took a free tree from my town’s farmers market, a native tree. Planted it, after leaving it in a bucket of water for like a month, then left it alone. 3 years later it’s 8ft tall and I haven’t done shit. Just made sure it didn’t get mowed over lol

  16. CharleyNobody

    about ~5-10ft away from the fence

    No. It has 30 ft canopy. You need to plant if further away from fence or it will have a good deal of canopy over your neighbors yard … there might be a problem with your neighbors about that.

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