Planting and Growing Your Bare Root Tree

Selection

Choose a variety that stands a good chance of performing well in your area – check the information for each variety, remembering that the Santa Cruz area has a multitude of microclimates. How much heat do you get? How much winter chill do you get? How heavy is your soil? Does your tree need a pollinizer? Does your planting site have enough sun?

Planting

In virtually every soil, including sand and clay, bare root trees are best planted in your native soil. Less is more when it comes to amending your soil.

You want your tree’s roots to reach far into the surrounding soil, and if you have added too much the roots will tend to grow only in the richest soil right around the trunk.

A tree planted from bare root will grow into a more vigorous, strongly rooted tree that will reach for its own water and nutrients more aggressively than a spring or summer planted container tree. Root Zone is an excellent product to add into your soil for encouraging root growth, as it will “enliven” your soil via living mycrohizzal organisms. Avoid adding fruit fertilizer until you see plump, developing buds already forming on your tree.

The soil at planting time should be moist and crumbly, not saturated. Saturated soil is indicated by water standing for more than three hours after a rain.

Dig a hole three times larger than the root’s spread, and break up all clumps. Set aside the dirt from the top 3” as you are digging – you will place this back on top once the tree has been planted in the hole, mimicking the natural layers of the soil.

Place some dirt back into the hole and tamp it down. Place your tree in the hole and shake it gently while adding soil so that the soil will fall in between the roots. Gently tamp it down.

The soil surface should be slightly higher than or level with, the native soil when you are finished. If settling creates a basin, fill it with soil. The graft should face north to avoid sunburning and be 2-6” above ground.

Stake your tree to keep the roots from breaking off as the tree rocks in the wind. A four foot stake driven two feet deep is usually sufficient. Smaller semi-dwarf varieties may need substantial staking their entire lives.

Watering

Begin watering the tree when the soil a few inches down begins to dry. During the growing season, water deeply as needed, usually at 3-4 week intervals (sandy soils may require more frequent watering). Once established, some trees in this area will require little or no irrigation, although a post-harvest drenching can increase next year’s bloom. Infrequent, deep waterings are much better for your tree than frequent, shallow watering.