06/07/2025
As it’s winter. I often get asked about bare root fruit trees, so I thought for July’s plant of the month, I wanted to talk about bare root fruit trees….
Planting time: Late Autumn- Winter once trees are dormant and are completely bare.
Location: full sun position in a well drained soil with good organic matter. If you have a clay soil, add Gypsum at 2 handfuls per square meter or use liquid Ground Breaker to assist with drainage.
How to plant: it’s very important to plant your bare root tree immediately after getting home with your plant, the longer the roots are exposed to the air, the more chance of them drying out and having the plant die. Dig a wide hole with a slight mound in the bottom to sit the roots on top so they can drop and spread off the mound. If planting in a tub/ container, use a quality potting mix. Water well after planting.
Preparation: Wash off any mulch or sawdust from the roots. As bare root plants are pulled out of the ground by machinery , roots can be damaged and at least half of the roots can actually be left behind in the ground. Therefore damaged roots will be to be pruned off and if the top of the plant is larger than the rootball size, you will need to prune the canopy to reduce the size to match the football size ( you can ask the seller to do this for you in some cases)
Care: Once the plant wakes up in spring and starts to develop leaves and flowers, it’s time to regularly feed your tree. Liquid fertilise every month during Soring and Autumn. Powder/ granular fertiliser use every 8 weeks approximately, pellets approximately every three months. Don’t waste time, money and fertiliser feeding when dormant as the tree is asleep and won’t uptake the feed. Water regularly during the warmer months and mulch trees at the beginning of Spring, use a sugar cane or lucerne mulch.
Pest/diseases: To avoid the risk of fruit fly, pick up all fallen fruit as soon as possible. Identify the pest or disease prior to using a treatment to ensure you get the correct product. Use the product according to directions to avoid wasted product, time and money and importantly causing damage from overspray/overuse.
Pruning: Prune Apples, Pears and stone fruit with the exception of Apricots during late Autumn/ Winter when trees are dormant and do this annually. Ensure tools are properly sterilised and are sharp. Choose a sunny day or partly sunny day with a good breeze if possible. Prune Apricots after fruiting.
Harvest and enjoy…..
