Planting Fruit Trees In The Fall – A Garden Full of Vigor
A garden with no fruit trees in it is an incomplete space, we have to admit it. Besides their utility which materializes over winter in canned food such as jam and compote, fruit trees bring extra vitality to a garden. They carry that satisfying feeling somehow signifying that you are putting down roots of a more permanent nature. Fruit trees can be a valuable addition for those that are trying to be more responsible for growing their own food and requires much less maintenance than an annual garden.
Even though planting fruit trees can be done anytime over the growing season, specialists say fall is the best moment to do so and advantages are plenty. First of all, they point out, the cooler temperatures are much less stressful on the trees that summer heat which can take a toll on their proper growth. Secondly, planting them in the fall require far less watering than planting trees in the spring and taking them through the hot summer months. In fall, soil has the ideal moisture for fruit trees which helps them develop faster.
At the same time, planting fruit trees in the fall allows just enough time for the roots of a tree to become established – getting them accustomed to the soil and preparing them for fast growth the following spring, especially since the rainy season also helps a tree to settle in more firmly. In spring, the fruit trees enter the growth period with more vigor and experts say tree grow up to 20-30 % quicker (or a one year advance) that those trees planted in spring. Moreover, fall planted trees have the same vegetation start with trees that are transplanted and this is a net advantage.
Another pro is that planting in the fall allows fruit trees to absorb all the necessary nutrients so they can cope with the winter freezing temperatures. Still, if there’s no snow over the winter, fall planted fruit trees are vulnerable if the soil freezes. This is why, ridging the land around the lower part of the trunk helps a fruit tree stand throughout the winter without injury and make a better growth in summer.
The best period to plant a fruit tree in a continental area is 15 October to 15 December, after all the leaves have fallen and before the first frost bites. So, before starting, make sure you select varieties that are hardy and tolerant to your growing zone. In addition, most fruit trees require a second pollinator to insure that the trees will bear fruit so do some research about the list of partner trees some species require.
