How to Plant a Bare-Root Fruit Tree | Zero Fertility Method

Yes - a video about fruit trees! After planting an orchard of over 60 fruit trees the other weekend at our experimental growing site, there were a few trees left and so I thought I would create a video to demonstrate the most simple way of planting out a bare-root fruit tree, why you should plant in a square hole, and why I don't add compost or any other fertility when planting a fruit tree in the ground.

📖Books

🔗Social

🍴Delicious Garden Recipes

#planting #gardeningtips #fruittrees

[gorilla]

Earth needs more teachers like you. I love your videos!

[thelittleholding]

Loved the opening drone shots with the dramatic fog going across! We're also making more of an effort to plant lots of trees this year -G, x

[jeanlanz]

Huw, it's great to see how carefully and skillfully you put this young fruit tree in it. May God bless you, your loved ones and your garden. Thank you for sharing your skills and gratitude to your father.

[gretchenbieber]

Huw, I’m just getting started with all of this (gardening/permaculture/farming), and am enjoying your videos—peaceful and informative. Tip I learned from another video: while digging the hole, place the soil on a piece of cardboard to prevent a lot of soil being lost into the grass, maximizing what gets put back in the hole. Cheers from the USA, and God bless you.

[teresacrowley]

The soil looks so good and healthy ☘️ thanks for the tutorial

[NextdoorHomestead]

This video makes me so happy! No unnecessary, unproven amendments to make what should be a cheap process very expensive. We've planted 20+ fruit trees over the past two years in our yard using a similar method (no amendments at all) based on Dave Wilson Nursery's backyard orchard guides. Overall, it has been very successful.

The one exception has been citrus which have struggled for nutrients in our poor native clay soil.

Thanks for sharing your methods!

[karenberry]

First time ever heard to cut/dig a square planting hole. However, your reasons make super sense to me. This could be why my trees never did very well. Thank you for this new information that will give future trees a better chance for life.

[lysmalls]

Huw you are Always giving us Vital Information that helps us in our gardening Endeavors

[AmyGardner-dq]

Thank you for sharing so many knowledgeable videos :D :D

[georgestreetorchard]

Square holes are a myth. In a friable soil like that the roots will have no trouble radiating out. In a really compacted clay a square hole will just make for roots going around in a square, rather than a circle. Relieving compaction broadly, or sequentially outwards from the trunk might be necessary. Stakes that close and large can rub and be very difficult to remove. We often use two stakes 50 x 50 mm, half a metre away on opposite sides of the trunk: they won't rub and are useful for attaching string to when branch training. Bare rooted maidens with good roots often need no staking. Totally agree with backfilling with soil only - we don't give fruit trees enough credit for their ability to make a home in the original ground! Grass competition we see as the worst for young trees on all rootstocks.

[marking-time-gardens]

Thank you Huw for another great how to video! Always very helpful. Blessings on your day Kiddo from Holland Ohio USA 🥰🌻🐛💕

[SmallholdingUK]

Good luck with the new orchard Huw, my orchard is now about 15 years old and in a good year like last year I have barrow loads of fruit from 12 trees, 60 trees your going to have to eat more than an apple a day 😆👍

[keithmccracken]

Thank you for your hard work Mr. Richards.

[CompostHeap]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Happy St David!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
I was given 3 pear trees a few weeks backs, so this is great timing. Your instructions are just what I needed. Thanks Huw! Cxx

[elizabethflynn]

Thanks, Huw. Doing the same here in the school garden. Children are really chuffed.

[emilybh]

You can also soak the bare roots in a bucket of water before you plant it. Arborists recommend soaking them for at least 20 minutes.

[paulwetzel.]

I just learned the term "post knocker" while watching your video. I have one, but up until now, I called it a picket pounder. From this day forward, it shall be called a post knocker.

[blasebaker]

Exactly what I wanted to know about today. Thank you!

[critterdude]

Man, that soil looks absurdly healthy!

[basanteena]

Hi Huw. Is the stake permanent or will it be removed once the tree is established? How will you remove it without damaging the tree roots?