How To Plant Pip and Stone Fruit Trees

July and August are the months to get pip and stone fruit trees in the ground before the sap starts to flow and the buds burst.
We recommend planting bare-rooted stock. Generally it establishes better than a tree in a container because it’s been grown in open ground. The plum tree we plant is ‘Lucy’ – a cross between ‘Fortune’ and ‘Luisa’ – and it only comes in a container.
‘Lucy’ combines the meaty texture and black skin of ‘Fortune’ with the flavour and heart shape of ‘Luisa’. It’s self-fertile, fruits in mid-late summer and grows to 4m tall.
If you’re purchasing a fruit tree in a container, try gently pulling it out of the bag or container. If it's difficult to pull out, it probably isn’t this year’s stock which means the roots may be quite tightly curled around themselves ie rootbound, and this can adversely affect growth.
Back at your place, dig a hole the size of the rootball. If you make the hole too large it can end up becoming a collecting place for rain, or the tree will become unstable because of too much room to move.
If your soil is gluggy and wet, it’s a good idea to use a post hole borer to dig a bit deeper. Often there’s a clay pan around 50-60 cms under the top soil and if you can get below that you’ll increase drainage capacity which is better for the tree.
We recommend you adding a couple of handfuls of gypsum to the hole regardless, because being a clay breaker, it will assist with drainage. Gypsum is also a great source of calcium, essential for good fruit production.
Next, add compost to the hole, almost to ground level. Form the compost into a mound over which you splay the roots of the fruit tree. Place the strongest roots into the prevailing wind.
Then cover the roots with the soil you dug out of the hole and any remaining compost. As our tree was in a container we can see where it was planted up to, and that’s where we’re aiming to cover up to now. Never cover a graft with soil.
You always want to use the top soil and clods you dug out originally when re-filling the hole, as there’s lots of nutrients in the top 10-15 cms of any soil. Stamp down firmly with your boots.
You’re aiming for the fruit tree to sit quite proud of the ground so there’s no danger of letting water pool. If water does gather around a fruit tree it will cause the collar to rot and the tree won’t survive.
It’s important for the first year to put in sturdy stakes to secure the tree against winds. If it’s not supported, the new feeder roots that the tree puts out could be broken off if it gets buffeted by winds. Place two stakes on either side of the tree, in the direction of the prevailing wind.
Then it’s time to give the tree a prune. Ideally you should cut it back by a third to a half. This may seem unnecessary, but it definitely stimulates growth. Remember to dip your secateurs in a container of methylated spirits to sterilise them.
In the case of this tree, we cut the centre leader out because we want a nice open vase-like shape ultimately for his tree. We cut the remaining two branches to an equidistant height.
Seal the pruning cuts with an organic pruning paste.
Tie the tree firmly to the stakes with a soft ribbon so it doesn’t rub on the stem. This kind of tie will rot away after a year, but that’s as long as you want a fruit tree tied up anyway. After that it should be well enough established to make it on its own.
Finally we give our ‘Lucy’ a couple of handfuls of Natures Organic Fertiliser which is higher in P and K than N. This will encourage good strong root growth.

[timehasbegun]

I just found your channel today. Your videos are amazing and I will use them as a guide. I would love if you did some more on fruit tree's. please keep the videos coming. THANKS

[jeansmith]

What’s this paste called to seal the tree after being cut .