How To Plant Bare Root Apple Trees
UNPACK AND INSPECT YOUR TREE
Remove the tree from the package and inspect it for any damage. Look for healthy roots that are plump and don't have mold on them.
SOAK THE ROOTS PRIOR TO PLANTING
Place the roots in a bucket of water for 1 hour prior to planting. This allows the root ball to be rehydrated prior to being planted in it's new home.
PREPARE THE PLANTING HOLE
Dig a hole two times the size of the root ball deep and wide. This incorporates air into the soil and loosens it to encourage vigorous new root growth.
PLACE THE TREE IN THE HOLE
Place the tree into the hole, make sure that the graft union remains a few inches above the soil line. The graft union is the swollen area where the rootstock and scion were joined together.
BACKFILL AND WATER
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Spread out the roots and check the graft union once more. Start adding soil. Avoid tamping down the soil as you backfill, this can remove precious oxygen that the roots need to thrive. Gently water down the soil as you back fill instead.
AFTER PLANTING CARE
After backfilling, we recommend watering once more to settle the soil around the new tree. Add a 2 inch layer of mulch around the tree, leaving it a couple of inches away from the trunk. This helps keep moisture consistent and keeps weeds and grass from competing for nutrients. We don't want the mulch sitting up against the trunk and causing it to rot.
CARING FOR BARE ROOT APPLE TREES
The most important thing you can do is keep moisture consistent. Don't waterlog the soil. After the first year you shouldn't have to water very often, only during dry spells in the growing season. Add balanced NPK fertilizer or completed compost each spring. Prune the tree to a central leader or modified central leader system. For more information on pruning, we recommend you check out youtube. We hope to have some of our own videos to share in the future as our orchard grows!
