Let's Grow Stuff

- Greetings from the garden, and welcome back to Let's Grow Stuff.

My name is Ben, and today we are at Troy Farm on the North Side of Madison to tackle an easy project that will bear fruits for years to come.

We are planting a fruit tree!

So, let's jump in and get started.

[upbeat music] Planting a fruit tree is a long-term investment, and a tree like the one we have here can take up to four to seven years before it really begins to produce fruit.

But once it does, it'll keep producing for decades.

With this in mind, how we plant our tree today matters.

So, before we dig in, let's cover a few fruit tree basics.

Now, most fruit trees are grafted, which means the part of the tree growing above ground is different than the part of the plant growing below ground.

When selecting your fruit tree in the nursery, look for a healthy graft union.

And this is the part where the aboveground wood, the scion wood, was melded with the rootstock, what's growing belowground.

The graft union should be visible at or just above the soil, and you can identify it by this little kink where the two parts came together.

A healthy graft union will be fully healed over with new bark.

And if you can see any open wounds or rotten wood, select a different plant.

Fruit trees come in three sizes: dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard, and this is often the result of the grafting process.

Now, dwarf trees, for instance, are a great choice for an urban lot, but it's important to make sure you're choosing the right size of tree for the space you have available to grow.

Many fruit trees need a pollination partner [drip] in order to produce fruit, and this will be indicated on the plant tag.

You'll need two trees of the same species in order to promote successful pollination-- a cherry won't cross with an apple, for instance.

However, we can mix and match varieties within a species.

You could grow both a Honeycrisp apple and a Golden Delicious apple.

Today, we're planting a McIntosh Apple tree, and we're adding it to an existing fruit tree planting, so we don't need to worry about planting a pollination partner in this instance.

Alright, let's get our tools ready.

We'll need a round-point shovel, a pair of sharp pruners, a bucket of water, and a bag of mulch.

So, since trees are planted deeper than many of our perennial plants, it's important to have your utilities marked before you begin planting.

We're planting our fruit tree in an open lawn area, so it'll get plenty of light.

The best time to plant any tree, including fruit trees, is late winter/early spring and fall, and this is because the temperatures are cooler, and it's more likely that we'll have regular precipitation.

If you're planting a container-grown tree, as we are today, we'll need to give our plant a little TLC before it goes into the ground.

First, remove your plant from its pot and inspect the root system.

If you see a lot of tangled roots encircling the outer edge, we'll need to break these up and tease them out.

Roots should grow away from the center trunk.

If we don't untangle them now, they'll continue to grow in a circle and eventually choke out the main tree as the roots and trunk enlarge over time.

Once you've cleaned your root ball, make sure your root flair is also visible.

The root flair will be below the graft union and should be visible as a gentle taper where the trunk transforms into roots.

It's very possible this is buried beneath the soil in your container, and we'll need to remove this excess soil before planting.

A trunk that looks like a telephone pole is a recipe for problems later on.

It's time to dig our hole and get planting.

When digging, excavate an area twice the width of the top of your root ball.

And this doesn't have to be precise.

You can just eyeball it.

In terms of depth, we want our root flair to be right at our final soil level.

You can also use your shovel handle to measure this.

Place your tree in its hole, and make sure the roots are pointing away from the center trunk.

And we'll begin to refill.

We're only going to fill it halfway for now, and this allows us to make sure the soil we're replacing is securing our new tree and devoid of big air pockets that could dry out our roots.

Next, pour half of your water into the hole and allow it a few minutes to drain.

This helps to remove any air pockets and ensure the deepest roots get water immediately after planting.

Tamp down the soil with your fists.

And remember, you're not making concrete.

You're just removing those extra air pockets.

Before filling the rest of the hole, stand back and walk around your tree a few times to make sure the trunk is straight.

This is the time to make adjustments.

Once the water has fully soaked in, we can replace the rest of our soil and repeat the same watering and tamping process.

Finally, add a 1" to 2" layer of mulch around the base of your tree.

This will help to reduce weeds and keep soil moisture consistent.

And make sure that you don't create a mulch volcano.

Remember, the root flair should always be visible.

Inspect your fruit tree for any damaged or crossed branches that might have happened during planting or transport.

If you find any, don't panic.

It's totally fine.

Using disinfected pruners, trim away any damaged branches back to the main stem.

Well, there you have it, our fruit tree is in the ground, and we'll get to enjoy the "fruits" of our labor [clicks tongue] for years to come.

Now, don't forget, there is so much more to learn online at pbswisconsin.org/ letsgrowstuff.

There you'll find more videos, tips, tricks, and a blog to help you grow a better garden.

So, until next time, happy gardening.

- Funding for Let's Grow Stuff is provided by American Transmission Company, Ganshert Nursery & Landscapes, Willy Street Co-op, Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.