When is the best time to plant fruit trees
An article on green plant knowledge, introducing the maintenance and care of fruit trees, when is the best time to plant fruit trees, the following shares detailed content.
Many newcomers want to know when is the best time to plant fruit trees. A fruit grower friend uses apple trees as an example, combining his own practice of the last 4-5 years, tells about the best time to plant fruit trees. The earliest time for my tree planting experiments is from mid-October, and the latest is just before the trees start to bloom after germination. Some have all leaves, some have part of the leaves, some are completely defoliated before freezing, and some are in the middle of ice and snow at minus five or six degrees, as well as before germination in early spring; the types of seedlings include germinated seedlings, small seedlings, large seedlings, and small trees with a diameter of about four or five centimeters.
After five years, about 3000 trees (mainly apples and peaches) of experiments have given me a relatively clear judgment, summarized for fruit friends with similar climates to refer to.
1. It is not feasible to plant trees before November 5th with all leaves or most leaves, regardless of what kind of seedlings, as it will severely affect the survival rate. A temperature of about 20 degrees will make the leaves dry up within one or two days. If the seedlings are strong and healthy, it's still okay, but if they are large seedlings or small trees, it's almost impossible for them to survive. I once transplanted 70 three-year-old apple tree seedlings, and after planting, the leaves withered immediately. After watering, the leaves dried up in the scorching sun that day, and more than one-third of them died the next year, and many of the surviving ones got diseases on the branches and trunks. Unless you can bring soil balls or have good shading conditions, it's best not to plant trees like this.
2. Planting trees after the leaves have mostly fallen or before freezing (late autumn to early winter), which is after November 20th and before December 20th in my area, is a better time. This applies to strong and healthy small seedlings, such as one or two-year-old peach tree seedlings, or two or three-year-old apple tree seedlings. After planting, water thoroughly, and the survival rate and growth of the trees will be higher the next year, but it's best to prune immediately after planting, not waiting until the following spring. In areas with strong winds or in particularly cold winters, certain measures for insulation, such as wrapping with plastic film, are needed. It is not recommended to plant weak seedlings in late autumn as they are prone to drying and freezing to death.
3. Planting trees in deep winter, when the ground is frozen or when it freezes in the morning and evening but thaws at noon. I have twice experienced planting trees with snow and ice at minus five or six degrees, with the ground frozen. The survival rate of trees planted at this time is not low and does not affect survival. However, it is necessary to water thoroughly and choose strong seedlings. But because it's really inconvenient to work, it's not recommended to plant trees in deep winter.
4. After the initial spring thaw and before germination, which is from February 20th to March 15th in my area. This is suitable for most trees, especially for weak seedlings that are not suitable for autumn planting. It's best to plant at this time, the weaker the seedlings, the later you should wait until there is almost no frost, but not until germination. As soon as there are signs of germination, plant them quickly. The earlier the strong seedlings, the better.
5. Just as the trees start to germinate. I found that this is a good time to transplant larger trees with the highest survival rate. Just cut the above-ground part short when the buds start to germinate, transplant bare-rooted and water thoroughly, and there will be no tree death, and the growth is also good. For large trees, bare-root transplanting in autumn or early spring is not very good, of course, except for those with soil balls.
One more thing to note is that no matter when you plant trees, do not let the roots come into direct contact with fertilizer, or it will be counterproductive.
The above explanation about the best time to plant fruit trees (fruit grower's experience) hopes to bring a little help to your life!