Planting New Trees

The right time for planting new trees is when leaves have fallen and the trees are dormant. Due to the mild autumn this year, many trees have only just shed their leaves.

Most nurserymen sell bare-rooted apple trees and early winter is the time for planting them. It gives time for the trees to establish themselves by making new roots before the spring rush of growth.

New trees should not be planted on the site of old trees as the soil would be depleted of nutrients and might present a risk of disease spread.

The ground selected should get plenty of sun, be well drained and not in a frost pocket.

The RHS book “Growing Fruit” by Harry Baker (stock code 99016) gives diagrams and detailed advice on the preparation of ground, staking, manuring and planting. It also has sections on choosing root stocks, selecting tree form, pruning and subsequent care of your trees.

After planting it is important to suppress the competing growth of grass and weeds. This can be achieved by using permeable woven horticultural sheeting around the tree. Should rabbits be a problem in your orchard, then it is important to protect the tree’s bark with a rabbit guard or a ring of wire mesh.

The new book “Community Orchards Handbook” published by Commonground (stock code 99033) has a really interesting and helpful section entitled Planting a Community Orchard in which it considers the siting of new orchards; why local varieties are worth planting; choice of varieties; planting tips including a discussion of rootstocks, propagation, spacing and number of trees, creation of planting schedules and historical plans and the later management of the orchard in its entirety to maximise both the crop and a rich diversity of wild life. The following chapter gives advice about Adopting an Old Orchard including the management of old trees and grafting and budding so that original trees can be replicated. This book is essential reading for any aspiring community group!