Fall Fruit Tree Planting?

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I want to plant a few fruit trees. Is fall a good time to plant, or am I better served to wait until spring?

All the fruit trees I see for sale are either dwarf or semi dwarf. I would really prefer a full sized tree. Are most all fruit trees now of a dwarf variety?

 

[BruceWard]

How do the trees you are seeing look? In my area all the trees at the local stores look dead.

Last year I found a local store closing out 5 gallon fruit trees for $5 each in early winter. The trees did not have leaves but it was late enough in the year that the leaves should have already fallen. I bought 14 and planted them right away. This spring most of them had some leaves but between deer eating the leaves and drought 6 of the 14 are growing and have leaves. I have been watering them weekly for the last 6 weeks or so. At this point with 6 living and a total spend of $70 I have paid an average of $11.66 per living tree.

 

[Marveltone]

I typically plant my apple trees in the early spring. That gives the root system a good chance to take hold before winter comes. But, then again, we have particularly harsh winters up here, so you may be able to get away with fall planting better than I.

Joe

 

[bp fick]

Autumn, after the trees have gone dormant, say around November 5th is the best time for leaf bearing trees. However, picking them out now, while the leaves can still be examined is important.

Water them in very good to expel the air pockets and if November is dry, for some odd reason, you will need to water every 4-7 days. If November/December are timely with moisture, you'd be just fine. The ground doesn't dry out in these months as it does in June through August. I find it very, very difficult to do spring planting of trees. YMMV.

 

[MossRoad]

Fall is an excellent time to plant trees. There are no leaves that the roots have to support and nourish. The plant can direct all energy towards root growth.

As for the size of the trees, do some google searching for the sizes of dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard trees. Many home gardeners do not want standard sized trees because they can get huge!

 

[Marveltone]

My first reply was a little short, and lacking information :ashamed:. I guess I should have added that planting season tends to be regional, with late fall to early winter being preferable in the south, while early spring tends to be more the norm in the more extreme northern climates. That being said, it's generally accepted that planting takes place sometime between October and April.

As bp fick said, YMMV. :thumbsup:

Joe

 

[dex3361]

I want to plant a few fruit trees. Is fall a good time to plant, or am I better served to wait until spring?

All the fruit trees I see for sale are either dwarf or semi dwarf. I would really prefer a full sized tree. Are most all fruit trees now of a dwarf variety?

I had the best survival rate from trees ordered and sent as bare rooted trees. The arrive with all of the feeder roots in tack wrapped in damp shredded newspaper. Then I soak them in water for about 5 or 6 hours and plant them in the ground.

 

[gauthier]

Spring.

 

[2458n]

There is the saying ,"fall is for planting". Put them to bed wet is another often heard term with landscaping. Are you looking for shade or fruit? The romance of having apple trees quickly fades with a yard of rotting fruit to mow. I perfer the dwarf trees for fruit as they can be maintained with less pruning. One tree is thirty years old and only 6 ft. tall. Although they are a great deal work -fresh apple cider is a pretty good reward.

 

[JCB]

Hobby,

regarding trees, I always go with the sooner the better. This fall and next spring being equal....go with this fall!

Joe

 

[gauthier]

Well considering fall is much more dryer than spring,I say go with spring,,it don't matter fall or spring as far as apples,,you ain't going to get apples off of it either way for years[if your lucky]..

 

[forgeblast]

Fall/spring. I have done both. When i planted my crp project they required a spring planting, but I have had a lot of success with fall plantings. What i will do a lot of the time is figure out in the fall where i will plant and dig up the holes, getting all the stone out of them. I then back fill and add some compost/peat moss. Then when the trees are delivered in the spring its easy to dig the hole back up, and plant the tree. I was able to plant 50 bare root (3-4') trees in an afternoon. Just mark the holes with a bit of flagging so you remember where they are.

 

[dave1949]

I think most dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties offer two things; fewer years before the tree becomes productive and some resistance to fungus/virus problems compared to the standard versions.

Standard sized trees are much harder to keep properly pruned and sprayed if you really want good fruit production.
Dave.

 

[ToadHill]

Dave has the right idea, if you want fruit then semi dwarf is the way to go. Picking and pruning are a lot easier.

Spring is the best time to plant new trees but fall is a close second. It's best if the trees have gone dorment before you plant in the fall and they should still be dorment if you plant in the spring.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

I recommend Fruit Production for the Home Gardener from the Agricultural Science department at Penn State. In answer to the original question, they say in the spring, as soon as it thaws enough to get a shovel in the ground.