when to plant fruit

[minxie]

Hi,
i bought the 'grow your own fruit' book by carol klein, thinking it would be as good as the veg one. Sadly it isnt as good, it isnt very clear about when to plant fruit bushes and trees. I am a complete beginner with fruit.

can anyone direct me to an idiots guide (book or website)with good simple clear instructions.. all in one place
thanks

minxie

[northepaul]

Hi,
i bought the 'grow your own fruit' book by carol klein, thinking it would be as good as the veg one. Sadly it isnt as good, it isnt very clear about when to plant fruit bushes and trees. I am a complete beginner with fruit.

can anyone direct me to an idiots guide (book or website)with good simple clear instructions.. all in one place
thanks

minxie

Hi Minxie
I understand exactly what you mean - trying to get all the information in one place can seem like a needle in a haystack
I know others may not agree with me, but I found the most helpful book (quite idiot proof - after all it helped me ) is the Fruit Expert. It has clear guidelines of when to plant, where to plant etc and some (although limited individually because of the sheer number of types of fruit) information on most types of fruit of the information about fruit. The best thing is, you can probably pick it up at the car boot sale or jumble for pennies.

With regards web sites the RHS has some really useful pages on fruit.

Other than that, here on the Grapevine is a fantastic resourse

[Snadger]

The best time to plant any bare rooted fruit bush is when it is dormant in he winter. Pot grown specimins can just about be planted anytime of the year but would be better planted now to give them time to establish.

[sarraceniac]

The best time to plant any bare rooted fruit bush is when it is dormant in he winter. Pot grown specimins can just about be planted anytime of the year but would be better planted now to give them time to establish.

Same goes for trees Snadger. I put in a Morello cherry just before Christmas. Good job I didn't wait. I would need a JCB to dig the hole at the moment. Brrr.

[Two_Sheds]

the most helpful book ... is the Fruit Expert.

£2.76, delivered to your door, bargain Amazon.co.uk: Used and New: The Fruit Expert (Expert Series)

[FB.]

If the ground is frozen, your best bet is to buy a couple of sacks of compost from a garden centre, lay the trees on the ground and cover the roots with a few inches of the compost. Give it a bit of water and leave them there until the ground thaws out. Soil would do, but if the ground is frozen, then you can't use the soil!
When the ground thaws, if possible, dig a hole about twice the depth and twice the diameter of the root spread.
Fill the hole mostly with the soil that came out, but add a small amount (say 1/4) of compost. Leave a small depression around the trunk, to act as a water collector. Add a mulch (compost will do) about half an inch to an inch thick, on the top of the soil after planting. Remember to keep the tree adequately watered in it's first season or two. In summer, the ground dries much faster than you think and the need for a whole watering can twice a week would not be at all surprising, if the tree is to develop normally.
People think that roots will search for water. However, roots will not grow into dry soil, which is why watering is important during the first season or two, to allow the root system to really spread out.

As for when to plant; bare-root trees should be planted as soon as possible and the roots kept slightly damp. Container-grown fruit can be planted at any time, but will still need good watering for a season or two. It is also very important to untangle matted roots on container trees. While you might be afraid to damage them it is necessary because the matted roots will not grow into the surrounding soil unless you untangle them and spread them out.

I strongly advise against any pruning of a newly-planted tree (apart from removal of damaged or diseased branches), since many young trees never seem to recover from both transplant shock and pruning shock. Once the tree is showing growth, then start pruning normally.

Although I have "The Fruit Expert", I rarely bother to consult it, for guidance.
Much of the recommendations just don't work for your average back garden grower, who has less time and less-than-perfect conditions in which to grow their fruit, compared to professionals.

I have yet to see a book that really gives useful -and simple to follow -information home fruit growers.