How to plant a fruit tree, step by step
How to plant a fruit tree: choosing the spot, digging the hole, setting the graft at the right height, watering in, mulching and care in the first weeks.
The first hour of a fruit tree's life in your ground shapes the next twenty years. Here is a simple method that works for bare-rooted and potted trees alike.
1. Pick the spot
Choose full sun (at least six hours a day), shelter from strong winds and soil that drains. Allow room for the tree's full size, and keep it clear of pipes, septic lines and buildings.
2. Prepare the hole
Dig a hole about twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Wide matters more than deep: roots spread out sideways into loosened soil. Rough up the sides of the hole with a fork so roots don't circle in a smooth-walled pot of clay.
If drainage is poor, build a mound 30 to 50 cm high and plant into that instead of digging down.
3. Get the roots ready
- Bare-rooted trees (winter): soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour or two. Trim any broken or damaged roots back to clean wood.
- Potted trees: water the pot well first. If roots circle the pot, gently tease them out or make a few shallow vertical cuts so they grow outwards.
4. Plant at the right height
Set the tree so it sits at the same depth it was growing in the nursery. The graft union (the knobbly join near the base of the trunk) must stay well above the soil, at least a hand's width. Buried grafts can let the top variety grow its own roots or invite collar rot.
For bare-rooted trees, make a small cone of soil in the hole and spread the roots over it.
5. Backfill and water in
Fill back with the soil you dug out. There is no need to fill the hole with rich compost; roots that find a soft pocket can stay in it rather than spreading. Firm the soil gently with your hands and water slowly and deeply to settle it around the roots.
6. Mulch and protect
Spread 5 to 10 cm of coarse mulch in a wide circle, keeping it a hand's width clear of the trunk. Add a tree guard if hares, rabbits, wallabies or livestock are about, and a stake on the windward side only if the site is very exposed (tie loosely, and remove it after a year).
7. The first few weeks
- Water deeply once or twice a week unless it rains, more in hot weather.
- Hold off on fertiliser until you see new growth.
- Prune bare-rooted trees at planting to set the shape you want (see how to prune fruit trees).
Write down the planting date, variety and rootstock as you go. It makes later decisions about pruning, feeding and replacing much easier. In Trees n Bees each tree keeps these details in its place on a grid that matches your rows, and if you already have a list you can bring your trees in from a spreadsheet. Planting a whole block? Plan the spacing and the order list first.