Image courtesy of shelllumber.com

Fruit trees are surprisingly easy to grow in a backyard setting, and they yield years’ worth of beautiful spring blooms and plentiful fruit. Apple, peach, plum and pear trees all grow well in a variety of climates. When making your selection, confirm with the nursery that your chosen fruit tree is compatible with the environment that you have selected as its home.

 

1. 
   Buy a grafted fruit tree.Sweet apples, plums, pears and other fruits come from trees that have been grafted so that they produce the best-tasting fruit. Although fruit trees can be planted from seed, the resulting trees won’t necessarily produce fruit that’s good to eat.

 

2. Look for an open, sunny spot in the yard.Fruit trees generally need at least six hours of full sunlight in order to grow strong and produce healthy fruit. Look for a spot in the yard where the fruit tree won’t be shaded by your home or other taller trees. You should also look for a spot without a lot of other foliage nearby, so the tree won’t have to compete with other plants for nutrients and water.

 

3. Check the drainage in your planting area.Aside from full sun, proper soil drainage is the other essential condition for thriving fruit trees. The soil must not retain a lot of water, or it will cause the fruit trees’ roots to rot in the ground. Check the soil drainage by digging a hole 1 foot (0.3 m) deep and filling it with water. If the water drains quickly, the area should be fine for planting a fruit tree. If the water stands in the hole, choose another part of the yard.^[3]

 

4. Prepare to plant in the spring.Fruit trees can be planted at any time of year, but in areas with cold winters or hot summers, your best bet is to wait until spring. This will allow the tree to immediately start adapting to the soil and growing roots. It’s also the best time of year for breaking ground, since the soil will be thawed and easy to dig.

 

5. Add compost to the soil if necessary.If you have clay-heavy soil, or soil that is hard and packed, it’s a good idea to till the soil to a depth of at least 2 feet (0.6 m) and work in some compost or peat moss. This will loosen the soil, provide better drainage and make room for the tree’s roots to begin growing. Use a garden spade or a tiller to break up and loosen the soil, then add compost and mix it in.

 

6. Dig a wide hole.Use a shovel to dig a hole twice as wide as the spread of the roots of the tree you’re planting. Fruit trees’ roots tend to grow outward, and this will give them plenty of room. Make sure that the roots are surrounded by loose soil so that they are not challenged by compressed earth.

 

7. Position the tree in the hole.Throw a little loose soil into the hole about a finger length high to create a mound, and position the root ball of your fruit tree on top of the center of the mound. Spread out the roots and make sure the graft line situated at the base of the trunk is higher than the level of the ground. Add or remove soil from the mound accordingly. Ensure that no roots are exposed.

 

8. Water the roots.Thoroughly water the area so that the soil fills in around the tree’s roots. Add more soil, press it down gently and water again. Continue this process until the soil reaches the actual ground level.

 

9. Cover the soiled area with a layer of organic mulch.This will retain the moisture in the soil and protect the roots. It will prevent grass and weeds from growing and competing for nutrients and water as well. Ensure that the graft line is not covered by mulch; it needs to remain visible above ground level.

 

Source from Wikihow.com. Visit http://www.wikihow.com/Plant-Fruit-Trees for more in-depth details.