Tips for Successful Planting

The investment in a new orchard is large, so it's very important to do things right, beginning with the planting year. Here are some tips to plant successfully:

• Site preparation: It usually takes 1-2 years to get a field ready for planting. For orchard replant sites, it might take more, maybe up to 5 years. This is the time to improve drainage, add organic matter (cover crops, manure), adjust soil pH with lime if required, apply phosphorus, and control perennial weeds (which may take 2 to 3 years).
  
• Nursery stock: It's important to work with your nursery to ensure good quality trees delivered when you are ready. Trees should be kept dormant until planted, and roots should not be allowed to dry out. If planting is delayed, trees should be heeled into the soil, or kept in cold storage. Avoid keeping trees in storages where apple fruit have been stored, as the ethylene can severely damage trees.
  
• Time of planting: This is pretty simple - the earlier the better. This allows the tree to establish new roots before the warm weather begins pushing the tree's growth and drawing large reserves of moisture. For some sites, fall planting can also be successful if site preparation is good, weather is in your favour, and nursery stock is available.
  
• Method of planting: Hand or mechanical planting can be successful as long as roots are given adequate room in the planting hole or trench. The most important part is to re-adjust the tree height to ensure that the graft union is a uniform height above the soil line - after soil has settled.
  
• Care after planting: The soil needs to come in intimate contact with moist soil after planting. This usually requires physical movement of soil in the root area, as well as generous amounts of water. This first watering can also include plant starter fertilizer, mixed as directed, to avoid root burn. Avoid putting dry fertilizer or fresh manure in direct contact with roots.
  
• Pruning vs. training: I was taught that the top of the tree needs to be cut back to balance with the loss of roots due to digging the nursery tree. However, with advances in nursery production (which produces better, more compact root systems), and the need for early apple production (which is delayed with every pruning cut), many newly planted apple trees should not be pruned. The focus instead is on tying down all usable feathers, and providing the tree with all the water it needs from Day 1. In short, keep those pruners in your back pocket (exception if there is one dominant lateral - cut it off!)