Released: April 03, 2002

Planting Procedures: When Fruit Plants Arrive

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Orchards have sprung up across the Midwest, allowing Kansas to produce more than 4.5 million pounds of apples and nearly 800,000 pounds of peaches in 1999. For successful harvests, growers should start with proper planting tactics, said Ward Upham, Kansas State University Research and Extension Horticulture Response Center director.

"Fruit trees are usually sold bare root, and it is vital that roots never dry out before planting," Upham said. "When fruit trees arrive from the nursery, open the bundles immediately and check for moisture."

If the roots are not moist, they should be soaked in water for six to 12 hours before planting, he said. Packages with moist roots can be repacked and placed in a cool, sheltered area until planting.

If conditions prevent immediate planting, Upham said the plants should be "heeled in" on the north side of a building for no longer than three weeks.

"To do this, dig a trench in a sheltered, well-drained area out of the sun," Upham said. "Lay the trees so the roots are in the trench, and then place soil over the roots. Firm the soil, and add water if the soil isn’t already quite moist."

Place the trees in buckets of water while preparing planting holes. Make the hole wide enough to accommodate all the roots without twirling them inside the hole.

"If there is an especially long root, cut it to fit," Upham said. "Twirling long roots inside the hole may eventually girdle the tree."

Upham said it was best not to add organic matter to the backfill soil. Amended backfill soil allows water to pass through quickly, and the planting hole may fill with water and suffocate the roots.

Planting depth is crucial to the success of the planting, he said. For apples, make sure the graft union is three to four inches above the soil surface after the tree is in place. If the graft union is below the surface, the tree will develop scion roots.

The graft union for peaches should be buried below the soil surface, Upham said.

Other fruit plants should be planted at the same depth as nursery level, he said. Bark color serves as a good indicator of the original planting depth.

Trees should be watered immediately after planting to eliminate air pockets. Newly-planted trees should not be fertilized, however.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Lucas Shivers, Communications Assistant
lshivers@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News