How to Plant and Grow

PLANTING
Trees and plants are like children: you get out of them what you put into them. Care should be taken in planting your trees. Dig a larger hole than the pot size or root ball.  In sandy soil, work in organic matter such as composted manure such as Black Cow or a rich potting soil mix with the sand. The organic matter will increase the water-holding capacity of the soil and increase nutrient uptake by the plants. Be sure to mix in the organic material well or it will become a sponge and reservoir for root fungus problems.

Un-pot the plant and, if the roots are curled or wrapped up inside the root ball, spread them out or even cut off severely curled roots.  This will promote new root growth. Plant the tree at the same level it was grown in the pot or field. Fill in the hole around the plant and water in thoroughly, making sure there are no air pockets around the roots. Mulch with straw, hay, bark or potting soil.

Make sure that you do not plant in areas that are poorly drained or subject to flooding.  This can cause the trees to die from drowning or root fungus.

WATERING NEW TREES
Newly planted trees should be watered regularly (4-6x/week) for the first 3-6 months, especially if rains are inadequate. Water thoroughly but do not over-water; the soil should dry down slightly between waterings.  Irrigation from lawn sprinklers is generally not sufficient until the plants are well established. This is the most critical step in the establishment of your new trees!

IRRIGATION
Normally the South receives rainfall from frontal rains during the winter and summer rain storms and tropical storms in the summer and early fall, although the last few years have been an exception. 

However, rainfall is not sufficient for the long term needs of your trees, especially in sandy soils. There are often dry periods during the fall and spring when it will not rain for weeks, which can hurt tree growth, flowering or fruit production.

Despite seasonal rains, irrigation is critical, especially during the year after planting. Drip or micro-jet irrigation systems are the most water efficient and should be installed if at all possible to insure survival and healthy growth. These are available at most home-improvement landscape supply stores, and should be incorporated into your lawn irrigation system.

Microjet irrigation

FERTILIZATION
It is important to provide a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 with Minor elements. Minors are very important if they are not available in certain soils, as they can be a limiting factor for plant growth (especially true in Florida’s sandy soils). Your local extension service will make recommendations along with the soil test. Strong rains can also leach away much of the Nitrogen, which is highly soluable. Nitrogen is a key element required for plant growth.

Do not fertilize at planting.  Quick-release general fertilizer can burn the tender roots of young trees before they become established. We recommend waiting at least a month after the trees have leafed out before fertilizing with a time-released fertilizer such as Osmocote.

Once the trees are established, fertilize in early spring (Feb-Mar) as growth begins and again in early June with the start of summer rains. In northern areas, do not fertilize in late summer, which could promote late season tender growth that can be damaged in early frosts.

A good rule of thumb is to use 1 pound of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter, divided by the number of times per year you fertilize.

SOIL pH
Soil’s acidity or alkalinity is determined by pH. The best pH for growing most fruit and flowering trees is between 5.5 and 7.0.  It is in this range that most nutrients are available.  Soils in much of the South fall within this range. Soils in pine flatwoods are often lower (4.5-5.0), and need to be raised by the application of lime or dolomite. Other areas (such as Texas or extreme south Florida) have soils with pH > 8, which will need to be acidified or lowered by the application of nitrogen sulfate or other sulfur-based fertilizers.

COLD PROTECTION
Plant cold-sensitive plants such as bananas and citrus in warmer microclimates (near bodies of water or the south face of buildings). Young plants are often more cold-sensitive than older, established specimens. On calm, clear nights, damaging convectional frosts can occur at 38 degrees F, where ground heat radiates into the night sky and cold air settles on the ground.  Plants can be protected from convectional frosts by planting under the overhead canopy of trees such as oaks or pines, which limits radiation of heat from the ground.  A light wind will lessen the chance of frost.  Protect plants during severe freezes with cloth such as sheets, shade cloth, or agricultural freeze-protection cloth, or build small greenhouses with plastic over the plants.  Do not drape plastic or visqueen over plants because it conducts cold through to the leaves instead of insulating them like cloth.

Late spring freezes are a problem in northern locations, especially after the plants have leafed out.  If your trees have already started to grow and you expect a late freeze, then you should make every effort to protect them, such as using Grow Tubes and other protective measures.

For low-chill orchard trees such as peaches or persimmons that leaf out early in the spring, painting the trunks with white latex paint reflects heat and slows down the sap flow and potential freeze damage from trees starting to push too soon after a warm winter afternoon.

POLLINATION
Most plants we sell are self-pollinating, meaning that it will bear fruit if planted by itself. However, chestnuts, apples, pears, plums, pecans, blueberries and some grapes need more than one variety to cross-pollinate and bear fruit. We will make sure that you receive more than one variety when you order 2 or more of these types of trees.



Bees and other insects are an important factor in pollination

PROPAGATION
Plants are propagated in nurseries to clone, or reproduce identically, varieties that have desirable characteristics. In most cases, trees grown from seed are genetically variable (like your children) and don’t come true to type (unlike planting vegetable seed). Most nurseries clone plants by grafting (splicing) buds or a small section of stem from the desired variety onto a rootstock grown from seed, and this bud grows into a new tree exactly like the parent. The other method is rooting cuttings, where shoot tips or stems from a mother plant are treated with rooting hormone and placed in a mist bed or greenhouse. The process of propagation is complex and time-consuming, with different methods and techniques required for each type of plant. The tree you buy from us often takes 3-4 years to grow up to this size.
Budding bareroot liners in field
 Mist rooting in the Prop house

GROW TUBES
Grow Tubes are plastic tubes that act as mini-greenhouses that enhance the growth and protection for young trees.  Grow Tubes are valuable planting aides, especially in locations where there is less opportunity for care, such as forest or wildlife plantings, or where there is predation by deer, mice and other critters.  Grow Tubes decrease the need for watering, help with weed control (by protecting the tree from spray and drift from herbicide) and offer cold protection in late season frosts.  They can dramatically increase growth rates, and small trees often grow out of the top of a 4' tube in 1 season!  We recommend Grow Tubes in many plantings.


PRUNING
Pruning is usually necessary only in the first several years to shape the tree to its appropriate form – central leader, modified leader or open-vase (see pictures). Most shade and ornamental trees grow naturally with a straight trunk (central leader) with only a little pruning required.  Light annual pruning of dead wood or an out-of-place branch helps older trees by rejuvenating growth and promoting better fruit production.

Some trees may require annual pruning to produce the best fruit. With peaches, the top is cut at planting to open up the center of the tree for light to get in for fruit ripening. The branches grow out in a vase shape. New growth is cut back each winter, to create a better crop with larger sized fruit.  Fruit-thinning may be necessary if the crop load is too high.
Open vase pruning in peaches
Central leader pruning in oak

Blueberries and blackberries are pruned back after fruit harvest to grow vegetative shoots over the summer that will bear next year’s fruit. Grape vines are pruned back to main fruiting limbs during the winter to promote optimum production the next year.

Many gardeners are afraid to prune, but you should not be. Learning to do a little pruning will greatly benefit your trees and increase their productivity.