Fruit tree - Ask Extension
When is the best time to plant fruit trees in Marquette county?
Knowledgebase
Fruit tree #850901
Asked September 22, 2023, 1:36 PM EDT
When is the best time to plant fruit trees in Marquette county?
Marquette County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
The best time to plant:
We have routinely advised growers in the upper Midwest to plant bare-rooted trees in mid-to-late March, April, or June. Several research studies have demonstrated the advantages of planting as soon as the soil conditions allow. Trees planted in April have a decided advantage over those planted even one month later. As temperatures increase in late spring, trees planted late will break bud sooner and struggle initially without a regenerated new root system developed. Avoid planting trees in frozen or water-saturated soils. Some growers have experimented with fall planting, but this method has its risks associated with subjecting young trees to severe winter temperatures. Additionally, many nurseries cannot sell and ship these trees in time for fall planting. We tried planting trees in mid-November and were pleasantly surprised with the outcome of some Tall Spindle apple trees. Trees that were not pruned following planting survived fully and had a crop of several fruits in the first growing season. Certainly, this approach discourages more tender stone fruit.
Upon receipt of trees in late winter/early spring, inspect them for root health and moisture. Sometimes trees shipped begin to dry in transit or in dry conditions in temporary storage venues. Unpack the trees from their containers and add moisture, moist shavings, or shredded paper to ensure the roots are not dry. Hold them in humid cold storage above freezing temperatures until you are ready to plant. Do not store trees in cold fruit storage rooms where ethylene has accumulated. The slightest exposure to ethylene can stimulate bud break. Always keep trees moist and protected from freezing temperatures.
Trees that are kept for more than a few days should be “healed in” in a well-drained location using moist, light soil, wood shavings, sand, or sawdust. Inspect and count trees immediately after delivery. Call the nursery if you discover a problem with your trees upon arrival. Trees should not be stored in boxes longer than five days without adding additional moisture around the roots. Ensure trees are hydrated within a day or two before planting using oxygenated (flowing) water for four to 20 hours.
Check tree roots for crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens which causes disease in many fruit and nut tree species (dicotyledonous); another strain called biovar 3 causes crown gall disease in grapevines, also known as Agrobacterium vitis. Report the incident to the nursery that provided the trees. Infected trees have tumor-like swellings called galls on the crown of the plant just above the soil. Crown gall disease does not usually seriously harm older plants; however, it may reduce the value of a plant in a nursery. Tree roots can be dipped in Agrobacterium radiobacter isolate K-1026 (commercial product known as NOGALL (Trademark) (often accomplished at the nursery) to suppress crown gall caused by Agrobacterium tumafaciens. Applications to roots and stems to non-bearing: almond, pecan, apricot, caneberries, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum, prune, walnut, and ornamentals such as euonymus and rose. From the MSUE article: Planting fruit trees - Ron Perry, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Horticulture - April 01, 2011 - Give your fruit trees the best chance for success by following these planting recommendations. At this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planting_fruit_trees
PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planting_fruit_trees
ANOTHER RESOURCE:
Smart Gardening: Considerations for growing backyard tree fruit - February 7, 2018 - Author: Diane Brown, Michigan State University Extension at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/considerations_for_growing_backyard_tree_fruit
I hope this helps!
The best time to plant:
We have routinely advised growers in the upper Midwest to plant bare-rooted trees in mid-to-late March, April, or June. Several research studies have demonstrated the advantages of planting as soon as the soil conditions allow. Trees planted in April have a decided advantage over those planted even one month later. As temperatures increase in late spring, trees planted late will break bud sooner and struggle initially without a regenerated new root system developed. Avoid planting trees in frozen or water-saturated soils. Some growers have experimented with fall planting, but this method has its risks associated with subjecting young trees to severe winter temperatures. Additionally, many nurseries cannot sell and ship these trees in time for fall planting. We tried planting trees in mid-November and were pleasantly surprised with the outcome of some Tall Spindle apple trees. Trees that were not pruned following planting survived fully and had a crop of several fruits in the first growing season. Certainly, this approach discourages more tender stone fruit.
Upon receipt of trees in late winter/early spring, inspect them for root health and moisture. Sometimes trees shipped begin to dry in transit or in dry conditions in temporary storage venues. Unpack the trees from their containers and add moisture, moist shavings, or shredded paper to ensure the roots are not dry. Hold them in humid cold storage above freezing temperatures until you are ready to plant. Do not store trees in cold fruit storage rooms where ethylene has accumulated. The slightest exposure to ethylene can stimulate bud break. Always keep trees moist and protected from freezing temperatures.
Trees that are kept for more than a few days should be “healed in” in a well-drained location using moist, light soil, wood shavings, sand, or sawdust. Inspect and count trees immediately after delivery. Call the nursery if you discover a problem with your trees upon arrival. Trees should not be stored in boxes longer than five days without adding additional moisture around the roots. Ensure trees are hydrated within a day or two before planting using oxygenated (flowing) water for four to 20 hours.
Check tree roots for crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens which causes disease in many fruit and nut tree species (dicotyledonous); another strain called biovar 3 causes crown gall disease in grapevines, also known as Agrobacterium vitis. Report the incident to the nursery that provided the trees. Infected trees have tumor-like swellings called galls on the crown of the plant just above the soil. Crown gall disease does not usually seriously harm older plants; however, it may reduce the value of a plant in a nursery. Tree roots can be dipped in Agrobacterium radiobacter isolate K-1026 (commercial product known as NOGALL (Trademark) (often accomplished at the nursery) to suppress crown gall caused by Agrobacterium tumafaciens. Applications to roots and stems to non-bearing: almond, pecan, apricot, caneberries, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum, prune, walnut, and ornamentals such as euonymus and rose. From the MSUE article: Planting fruit trees - Ron Perry, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Horticulture - April 01, 2011 - Give your fruit trees the best chance for success by following these planting recommendations. At this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planting_fruit_trees
PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planting_fruit_trees
ANOTHER RESOURCE:
Smart Gardening: Considerations for growing backyard tree fruit - February 7, 2018 - Author: Diane Brown, Michigan State University Extension at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/considerations_for_growing_backyard_tree_fruit
I hope this helps!
