By Island County Extension Agent, Donald B. Meehan
PLANTING APPLE TREES
If properly handled, apple trees will grow very little (if at all) after planting. Some cultures would consider this handling procedure necessary to obtain prize plants that are very old and small. The Japanese refer to it as BONSAI.
With some careful planning apple trees can be completely inhibited from growing. Here are the steps one must take. The more closely the steps are followed the greater the success.
1. Choose a variety that tends to spur heavily and bears early. Some strains of red delicious are excellent.
2. Order the smallest caliper tree that the nursery will sell you. Usually these trees are hidden out back somewhere. Try to get the one that has been damaged and has a weak root system.
3. The root must be drought intolerant and strongly dwarfing.
4. Select a site that has had old apple trees planted in it before, but that has poor drainage, acid soil, and the top soil is very shallow and compacted. There are many sites like this here on Whidbey and on Camano Island.
5. Plant the tree late in the year. Late June is a good time since rainfall begins to taper off and temperatures are beginning to rise. This will allow only a few roots to grow and the dryer, late July and August weather will get the plant off to a good start.
6. Locate the planting hole in a cool shady spot. Preferably surrounded by 50 - 80-foot fir trees. Too much sun allows photosynthesis and potential growth.
7. Dig a hole just large and deep enough to hold the tree roots. Be sure the soil is wet when you dig, it encourages further compaction in the young tree's future root zone.
8. Lay the roots in the sun for awhile. They won't have a chance to see the sky ever again after planting. After they are good and dry, cut most of them off. This will give a good fit into the small hole. Sometimes it may be necessary to twist or curl the roots to make them fit the hole better.
9. Withhold fertilizer the first year. Another good alternative to this method is to apply large dose of fertilizer soon after planting to put the tree under a salt-induced moisture stress.
10. Irrigate infrequently the first couple of years. Water stress can be used very effectively to stop shoot growth, should any occur.
Poor growth of young fruit trees is poorly understood. The "replant" syndrome is given credit for most of the problem, but, as you can see from the above (somewhat sarcastic) list, I feel that poor growth of young trees can happen from a number of factors. Some trees appear to be looking for an excuse not to grow. Don't give them one and you can expect excellent growth and productivity in the future.
Special thanks to Chelan County WSU-Extension Agent, Timothy Smith, for his contribution to this column. Information about the proper planting of fruit trees is available (for a small fee) in a publication called, "Establishing and Managing Young Orchards". Other publications are available about selection and care of fruit trees, also. Ask us about them.
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