Fruit Trees

We often provide newly-grafted apple trees at our seed swaps. Here are some guidelines to help you care for them.

First Steps
  • Handle newly-grafted trees with care and only pick up the plant by the lower half (below the graft). The top of the plant (the fruiting part or scion) has not yet firmly grown onto the bottom part of the plant (the rooting part or rootstock) and is temporarily held in place with grafting tape. 
  • The roots must never dry out. So, keep them covered with damp newspaper or damp potting mix until planting.
  • Newly-grafted trees are frost sensitive, especially if the buds are opening. The trees shouldn’t be planted outside until the chance of frost has passed (beginning of May in Oshkosh, WI). They can be held in a cool, dark place, if necessary, until conditions are favorable for planting. 
Planting
  • Choose a planting site that gets a lot of sun. Larger fruit trees on standard or semi-standard rootstock should get at least 15 feet of space. Smaller trees on dwarfing rootstock should get at least 10 feet of space. 
  • Dig a hole at least 1.5’ wide and 1’ deep. It may need to be larger to accommodate the roots. Hold the plant in the hole. The uppermost roots coming from the stem should be 1 or 2 inches below the soil surface. Move the soil back into the hole, layering the roots horizontally as you fill. Spread out the roots as best you can.
  • After planting, immediately and generously water (several gallons).
  • The young tree will need protection from animals. Unless the tree is in a fenced area, place a tube of 2’ poultry netting, approximately 1’ in diameter,  over the tree. Work carefully to avoid knocking into the scion at the top of the tree. Secure the fencing tube in place with stakes so it can’t fall onto the young tree. If there are deer in your area, you will need more substantial fencing. The base of the tree should always be protected–rabbits will gnaw on fully grown trees in winter. Periodically check to make sure the tree isn’t growing into the fence.
  • If your tree has dwarfing rootstock, you should install a 5’ steel stake about 6 inches away from the plant. Keep your tree loosely secured to the stake. Trees on standard or semi-standard rootstock have good anchorage on their own, so they don’t need staking unless the site is very windy.
  • Make a weather-proof label for the tree and map tree locations if you have multiple fruit trees (useful if labels disappear).
First YEar Care
  • The young tree should receive at least 5 gallons of water per week during the growing season of the first year. 
  • Keep weeds and grass away from the fruit tree. Maintain a layer of wood chips or other mulch around the tree to keep weeds down. The mulch will also help with moisture retention and add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. The feeder roots of the tree will grow near the soil surface and extend at least as far as the tree branches.
  • Buds should open after a few weeks, at most. You may notice shoots growing from the rootstock, this is normal. After at least 6 weeks of growth, when one of the shoots from the scion is most definitely growing, gently remove all shoots except the strongest shoot from the scion (above the graft). In time, this shoot will develop into the fruiting part of the tree.
  • Six to eight weeks after planting, carefully remove any temporary (tape) labels from the tree and carefully remove any binding (if present) at the graft site. These usually break down in the sun and rain. Sometimes they do not break down, and they can restrict the growth of the tree.
  • If a scion dies but the rootstock is alive, let the rootstock grow and graft onto it the following spring. Contact us if you would like a grafting demonstration. Grafting is best done in spring.
Pruning and Training
  • In year one, a new apple tree can grow into a 3’-4’ whip (single-stemmed tree). Let it do this.
  • In the early spring of year two, cut off the top of the tree at about waist height. This cut will encourage the tree to make lateral branches. The lateral branches will each grow a few feet, and the tree should also send up a strong, central vertical shoot.
  • In year three, choose three to five of the lowermost lateral shoots and remove the smaller laterals from the lower half of the tree. This is also a good time to spread the lower limbs using limb spreaders or weights. This promotes strong connections between laterals and the main stem. Branches closer to horizontal are also more prone to fruiting. Apple and pear trees should be pruned during dormancy in winter or very early spring.
  • Overall, prune minimally in the first several years. Prune off dead/damaged branches. Remove most of the vigorous vertical shoots and seek to develop several larger lateral branches on the upper half of the tree for fruit production. Prune to encourage light penetration into the tree and good airflow through the tree canopy.