Should Apple Trees Be Planted With Leaves?
We bought 4 apple trees last year and planted them. One had leaves 3 didn’t. The one with the leaves survived but the other 3 died. I can’t tell you anything about the planting because my husband did it, but he did all 4 in about an hour. The 3 trees never got leaves. I read that they should be planted without leaves, but I am afraid to do this based on last year’s success. Is it bad to plant them if they have leaves? The trees will be purchased from a home repair store in a container because we can exchange last years trees.
Container trees can be planted at any time of the year (once the ground isn’t frozen) but you must make sure that you give them a) a big enough hole; not too deep but make the hole at least 4″ wider than the pot all around. b) Add some fertiliser at planting time and add a little compost to the hole when planting- roots can sometimes find it hard to penetrate soil after being grown in compost/peat.
After that, it’s up to the tree to bloom. Don’t forget; this years flower is next years fruit.
we sell about a hundred apple trees every year and most are planted with leaves. be sure you dont plant them too deep.
Some advice on apple trees. . .
Don’t buy one without leaves. It’s the leaves that exchange respiration with the environment. Think of it as having a husband without lungs. It doesn’t work well.
Most dying trees are a result of two things. 1) Wrong type of tree for your area. Home improvement places sell trees. They have little knowledge or interest if you’re successful with them. Example, a lot of people like seedless grapes, but white seedless grapes don’t do well in this area. It’s an easy check to find out if the variant of tree you want does well in your area. 2) Not planting well. Four trees in an hour is ok for me, I know what I’m doing and have all the stuff on hand. Your husband probably should have done all of the following. 1) KNOW that the ground is right for that apple tree. 2) Dig a hole deep and wide enough. Sometimes we get lazy when the ground is tough. I soak the ground first before I dig. It needs to be 1. 5 as wide as the container it comes in. No deeper than how it’s planted in the container. 3) Soak the hole with water. 4) Don’t grab the tress out, roll them out of the plastic container they are in. Loosen 2/3 of the roots (It’s a good idea to soak the tree in the container first). Get the hint here, LOTS of water during planting. Have some planting dirt, not topsoil. Don’t use the dirt that came out of the ground. Someone should hold the tree vertically while dirt is being added around the roots in the wet hole. Gently water the tree. Mulch can help. Don’t cover the trunk with mulch, just all around it. I like to add a little balanced fertilizer, 13-13-13 or so. About a pound per inch diameter.
Let me know if you have any questions.