February is the month when bare root fruit trees, berries, roses and other perennials appear in local nurseries, at Costco and at the big box stores.
Let’s start with a few cautions and considerations about fruit trees. Consider that growing fruit trees is literally a lifetime investment in a host of ways. If you do not already have fruit trees in your yard, first do ample research. A good resource locally is the Peninsula Fruit Club. Look for them on Facebook. The club meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month, except December, at the Bremerton Parks and Recreation building at 680 Lebo Blvd. in East Bremerton.
When selecting a fruit tree, ask yourself the following questions: How long will you live at this property? Are you willing to make the investment of time, energy and expense to care for the tree? Do you enjoy spending lots of time in your garden? What fruits do you and your family like to eat? Can you already find the fruit locally in stores or at the farmers markets? How will you process/preserve/freeze the abundance of fruit at harvesting time? Are there other fruit trees in your neighborhood? Do their owners take care of their trees? If not, how will you protect your own trees from disease and pests? Have you completely researched and studied the type of tree you are planning to plant?
Remember that fruit trees usually need yearly (or even more frequent) pruning. Fruit trees — and small fruits, too — need maximum sun exposure to manufacture fruit. Many fruit trees won’t yield harvests until five to 10 years after planting. Many fruit trees have years with high yields followed by a year or two of lower yields. Many seasoned gardeners feel the best fruits to grow are the small fruits, particularly blueberries and raspberries. They require some care, but not the care required from fruit trees.
When considering fruit trees you might want to explore the colonnade varieties of trees now on the market. They’re narrower in structure and are easier to monitor for pests and disease control. Many colonnade trees have very manageable heights and don’t require very much pruning, if any. Also consider dwarf varieties. Many fruit trees require a cross pollinator to bear fruit. Always check if the tree you choose needs a cross pollinator.
TIME TO PURCHASE AND PLANT
Other bare root plants available at this time of year include berries, asparagus, hostas, peonies, native plants and other woody shrubs and perennials. I recommend purchasing bare root plants from our numerous local nurseries, where you’ll find the freshest bare root plants. When purchased from stores other than local nurseries, the plants may have languished from neglect and may have traveled far distances in not-so-ideal conditions. All bare root plants stand a higher chance of survival when planted soon after purchase.
Always remember that bare root plants have been removed from their growing medium (usually in fields), have had the soil removed and then been packaged in a moisture conserving medium (often damp sawdust with plastic packaging, or cardboard packaging). Roots will begin desiccating and drying out as soon as they are exposed to the air. Know where you’ll be planting and dig the hole before taking the plants out of the packaging. Check the planting hole for drainage by filling it with water and watching how long it takes to drain. Plants need good drainage.
Bare root plants should have lots of roots with both large and small root hairs. Use the soil removed from the planting hole to make a mound in the bottom of the hole. Spread the roots out over this mound. Watch for twisted or tangled roots and gently tease them out. Look at the plant to see where it was buried in its original planting medium. You may even be able to see a line where the top of the roots and crown, stem or trunk of the plant meet. It will be a subtle (or obvious) color difference from root to plant. Do not cover the stem or trunk above this line. Firmly press down the soil as you’re filling the hole to assist in removing air pockets. When planting is complete water the plant in.
Staking is no longer encouraged when planting trees, and properly planted trees will not need it. Enriching the planting hole with other material is no longer recommended. But compost or mulch on top is a good idea. If fertilizer is required, use a water-soluble fertilizer.
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