Branch Banking
It’s bare-root season for fruit trees, and there are plenty available at nurseries. So, what’s your holdup?
If you’re like most Orange County gardeners, limited space is one reason you’re not big on fruit trees.
In addition, sometimes the output isn’t worth the effort: Dwarf trees grow well in containers and small spaces, but they don’t always give you enough fruit. Standard trees, on the other hand, tend to give you too much fruit all at once.
Fortunately, there’s a solution: Grow several varieties of the same fruit tree close together, and you’ll reap the benefits of multiple trees in one small space.
Gary Matsuoka, manager of Laguna Hills Nursery in Lake Forest, has been growing trees in groups of two to five for several years. He’s so pleased he says he won’t grow fruit any other way.
“By planting trees with their trunks about two feet apart, you get the effect of one tree, but the benefit of having several different trees bearing at different times,” says Matsuoka, who has many such groupings in his yard, including apple, avocado, citrus, mango, peach, pear, persimmon and plum.
“Each grouping of trees produces about the same as one single tree, generally 200 to 300 fruits” per season, he says.
For optimal cross-pollination, which leads to more fruit production, experts suggest using different varieties of the same type of tree. For example, grow four types of plums that bear at different times, giving you months of fresh fruit.
Matsuoka has found that trees grown this way are as healthy and do as well as trees grown independently. He’s also found that they tend to do much better than trees that have been grafted.
“If you graft three or four varieties onto one apple tree, for instance, generally the one that has been grafted onto is the strongest, and you tend to lose the others,” he says. “Trees planted close together, on the other hand, all have their own trunk and an equal chance.”
To try this growing method in your yard, keep the following tips in mind:
* Select trees that do well in Orange County. Ask a certified nursery professional for assistance in choosing the best trees.
Trees whose roots are forced to fit in a package aren’t always the best, as they are pruned and may be damaged in the process. Nurseries that “heel” or store their bare-root trees loosely in potting mix are worth seeking out. This provides a much better temporary storage environment, and you can inspect the roots easily at the time of purchase.
Look for a tree that is fairly straight where the trunk joins the rootstock, and one that has a balanced top. A trunk diameter of 5/16 to 5/8 of an inch is desirable.
Choose standard trees. Although you can use dwarfs and semi-dwarfs for this method, Matsuoka favors standard trees because he believes they are stronger plants with better tasting fruit. Prune properly and you can keep standard trees small.
* Dig a hole for each tree, spacing the holes about two feet apart. Avoid planting in an area that had the same type of tree within the last 10 years to prevent problems with disease.
* Plant bare-root trees within a day or two of buying if possible, keeping the roots moist and out of direct sun. If you must wait longer, “heel” the tree in. To do so, dig a little trench out of direct afternoon sun, lay the roots out and cover them with soil.
Water well and keep the soil from drying out until you are able to plant.
* When planting, turn each tree slightly so that they are slanted away from each other at a 10- to 15-degree angle. This gives the grouping a more graceful, natural look.
Mound soil at the bottom of the planting hole and spread the roots over it. Look at the base of the tree to identify the original soil line, which is usually a different color, and plant at the same level.
When filling in soil around the tree, eliminate air pockets and form a watering basin. Water well. At this stage, they are dormant and need little water until growth resumes.
If you have clay soil and questionable drainage, elevate your trees at the top of a soil mound to improve this problem.
* Prune each tree to 30 to 36 inches when planting. Cut where you want major structural branches to appear. If these branches are too high, the fruiting branches will be hard to reach.
There are differing opinions on the best time to prune. Traditionally, pruning has been done in winter, but a new theory suggests summer pruning.
Many nursery people now recommend that pruning be done in June and September, rather than winter. The theory is that you prune the trees before they begin saving energy, which begins in October and continues until they drop their leaves.
There are numerous books that give specific guidelines on proper pruning techniques, such as “How to Prune Fruit Trees,” by R. Sanford Martin (Martin Bio/Products, Burbank, 1997, $7). It’s available at the Fullerton Arboretum gift shop ([714] 278-3579) and at many nurseries.
Continue to train the tree by pruning the new growth in half in June and September. Within one to two years, the tree will be about 7 feet. Keep it cut at that height, or as short as 4 feet.
* Water deeply and infrequently. Water established trees around the drip line and avoid getting water on the trunk and lower branches. This can cause root and crown diseases. Avoid under-watering, especially in the first two years when the trees are establishing.
* After one year of growth, fertilize with nitrogen. Apply it in spring or split between spring and just after harvest. Follow package directions; over-fertilizing can cause softer fruit, poor fruit color, a decrease in shelf life and increased pests.
* Keep things clean. The area around the tree’s crown should be kept free of weeds, which will prevent crown infection and minimize competition for food and water.
* Consider chill requirements. Deciduous fruit trees require a period of winter cold between 34 and 54 degrees to fruit. This amount is referred to as the minimum chill requirement. Coastal hilltops provide the least amount of chill.
The closer to the coast you live, the less you get. In Orange County, it is important to select fruits that require 400 chill hours or less.
To find out how much chilling has occurred in your area, check out the Web site https://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu and choose “Pomology Weather Services.”
To maximize your chilling potential, mulch the ground around the tree so that heat doesn’t radiate away, and avoid letting the soil get too dry.
* Volunteer researchers for the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners contributed to this story.
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* Dig a hole for each tree, spacing the holes about two feet apart.
* Plant trees so that they are slanted away from each other at a 10- to 15-degree angle.
* Train tree by pruning new growth in half in June and September.
Resources
Many nurseries carry bare-root fruit trees. Here are some of them:
* Armstrong Garden Centers throughout the county.
* Flowerdale Nursery, Santa Ana, (714) 633-9200, and Costa Mesa, (714) 754-6661.
* Laguna Hills Nursery, Lake Forest, (949) 830-5653.
* Upland Nursery, Orange, (714) 538-4500.
