Hey Folks!
So great to be here… I have been reading the forums for a while now, and really enjoying reading everyone’s experiences of growing fruit in different climates. We live in Toronto (ON, Canada) - zone 5 and are new to growing fruit trees. I have a small backyard but want to grow as many fruit trees as I can.
After a long search, finally found a 2 year old nadia plum, and hardired nectarines (not sure how old, but he mentioned its a few years old) from a local nursery that will be delivering it today.
I was wondering if it is too late in the season to plant them in my backyard. Is there enough time for them to adjust to being in the ground, or should I keep it potted and plant them early spring next year (maybe late March/ early April 2022)?
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It’s fine to plant right away.
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There has not been a month out of the year that I’ve not successfully planted trees of numerous types. Frozen soil, or dirt too hard and dry to dig sometimes cause postponement of plantings though.
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Thank you @Piblarg… have you had any experience growing these kind of trees? Is there anything I should consider while planting them into soil?
I plan to
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dig up about the size of the root ball in depth, and twice it’s size in width
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mix some sheep manure in the soil
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put the root ball on a mound of soil and fill it in.
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Water it daily the first week,
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and then may be every other day the week after that
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once a week after that
Thanks @BlueBerry ! I am so pleased to hear that. I am really keen to get them into the soil but just wanted to make sure I give them the best chance to survive our winters.
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Zone 5? Probably Dec-Jan is not a good time for you…but June should be no problem.
Just don’t take a tree that’s been in a box or that’s been in shade and plant it directly in a full sun location at 90 degrees, or you’ll get scorching and sunburn. (Though probably not death of the tree.) (So, assuming your plants aren’t dormant, if you can get them in part-day sun for a day or two before planting in full sun, that is recommended.) And you may already have them in sun…but just extra cautions makes the difference if planting in adverse conditions.
That is good to know. I have a Krazulya Pear tree in the mail, and status shows it’s in transit for over a week now. Hopefully it survives the journey from Edmonton to Ontario. I will make sure to get it acclimatized to the sun before planting it outdoors.
I have a hardried. Everyone comes up when the their own planting strategy. What’s your soils like? Is it a bare root or potted tree? I wouldn’t ammend my soil as I am on clay and don’t want water to pool. I have planted in amended soil in a raised or mound though.
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If it is completely dormant, you don’t have to acclimate it. But, I’d still plant it in late afternoon or on a cloudy day if possible…seeing as how direct sun is overhead currently.
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It’s a potted plant. I haven’t tested my soil yet, but based on my research it appears to be loamy.
Sounds good. Thank you for all your suggestions and advice. I appreciate it. I ll keep you updated how it does. I do hope it’s alive by the time it gets here.
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I would only water once during planting and once per week after that. One nice deep water. Watering every day will kill your tree.
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ohhhh, I see! Thank you, I ll keep that in mind.
There’s too many variables to make such a statement, unless qualified.
Sandy soil, potting soil, dry and breezy conditions and you may need to water daily…if it’s a dry spell. (But, yes, more people kill trees by over watering than underwatering…so I get your point…but there are reasons you might apply water several days consecutively.)
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What do you plan to cross pollinate with Nadia? It needs pollination partners. I don’t know which plums work well with Nadia because I had several at the time.
My Nadia tree has two other grafts on it that are supposed to help pollinate it. It has an Italian prune and a Green gage plum graft, although their growth rate is a lot slower than Nadia’s vigorous growth! I do intend to plant some more pluerrys and maybe another plum next year. All the fruit trees at nurseries here are sold out so it will have to wait till next year. I ll try and post a picture of Nadia soon.
I am interested to see how well Euro plums like green gage and Italian prune will pollinate Nadia. I don’t know if they are pollen compatible. I hope they are.
My experience was with Nadia and Japanese plums.
There are no blooms or fruits on the tree right now, so I’m late to the party. But I will try to hand pollinate next year … and also add more plums around it.
Depending on drainage in the spot, many recommend shooting for a depth of the hole to maintain the potted soil line (ideally also = the root flare) to be slightly above the grade of the site you’re planting in.