Fruit trees can be planted at any time of year, but in areas with cold winters or hot summers, your best bet is to wait until spring. Root pruning is one way a gardener can help a shrub or tree make up for lost feeder roots that help supply it with nutrients and water. The idea is to transplant a tree while it’s dormant. Mark a circle in sand around the tree that is 10 to 12 inches for every inch of trunk diameter. Choosing the best time to transplant trees can help make sure they’ll thrive in their new location. There are two good tree transplanting windows throughout the year: in fall after leaves drop and before the ground freezes, or in early spring before growth starts. Transplanting is a fairly traumatic experience for a shrub or a tree but if you look after it, it will be absolutely fine. Edible fig trees (Ficus carica) are Mediterranean plants so October or November is a good time for transplanting them, but I don’t recommend transplanting fig trees. If you must move a tree, do so when it is relatively small. Given the investment of time and care necessary for maturing young trees into fruit development, it is no wonder many families prefer to transplant an apple tree if relocating. One reason is that fig trees hate having their surface roots disturbed. While some fruit trees can withstand planting at any time of year, most should be moved in early spring before... Site Preparation. For best results and to avoid transplant shock, begin by preparing the soil in the new location. You risk killing the tree if you move it when it has already begun to show signs of bud swelling. Measure the approximate canopy spread of the fruit tree. Citrus trees require a great deal of care to finally reach their fruit-bearing seasons. Below, read about how to make the transplanting process as painless as possible for your tree. Apple trees will fare best for transplant as … First, let’s talk about what counts as a small tree. For transplanting purposes, a small tree is any tree that has a trunk diameter of 2 inches or less. Fruit trees will grow best when you plant them in spring, after your final frost. Try…. One of the most important parts of the transplanting process is keeping a tree’s root ball intact. Fruit tree nurseries usually sell fruit trees that are between one and three years old. These conditions set you up for an easy transition. A question for Dan Gill: I would like to transplant a young orange tree to a location with more sun. Roots are active during these periods, and weather is less demanding. Transplant and move fruit trees in the spring as the trees are emerging from the winter dormancy period. Almost all fruit trees need to be planted in full sun. That’s much harder to do with large trees, and roots can easily get damaged in the shuffle. Buy Fruit Trees. Fruit trees don’t like to be moved so it is important to get the location right first time. Not waiting could spell disaster for your transplant, and cause you to waste all your time, energy, and money on a move that didn’t work out because the tree was already weakened. Water until the soil is damp in a 120-cm (4-foot) diameter circle and water has penetrated 60 cm (2 feet) deep around the root system. TRANSPLANT trees and shrubs now to reap rich rewards in spring. If you are going to be moving evergreens in the fall, be sure to give yourself enough time so that your tree will be able to spend at least three weeks in its new home before winter starts. Step 1 - Establish the new location. After purchasing some fruit-trees, you must, of course, plant them. By ordering now you are assured of the availability of your requirements and you will receive the best trees at the best time. The best time to plant a tree or shrub is when the plant has gone dormant, a period when energy is focused on root growth, as this will help the new tree become better established. The idea is to transplant a tree while it’s dormant. Spread the roots out in the planting hole to prevent girdling. Failure of roots to regenerate might also be caused by lack of oxygen because of waterlogged conditions and/or cold soil. If you are going to move a tree in the late winter, make sure that you move it late enough that the ground is no longer frozen. The Best Time to Plant a Tree Pinpoint the best time of year to get a tree in the ground—and give that tree-to-be its best chance at thriving for years to come. Usually, you need heavy-duty equipment to dig and lift large trees. Fruit trees thrive in full sun and nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. About the Author Sharon Meredith Perth 25th March 2012 2:51pm #UserID: 6763 Posts: 1 View All Sharon Meredith's Edible Fruit Trees