Welcome to the Plantranch

Fruit tree Help Page

Due to overwhelming questions about fruit tree types being offered we are listing all information below to aid in a full & accurate explanation.. Your purchase may be a choice purchase as long as you indicate your choice on payment. If it is not we send a random pick selection suitable for your climate, Don't forget you should always have 2 tree of the same type for pollination, example: 2 apple , 2 peach etc, they can be different varieties as long as they are the same type of tree. PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE THE ONLY VARIETIES WE HAVE AT THIS TIME. All ARE 2-3 YEAR FIELD GROWN STOCK THAT SHOULD FRUIT IN 1-3 YEARS, IT ALWAYS DEPENDS ON GROWING CONDITIONS & CARE, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE A PARTICULAR DATE OF FRUIT PRODUCING.

Other questions on packaging, shipping, payments, email problems etc. click here

~~All Trees are Semi Dwarf~~

Peach Trees Available, all shipped bare root 2-3 ft tall

varieties to choose from, elberta, belle of georgia & red haven

Apple Trees Available, All shipped bare root 2-3 ft tall

Varieties to choose from, Red & yellow delicious, mac intosh, Jonathan

Apricot Trees Available, All shipped bare root 2-3 ft

Varieties to choose from, Chinese apricot only available

Pear Trees Available, shipped bare root 18-24" tall

Varieties to choose from, Barlette only

Cherry Trees Available, Shipped Bare root 18-30" tall

Varieties to choose from, Bing sweet cherry only

Plum Trees Available, Shipped bare root 2-3 ft tall

varieties to choose from, Bruce only.

All listed varieties have been chosen for ease to grow & cold handiness along with best taste for starter orchards. If you need further information on growing fruit trees & trimming please visit the link below. It has an abundance of knowledge to aid in growing fruit trees :)

Don't forget, we also sell Berry Plants, Raspberry, Blue berry, Grapes, Nut trees, along with many other exotic & tropical type fruit plants..

POLLINATION: Welcome the bees . This Is Why You Need Two Trees..

Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from the stamen (male part) to the pistil (female part) of a flower.

Adequate pollination is necessary for high yields of good quality fruit.

Mother Nature usually handles pollination satisfactorily, but we have to play by Natures rules to insure a good crop of fruit is produced.

Some tricks of pollination that Mother Nature has devised include self-pollination and cross-pollination.

If the transfer of pollen from the stamen to the pistil occurs on the same plant, this is called self-pollination and the plant is know to be self-fruitful.

For reasons only Mother Nature understands, some plants are not capable of pollinating themselves and these plants or varieties are called self-unfruitful and require cross-pollination.

Cross-pollination takes places when the pollen from one variety is used to pollinate the flower of another variety.

A tree covered in blooms does not guarantee pollination or fruit set will occur. Plants or varieties that are self-unfruitful require the pollen of a compatible plant to insure good fruit set.

The compatible plants can be located up to several hundred feet away and pollination will still occur.

So the pollen from your neighbors trees can be transferred to yours and work if the varieties are compatible.

Bees handle the majority of pollen transfer, but other insects and the wind also contribute to this amazing fact of nature.

THE ART OF PRUNING

The question is often asked, "How do I prune my fruit tree?"

A specific answer is difficult since an apple is pruned differently from a peach and each tree is individually distinct. A book on fruit tree pruning is recommended if you choose to do pruning.

Lets consider why pruning of fruit trees is important.

1) Pruning of young trees establishes the shape of the tree so scaffold limbs will be well distributed up, down, and around the trunk. Limb breakage and trunk splitting later in the trees life can be avoided with proper initial pruning.

2) Pruning stimulates new growth of mature trees that is integral for continued productivity and long life.

3) Diseased, injured, weak, and dead limbs are removed reducing stress on the plants health.

4) Pruning opens the tree to sunlight and air reducing the incidence of disease and insect damage. If pruning is carefully done when the tree is young, only a minimum of pruning will be needed as the tree gets older. Hence, the first several years are essential for developing the structure of the trees scaffold branches. The art of pruning gives immediate as well as long-term benefits that far outweigh the exasperation and hesitation that may proceed the job.

Match color codes below for spacing & growing information:

FRUIT SPACING, IDEAL SOIL pH.MOISTURE REQUIREMENT,PRUNING REQUIREMENT,SPRAYING REQUIREMENT

APPLE 10x10' 6.0 Moderate Moderate low

BLUEBERRY 6' x 10' 4.5 - 5.5 High Low Low

FIG 10' x 10' 6.0 High Low Low

GRAPES 10' x 15' 6.0 Moderate High Low

APRICOT 10x15' 6.0 - 6.5 Moderate High High

PEACH 10x10' 6.0 - 6.5 Moderate High moderate

PEAR 10x10' 6.0 Low Low Low

PAWPAW & PERSIMMON 15' x 15' 6.0 - 7.0 Low Low Low

CHERRY & PLUM 12x12' 6.0 Moderate Low moderate

Planting Information:

Watering:. The key to getting your new plant off to a good start is moisture. Water thoroughly after planting, and keep a close eye on the plant over the following week. If you notice the plant wilting on a hot, sunny day, check the soil with your finger. If the soil is dry, water thoroughly. But if the soil below the surface is moist to the touch, don't water. The plant is probably wilting because the roots are unable to supply the top with sufficient moisture even though the soil is damp. The remedy is to contrive some means of shading the plant. Within a week or so, the roots should catch up, and you can remove the shading. After the first week, give a new plant a good soaking once a week during summer, unless rainfall is plentiful (more than 1in per week). Established plants can generally get by on less water, but most grow best if the soil remains evenly moist. Please note that more is not better. When in doubt, don't water. Mulching You can reduce both your watering and weeding chores drastically if you cover the soil surrounding your plant with a 2-3in blanket of mulch. Mulch is any loose material spread over the soil to conserve moisture and inhibit weed seed germination. We recommend an organic mulch, such as chipped or shredded bark (available at most garden centers), shredded leaves, or pine needles, because they break down and enrich the soil. Keep mulch an inch or so away from the crowns of plants to discourage disease. Replenish the mulch as necessary every year. Please note that a layer of mulch will not by itself prevent winter damage in cold climates. See "Winter protection" below for additional measures. Fertilizing. Most ornamental plants grow best if fertilized with a light hand. Here at the Farm, we fertilize our borders and our specimen trees and shrubs just once - in early spring. We carry buckets of a balanced, granular fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, out to the garden and scatter it by hand (always wearing gloves) the way a farmer scatters chicken feed. Our aim is light but even coverage of the soil. For most plants (Roses are notable exceptions), this single feeding is enough. We specifically recommend that you not fertilize plants growing in the ground with water-soluble fertilizers such as Miracle-Gro and Peter's. Water-soluble fertilizers are best reserved for plants grown in decorative containers. Winter protection In cold-winter climates such as ours (Zone 5 [-20oF]), alternate thawing and freezing of the soil in winter can heave the crowns of newly planted perennials and small shrubs right out of the ground, leaving their roots vulnerable to drying winds and freezing cold. To protect plants from heaving during their first winter, put a 4-6in layer of loose organic material such as straw, oak leaves, or evergreen boughs (cut into 1-2ft lengths) over the crowns after the ground freezes. Take care to avoid covering the evergreen foliage of plants such as Digitalis and Dianthus. Remove this winter mulch gradually in spring when frosts become infrequent, usually at about the time Daffodils and Forsythias are in bloom. pest control. Like many gardeners, we were once quick to reach for pesticides, some of them bearing very dire warnings on their labels, at the first sign of insect damage or disease problems in our gardens. Today we are aware of the hazards of indiscriminate spraying to organisms we want to encourage (not to mention to ourselves and to wildlife), and so we now follow the more measured approach outlined below. Several years of success allow us to recommend it to you. 1. Meet the needs of your plants. Plants are less likely to suffer from pests and diseases when their cultural needs are met. If you have a plant with a consistent problem, learn more about its needs and address them. In many cases, the solution is to relocate the plant to another part of your garden. 2. Practice garden sanitation. Destroy infested plants to prevent pests and diseases from spreading. In fall, uproot annuals, cut down all but evergreen and semiwoody perennials, and rake up leaves to remove cover for overwintering insects and diseases. 3. Learn to identify pests and diseases. Before deciding whether to attempt to control a pest or disease, you must identify it. Different measures are effective against different pests. For example, an insecticide may be ineffective in controlling mites, which aren't insects (they are spider relatives).

When I get my order:

Bareroot woody plants. Plant bareroot shrubs, trees, and vines as you would bareroot perennials, with three differences. First, before planting, remove (and discard) the packaging and soak the roots in a pail of water for a few hours. Second, take extra care when arranging the roots in the planting hole not to break them; the roots of many woody plants are brittle. Third, after planting, surround the main stem with a 1-2ft diameter ring of soil mounded to catch and hold water and channel it down to the roots. (See Planting Roses.) Container-grown woody plants. Plant container-grown shrubs, trees, and vines that are destined for prepared beds, such as shrub or mixed borders, as you would container-grown annuals and perennials. Container-grown woody plants that are to be planted in unimproved soil need different treatment. Begin by checking the moisture of the potting mix in the container. Water thoroughly if it's dry. Then dig a hole several times the diameter of the root ball but no deeper than the height of the root ball. Remove the plant from the pot and gently break up the sides of the root ball with your thumbs (you may find it easier to make several vertical cuts with an old kitchen knife) and set it in the center of the hole. Push soil back into the hole and just over the top of the root ball, firm the soil with your hands or feet, and soak with a hose set to a slow trickle. A ring of soil 1 - 2ft in diameter mounded around the main stem will catch and hold water and channel it down to the roots. For most woody plants, there is no benefit to amending the soil before planting. Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Mountain Laurels are exceptions. They grow better if an acidic soil amendment such as peat moss (shredded pine bark is often recommended in the South) is worked thoroughly into the soil at planting time. Please note: dormant woody plants, whether bareroot or container-grown, vary widely (even between plants of the same variety) in the timing of their return to active growth. If a plant is slow to leaf out, gently scratch the bark near the tip of a branch with your fingernail. If the inside is green, the plant is still alive and is just taking its time. Please be patient.