Fall vs. Spring Planting of Fruit Trees* 



F. M. Clement, 



SPRING is the generally accepted 

 time for the planting of fruit trees 

 — apples, pears, plums, peaches, 

 and cherries. Of late years, because of 

 the heavy loss in spring planted cherries, 

 a few of our authorities are recommend- 

 ing fall planting. The idea is gaining, 

 and from my own observations and ex- 

 perience I feel safe in saying that with 

 proper soil conditions the percentage loss 

 from fall planting will be less than from 

 spring planting. But the cherry is ex- 

 ceptional among fruits in that growth 

 starts very early in the spring and when 

 once the buds have swollen or burst it 

 is practically impossible to get a large 

 percentage to grow.' This is particularly 

 true of the sweet cherry. Other fruits 

 do not start so quickly, and then even 

 though a few buds are swollen or burst 

 the loss with careful planting is com- 

 partively small. We must then look for 

 other reasons before recommending fall 

 planting. 



There are four factors to be consider- 

 ed, first, the availability of well-ripened 

 nursery stock that can be delivered in 

 mid or late October; second, the time or 

 labor required to plant; third, the soil 

 in which they are to be planted ; and 

 fourth, the climatic or weather condi- 

 tions to which the newly planted trees 

 will be exposed during the winter. Nur- 

 sery stock is usually readily available in 

 the fall of the year. This year was as 



•An address delivered last November at the 

 animal convention ol the Ontario Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Association. 



Horticultural Experimental Station, Vineland Station, Ont. 



exceptional as we are likely to get for 

 some time. A warm fall kept the trees 

 growing until late, and yet we have 

 been able to obtain two hundred well- 

 ripened apple trees as clean and likely 

 a looking shipment as I ever saw. These 

 we planted the first week in November. 

 They were delivered to us the third week 

 in October. One nursery firm to whom 

 I wrote did not care to take orders for 

 fall delivery, but I am willing to assume 

 all responsibility. 



We can not argue without reserve, 

 that there is more time to plant in the 

 fall than in the spring. It may be so 

 on many farms, but I have not found it 

 so in my experience. Fruit picking, fall 

 plowing, and cleaning up the year's 

 work fill every hour just as full as the 

 hours in the spring. But fall work can 

 often be delayed a few days without loss. 

 Spring seeding and planting must be 

 rushed. It is much easier to take a few 

 days from late October and early Nov- 

 ember than from late April and early 

 May or even late May and early June. 

 Labor is also more plentiful in the fall 

 than in the spring. 



SOIL CONDITIONS 



The soil factor is important. Some 

 difficulty may be experienced in harvest- 

 ing the year's crop, plowing and pre- 

 paring for the trees. It is taken for 

 granted nothing would be used but a 

 field that had grown a hoe crop the im- 

 mediate summer before. The trees may 

 then be planted and plowed up to at once. 

 It is absolutely essential that all standing 



water be kept away from them. Be care- 

 ful to open all ditches and run the cross 

 furrows. This is essential even though 

 fhe field may be well underdrained. Sur- 

 face water often does as much or more 

 damage than soil water. Bank the trees 

 up to a height of about eight inches with 

 soil and then mulch with manure close 

 around the mound. This will afford 

 ample protection to the roots. Don't 

 prune the tops. Leave them just as they 

 come from the nursery and cut away all 

 damaged or dead parts in the spring. 



The weather conditions are quite large- 

 ly the deciding factor. They vary great- 

 ly over the province, and a discussion of 

 them will lead us into a discussion of 

 winter injury. Let it suffice to say 

 here that winter injury is large- 

 ly the result of dessication or drying : 

 Largely so, but not entirely. But it is 

 the factor we have to deal with in the 

 fall planting of nursery stock. A cer- 

 tain amount of evaporation takes place, 

 even on the coldest days of winter. This 

 must be made up by a flow of water, or 

 say from the roots upward. Infinitely 

 small as this flow may be, on the bright, 

 warm days it is sufficiently heavy to 

 make' up the loss of colder days. The 

 mulching prevents deep freezing and 

 thawing <if the surface soil. It also aids 

 in retaining moisture. 



Experiments conducted at Vineland on 

 plums and pears show a decided advan- 

 tage in favor of fall planting. Six Reine 

 Claude plums and six Bartlett pears were 



The Administration Building of the 



Vineland (Ont.) iVuit Experiment StaUon. situated in the heart of the tender fruit bolt in the Niaeai-a Uistr^t. 



(93) 



