Success with Bruit Trees 
DONT’S. Before setting out fruit trees, the home orchardist should be 
cautioned against practices that cause failure. Do not plant fruit trees 
in pooriy drained soils. Do not use any manure or fertilizer in the tree 
holes. Do not plant when the soil is soggy or saturated. Do not fail 
to prune trees as recommended below. 
PLANTING. See Figures 1 and 2. Dig holes more than large enough 
to accommodate the root system. Fill the bottom of the hole with 
topsoil and set the bud union exactly at ground level. Fill in with 
more topsoil, to which has been added peat moss if your soil is heavy. 
Irrigate-at once with a slow stream of water in the basin constructed 
after planting. Add more soil as required. 
PRUNING. At planting time, all trees should be cut back at 24 to 
36 inches above the bud union. All of the side branches should be 
eliminated from apricots, plums and prunes. Two or three buds should 
be left on three or four well-spaced branches on peaches, nectarines 
and almonds (see Fig. 1). Apples, pears and cherries usually are 
whips with few or no side branches, but should there be any, cut 
them off. 
Figure 3 shows the development of the average fruit tree after the 
first season’s growth, and how it should be pruned. All varieties 
should be thinned out and cut back as indicated in the right-hand 
diagram except cherries, walnuts and figs, which should never be cut 
back, only thinned out. In general, the same plan for pruning is 
followed in succeeding years. 
CULTURE. Irrigate about once each month during the dry season. 
A balanced commercial fertilizer can be applied after the trees have 
been planted about two months, at the rate of about 2 pound per 
tree. Use a manure mulch in the basin during fall and winter. 

CONCORD GRAPE 
15 



CUT OFF BRUISED 
AND BROKEN LIMBS 

- o ny F 
SEK VSSZ 
Ly weeds J 
ptt OE , McA be 
0 Mk \~ oR hy 
FIGURE 2 
Before Pruning After fj Pruning 
ae z 
FIGURE 3 
SWEENEY, STRAUB & DIMM, HORTICULTURAL PRINTERS, PORTLAND, ORE 
