Success with Fruit Trees MH Oe 
@ GROUND LEVEL 
DONT’S. Before setting out fruit trees, the home orchardist should be 
cautioned against practices that cause failure. Do not plant fruit trees 
in poorly 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 construct2d 
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. ; 
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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 ae 4 < 
back, only thinned out. In general, the same plan for pruning is Mo 
followed in succeeding years. 
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CULTURE. Irrigate about once each month during the dry season. yee GIGS ee 
A balanced commercial fertilizer can be applied after the trees have WERE 
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. 
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FIGURE 2 


Before Prutni no 
After fj Pruning 
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CONCORD GRAPE FIGURE 3 
[FS) 
SWEENEY, STRAUB & DIMM, HORTICULTURAL PRINTERS, PORTLAND, ORE 
