The Canadian Garden – Fruit Trees

flowering branches on a tree

Fruit Trees, Your Next Landscape Addition

Learn how you can plant a fruit tree in Canada by using these step-by-step directions to make a fruit tree your next landscape addition.

Pick A Fruit Tree

Apples and cherries are both trees that thrive in the cold of northern latitudes. Citrus trees usually prefer climates that are warmer. Depending on what region you’re in, any kind of fruit tree you can plant successfully won’t just beautify your landscape but also offer you tasty snacks off the tree. You can pick a fruit tree which thrives even in your Canadian climate. If you aren’t sure which fruit trees will grow in your local area, then ask around at your community garden center.

Pick A Location

Fruit trees adore the sun, so you should pick a location that offers 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. You’ll also need soil that’s rich in nutrients as well as retains moisture. Also, be sure you have plenty of space for the tree to grow.

Plant the Tree

Your tree is going to have an easier time getting itself established if you decide to plant in the spring season. Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the tree’s container but not as deep. Gently tease any roots that are on the edge of your root ball before placing that root ball into the center of your hole. Your graft line is the spot where the tree got grafted onto the root stock; be sure that this line is above the soil. If you’re not sure, ask the garden center staff to show you where the graft line is. Fill the space in with a 50/50 mix of compost and native soil. Miracle-Gro Garden Soil is a good choice for compost. Tamp the soil down lightly to get rid of any air pockets. Use a bit of the extra soil to form a well around the base of the tree which can help funnel water to its roots before soaking it thoroughly with water.

cherries on a branch

What Is at Stake?

Young trees have to have support, so make sure your new tree gets staked. Use a trio of stakes set around in a triangle about a meter or two (4 to 6 feet) from the tree’s base. Run some wire from every stake around the trunk around 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 4 feet) off the ground before going back to the stake, being sure that each wire has equal tension. Wrap the wire with parts of garden hose when it contacts the actual trunk so that you can avoid chafing image. Avoid staking your tree overly tight. You’ll need to leave it room to sway a bit.

Feed, Mulch, And Water

Add an 8 centimeter or 3-inch layer of mulch all around the base so your tree can retain moisture better. Just make sure you keep that mulch away from the tree’s graft line. Give the tree a deep watering, wetting soil as much as 60 centimeters or 2 feet deep weekly until you know it’s established. Also, feed the tree with Miracle-Gro Tree and Shrub Fertilizer Spikes in both early spring and the middle of the fall.

Care for Your Fruit Tree

If you want to structure the tree and set its growth patterns, you might want to prune the fruit tree the first four or five late winters. In the later years, you’ll get more fruit production if you prune it. Feed the fruit tree every year, especially in summer and spring. Put a small fence around your trunk to protect it from deer and mice.