Aldi Fruit Trees

cletus

Hi,

I purchased 4 Aldi fruit trees on Thursday. My plan had been to plant them today, but I'm worried that it might still be too cold. They are 2 year old trees, and as seems common with Aldi/Lidl, there is no info on rootstock etc.

Did a quick search that turned up nothing except discussions on whether they were bad or good.

Also, i have seen on some other sites that 1 year old trees would need an initial pruning of about 1/3 the height to balance out the roots, does this hold true for 2 year old trees as well.

Please forgive any stupidity in the above post, this is my first attempt to grow anything other than grass

macraignil

Bare root fruit trees are sold this time of year as they are dormant and more likely to survive transplanting. It should be OK to plant any time up to March but the sooner they go in the ground the better. Make sure soil around roots is well compacted to avoid frost pockets killing roots. If you are expecting bad weather an organic mulch around the base of the tree of compost or manure is said to provide some protection. Before planting is a good time to add support which most fruit tress will need for their first couple of years. If you are in an exposed area two strong posts with a cross piece of timber and rubber tree ties might be needed. What fruit did you get? I planted Gala apples from ALDI and they are still small compared to the Bramley cooking apples which have grown to twice the size over the last two or three years.

lazybones32

Now is the time to plant them. The only time you avoid planting is when the ground is frozen.

No, there is no need to prune just yet. When the tree matures a bit and is producing fruit, then you prune. Correct pruning allows for more fruit to be produced. Although you should cut off any branch that looks dead or is crossing another branch.

I bought one of those fruit trees and it produced it's first fruits last summer after only two years in the ground - they were small and the birds ate into them but it was faster than I hoped for.

Choose the position wisely: free-draining, with solid support, plenty of light and a generous source of nutrients (manure or granular fertiliser)

Dunford

Excellent answers above to guide you. Would soil ph have any impact? I think soil ph affects the taste of the fruit, and possible survival of the tree...although ive seen a lot different fruit trees producing marvellous crops over the years.

cletus

Folks, thanks very much for all the advice. Got the trees in today, so we'll see in a couple of months whether we get any buds or leaves. Fingers crossed

solargain

It takes them a few years to come right . Protect the bark from the rabbits/ hares they skinned one of mine lately that was planted over 5 years. There was a massive crop of apples on it last year. Don't know if it will survive now

cletus

My trees are planted and staked, and I'm thinking of putting down some stone around the base. Do I need to put down a membrane of some description first?

lottpaul

Depends what you mean by stones - if its just some chippings/mulch then membrane is a must really. Your young trees need 2 main things to thrive - as you already have them staked - grass and weeds kept at bay and regular watering in their first year, especially if we get a dry spell. For that reason too you should remove any fruit in its first year. (Seems a shame but it puts a lot of strain on the tree to establish itself and develop fruit). After that they should manage well enough but its a good idea to have a weed/grass free area at the base of the trunk for several years.

cletus

These are the stones

lottpaul

Are they pretty small? Hard to tell - if you could put a coin or something into the shot for comparison But as long as they allow moisture down to the tree, are not actually rubbing against the bark and are kept weed free it should be fine.

cletus

Sorry, here are some of the stones in my hand for scale

lottpaul

They should be fine - just make sure they don't become compacted over time and prevent water getting to the tree. And be careful if you mow or strim nearby -- they can ruin blades and be dangerous if they get tossed around at high speed.

cletus

Thanks for all the help folks