Planting fruit trees

[ChelswannabeGT]

hi im wanting to plant a plum and an apple tree. I see they are selling them at Walmart now in my area WV. Does that mean I can plant them outside now? We are expecting temps in the 30s next week.

 

[Daren]

Planting now is Fine In fact Its a Much Better time to plant Now than later. Apples & Plums Don't mind Cold & it will Give them Plenty of time to Settle in & Put some roots Out Before It has to Deal with the Heat of Summer. Just Put a little Bone Meal in the Hole & that's about it Really

 

[marlingardener]

Go to a nursery and buy fruit trees! We did the same "Walmart mistake" and ended up with four dead trees which were not for our climate/soil type.

Fruit trees need pollinators. Here is a link that explains self-pollinating and cross-pollinating varieties.
https://www.orangepippintrees.com/articles/planting-growing/pollination-of-fruit-trees

You can plant fruit trees now, as soon as possible. You don't have to worry about cold temperatures, but the heat of summer to a newly planted tree can spell death, or at least a setback in its growth.

We have Granny Smith, Fuji, and Pink Lady apples, all of which are adapted to our climate. We don't have plums, so I cannot comment on that fruit.

 

[alp]

I so want a Pink Lady and Fuji and Royal Gala! I want to visit you, Marlin, when they are fruiting.

Also, you can get a smaller tree such as M27 stock. When it comes to plum, the yellow plums actually taste better than the purple ones. I have a yellow one. Yes, you've got to find out if your apple tree needs another apple to pollinate it. Marlin always gives good advice.

 

[Sean Regan]

We bought four fruit trees a while back, a couple didn't do very well

Some though aren't self pollinating. We've still got a Morello Cherry and a Conference pair.
The Cherry fruited in the first year and does so every year. The pear took two years to produce a single pear., then a few more the following year. Now some six years after we bought them, last year "we couldn't move for pears."

The blossom on both is very attractive.

Ours are in big tubs.

 

[alp]

I will keep all my fruit trees in big tugs, just in case they turn out to be disappointing. My old cherry tree a Stella suffered from curly leaves and some kind of black bugs, so I removed it and I took the runner off and started a new tree. Funny thing is that they were so cheap, rediuced to below £5, from Homebase, but by that time, I had already bought one for £9.

 

[alp]

I don't mind buying fruit trees in Walmart, but Aldi is a bit dodgy. One tree turned out to be entirely different from the label. Make sure you do your research as marlin points out, it might be better buying them from nurseries, but their prices can be quite different. I did buy from a mail order company, one has one deformed pear a year, got a lovely white flesh sweet peach. So it's hard to say. If you can see new growth and a healthy root system, it could be OK.