- 1). Start your planting in early to mid-spring, to plant both fruit and nut seedlings during dormancy. Dormant planting is less disruptive than summer or fall plantings. Start just after the last frost of the season.
- 2). Find sites for individual trees, or decide on one large site for the entire orchard. Give each fruit tree a site that gets full sun for eight hours a day, quick drainage, good air circulation and at least 20 to 25 feet of space. Give nut trees these same conditions, with variety-specific spacing. Some nut trees grow to be very large.
- 3). Amend a 3-foot by 3-foot section of each site for planting. Dig into the top 1 to 1 1/2 feet of soil and mix well to loosen and aerate the base. Turn 6 to 8 inches of organic compost into each site to give the soil better quality and moisture. Don't add fertilizer at this time, as it may burn the young trees.
- 4). Plant fruit and nut seedlings in holes deep and wide enough for their root balls. Spread the roots in the holes and cover them with amended soil. Poke your fingers into the soil in several places to eliminate air pockets, and pack soil around the base of each tree to secure.
- 5). Water each seedling with 2 gallons of water to settle the soil and establish the plantings. Cut each seedling to within 30 to 36 inches of the ground to encourage new growth and healthy foliage.
- 6). Spread 2 inches of mulch in a 3-foot circle around each seedling, with several inches of space between the trunks and mulch circles. The mulch keeps soil moist and warm for the seedlings, and keeps weeds from growing. Put the seedlings on a schedule of 1 gallon of water a week.
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