So you bought a bare rooted tree—one with just a bag of sawdust around the roots and are thinking “now what?”

This is not a bad guide:
https://www.woodbridgefruittrees.com.au/articles-learning/169-receiving-your-tre...

I disagree with one or two points tho:

1. Before planting—ensure all roots are covered with the soil or sawdust etc. A bare root in air will dry out and oxidise and die.

2. Hole preparation. No! Do NOT prepare the soil that will go in the hole. Treating the whole area with, for example, claybreaker or fertiliser is fine. What goes into the planting hole around your new tree should be the soil unamended with fertiliser etc. Reason is obvious—if the planting hole is nicer and richer than the surrounding soil why would the roots extend beyond the planting hole?

Fertiliser should be spread around the tree at the outer edge of the rootball. Mulch etc can be applied if you like but not touching the trunk of your new tree.

2.1. The planting holes must be square, rectangular OK if tree has a long root in one place. Circular holes encourage roots to just go round and round within the hole. With square edges roots can press into the soil around the planting hole.

3. When planting make sure the graft wound faces north—keep that as dry and sunny as possible, prevent mold growing in it.

4. Heading cut. So you have a nice two metre long whip—beyootifool, right? Get your secateurs and cut the whip 45cm above ground level. This ensures the main branches form just above ground level making picking fruit, pruning etc later much easier. Ignore this for decorative trees you want to grow tall. Your tree will be fine.


Be picking up my final tree order soon. Going to plant them in pots for now. The pots will go on the eastern drive, get them going then harden them and plant them in two years time.

The order includes pepperberry trees as the two I had planted last year died—from the heat! Will have to put them in pots and put the pots where they don’t get too much sunlight—they are understory trees.