Planting Instructions
Planting: Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the pot your tree is in. If you have clay soil, we highly recommend using Gypsum on the bottom of your hole and around the area prior planting your tree. Amend the soil by using 1/3 native soil, 1/3 compost and 1/3 coarse sand. Mix it all together and plant your tree in the hole. Make sure the crown of your tree is at least 2-4 inches above grade. Over time your tree will settle making it flush to the ground.
Watering: Water the root-ball as if the tree was still in a pot for the first 30 days. This is very important especially during summer months. 15-45 seconds once or twice a day using the shower option of your water hose is more than enough. After 30 days, you can start deep watering to encourage the roots to go deep in the ground. Remember, the weather will dictate how often to water. Always check the dirt around the root-ball, if it feels wet, never water. Wait until it dries and water again. This method will always tell you how often to water. If it tends to dry too quickly (I.E less than daily) then increase the amount of water.
Fertilization: We recommend Dyna-gro 9-3-6 for all fruit trees. One tea spoon per gallon, Bi-monthly works best for most trees in ground. Fertilize between April-October and stop during November-March. If you’d like an organic approach, you can use fish emulsion for Nitrogen, bone meal for Phosphorus and kelp meal for Potassium or simply just plain old compost. Put about an inch or two inch layer around your tree’s drip line (end of your tree canopy) monthly. At the end of the day, basic elements are the same whether they come from organic or synthetic sources. Just remember, synthetic fertilizers feed your plant only and organic fertilizers amend the soil and feed the micro-organisms living in it. Their by product is then used up by your plants. If you’re just starting, we recommend a combination of organic and synthetic fertilizers. Once your tree is established and your soil is rich, you can discontinue using synthetic.
Foliar Feed: Micro nutrients such as boron, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, etc are not soluble in alkaline soils, which is what we have here in Arizona. This creates a deficiency in your trees and the only way to remedy it is by foliar feeding. Simply spray your trees on top and bottom of leaves once every 2 weeks or so during warm weather early morning or just after sun set. During summer months, early morning is best (5-6 am). Remember, all they need is a light mist, if your leaves are dripping water, you over did it. Where to get foliar feed? You can use dyna gro at a ¼ tea spoon per gallon and add a ½ tea spoon per gallon of organic soap to your mix. We also offer 100% micro-nutrient concentrate in 4oz bottles at the nursery.