The right way to plant a tree for high production

• DIG a hole 1m x 600mm deep.

• IN CLAY soils, scrape or roughen sides, check for drainage, and sprinkle the sides heavily with gypsum, which helps soil aeration and water percolation.

• MIX together compost, sand, or clay (if using), biochar or crystals, and additional minerals as needed, into the dirt extracted from the hole.

• FACE the tree’s strongest roots and branches toward the dominant wind direction. Make a mound or watercatching depression as needed as you backfill the soil. Ensure planting depth is the height as previous soil around the trunk.

• FIRM around the roots by gently standing on the backfilled soil.

• MAKE the final soil height about 10cm proud of the desired level to allow for settling.

• STAKE the tree to prevent wind rock while it’s getting established.

• WATER well. The goal is not just to water the roots but to wash all the soil particles into the air gaps around the roots. After a good watering, the soil height will be around 5cm proud.

• MULCH to prevent competing weed growth.

• TALK to your tree. A study by the RHS indicated plants respond better to softer sounds such as a woman’s voice. However, my conversations are threatening – ‘after all this work, you’d better produce oodles of scrummy fruit’ – but it still seems to work.