How to do it: Plant a bare-root fruit tree

Buy fruit trees bare root if you can, rather than in containers: they’re cheaper and they establish better as they’re dug straight out of the field in winter while they’re dormant – so when you transfer them to your garden they hardly know they’ve moved. You’ll also have one less plastic pot to deal with, and you’ll know your tree wasn’t grown in peatbased compost. You can buy and plant bareroot trees between November and March.

1

SOAK the roots of your bare-root tree in a bucket of water for an hour as soon as it arrives. If you can’t plant right away, bury the roots in loose earth temporarily until you’re ready. 2

DIG a shallow hole, wide enough to spread the roots out easily. The tree should sit at the same depth it was growing at the nursery – use the soil mark on the stem as your guide. If the soil mark is unclear, position it so the place where the roots flare from the stem is just at ground level: lay a cane across the hole to check. 3

BREAK up the base of the hole with a fork, then arrange the roots evenly and hold the tree in place while you back-fill with soil, firming gently around the tree as you go. 4

DRIVE a stake in at a 45° angle to the trunk, so that the stake is about a third of the way up the height of the tree. 5

USE a rubber tree tie to secure the tree to the stake and water in well.

COMING UP

March The best ways to start veg from seed April Discover how to get the best crops from vegetables in containers