How far apart should I plant my apple or pear trees?
All of our apple and pear trees should ideally be planted about 20 feet apart.
How long will it take for my apple or pear tree to bear fruit?
4 to 10 years, depending on conditions (sunlight, soil, variety, etc). It’s worth the wait!
Do I need to plant more than one tree?
Apples need a second apple tree of a different variety nearby for pollination–within a quarter mile, but closer is better. Crabapples are fine as a pollinator. Pears, similarly, need a second pear variety nearby for pollination. Asian pears can produce fruit on their own, but bear fruit more reliably with a second Asian pear variety nearby.
Some apple varieties are triploid, which means they can be pollinated by any other apple tree but they are unreliable as a pollinator for other trees. Ashmead’s Kernel, Baldwin, Mutsu, Jonagold, King David, and Roxbury Russet are triploid varieties.
Fig trees do not require a second tree to make fruit. Our fig trees also do not require any insects to pollinate them.
How big are the trees? Will they fit in my car?
In general, our 2-year old apple and pear trees are 4 to 7 ft long, including the roots. Our trees are bare-root—no soil or pot—so you can transport them horizontally. They don’t have much side branching and they are bendy, which helps when transporting them. Most of our 2-year-old trees fit in a hatchback. If you are getting 3 or 4 year old trees and are unsure about whether they will fit in your vehicle, feel free to get in touch.
Fig trees are potted, and generally 1.5 to 4 feet tall, including the pot.
How big will the tree be when it’s fully grown?
Our apple trees reach 15 to 20 feet when fully grown. Our pears and Asian pears will be between 20 and 30 feet tall when mature. You have some amount of control over how big your tree gets by pruning it more/less aggressively. The size of a mature fig tree is dependent on whether it is potted or planted in the ground. You can control the size of the tree by choosing the size of the pot.
Is my site good enough to grow a tree?
All our apple and pear trees should get at least half a day of sun (ideally full sun). They like well-drained soil—avoid water-logged areas. They do best in areas with good air flow. They are tolerant of a wide range of soil types, but you should have at least 18 inches of soil for root growth.
When is a good time to plant fruit trees?
The best time to plant apple and pear trees is in the early spring and the late fall. Potted apple and pear trees can be planted later into the spring or summer.
My favorite apple variety is __________ . Can you graft that one for me?
Yes, we would be happy to! Please get in touch with us for details. It takes two years for us to graft and grow out a tree until it is ready to plant.
How do I buy trees?
The best way to reach us is by email:
fullcircusfarm@gmail.com
How do I plant and take care of my apple and pear trees?
See the Planting and Care Guide below. If you would like a printable version, Click Here.
Planting and Young Tree Care Guide
Planting Steps
- Before planting: soak the tree’s roots in a container of water for one to two hours. This keeps the roots from drying out while you dig the hole. Avoid soaking roots for more than six hours.
- Do not expose roots to freezing temperatures (or below) prior to planting.
- Dig the hole deep and wide enough so the root system has plenty of room to grow. For our trees, a hole 2 ft. in diameter and 2 ft. deep is usually sufficient. Keep the more-nutritious topsoil in a separate pile so you can put it in the bottom of the hole.
- If you have heavy soil, you can loosen the soil by thoroughly mixing aged manure, garden compost, coir or peat moss (up to 1/3 concentration) into the topsoil.
- Place the tree in the center of the planting hole with its roots down and spread out. Keeping the trunk vertical, backfill the hole, putting the topsoil back in first. Work the soil carefully around the roots and tamp down firmly as you refill the planting hole around your tree in order to avoid creating air pockets.
- Especially if you’re planting on a slope, create a rim of soil around the planting hole about two inches above ground level. This is called a “berm” and it works to catch water so that it can soak in rather than running off and causing soil erosion.
Caring For Your Young Tree
- Protecting from rodents: In the winters, one of the biggest threat to young trees is rodents chewing the bark and cambium layer of the tree. To prevent this, put a trunk protector around the base of your tree every fall. Make sure you remove it again in the spring to discourage insects that bore into the trunk.
- Protecting from deer: We strongly recommend putting up a fence to prevent deer from chewing on your baby tree, until its branches are out of reach.
- Watering: Trees should be watered after planting with two to five gallons per tree, added slowly. After this initial watering, if you are planting in the fall you should not need additional water until the tree starts to grow again in the spring. During the tree’s initial growing years, when rainfall is less than 1 inch of rain per week, water at a rate of five gallons per tree per week. Be careful to avoid over-watering since the roots are very sensitive to flooding.
- Pruning: In the early years, you should not need to do much, if any, pruning.
- Fruit trees can be pruned sparingly at planting to develop the shape of the tree. After this initial pruning, they should be pruned as little as possible until they reach full production, generally six to ten years after planting.
- At planting, remove branches that are within 30 inches of the soil since they are too low and may impede lawn care. On the main trunk, select four strong branches to become the lower limbs and prune off the rest. Leave the central trunk un-pruned. Ideally, branches should be spaced evenly in a spiral around the trunk, but this doesn’t always happen. Select branches that are oriented somewhat horizontally rather than growing upright since they bear fruit more quickly than upright branches. They should be smaller in diameter than the main trunk. Prune off any shoot tips that are dead.
Full Circus Farm 