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| Location: | Deciduous fruit trees should be planted in a location with full sun exposure. |
| Site: | Plant your tree in a hole that is at least twice the size of the established root ball. Do not set plants any deeper than original soil level in the container. Backfill soil should be amended with a well-composted redwood, or good quality garden compost - no manure. Work in at least 1/3 compost, with 2/3 of your native soil. |
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| Watering: | Immediately after planting, your tree should be irrigated. Irrigate several times during the first 72 hours to insure that the soil becomes saturated. Following irrigation's should be deep and thorough, allowing time for the soil to go slightly dry in between. |
| Feeding: | Feedings should be done lightly and frequently, approximately every 60 days during the growing season - February through September. Feed with a good commercial brand of fruit tree food, available at most retail nurseries. |
| Pruning: | Deciduous fruit trees require an annual pruning during their dormant season - December through February. Pruning should always produce a balanced look to the tree's form. The objective of pruning is to remove all dead wood, open up the tree's structure to allow for full light penetration, and to remove ½ to 1/3 of last year's growth. If deciduous trees are pruned properly, there will be little need for thinning of fruit. |
| Fruit Set: | If trees were not pruned, or were pruned lightly, there is a chance of structure breakage due to an overproduction of fruit. If the tree sets an overproduction of fruit, heavy fruit clusters should be thinned when fruit is approximately nickel-sized. |