North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Randall Burd" <burdrs@comcast.net>]

Title: Message

Thanks for your advice. To clarify, do you recommend:

Dig up the trees now and put them in pots before they leaf out and then move the potted trees in June and plant as soon as is feasible after arrival?

At any given time I probably have around a thousand trees in my bearing age
fruit tree nursery with the most highly represented species being apples.
The majority of the trees I sell I plant myself and I have trees in as large
as 25 gal. pots, in growbags and right in the ground.

I have often moved up to 3.5 inch calibre trees bare-root and when I do a
good job of  retaining most of the root these trees thrive as well as any,
probably better.  Problem is they have to be dormant when dug up and it is
best to plant them promptly although healing in works.  You just best plant
them before they start to leaf out or they will be runted at best.

If you have to move trees in June, just stick them in an appropriate sized
pot (one that easily accomadates the roots) using a good commercial potting
soil like Sunshine Pro-Mix, unless you are research savvy or skilled enough
to make your own (I use equal parts in volume sand, peat moss and forest or
similar compost) adding a bit of lime.

Small apple trees do exceptionally well in pots and yours are well worth
saving if you want to get a big jump on harvesting fruit at your new place.