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New plant growing guide
Use this booklet along with the information in your catalog to get your trees off to a good start. The catalog includes soil requirements, pollination guides and other important information. It also indicates the ultimate size of each plant and the necessary spacing. While this guide will let you get started for the first season, we recommend you purchase one of the following general books that will give you the information you need each year: "The Fruit Expert" #S132 or "The Backyard Orchardist", #S043. For more information, see the book section in the back of the Raintree catalog. What to do when your plants arrive
Your mail order plants will arrive at your door by USPS, FedEx or UPS truck. The roots of the "bare root" plants will be surrounded by moist shavings or damp shredded recycled paper and wrapped in plastic to retain moisture. The plants are then packed in special tree shipping bags or boxes. When your order arrives, carefully remove the plants from the outer bag or box. Check the tag on each plant to make sure you have received what we confirmed on the enclosed packing slip. Notify us immediately of any errors or any broken trees. Often, the seedlings or berries you ordered are small. Be sure to double check for them in the bottom of each package. Sometimes several plants are packed together in one package to save moisture and reduce shipping costs, so open each plastic bag to be certain the apparent single plant is not in fact several smaller plants. Most plants can be planted upon arrival as long as your ground isn't frozen and the temperature while you are actually planting is above freezing. It won't hurt most of the bare root plants even if the temperature goes below freezing after the tree or shrub is planted. Most of the hardy potted plants can also be unpotted and planted directly into the ground. If you are ready to plant you can skip to the planting section in the middle of this guide. If You're not ready to plant
If you are not ready to plant, don't worry…just dig a hole in the ground in the shade. Remove the plastic bag that surrounds the roots and insert (heel) the entire bundle of bare root plants upright in the hole and cover the roots with soil or sawdust to keep the roots from freezing or drying out. If your ground is frozen, or for some other reason you are not ready to plant, you can keep your bare root plants in the plastic bags they came in for a month or more during the winter while they remain dormant. Store the bag in a cool place that does not freeze or dry out, like a garage for example. Do NOT store dormant bare root plants in a warm place, for instance in your house, for more than a week or so. Plants stored under warm conditions for an extended period of time are much more likely to be damaged by even mild frosts than are plants kept cool (ideally 35-40° F).  During warmer weather, or if you can't heel the bare root plants in, just open the bag containing the roots and spray the roots as necessary with water to keep them moist but not soggy. Keep in a shaded place, and try not to leave a puddle of water in the plastic bag. It's okay to poke small holes in the bottom to allow drainage. Close the bag. However, remove potted plants from the package and put them near a window and begin watering as you would other potted plants.Remember that the sooner your plants are in their permanent location, the better chance they have of thriving! Every day out of the ground diminishes the vigor of bare rooted plants once they leave cold storage. Plants that need extra care upon arrival
 Following is information about the special storage or planting needs of some Raintree plants: CARE OF POTTED PLANTS WITH GREEN LEAVES: Potted plants that you receive which are not fully dormant (that have green leaves) should be planted out only after danger of frost is past. Exceptions are lingonberry, evergreen huckleberry, wintergreen, bunchberry, kinnickinnick, salal, alpine and musk strawberries, woolly thyme, and cranberries which are very hardy and can be planted out unless temperatures are expected to stay consistently below freezing. If you are waiting to plant outside, put the potted plants in a sunny window. Check the soil regularly. Water the plant deeply when the soil begins to dry out. For some of the plants it is important that you wait until the danger of frost has passed, should you wish to plant them outside. Examples include citrus, loquat, passiflora, pineapple guava, bay, lemon grass, eucalyptus, fuchsia and herbs. If you live in a colder winter climate, not all of these are sufficiently hardy to survive the winter outside. You can grow them indoors or bring them inside in the fall, or provide substantial protection if they are to remain outside through the winter. See the catalog for the hardiness of each plant. Potted plants that die back each winter
We offer several plants that die back a lot each autumn (at least here in the Pacific Northwest and in even colder climates) but usually sprout back in fine form each spring. Many of these plants have been kept in a cool greenhouse and may have some leaves, or they may have gone into their winter rest. In some cases it may even look like you received nothing but a pot of soil, without any plant at all. But there IS a plant in there, just wait until spring and then you should see new signs of life. The echinacea, cinnamon vine, blue crown passion vine, rhubarb and fuchsia are examples of plants that seem to disappear each winter but are really there, ready to reappear each spring. Caring for pots until you are ready to plant
Most of the potted plants shipped in the winter and early spring will arrive dormant. It is fine to plant the hardy, dormant plants outside as long as the ground is workable and not expected to refreeze. The potted plants that arrive in active growth, or any plants that are only marginally hardy for your climate zone, should not be planted out until danger of frosts is past. If a potted plant arrives and is growing, it is because it was kept in a greenhouse and therefore needs to be protected until danger of frost has past. If it's not yet appropriate to plant, keep the dormant potted plants in an unheated (but not below freezing) garage or shed or similar structure. If kept cool and dormant, plants won't need light again until they begin to sprout. Once leaves appear, they will need light, even if the weather is too severe for planting. If this happens, place them in a window or under grow lights. Water them as you would other growing houseplants. We also ship evergreens like lingon berry, eucalyptus, wintergreen, redwoods, kinnickinnick, Sunshine Blue and Misty blueberries in pots. These vary considerably in their hardiness but they all have come out of the greenhouse and need to be hardened off before being planted out in the cold weather. Potting and repotting
 If you are going to grow the plant in a pot instead of in the ground, it will usually be necessary at some point to move the plant to a larger pot. The plants you receive can stay in the same pot for several months before you move them to a bigger pot or into the ground. Most citrus and shrubs do well in a pot of 10 to 15 gallon size. Our mini-dwarf fruit trees will need a half whisky barrel size pot. Eventually even larger size pots will be advisable, unless you intend to root prune. To root prune shave off at least an inch all around the rootball and repot with fresh soil into the same size pot. Smaller plants like strawberries don't need such large pots. When repotting into a larger container, take the plant out of the pot, cut any encircling roots and replant in fresh soil. Because you will have temporarily reduced the root system, compared to the top, it is wise to prune the top somewhat at this time too.It is important when repotting plants to use good quality potting mix. Don' t use soil from your garden, as it is usually much too heavy and will not drain well. Plants that prefer markedly acid soil (like blueberries, lingonberries and huckleberries) will do well in soil mixes for Rhododendrons, or add 25% peat moss to a standard potting mix. For citrus add 30% sand to a standard potting mix. All trees are not equal in size
If you order many plants, you will notice that they come in a variety of sizes. Paw paws, genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines and mini-dwarf apples are among the trees that grow slowly and may be smaller upon arrival, as will many other types of fruit trees on highly dwarfing rootstocks. Red Flesh and Centennial apples are often relatively small trees, compared to other more vigorous varieties on the same rootstock. Trees sometimes arrive unbranched. Weeping varieties such as the Weeping Santa Rosa plum are sent to you unbranched because branched trees are difficult to ship without breakage. Mulberries, figs, cherries, and persimmons will usually be unbranched. All of our Paw Paws are grown and shipped to you in pots because they tend to have tap roots rather than fibrous roots and don't always do as well if grown in the field and shipped bareroot. Trees grown in pots must of necessity be sold relatively small because it is impossible to ship large potted trees. Many of the nut trees, while fast growers after they get started, start out slowly and come as small, unbranched trees. Of course the vines and berries are of smaller size than the trees.Don't worry, these smaller or unbranched trees have good root systems and will dig in and grow well for you from their first season in the ground. If you have any questions please call us at (360) 496-6400 or ema il us! Individual plant care instructionsCitrus plants
In our area (and in most of the country) citrus can not survive the typical winter cold, so they must be grown indoors in containers or at least be brought indoors for the winter. Most of the citrus we offer can survive BRIEF exposure to temperatures below freezing. If it gets below 25° F for very long there is a risk of damage or even death. However in most climates, it is best if they are brought inside once the temperature falls below 50-55° F if they are to thrive and ripen the fruit set during the summer. You can take them out in the day if the weather is nice, and then bring them back in at night. Citrus do not like widely fluctuating temperatures. Even the temperatures experienced in shipping can sometimes cause citrus to lose their leaves, but they will usually resprout within a few weeks. Our citrus are often in an active state of growth when they arrive because they have been in a greenhouse. Keep the temperature above 55° F to bring the plant into fruiting. Wat er deeply but no more than once a week. Check the soil, and water only when it's getting dry. Set the pot in a sunny window so it gets bright sunlight. Don't fertilize when you transplant, but for a healthy leaf color and steady growth fertilize several times a year with a suitable fertilizer. Raintree sells organic "Citrus and Avocado food", item #T145, offered in the catalog, and this product works well. Don't overdo the fertilizer, however, and don't ever fertilize thirsty plants. Make sure they have been well watered before you fertilize them. In an indoor environment citrus (and most plants) can rapidly develop severe insect infestations due to the absence of the natural predators that would otherwise keep these pests under control. If this happens you may want to use organic pest control products. Several are listed at the end of this manual.Homes in the winter tend to be dry. Maintain humidity around the plants by misting daily and/or keeping a tray of pebbles in water under the pot. Other subtropicals
We offer other subtropicals that are commonly grown outside in warm climates, but are less often seen in cooler regions. Some, like the loquat and pineapple guava can even survive brief exposure to temperature of 12° F, or colder, but in the Pacific Northwest, they are often going to be damaged and will usually fail to mature their fruit without winter protection and a favorable location. And remember that even milder areas will eventually get hit with record cold weather. While it may not be possible to keep subtropicals such as passionflowers, lemon grass, sugar leaf and papayas or similar tender plants outside year round in most regions of the country, many people have found that they can thrive as potted plants if placed in a sunny window or greenhouse for the winter. Sugar leaf requires bright light; gro-lights may improve overwintering performance. Do not allow sugar leaf to flower. Special bamboo care
 Most of the bamboos we carry are quite winter hardy in the Pacific Northwest and will do fine in somewhat colder regions. Sometimes however, cold winter winds are very drying and leaves can desiccate and die. Hot dry winds can also do this and even in shipping the plants to you, leaves can dry out. Usually new ones will emerge in the spring to replace the dry leaves. In planting your bamboo, remember that bamboo love large amounts of compost, or nitrogen, and thrive with frequent spring and summer watering. See our catalog planting instructions. Be patient, it can take the larger bamboo ten years to reach its full height. As the amount of foliage increases, each year's new growth will be larger. Empress trees
In the Pacific Northwest trees can grow very rapidly during the nice summer weather. Empress trees sometimes grow 5-6 feet or even more a year. Often, however, the new growth of young plants remains somewhat tender and it is common for there to be considerable dieback for two or three seasons from the winter cold. Don't be too alarmed if dieback occurs. Regrowth in the spring is rapid. As the trees get older, winter dieback stops, and the trees are really quite hardy, down to -10° F. Asparagus
Store roots in a cool DRY place that is above freezing. Soak them in water for 24 hrs, before planting. For more info see "Grow the Best Asparagus," #S205 Hardy banana
The hardy bananas have come out of a greenhouse, so they will be damaged if exposed immediately to cold temperatures. They should be kept in a warm well-lit place until the weather stays above freezing, and gradually be hardened off for planting outdoors. Paw paws
Paw Paws have delicate taproots. Don't disturb the roots unnecessarily while transplanting. Don't loosen or spread out the roots. Gently slide the plant out of its pot (don't pull it out) and carefully place it in the prepared hole. Another important thing to know about paw paws is that young trees grow faster and do much better in partial shade than they do in full sun. This is especially true in hot dry regions. Plant them in the shade of taller trees or shrubs or make some structure to provide shade. Once established for a few years, paw paws do fine even in direct sun, although in hot summer regions continued partial shade is best. Combination fruit trees
 Combination fruit trees with several varieties on the same plant can be a fun way to grow lots of varieties in a limited area. They can be challenging too. Often one or more varieties (usually the topmost branches) will be much more vigorous than others. If this problem isn't carefully addressed, the tree can become more and more lopsided and the most vigorous varieties will overgrow the others and dominate the tree. Prune back the most vigorous branches upon arrival (if we haven't already done so) to even out the branch lengths. Prune the most vigorous branches back again in the summer to maintain balance. The most vigorous branches are also the most upright. Spread the branches if they are supple enough to spread without breaking (see our catalog for branch spreaders). If you keep any upright branches and they are too stiff to spread, cut them back, if possible to lateral side branches. The combos should be grown as open center trees. On most combo trees, the varieties are named on the plastic label attached to the tree with the bottom budded variety listed first, the second from bottom listed second and so on. Missing varieties are crossed or punched out on the label. Mini-dwarf apple trees
Apples and other mini-dwarf trees are often maintained at only four to six feet tall at maturity. Because they will be kept short, it is desirable to have branching begin low to the ground, at one or two feet. If the tree doesn't already have branches at such low heights, pruning back the center will encourage low branching. See the pruning advice further in this manual. Mini-dwarf apple trees may benefit from permanent staking. Another thing to be aware of is that they can be very precocious, and even young trees sometimes have large crops. This is both good and bad because the ripening fruits can consume all the resources of the tree and growth of the tree can be stunted and delay fruiting 1-2 years. It is best if you pick off the immature fruits as soon as you can in late spring for the first year or two, so that the tree can continue to grow. At the very least keep the crop small; let only one or two fruits develop. After a few years you will have a nice dwarf tree and LOTS of fr uit. Asian pears
Asian pears should ONLY be pruned in dry weather in late spring or early summer. Pruning in winter or early spring greatly increases potential problems with 'Pseudomonas', a frequently encountered and widely distributed cool weather, bacterial disease that can cause dieback or even death of your Asian pears. If you should get signs of this disease, often indicated by wet cardboard-like darkened bark and dead leaves hanging on the branches, cut off the infected portion well back into healthy wood. Disinfect your pruners (a 4 to 1 water and bleach solution or straight alcohol works well) after making cuts to remove diseased material. Almonds, peaches and apricots
 It is a good idea to soak the roots in water for a couple of hours before planting. We have found these trees often do best if the scaffold branches are initially pruned to one foot or less upon planting. Genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines don't need much pruning when you get them except to prune off any broken or damaged branches. Persimmons
We get more calls on these than any other tree. Persimmons are one of the latest plants to Break dormancy, and when they have just come from cold storage, they can be very slow to leaf out. Sometimes they will not produce their leaves until autumn- just in time to have them turn color and fall off! Planting the new tree in a pot will speed up leafing, as it increases the heat available to the roots. It can then be planted in place in the ground, but be very careful with the roots as new roots are brittle. Pruning & care of your new berry plants
Red currants & gooseberries
 After planting, cut back each branch by about half to stimulate new growth and strengthen branches. Prune to outside buds.  BLACK CURRANTS Cut back the dormant branches to within inches of the ground at planting time. Black Currants fruit on new growth, so thin out older shoots periodically. This will encourage the development of strong new branches to bear the crop in future years. Currant & gooseberry standards & cordons
 Gooseberries and red currants can be trained to resemble small trees, known as "standards". We grafted gooseberry cultivars 3-4 feet high on rootstocks, and if you prune off any sprouts that appear below the graft you can have a beautiful compact tree-like plant that will grow 4-6 feet tall. Prune to buds heading upward each winter to maintain in a free tree form. Follow the pruning recommended for regular gooseberries. Gooseberry standards can be quite attractive in a garden, either as single plants or planted in a row along a walkway. Another interesting gooseberry and red or white currant training Gooseberry Standard technique is the cordon. You can train your plants to single, double or even triple cordons. The first year, cut plants back to a few inches tall. As the new shoots begin to grow, select the number of permanent braches you want in your cordon and remove the other branches. Train these up on stakes. Don't prune the leaders again until they reach the desired height, usually 5 to 6 feet. Thereafter, each winter, prune the leader back above the first bud of new growth. Each year in July cut side shoots back to 5 leaves. In winter, cut these laterals to about one inch long. Gooseberry standards and cordons will also do fine in 10-15 gallon pots on your patio. Strawberries
Bareroot strawberries should be stored in a refrigerator in their little bag until you are ready to plant. Keep them slightly damp. If kept too wet or stored in a warm place they will rot quickly. It isn't necessary to wait until frosts are past to plant them, as long as the weather isn't too severe. When you plant, spread out the roots of each plant and cover the roots with soil. Be careful to leave the top of the crown above the soil level and keep the root tips straight. The plants can be planted in mounds, beds, rows, pots or even in hanging baskets. Ultimately the plants should be about one foot apart, but they can be planted at 18-inch spacing and runners will fill in the beds. Musk strawberries will make lots of runners, but alpine strawberries won't make any at all (although they often multiply quite freely from seeds on berries that are missed and fall on the soil, or seeds can be intentionally sewn in pots or flats.). Because they don't make runners, alpine strawberries wor k very well in pots or 'strawberry jars', or to define borders around flower beds and walkways. July-bearing raspberries
 Prune back any existing dormant canes to about 4 inches from the ground at planting. New canes will arise from the roots. Be sure your raspberries are going into a well drained area- they cannot tolerate soggy roots! If your drainage is poor, plant them in a container or mound the soil up for planting. Put a fence post at each end of your row and put up two wires at about 3 and 5 feet high for cane support. July-bearing varieties (like Tulameen, Meeker and Chilliwack) don't give a crop the first year that you plant them. Just let the canes grow and attach them to the wires as they grow longer. These canes will give their fruit the following summer, and when they are finished with this crop they can be cut out. The new shoots that sprout in spring will be the fruiting canes the next summer. Canes in their first year are called primocanes. In their second (fruiting) year, they are called floricanes. Ever-bearing raspberries
 Be sure to plant your raspberries in an area where their roots will not stay wet. Good Drainage is essential! Mound the soil in the planting area if necessary. Prune any existing dormant canes back to about 4" above the ground; new canes will come up from the roots. Some raspberries (like Summit, Golden Summit and Dinkum) are called 'everbearers' because they can give two crops each year, one in the late summer/fall and another crop in late spring. The crop of the late summer and fall is produced on the upper portions of the canes that came up that spring (primocanes). Once the crop is finished in late fall you can prune off the upper portion of the cane that fruited, but keep the lower third or so that didn't actually produce. This remaining cane length will resume growing and flower late the following spring, giving the first crop of that year(in early summer). Once the first fruits of the year have been picked you can cut those canes off at the ground. After a few more weeks the late summer-fall crop will appear on the new shoots of that year. The year you initially plant your raspberry canes you won't get the early summer crop because there won't have been any overwintering canes from the previous year. But in subsequent years you'll have the potential for two crops each year. You may want to try what could be called the NO TRELLIS OPTION in which you content yourself with a late summer/fall crop and sacrifice the first crop by simply cutting the whole patch off at the ground each winter. You'll eliminate the overwintering canes and the potential for an early summer crop, but you'll also simplify your pruning and reduce the carry over of disease from one year to the next. Also, because the canes will only grow for one season before you remove them, you may be able to avoid the need for a trellis or wire to support the canes, although some canes grow enough in one year to need at least one wire to hold them up especially when fruit get wet. You might want to keep a small patch pruned so you get a much appreciated early crop but have a larger main crop patch that you prune to the ground each winter. Pruning raspberries isn't complicated. The excellent booklet "Berries, Rasp, and Black", item #S040, explains it all quite clearly and is highly recommended for pruning and trellising information on both blackberries and raspberries. Blackberries
 The size of the blackberry plants that arrive will vary from almost no top to a foot of top but all have a strong root system, which will push up lush new growth. Prune the dormant canes to 2 to 6 inches from the ground at planting. You may wish to grow these on a wire trellis, as they do better with some form of support. Blackberries bear on canes that emerged the previous year. An established plant should have both older canes (from last year) that will give this year's crop and brand new replacement canes that will produce next years fruit. Since trailing blackberries are so vigorous and often thorny, it's best to keep these two sets of canes separate, which is easiest using a trellis. There are many ways to trellis blackberries. One method is to set up a structure with two wires stretched between posts, one at 2-3 feet off the ground and another at 4-5 feet. Train your fruiting canes on the upper wires and the new replacements on the lower wires. After canes have finished croppin g you should cut them off altogether. If you have been attaching the new canes for next years' crop on a low wire, you can then move them in mass, not one by one, to the upper wire and free the lower wire for the new canes that appear next year. So-called 'erect' blackberries like the Arapaho, Apache, Kiowa and Loch Ness varieties have much less need for a trellis than do the trailing types. Cut off the top as each reaches four feet tall. They will then send out side branches, which will produce fruit the following year. Blueberries
 The key to getting your young blueberry bush off to a good start is to select several vigorous upright shoots growing from the base. Eliminate the small bushy branches at the base. Remove some of the overlapping, crowded branches and any broken branches. Not much pruning is needed in the first few years, but eventually thinning out older branches or heading them back to newer vigorous shoots can renew the bush.Blueberries require an acid soil with a pH of about 4 to 5, which can usually be achieved by adding peatmoss to a more alkaline soil. In some areas, the pH of the water may also need acidifying with vinegar. Blueberries thrive in the sun in the Pacific Northwest, but in drier and hotter climates they may need to be grown in partial shade. As they have fiberous, shallow roots, be careful not to let them dry out, and do not let other plants (weeds!) compete for space and nutrients. Blueberries will grow well in containers. Grapes
 There are several methods of training grapes, but they are all based on establishing a trunk from which new growth is encouraged each year. Prune your new dormant grape plant to 2 viable bud. One training method requires a trellis with wires set at about 3' and 5'. As the growing season starts, select the most vigorous cane to train up a stake as a trunk. At the end of the first season or whenever it gets tall enough, it should be headed just above the bottom wire.Select a shoot to train along the bottom wire in each direction plus one more to grow up in the center. Let the three canes grow for a season. In the winter keep one cane on each side of the trunk. Prune those 2 canes to about 15 buds or 2 feet each and tie to the bottom wire. Prune the third cane to three buds. In the spring each of the buds will produce new canes, fruiting shoots will be produced from about the fourth bud on. As they grow, create a third line of support by weaving some twine around the shoots halfway betw een the bottom and top wire. Fasten the shoots to the top wire as they get there, and trim the shoots once they have grown past (except the three vigorous shoots growing up the center from the three bud spur). The leaves provide the photosynthesis that will ripen the grapes that form at the base of each shoot. Since the vegetation is tied up, it won't shade the fruit. The following winter and each winter thereafter, prune off the cane that produced the fruiting shoots and replace with a new cane that grew from the three bud spur you made last winter. Prune the third shoot to three buds (this will produce the replacement canes and spur for the next season). Then tie the selected shoots down to the bottom wire and prune each to about 15 buds or two feet. That completes the cycle. Many of the grapes we offer fruit best with the cane replacement system, such as the one just described. For additional advice and other training systems, you might want to consult the grape growing books we offer, "From Vines to Wines", #S150, "Great Grapes", #S180, and "RHS Fruit" #S170. Kiwi vines
 Fuzzy and Arguta kiwis are vigorous vines and need a strong structure to support their weight and the weight of their crop. You should build a stout trellis, or even better, an arbor that will last many years and looks good in your garden. In the cool Pacific Northwest they do fine in full sun, but in hot dry climates a little bit of shade can be beneficial. The less vigorous Kolomikta kiwis prefer partial shade, especially if you are in a hot area. The book we offer on kiwis, "Growing Kiwifruit", #S240, has lots of ideas on how you can train and take care of your kiwis. Here are some basic directions on how to get them started: When you plant your new kiwis, cut dormant vines back to within a foot of the ground. This will encourage the growth of new strong shoots. Choose the strongest and train it up a stake toward the wire or other permanent support. After it is growing well, remove the other shoots. The selected shoot should reach the wire by the end of the first season. At this time head back the shoot just below the wire to stimulate growth of two buds at the top into shoots which are trained along the wire. When the female vine grows to about seven feet along the trellis, head it back and it will form lateral branches that will produce the 'fruiting arms'. After a fruiting arm has borne fruit for two or three years, prune it off. Try to do this just beyond a branch of the current season's growth, which can grow to be a replacement fruiting arm. This replacement will bear fruit the following season. Repeat this pruning and replacement procedure each year to keep the plant fruitful. Kiwis can sometimes take six years to start producing but once they do, yields can be quite large. Kiwis benefit from well-drained warm soil. Putting a foot of fresh compost pile material capped with an inch of soil in the bottom of the planting hole will help the root system establish quicker. It's a good idea to wrap the bottom four feet of the trunk with insulation in the winter to protect it from splitting. Splitting can occur at temperatures below freezing especially if warm sunny days are followed by very cold frosts. Make sure you label your kiwis as to which is male because it is only possible to determine this by the appearance of the flowers (see catalog or web-site). Since male plants are only used to produce flowers for pollination, they don't need to be quite so large as the female. One male can be used to pollinate several females and the arguta kiwis can cross pollinate with the fuzzy kiwis. They should all be fairly close to one another, ideally less than 25-30 feet apart. How to prune your arriving plants
  It is important to know a few basics about pruning to help your plants to grow and produce fruit. It is important to use good sharp tools and you should take care of them. Don't leave them in the rain and don't use them to strip wire! Many people believe that the finest hand-held pruners in the world are made by Felco, #T190. They are offered in our catalog and come in both left and right handed models. It doesn't matter if you do the pruning before or after you plant but it should be done before the tree starts growing in the spring. It is never a good idea to prune in rainy weather because this can greatly increase disease problems, so wait for a dry day. When removing a branch, prune almost flush but not quite. Leaving a little collar is important for the wound to heal. There are two types of pruning cuts: Removing a branch to its point of origin is called "thinning". Cutting back part of a branch you wish to keep is called "heading back". When you make a "heading" cut, leave abou t ¼ inch of wood above a bud. In spite of our best efforts sometimes branches or roots are partly broken or damaged in digging, handling or shipping. Broken branches should be cut back to undamaged buds and broken roots should be cut off behind the injury. Prune to an outside bud
 On all the plants, try to make sure the last bud you leave on a side branch is headed away from the center of the plant. This last bud usually determines the direction the branch will grow. Pruning different types of fruit trees
 Most of our fruit trees arrive branched, but some are whips. A whip is a tree without usable branches. For branches of most types of fruit trees to be usable as permanent scaffold branches they must have wide crotch angles and be two feet or more above the ground. You must have at least three branches spaced around the trunk unless you are training an espalier. If your tree does not have three usable branches, it is best to cut all branches completely off and head back the top of the tree about 6 inches above where you want new branches to form. Most beginners falsely think they are losing by doing this. The established roots will push out lots of new branches the following spring to choose from and you will have a properly shaped tree forever after. "Whips" (non-branched trees) of 'mini-dwarf' apples should be headed back (pruned) 1-2 feet from the ground to encourage branching low to the ground. Whips of most other trees should be headed back to 3-4 ft. The top bud usually sprouts and grows strongly upright to form a new leader, while lower buds will usually grow more horizontally and make branches. Persimmons, mulberries, walnuts, chestnuts, cherries and sometimes other fruit trees will often arrive as whips. If the whip is tall enough, you can head it back 6 inches above where you want the first set of scaffold branches to form. On most fruit trees this is typically at about 3 feet. This also works on nut trees and full size fruit trees where you want the first branches to start higher. Simply leave these lower branches for a couple of years and later, if you wish, remove them. Weeping trees
In order for grafted weeping trees to continue upward growth, they will need to be staked, and a leader chosen to tie to this stake. Keep staking the leader until the tree has reached the height that you wish it to attain. Central leader VS open center pruning
 Apple, European and Asian pear, European plum, mulberry, and cherry trees are usually pruned to a "central leader". Start the pruning by removing limbs with a narrow branch angle because these usually split from the trunk, and vigorous upright branches that are competing with the leader. Select three to five sturdy branches to save for 'scaffold' limbs about two to three feet above the ground, with at least 2" between each branch along the trunk. (Sometimes, about two to three feet further up the trunk will be the second set of scaffold limbs. Your tree may not have this second set of branches.) The space between scaffold branches allows light penetration and air movement to help ripen fruit and prevent disease. Prune each of the remaining side branches to about one foot in length and to an outside bud. Use spreaders or ties to manipulate the angle of the limbs to about 45 degrees. Prune the central leader about 24 inches above the top usable branch and new branching will begin. Open center pruning
Asian plums, peaches and apricots are usually pruned to an "open center" tree as are almonds, filberts, figs, paw paws and persimmons. Select three to five vigorous branches with wide 'crotch angles' a couple of feet above the ground 2 or more inches apart from each other and remove any other branches. (If the tree doesn't have at least three branches that are suitable, cut it back to a whip and allow it to branch out this coming season). Head back these branches to an outside bud, so each is 1-2' long. The center of the tree should remain open for light and air penetration. Espalier pruning
Drawings in the Raintree catalog show several forms that espalier trees can be shaped to. Purchasing a book on espalier pruning or knowing an experienced grower is important. Lee Reich's "The Pruning Book", #S327 and Harry Baker's "RHS Fruit", #S170 can help you get started. The most common training method for the already started espaliers we offer is to allow the three sets of branches to become the permanent scaffolds and loosely tie them about 1½ and 3 and 4½ feet high. Space the already started espaliers at 8 to 10 feet apart. Call us about using regular Raintree trees to start espaliers. One method is to plant regular Raintree trees at a 45° angle to make a beautiful Belgian fence. Future pruning & training
It is important to regularly prune your young trees to encourage a strong structure for future growth. Most pruning of young trees is done while they are dormant, generally in December, January or February, after the worst part of winter is past. Stone fruits and filberts benefit from pruning during or immediately following bloom time in wetter climates. Pruning can also be done in summer, but this tends to dwarf the tree, whereas dormant season pruning tends to stimulate growth. The dwarfing effect can be highly beneficial in some cases, for instance when a tree has reached the maximum height you wish it to reach. Disinfect your pruners (a 4 to 1 water and bleach solution or alcohol works well) after making cuts to remove diseased material. The information in this leaflet will help you prune your plants for up to two years. After that you will need a more comprehensive source. An excellent source of pruning (and espalier, planting and training information) for most trees and bushes is Lee Reich's "The Pruning Book" #S327. Many people learn best from WATCHING something done. Gary Moulton, the director of fruit tree research at the Washington State University experimental station at Mt. Vernon, Washington, has made an excellent 50 minute video, "Easy Steps to Fruit Tree Pruning" catalog #S520. You can watch an expert show you the proper way to prune your fruit trees. " Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden", #S140 and "RHS Fruit", #S170, do a nice job of illustrating berry and fruit tree pruning methods. The highly informative and inexpensive Storey Press books " Great Grapes", #S180 and "Berries, Rasp, and Black", #S040 are good reference guides for those particular fruits. A good guide to growing and training Kiwis is "Growing Kiwi Fruit", item #S240, strongly recommended for enthusiasts of this delicious fruit. Premature fruit bearing
Sometimes you will receive a rather precocious tree that wants to start producing loads of fruit right away, which can stunt the tree and reduce fruiting the next several years. Remove at least 90% of those fruits soon after they set to ensure proper root and branch development of your tree for the first two years. If you keep any fruit, keep the fruit that forms closest to the trunk so as to not bend down the branches. Other pruning tips
Most plants can be cut back each year to keep them small. The butterfly bush should be cut back to one to three feet before growth starts in the spring, after it is established, and it will put out new growth and loads of flowers. This keeps it as a manageable bush. The main trunk of the Eucalyptus and Fragrant Spring can be cut back each year to grow as thick bushes. Otherwise they will become tall trees. Bay trees can similarly be cut back to keep them bushy. Weigelas benefit from being cut back halfway every other year. Mulberries, quince, and filberts can take heavy pruning to keep them within bounds. Be aware that such pruning will often stimulate root suckering, which may not be desirable in grafted plants. Building a trellis
 The brace pictured can be used to anchor many types of trellises including the optional "T" bar often used for kiwis. You can use it to grow blackberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwis or espaliered fruit trees. For raspberries, blackberries and grapes 1 wire 3' high and 1 wire 5' high work well. For espaliered fruit trees put wires 18" apart; for kiwis use overhead parallel wire 18" apart (it'll look like a "T" bar clothesline). We offer 12-˝ gauge soft berry wire (#T070) and wire tensioners (#T205). When possible, twist and tie the wire to itself before cutting it. If you are expecting very cold temperatures it may be advisable to loosen the wires because cold will tighten them even more and the trellis could be damaged. Put the end posts three feet in the ground and set in concrete. Redi-Mix concrete thrown into the hole dry and well tamped down will quickly absorb ground water and harden. We also offer stationary ground anchors (#T210) you can use instead of Redi-Mix. Use 4" diamete r (or larger) posts for trellises 50' or more in length. Pressure treated posts will last much longer than untreated posts, but there is some controversy about how much hazard the treatment chemicals pose to the environment. You might want to ask your supplier what chemicals have been used.
Read all instructions before you start to plant. Don't put chemical fertilizer or fresh manure in the hole with the tree or shrub. At best it will have leached past the roots by the time they grow enough to take it in and at worst the fertilizer could burn the roots. Optimum soil pH for most fruit trees is about 6.5. If you have very acid soil it is okay to mix a pound or two of dolomitic lime into the soil around each plant. A big handful of bone meal can also be beneficial. If your soil is too alkaline, it can help to add peat moss to your soil. If your water is too alkaline, vinegar can be added but consult your local extension agent first. Compost helps most gardeners and can also be mixed into the soil, but is best used in sandy well-drained soil or used as a mulch after planting. If you have heavy soil, it is best to refill the hole primarily with the soil you dug out, or plant in a mound on top of the heavy soil. Toss away any rocks! Digging the hole
 Begin by digging a hole that is a few inches wider and deeper than the roots. A huge crater is not necessary since the roots of most plants go out rather than down. The soil should be moist. However, if it's very wet, wait until the soil will break apart when you squeeze a clump. Sometimes that is not possible in the Pacific Northwest. We have had success planting in wet soil. In order to make a gradual transition from natural soil to the amended soil, (do not amend more than 10%), use a shovel or better still a spading fork to fracture and crack the wall and the bottom of the hole. This will make it easier for new roots to penetrate unhampered into the native soil. If you have heavy clay soil, don't add bulky organic soil amendments. It can create a flower pot effect where the roots become unwilling to venture out. Water will accumulate in the pores of the loose organic material you have added, and because there is no way for it to drain out, waterlogged conditions are possible. Use your digging fork to crack and loosen the soil around the planting hole, then mulch the surface well. The actual process of planting a tree
Remove any packing material that came packed around the tree roots. Don't put in the hole! This is especially important if the trees are wrapped in 'cedar shingletow'. It is easy to wash off the packing material with a garden hose. Trim only broken roots. While you are digging the hole, it is helpful, though not necessary, to soak the roots in a bucket of water. They can soak up to a day but an hour will suffice. Peach trees seem to especially benefit form this soaking. If it's a sunny day, keep your tree roots covered and pull your trees out one by one so the roots don't dry. Make a little mound in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots so they are facing outward and slightly downward. Cut off any extra long roots that would circle around the planting hole. Shovel the soil back into the hole and tamp the soil down after every few shovel-fulls to make sure there are no air pockets around the roots. If you are planting in clay soil don't tamp. Instead, backfill half the hole, flo od the hole with water, jiggle the tree gently to work the air bubbles out, finish filling, and flood and jiggle again. Water your tree deeply. If possible, don't plant while the ground is waterlogged. Planting depth
There is some debate about how deep to plant your trees. We plant trees at the depth they were planted in the nursery or at most two or three inches deeper. If yours is a grafted or budded tree, make sure the graft union remains at least two inches above the ground. Should the graft union become buried, roots could form from above the graft, negating any dwarfing qualities of the rootstock. Some people have suggested doing this on purpose if you would prefer to have a full size tree rather than a dwarf or semi-dwarf. We don't recommend it since some varieties and some types of fruit trees (for instance cherries) are sensitive to crown rot and may die if planted too deeply. The safest way to get full size non-dwarf trees is to buy trees on rootstocks that are designed to produce large trees. Irrigation
 In rainy areas like the Pacific Northwest most of the plants that we offer will need relatively little supplemental irrigation ONCE THEY ARE WELL ESTABLISHED and have had a chance to develop a good root system. However even here it is important to make sure plants have regular, deep watering during the first several growing seasons and that first summer is especially critical. In drier areas, permanent irrigation is essential. Remember too that you don't want your trees to barely survive, but rather to thrive. Make sure they get the water they need. One method is through drip irrigation. We use one half-inch flexible plastic pipe with punch-in emitters. For each tree we use two emitters, spaced one foot from the trunk. The pipe can be put on the ground, under the ground with risers, or tied loosely from the trees. We use emitters that drip one gallon per hour each. A large selection of irrigation system components is available by mail order from DRIPWORKS at (800) 522-3747, or you ca n get them at many hardware stores. There are many different styles of drip systems, some controlled by timers and others by hand. Or each tree can be watered with a hose deeply about once a week. Sandy soils will need more frequent watering than clay soils. For smaller plants like strawberries or raspberries we have found that soaker hoses work very well. Mulching and weed control
It is very important for the first three to five years that weeds not invade the root zone of your tree. The weeds take moisture and nutrients that your plant needs. One way to control weeds is by mulching. An organic mulch of leaves, straw or other carbon source with some manure or other nitrogen source is ideal. Renewed each spring around the base of the tree to about a foot beyond the reach of the branches, this organic mulch adds to the fertility of the soil. Use a digging fork to crack and loosen heavy soils before applying mulch to new areas. We have found that a heavy mulch of oat straw over soil loosened in this manner will encourage worms and rapidly improve the soil's tilth. Make sure it is thick enough so those weeds don't grow through it. If you keep thick mulch around your trees try to keep the mulch at least six inches from the trunk. A potential problem with deep mulch is that it can provide protection for rodents. If gophers or other root damaging rodents are a seriou s problem in your area, you can line the tree hole with galvanized fencing or 'hardware cloth'. The wire must extend a few inches above the soil surface. The metal usually lasts about five years before it rusts away. A mulch of cardboard covered by enough sawdust or bark to hold it in place can help keep weeds and grass from growing too close to your tree. "Weed barrier" made from spun or woven plastic can work very well and allow water and air to penetrate. Hand weeding, shallow cultivation, and even herbicides are other methods used to control weeds. Herbicides can be dangerous to you and your trees if used improperly, so should be the method of last resort. If your trees are planted near a lawn it is important that you NOT use 'weed and feed' products on the grass or you may kill or damage your tree. The important thing to remember is that you can't plant trees directly in a hole in the lawn without mulching and watering and expect your tree to grow well. They may struggle to survive but will often stay the same size year after year. Remember that groundcovers and other small potted plants won't survive a lot of weed competition when they are first planted. Be sure to keep weeding around them to get them off to a good start. Weedwhackers and lawnmowers can girdle your tree in an instant. Don't use them close to your tree trunk. If you do put a low protective barrier around your tree trunk. Fertilizers
For good steady growth and high productivity, your trees need to have adequate amounts of various mineral nutrients. Some people are fortunate and have naturally rich fertile soil. Many soils, however, are deficient in some nutrient or another and use of fertilizers, organic or chemical, can be highly beneficial if you want your trees to grow well. If you have a large garden or orchard it can be well worth it to have your soil analyzed by a qualified laboratory so you know for sure just what your soil needs. Typically this might cost $30-$60, depending on how detailed an analysis you want. Use organic fertilizers such as liquid fish, Bone Meal (#T110 ) and dolomitic lime. Raintree offers specialized organic fertilizers such as Citrus Food ( #T145 )and Blueberry Food (#T142). If you don't overdo them, chemical fertilizers like 'Miracle Gro' can work fine too. Generous organic mulch around your trees will not only conserve moisture and help in weed control, but also helps keep your soi l healthy by building up humus, encouraging earthworms, and supporting beneficial fungal organisms. This helps young trees be strong, healthy and productive. Use of concentrated products like chemical fertilizers or strong organics (for instance blood meal) is usually most often done from late winter through early summer. Applying fertilizer after early summer can encourage lots of soft new growth that is much more likely to be damaged by winter cold. Excessive use of fertilizer can increase disease problems on your plants and can even kill them. Use of too much fertilizer, whether chemical or organic, can also contribute to stream and groundwater pollution, so please try not to use more than your trees really need. As a general guide, if your tree is producing about one foot of new growth or more a year and has healthy looking foliage, it may not need much or any fertilizer. Oh Deer
Deer can quickly destroy your plants. We have tried a lot of methods that didn't work well. We currently use a 'New Zealand' electric fence around the nursery. A 7' to 8' high woven wire fence is often quite effective. Though expensive to build, it can be a one time long term solution. Be sure to use long lasting posts that won't rot in a few years. Individual fences or cages around each tree can work well for many years as long as the deer can't bend them down or reach through to eat the foliage. Big aggressive dogs can discourage the deer, but they need to be patrolling your property each night. The tree cannot survive repeated pruning by deer. There are many products on the market that have deer repelling qualities, and many work reasonably well, but in our experience, only a good fence is consistently effective. Controlling aggressive plants
 Under certain conditions, many plants can get out of hand. Don't plant aggressive plants if you are about to sell your house and consider removing plants that have proven to be aggressive for you, if you move. Running bamboos need to be contained in most climates, or they will send up shoots dozens of feet away once they become established. Breaking off the new shoots before they become hard is effective, but it is better to contain the plants with galvanized metal or Bamboo Barrier (#T060) to begin with. Some plants, such as the Akebia vine and Vine Maple, can root where they touch moist ground. Birds can spread the seeds of Elderberries and Serviceberries. Other plants, like the Black Locust, Raspberries, some Plums and Filberts, can form thickets through suckering. Attention to pruning and weeding will prevent problems with most vigorous growers. For every gardener faced with plants exceeding the boundaries of their situation, there are two who are struggling to get the plant to e stablish! Labeling
You have received a permanent aluminum tag with each fruit tree you purchased. Write the name of the tree and the rootstock and the year planted on the tag with a ballpoint pen or pencil. This will make a permanent impression on the tag. We strongly suggest that when you attach the label to the tree with its wire, you put it on a small branch rather than on the trunk and attach it securely but loosely. The wire could easily girdle and kill the branch if it isn't checked annually and loosened again as necessary. The reason we suggest you attach the label to a branch instead of the trunk is that if it's on the trunk and you forget to loosen it. you could lose your tree. We also offer display markers in the catalog that allow you to identify your tree from a distance. Make an orchard map
Draw a map that shows the name and location of each tree in your orchard and put the map in a safe place. If you have a lot of trees, you can use the map to save time when you want to locate a particular variety, or if a label should come off a particular tree. If you should ever have problems with your trees and can't find the answer in this manual or your catalog, please call (360) 496-6400 or email us at info@raintreenursery.com and we will be happy to help you. Our Guarantee
Our plants are guaranteed to arrive in good condition and be true to name. We are proud of our 99% success rate. If for any reason, any plant is not satisfactory upon arrival, call us immediately. We will work with you to correct any problem. Return any defective item within 30 days for a full refund or replacement. If any plant dies by the end of the first growing season, we will replace it one time free; however, you will need to pay for the shipping. Our liability is limited to the purchase price of the plant. Sale items are guaranteed at the sale price. Bonus items are not guaranteed. Late season planting instructions
If you are planting trees and shrubs that have come out of dormancy, or dormant plants when the weather has warmed up into summer, you need to take extra care. Store them in a shady place and make sure the material surrounding the roots is kept damp. Don't plant them out in hot sunny weather. They will do best if the weather is overcast or raining for several days following planting. If it will be sunny, either plant them in a container, which you can keep in a shady spot until the plants have settled in, or heel the plants in loose soil in a shady spot. Plant into the permanent location when there will be an extended period of cool cloudy weather, or in fall when the heat of summer has come to an end. If you must plant in the permanent location when there is a lot of sun, give the trees a two hour soak in water, plant at the end of the day, and water in well. Sprinkle the ground lightly around the new plants to increase air moisture and reduce stress on the trees, avoid wetting the leaves when the sun is bright overhead or at the end of the day. Providing temporary shade will also reduce stress. If you plant during sunny weather you may see the leaves droop. Sometimes they will die and be replaced by new leaves sprouting from each bud. If this happens the new leaves will enable the plant to recover and thrive. Throughout the spring and summer it is important to water the plants deeply about once a week if it hasn't rained. It is also important to mulch the tree or keep the ground around the plant free of weeds that will rob the soil of water and nutrients. Internet resources
At www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/usa.htm or in the county pages of your phone book. Your tax dollars at work! These are your local advisors. NORTH AMERICAN FRUIT EXPLORERS www.nafex.org 1716 Apples Road, Chapin, Illinois, 62628. A nonprofit association of enthusiastic, helpful fruit and nut growers with a great quarterly magazine and outstanding website. CALIFORNIA RARE FRUIT GROWERS www.crfg.org Fullerton Arboretum-CSUF, PO Box 6850, Fullerton, CA, 92834-6850 The world's largest amateur fruit growing organization, with members in 48 states and 30 countries. They emphasize unusual subtropical fruits and vegetables. IFM www.agricology.com SOILFOOD WEB, INC www.soilfoodweb.com AMERICAN BAMBOO SOCIETY www.americanbamboo.org MID ATLANTIC REGIONAL FRUIT LOOP www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/fruitloop.html ORGANIC FRUIT PRODUCTION FROM ATTRA UC FRUIT & NUT RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/
PESTS OF THE GARDEN AND SMALL FARM Mary Louise Flint, U of California Press (Raintree catalog #S310) THE BERRY GROWER'S COMPANION Barbara Bowling, Timber Press (#S044) THE PRUNING BOOK Lee Reich, Taunton Press (#S327) THE BACKYARD ORCHARDIST Stella Otto, OttoGraphics (#S043) FRUITS AND BERRIES FOR THE HOME GARDEN Lewis Hill, Garden Way (#S140) CAVENDISH ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRUNING AND TRAINING Brickell and Joyce, Cavendish (S#125) RHS ALL ABOUT FRUIT Harry Baker and Christopher Brickell (#S170) |
