The Wildlife Group | Growing Fruit & Mast Trees in Georgia

Allen Deese from The Wildlife Group was a wealth of information and educated attendees on fruit and mast trees. Here is a quick summary of the do’s and don’ts of planting and maintaining fruit trees.

DO’s

Buy from a reputable nursery or tree farmer.
Buy grafted trees. This way you know exactly what you are buying.
Plant trees in Mid- December thru February.
Prune your trees when you plant them.
Prune your trees in February
Remove the fruit from young 1-3 year old trees to allow the energy of the tree to go towards growing the root system and branches and prepare for holding more fruit in the future.
Fertilize in late winter, early spring. Only a cup or one pound, 18” from the trunk to the drip line.
Plant trees in a minimum of 3 and adding a flowering tree like a crabapple will help with pollination.

DON’TS

Buy a tree grown from a seedling. You do not know what you are going to get and if the tree will produce fruit at all.
Plant too deep.
Fertilize in the first year. You can kill the tree buy burning the young roots.
Plant trees too close together. Allow enough room for future growth.