Bare root fruit trees are a great way to start experimenting with a mini-orchard in your backyard, especially as they are economical to buy.

The most significant downsides to bare-root trees are their limited window of availability, and short planting time frame. Nurseries dig up and ship these trees while they're still dormant. So ...

The best time to plant bare root fruit trees in North Texas is from Jan. 1 until Feb. 15. If planted later, after warmer temperatures begin, bud break will send any plant still denuded of soil ...

Bare root fruit trees, vines, roses, and other deciduous shrubs arrive in local nurseries this month. “Bare roots” are 1- to 2-year-old plants grown in the ground, dug up and their roots ...

By San Diego Union-Tribune | sandiegouniontribune@sduniontribune.com UPDATED: January 12, 2018 at 3:32 PM PST When I was a less experienced gardener, I was intimidated by bare-root fruit trees.

Make sure the crown -- where root meets trunk -- is above grade. Mulch lightly, but not within 6 inches of the root crown. Water, and water again occasionally unless winter rains can take over.

Fruit trees also thrive in deep, well-drained soil. If soil is compacted, an area several feet wide around the planting site should be cultivated deeply to loosen the soil for root growth.

We typically think of spring as prime planting season, but when it comes to deciduous fruit trees, it pays to get an earlier start. Starting in mid-winter, mail order nurseries start shipping “bare ...

Brown rot is a fungal disease that affects stone-fruit trees like cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, pluots and plumcots. It’s usually a problem after a consistently wet and humid spring.

Bare-root fruit trees can be just a single whip or a two-year-old with trimmed branches. It’s simple to just pop them into the ground, and they will do best in ordinary soil.