If the planting area currently has grass, till so there won’t be competition for water and nutrients. Organic materials such as compost, grass clippings, leaves, hay, straw or dried manure, can be tilled into the soil to help improve its condition. Do not use grass clippings that have been treated with a crabgrass killer as tree growth may be affected.
Contact your local K-State Research and Extension agents to guide you in obtaining soil samples to determine a fertilizer program. Fruit trees can be planted in the fall, but they will need to be monitored through the winter. Warm winter temperatures can promote bud development which can be detrimental to fruiting if followed by a freeze. It is also important to ensure trees are watered, as needed, through the winter.
For a small planting area with only a few trees that won’t be planted until spring, tarping the freshly tilled soil is a good idea to protect it. Getting the trees in the ground by early April is ideal to allow roots more time to develop. (Cynthia Domenghini)