Planting Bare Root Fruit Trees in the Arizona Desert

Описание: This video is comically late for the spring 2026 wholesale program, so please forgive me! Hopefully it can still benefit some of you. And certainly it will for future years!

Comment any additional questions and I’ll reply ASAP. Thanks!

00:00 Layout Design & Microclimates
• Right tree, right place
• Mulberries, figs, olives, jujubes, pomegranates are your strongest drought protection & microclimate builders, in order from largest to smallest
• Everything else will require summer shade, at least in the first 1-2 years if not for life (like persimmons)
• Advanced varieties like blue & raspberries need acidic soil like

04:38 Digging Holes & Drainage
• Square holes help roots penetrate through super hard, compacted soil
• Make sure water drains — if not, pick another spot or invest the time into fixing it. Otherwise your tree will die before you get to enjoy it 
• Stage the excavated soil on a tarp or container for easy re-use when backfilling

07:20 Planting the Tree
• Keep it high — root flare always exposed 
• Don’t need to amend too much, just enough to kick-start microbial life. 
• Pack the dirt in tight to give the tree the impression that it’s been growing there its whole life — this is good compaction so don’t worry 

09:50 Watering In & Pruning
• With the leftover native soil build a berm all the way around the tree to contain water
• Fill the well completely
• Prune ~50% of the canopy off to give the diminished root system an easier job bringing the whole tree back to life
• Use sharp bypass pruning shears, sterilized between trees
• Prune above a leaf node pointing in the direction you’d like the branch to continue growing in
• Remove any cross-branching to encourage open centers for airflow and balance

11:40 Mulching
• A 6-12" layer of wood chip mulch will be essential to feeding +protecting soil microbes, and maintaining consistent soil moisture and temperatures 
• Get a lot free on ChipDrop.com or you can also buy from local sources like Growers Best Organics or AZ Worm Farm
• This is also the most effective natural weed suppressant so use it anywhere you can

12:25 Proper Watering Long-Term
• Trees want water at 3' depth, at the drip edge of the canopy 
• For most AZ soils that means low and slow — hours at a time, on a trickle
• Automated irrigation is critical whenever possible — hire us, or DIY with swing pipe and a smart controller 
• Over the years keep watering further and further from the trunk

15:55 Final Thoughts & Upcoming Events
Comment any additional questions and I’ll reply ASAP
Join our March 7-8 planting event to learn from & work alongside experts! phoenixfoodforest.com