Inexperienced, questions

11 years ago

Hi there,

I have done light gardening, mostly in containers in a limited way, but not in FL (in the southern plains and Nevada desert). I have started with my mini backyard orchard (2 plum trees, 2 fig trees, 3 blueberry bushes, hoping to add more variety of trees), and set down a couple of 4x4 raised beds. I talked a little to the cooperative lady last week, but I am sure she will tire of seeing my face every time I have a question, so maybe y'all can answer some of these:

When one plants a tree, generally the instructions are to plant at or above ground level, and cover with a berm of mulch. I've read the reasoning with this is that the roots will suffocate if they are buried. Why then would I cover the ground around the roots with mulch? Isnt that burying it? Also, after planting one of my plums and most of my blueberries, the dirt around the bottom of the tree sink, meaning that the root ball is below the ground level a little (an inch or two?). Is this a problem?

My two figs I was going to plant this weekend were going to be getting blown around quite a bit by the north wind we've had all weekend. Our backyard faces north and is quite large, so no houses shield from the wind and cold. I am in zone 8, and it's going to be in the 30s tonight. Can I plant figs under these conditions? I didn't know they were subtropical plants until I was reading today. They may not like my yard?

I want to grow the new cherries they have now, a couple of pluot trees, and lemon and lime trees. Any issues with those that anyone has any info on?

What should I grow in my raised beds this time of year? I saw someone mention strawberries which would be awesome. How deep should the dirt be in my raised beds? I have one that will be 11 inches deep, but one that will be only 5.5 inches. Will anything grow in so shallow soil?

I am terrified of big Florida bugs. Anything I can do to keep them away that is also safe for my kids?

Thanks for any info! :)

Comments (4)

Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
11 years ago
Many of the questions I can't help with. But with the lime, I would suggest caution. You didn't say what kind of lime you have, but do not put a Key Lime in the ground. Key Limes are not hardy at all when it comes to the cold and will die over the winter without some fairly good protection. I'm not sure about Bearrs (Persian). For lemons, I have been told that the Meyer Lemons are rather cold hardy and should be able to handle your winters in Zone 8.
whgille
11 years ago
Wildatheart

I have a few fruit trees and I tried to plant them like they described in the info below...
Every season I add leftover soil from the pots or in the front yard trees I add a pine mulch away from the base of the tree.
They are cold hardy trees and the others that are not. The ones that loose the leaves are safe to plant bare root and citrus when young, need protection especially when young.
I would advice you to read Lou's post carefully, he can explain better than I can and he has an orchard.:)
For vegetables we are planting now, lettuce, greens, cabbage, broccoli, carrots,and others, depends on what you and your family likes.
And welcome to the forum!

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: how to plant a fruit tree in Florida
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slopfrog
11 years ago
The mulch will not suffocate the roots. It's there to conserve soil moisture, and keep weeds and grass away from the base of the tree. This ensures that the tree gets all of the nutrients and water rather than the grass. If you're using garden chemicals, such as a systemic insecticide, the lack of grass ensures that the proper dosage of chemical gets to the tree. (You should pour such mixtures on bare dirt by sweeping away mulch, and then recovering after application.)

I think it also mildly helps with insect pests too, and practically it is necessary so that you don't have to weed eat the trunk of the tree to get rid of grass growing up it when it's smaller. However, you should make sure that the mulch isn't piled up next to the trunk because this can cause rot or fungal problems. I give it 2 or 3" away from the trunk.

As you've seen, it's always best to plant the top of the root ball a few inches higher than th surrounding soil. You can even build a mound and then place the tree a couple inches above th mound. What you do not want is to create a depression for moisture to stay in. That's asking for all kinds of problems. Since the soil often settles some, plant it higher than you thnk you need to! If you just recently planted the tree which is now sunken in, I would dig it out a little, lift it up some, and try to get my hands down there to pack new soil underneath it and then fill it back in. Try to avoid disturbing too much soil on the roots though.

Sorry, can't help you with the zone 8 questions.
wildatheart
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you all for your advice! My husband is going to have a fit at having to help me replant all those trees/bushes. Lol.