Author: montlgln

MORP TREE GUARANTEE

Thank you for sharing our passion for growing heritage trees. We hand-graft each tree for you in order to spread these rare and historic varieties across Colorado and beyond. Our tree sales are also a source of revenue to help support our non-profit efforts to keep Colorado “Orchard Country”. We thank you.      

We guarantee that our trees are healthy at the time of purchase. We further guarantee that trees are living things and that there are many ways to kill them. We gladly offer feedback and advice, but not refunds or replacements – EXCEPT for at the time of PICKUP. If you have unresolved concerns please let us know BEFORE you take your trees home. If we are not available at the time of pickup, leave behind any trees you are not happy with and we will refund you. Please “talk tree care” with us anytime before or after your purchase. Your success is important to us.

Even if planting a tree or an orchard is often an act of perseverance, in our county alone, we still find growing – thousands of trees 100 years or older. So, please plant a tree today for our future, and in honor of the hard work of our early fruit growers!

MORP PLANTING ADVICE:

• • Trees are happiest in the ground, not in a pot, so plant immediately for best success.
  • Select a site with good soil drainage and good air flow. Avoid cold sinks.
  • Space standard apple trees 25 feet or more apart; semi dwarf 15 feet or more; dwarf 8 feet or less
  • Dig hole 2-3 times wider than the rootball and just deep enough to allow graft union to be several inches above soil line to keep traits of rootstock.
  • Do not add hot compost, manure, or fertilizer to planting hole. Back fill with native soil mixed with one third composted compost or quality potting soil. Water in and tap down air pockets. Mulch with no more than 1-2” of compost per year.
  • Protect your tree from deer, rodents, bear, and other mechanical damage. Good fence and tree guards are essential. Paint lower south trunk with plain white latex paint diluted with 50% water to protect from sun scald. Some tree guards will also serve this purpose. Reposition tree stakes, guards, limb spacers, ID tags, etc., EVERY year.
  • Proper watering is key. Takes experience to learn as needed amount/frequency depends on the weather & site conditions, age & condition of tree, season & dormancy, and other factors. Rule of thumb: MULCH & water slowly and DEEPLY to get water down and out into the soil profile, ~20 gallons per time. Repeat when the top of the soil begins to dry. Flood, drip, or micro sprinklers are best. Overhead watering causes disease and sunburn and often does not water deep enough. Water more frequently to establish a tree (up to 3x per week in the heat of summer). Decrease frequency as trees establish (~ 1x every other week for mature trees). Remember to water newer trees 1x per dry winter months.

Heritage Orchard Handbook_Oct 2023 by Addie & Jude Schuenemeyer