The Most Common Fruit Tree Problems (and how to solve them)

By Michael Ismail, Founder of Thrive and Grow Gardens and Green Thumb Academy

Over the years, I’ve personally coached hundreds of people on growing fruit trees in their landscapes, and the same issues keep popping up, again and again. With so many new big-volume nurseries selling improperly cared-for trees, and planting them poorly, it’s no wonder these problems are more widespread than ever. Below are some of the most common mistakes I see, along with a few tips to help you correct them.

The 25 years of experience I have is from the desert region in and around Tucson, Arizona, but much of this will apply to other climates as well.

For a full, detailed fruit tree guide with photos and videos, check out the Ultimate Fruit Tree Guide inside Green Thumb Academy

1. Planting Depth: Too Deep!

One of the biggest culprits I encounter is planting trees too deep. When the root flare is buried, soil and mulch can trap moisture against the trunk. This part of the tree is often mistaken as a part of the root structure that should be buried, and that is an understandable mistake. However, doing so creates a perfect environment for fungal diseases-often a death sentence for the tree. The solution? Always ensure the root flare is just above the soil line and keep mulch or soil from piling up against the trunk.

This upper area of roots is called the root flare and should be treated like part of the trunk and not buried.

Here is a real-world example of how the root flare should look above the soil level when planted.

Pro Tip: If your tree is already planted too deep, gently pull back excess soil until you see the root flare. Even a few extra inches of soil against the trunk can lead to major problems down the road.

This tree was planted way to deep; you can see the moisture that was held against the trunk where the soil was well above the root flare.

2. Staking, Ties, and Tags: Untangling the Mess

Tags, ties, and nursery stakes often cause harm when left on after planting. I regularly discover hidden tags cutting off vascular flow to the trunk (girdling), or stakes pressed right against the bark. These can trap moisture, lead to disease, and even restrict growth. If a tree needs support, especially a large one newly planted in a windy location, use stakes placed away from the trunk, allowing it room to sway and strengthen naturally. But remove any stake in direct contact as soon as you’ve placed the tree in the ground.

Watch Out: If you see ties, stakes, or other nursery wrapping cutting into the bark or gathering moisture against the trunk, remove them immediately. The scars and potential rot aren’t worth it.

Here's a video with some examples of tree stakes you might find on your trees. This is one of many videos you fill find in the "Ultimate Fruit Tree Guide"

In this video you can see a real-life example of a professional tree installation gone wrong

You can see the damage caused by this stake being left against the tree at the nursery. Damage to the bark like this leaves the tree exposed to pathogens and restricts growth

Support stakes should allow the tree to still flex with the wind helping the trunk gain strength.

3. Chronic Underwatering

Most fruit trees I see around town are severely underwatered, despite automatic drip systems! They either get too few emitters, too little water each time, or they’re watered too shallowly and too often. Trees prefer a good deep soak that reaches the majority of their roots, followed by a period of drying out. If your leaves are curling inward from the edges as pictured below, it’s likely thirsty.

Curled leaves like these in the picture above are very common signs of water stress from the lack of water.

You may also notice things like:

• Aphid invasions. Trees focus sugars into the leaves as a response to underwatering and that attracts aphids.

• Leaf and fruit drop. Trees will commonly loose leaves and fruit when they are underwatered.

• Stunted growth. If year after year your trees haven't grown much, this could be the cause.

Simple Fix: Make sure at least 75% of the root zone is getting watered. Distribute emitters (or drip tubing) widely around the canopy area, and aim for deeper, less frequent watering sessions.

The challenge for most people not having any idea how many gallons of water to put down at one time and how often. The most common problems I see are as follows:

• Too few gallons applied at each watering

• Watering two frequently to make up for not watering deeply enough

I have seen these same mistakes in literally hundreds of landscapes. People are usually surprised by just how many more gallons are needed in one watering.

Did you know that an 8' diameter tree canopy fruit tree requires up to 45 gallons in one watering? When you start watering deeply enough and allow the tree to establish deeper roots, you can start watering less frequently. Many of my customers end up watering fewer total gallons annually once they change the watering depth and water less frequently.

The chart below shows how many gallons it takes to properly wet the root zone of a fruit tree. Stay tuned for our new tree watering guide released later this week for more details on how to properly water your trees, such as correct frequency, and taking into consideration soil type.

Tree Canopy (Diameter, ft)	Coarse Soil (Sandy)(+20 %)	Medium Soil (Loamy)(Baseline)	Fine Soil (Silt and Clay)(−20 %)
1	1.8 gal	1.5 gal	1.2 gal
2	6.0	5.0	4.0
3	13.2	11.0	8.8
4	19.2	16.0	12.8
5	26.4	22.0	17.6
6	31.2	26.0	20.8
8	45.6	38.0	30.4
10	70.8	59.0	47.2
12	102.0	85.0	68.0
14	138.0	115.0	92.0
16	180.0	150.0	120.0
18	228.0	190.0	152.0
20	282.0	235.0	188.0

Here are two methods you can use to water your trees. The first is using our specialty tree watering system, ThriveRing TM Tree Irrigation Kit. Here's a picture of what it looks like below.

The kit comes with everything needed to connect to your irrigation system

Here's how it works:

• Thick, 12mm, high quality UV resistant tubing

• Built in pressure compensating emitters every 12" insures perfect even watering

• Small-X large options based on tree size.

• Easy to install

After over a decade of trying all of the irrigation products I could find and being frustrated at how poor quality most of them are, we came up with this system that is reliable and long lasting, using the highest quality parts we could find. We first installed these for a client in 2018 and 7 years later, it still works great!

An alternative to the ThriveRing TM system is by using standard irrigation parts and building it yourself. Here's a great example in the video below!

Here's a list of parts I recommend in this video: J-loop method parts list

4. The Baffling Tree Well

A ring of soil (berm) around a newly planted tree is standard practice—especially for hand-watering or high-flow bubblers—but it’s often done with little foresight. Many wells are too small, forcing water to pool in one narrow spot, while the rest of the roots go thirsty. As the tree grows, water should be applied across a larger area—ideally the entire root zone, which extends out past the canopy edge.

A Better Way: Instead of a traditional circular well, consider shaping the berm downhill from the trunk to catch rainwater, hold back mulch, and help the water soak in without running off. Then, add drip irrigation and then mulch (a fine, composted type) over the root zone to lock in moisture and enrich the soil.

In this short video, you will see the common way berms are installed and how to fix them.

Ready for the Next Step?

These are just some of the common pitfalls I see every week. If you’re noticing these issues—or want to avoid them altogether—my Ultimate Fruit Tree Guide in Green Thumb Academy has you covered. You’ll find more videos, photos, and step-by-step instructions on planting, watering, pruning, and fertilizing fruit trees for long-term success.

This easy-to-follow course covers everything you need to know to help your fruit trees Thrive

Want even more hands-on help?

• Join the Course: Access it free for 7 days by clicking here to start your trial in Green Thumb Academy. Share pictures and ask questions within the course.

• Irrigation Solutions: Proper watering is half the battle. Check out our Fruit Tree Irrigation Kits to get the system you need for a healthy, thriving orchard.

• Contact us for an online consultation, or an in person one if you are in the Tucson AZ region. Click here to hire us.

Your trees (and taste buds) will thank you!

Have questions about your fruit trees? Share them with our community inside the course. We’re here to help you grow your garden—and your confidence—every step of the way.