Water with plain water until the rootball is saturated. After saturation, water your new fruit tree with a solution of PLANT STARTER (3 oz. / gallon). One to two gallons will be ample.
Use PLANT STARTER once per week for the next two weeks.
Fruit trees are tempermental until the roots become established. Be faithful in watering every week in the spring and twice per week in the summer. If you cannot water, please choose another type of plant that can better tolerate drought. A slow trickle or soaker hose left on for a few hours at a time is a wonderful way to water. Please be generous with water, especially in sandy soil.
Cherries, apples and pears grow fine in clay soil. However, peaches and nectarines prefer a sandier soil with better drainage.
Rabbits and deer love the tender bark of young fruit trees. Protect with plastic tree wrap and spray with deer/rabbit repellant.
Keep grass away from the base of your tree. Grass competes with the tree for moisture and nutrients. Mulch around the root zone with shredded bark, straw or pine needles. However, remember to not mound the mulch against the trunk. This will cause fungal and insect problems.
Fruits that DO need another variety: Apples, Pears, Most Sweet Cherries
Fruits that DO NOT need another variety: Sour Cherries, Nectarines, Plums, Peaches and recently some new sweet cherry varieties.
Even though you may not NEED another variety for pollination, its still a good idea to plant at least two or three of that species. When more than one tree is present, pollination is much better, usually producing more fruit and bigger fruit.
Pruning is a little different depending on the size, age and species of fruit that you are pruning. I recommend purchasing a homeowners guide and following the illustrated instructions given. ORTHO produces a great pruning guide that is easy to follow. Amazon.com has all the Ortho guides all for a great discount price. I highly recommend purchasing a pruning guide today. I find it very helpful.