Your garden is lovely. I have a suggestion. Why don't you purchase the trees that you like and put them in large (18 or 20 inch) containers and grow them there for a year or two and let the holes stay empty for a couple of seasons and then plant the trees into them. That way, you can enjoy the fruit while you wait. I personally have done this and waited 2 years before replanting in the same destination.

Hi Estreya,

Very attractive planting.

I probably read it, but I don't remember the original ordeal about the Tomcot and sweet cherries.

Although there are root diseases, it sounds like your trees died from gummosis (which is not a root disease). You should be fine planting plums and pears in the same location. In terms of root diseases, pears and plums are tough as nails.

Thank you for your responses!

Ashleysf, i'm sure your pots were beautiful, and i've always admired landscapes that are accented with potted trees. Having said that, i'm kind of eager to get new trees established out in the field, preferably in the same spots. Also, summers are very very dry and hot here, and i'm not eager to have to keep pots sufficiently watered. :)

Olpea, this information really eases my mind. I think i'll just proceed, then, as i ordinarily would for planting, and not worry about "decontaminating" the holes.

Do you think smaller trees will establish more easily and eventually "catch up" to the size of the larger ones, or should i make an effort to find the largest replacement trees possible?

By the way, for anyone who remembers my Tomcot issues, many of you said the problem was probably with the roots. Sure enough, when i dug it up today, the roots were really wonky. Some of them had spread normally, with one in the center that had really dug deep into the earth. But oddly, some of the roots, one thick one in particular, was growing inward and around into the root mass - it was really odd. I know when i planted, i tried to score the edges and sort of make sure there was no visible girdling, but i either did a horrible job planting this one, or something weird just happened in the way the roots developed. One of them looked pretty black compared to the others. /shrug

You asked "Do you think smaller trees will establish more easily and eventually "catch up" to the size of the larger ones, "

Yes, research trials have proven that smaller trees establish more rapidly than do larger ones.

Thanks, Jean. I'm betwixt and between. I'm tempted to look for larger ones because the seemingly inevitably deer damage might be less impactful - but smaller ones might be easier to protect. I'm still playing the odds without a proper fence. :)