Q. There are
peach and apple trees planted along the edge of my lawn. They are
just starting to bear fruit, although a late frost kept them from
producing any fruit in 2007. In 2006, we had to prop-up branches on
the peach tree due to the weight of the fruit. Is there any easy way
to support heavy laden tree branches other than using props? The
props make it really tough to mow the grass!
I was also thinking of burying soaker hoses in the sod around my
fruit trees to provide them with more moisture in dry spells.
Burying the hoses would make it easier to mow, instead of having to
move the hoses all the time. Will a soaker hose still work if it’s
buried in the ground?
A. Removing the
sod from under your trees, at least out to the ends of their
branches, solves both problems. Grass is a fierce competitor for
water and nutrients under any tree, but especially fruit trees. They
invest a lot of their resources in producing fruit and can
ill-afford the competition. Penn State fruit specialists recommend
maintaining bare ground under fruit trees in commercial orchards for
this reason. In a home fruit planting, you can substitute rings of
mulch at the base of the trees for more ornamental appeal.
Once you strip the sod away, lay your soaker hose, and then cover it
with mulch. Two to three inches of coarsely shredded hardwood bark
will help conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperature, and
help keep down weeds. Coarse-textured bark lasts longer then more
finely shredded mulch. It is also less likely to mat together and
become water-repellant. As the bark decomposes, it will add organic
matter to the soil. Avoid physical contact between the tree trunks
and the mulch. Deep piles of mulch against tree trunks can cause the
bark to rot, and act as a hiding spot for rodents to chew on the
bark unnoticed until the tree starts to decline.
You should pull the bark back when you fertilize the trees every
spring. Broadcast granular fertilizer evenly over the area under the
tree, staying six inches away from the trunk all around. Water it in
and replace the mulch. Do not fertilize after July 15. Fertilization
pushes new growth that may not harden off for winter if applied
later in the season.
Beyond thinning your abundant peach crop carefully so that you leave
one fruit every six to ten inches along the branch, propping the
limbs up from below is probably the least damaging to the tree.
Place something soft between the prop and the trees’ bark to
minimize damage. Make your mulch circles at the base of each tree
large enough to contain the props, and you will not have to mow
around the props any more.
Growing larger apples
Types of apples
More of Sandy's
Tree Tips |
