Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are a great asset to any home.  Caring for them is essential to get good fruit for you and your family.  I wanted to take a little bit of time to give you some basic tips for good maintenance on your fruit trees.              

Only about 25% of a fruit tree should be pruned at once, and if you have a stone fruit tree, such as a peach or a cherry tree, only 15% should be removed.  This general rule does not apply to dead branches, so they can always be done, but live branches should be pruned in the dormant months.  February is an excellent month to take care of your fruit trees.  It may take several years to get your tree to the level that you want to achieve, so keep that in mind while pruning.   

Branches produce the most fruit at a 45 degree angle toward the sky.  Removing branches that point down is a great way to lighten your tree and get rid of branches that won’t produce as much.  Remember that the fewer branches you have, the fewer apples will be produced, but those apples will be larger and sweeter.  Also, thinning out the center of your canopy is important for light penetration.  Sunlight is what turns your apples the appropriate color, like red!             

If you have ever seen a leaf right over a part of an apple, it will be green underneath but red everywhere else.  The sunlight is what turns the apple its beautiful red color.  So light is very important to a good crop.  Maintaining a shorter fruit tree is important because you don’t want your apples to fall 30 feet to the ground and becoming instant applesauce!  Maintaining the height to a feasible level such as 8-10 feet will help significantly with picking and controlling any pests that may come up.  Keep an eye out for pests on your fruit and try to identify the pest correctly.  Many people think that chemical applications will keep their fruit protected but only the right application will do the right job, but not all applications are the same.