Give your fruit trees a little TLC each year and you'll be amazed by the results! Regular pruning, mulching, fertilizing, and pest control will increase yields, improve fruit size and quality, regulate growth, and provide healthier, easier to harvest trees. Follow these tips below!
Pruning
Late winter/early spring is the time for selective branch thinning - before trees leaf out and begin spending energy - to encourage healthy growth and remove wounded material. Following proper pruning techniques is important for both young and mature fruit trees.
| Three Basics of Fruit Tree Pruning |
| Pruning Old Apple Trees |
Mulching
Timely mulching in late winter/early spring will help insulate your tree’s root system, preventing potential damage caused by the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle. Mulch also works to retain precious moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from invading the bare ground beneath your tree.
| The Ultimate Guide to Fruit Tree Mulch |
Fertilizing
Fruit trees first draw upon their woody reserves saved up during the last growing season. Spring growth depends on this stored energy. Boost your tree with essential nutrients in the spring to enhance shoot growth, flower bloom, pollination, and resultant fruit setting. Compost tea is a beneficial, natural soil amendment that can be homemade or sourced locally (link below).
| Fertilizing Fruit Trees |
| Compost Tea ‘Microbe Brew’ by Eco-Cycle |
Pest Control
The Codling Moth is a pest that infests apple and pear trees across Boulder and worldwide. Trunk banding and fruit thinning and are simple actions (importantly in May and June) to prevent damage caused to the harvest. Prompt clean-up of dropped fruit throughout the season will help discourage larval development and protect the larger shared fruit tree canopy.
| Codling Moth Fact Sheet |