Tips to Care for Fruit-Bearing Trees

When maintained the right way, a fruit-bearing tree can be a beautiful attribute to your property. Not only do they provide the obvious benefit of nutritious and tasty fruit—whether it be oranges, apples, peaches or other tasty treats—they are also wonderful to look at and enjoy during the appropriate seasons.

There are some tips you should take into account to make sure your trees thrive and produce plenty of fruit for you to eat. If you’re unsure of maintenance, call a family tree service to come and look at your trees. This way, you can ensure that your trees last for many years to come.

First, Research

Before you even have your tree planted, you need to do some research. What trees thrive in your area? What do they need to flourish? If you are unsure of which kind of fruit-bearing tree to bring to your property, call a family tree service expert. They should be able to provide you with some valuable advice.

Pay Attention to the Soil

Then, to know how to keep your trees thriving, you need to start at the bottom—the soil. Fruit-bearing trees need moderately-rich, well-drained soil. Of course, you need to place these trees in an open area with plenty of access to the sun. You don’t want to put it too close to other trees or shrubs either, because it needs room to grow on its own. Overlapping doesn’t help that at all.

Sticking with the soil, plenty of nutrients are important to make sure you get efficient fruit production. That means, at the planting stage, the soil should be built up with plenty of organic materials, such as compost or manure. There’s an extra benefit as well, as your tree will have better drainage because of these materials.

Once the tree is planted, you need to remember to feed it. It’s not a daunting task either, as you only have to apply an all-purpose organic fertilizer twice per year. Doing this provides healthy growth. The two times of year it’s necessary to do this are in early autumn and spring.

You may be asking yourself if you can grow fruit trees in grass. That’s certainly not advisable because grass competes for the tree’s moisture and nutrients, which doesn’t allow the fruit to thrive and the tree to grow. Also, if you live in a farmable area, chickens are actually a good companion for trees. If they’re strolling nearby, they help control against many insects that go after your fruit.

Take Care of Them

You need to keep a close eye on the hygiene of your trees. That means constantly raking and removing diseased leaves around the base of your trees. It also means getting rid of rotted fruit, especially at the ground level.

If you don’t keep up your tree, fungal problems can run rampant and then you’d likely have to call a family tree service to come and help alleviate your problems. If your tree is getting the proper tender love and care, you shouldn’t have to go through that trouble.

Now, to keep these trees thriving, you need to remember to water them. If you live in an area where rain is frequent, you obviously don’t have to worry as much, but if the top two inches of the soil is dry, the area needs water replenishment.

As the plant develops its root system, watering can be done less often, but especially early on in a tree’s life, you need to be on top of this. To produce a juicy crop, all fruit trees need an occasional deep soaking, whether it’s by you or the rain.

Keep an Eye Out For Pests

It’s important to take precautions against pests which can infect, and ultimately destroy, your trees if left unacknowledged. A lot of these issues actually take place during winter, but if you use a dormant oil spray, this can be alleviated. The oil will actually smother the pests, which ultimately protects your fruit trees.

Pruning is Likely Necessary

Some trees will require pruning, and the purpose of this is to remove dead or damaged limbs. If you already know how to perform this task, excellent! However, if you’re uncertain, it’s advisable to call a family tree service expert to come help. If you over-prune or don’t prune enough, this could lead to big problems for your tree.

At the end of the day, you have all the tools to plant, feed, and maintain a healthy and vibrant fruit-bearing tree for both you and your family to enjoy. It’s just a matter of knowing what you’re doing and putting in the work.

If you get lazy, your tree could suffer, but if you do what is required, your tree should produce tasty fruit for years to come. There’s just nothing like a sweet and delicious treat to cap off your day!

And, as an added bonus, your grocery bill will shrink. Over time, if you have multiple fruit trees and even plant your own garden, you won’t even have to stop in the produce section at the store. You’ll only have to take a short stroll to your own backyard.