If appropriately maintained, a fruit-bearing tree can be a beautiful addition to your property. Not only do they provide nutritious and tasty fruits, but also they are beautiful to look at during the appropriate seasons. In addition, fruit trees benefit from planting, proper routine care, and growing conditions. Therefore, there are some tips you need to take into account to ensure your trees thrive and produce plenty of fruits you can eat.
Here are a few tips to help you take proper care of your fruit trees. If you want more yield year after year, follow these tips for fruit tree success.
Contents
Do The Necessary Research
The first step begins even before planting the trees. It’s crucial to know about the tree you’re going to plant so you can take care of it. Before you begin, know which trees thrive in your climate? What conditions do they need to flourish? Take your garden’s climate, sun exposure, space, and soil into account to select fruit trees. If you’re still unsure, you can consult a tree expert to find out which fruit trees are apt for your property.
Give More Care To Young Plants
Planting a tree in the garden is the most crucial time in its life, and it’s necessary to give proper care until it becomes established. The care needed by the tree in its first few years will be responsible for its shape, yield, size, and lifespan. In the start, water your trees as required and pay extra attention to keeping them safe from pests and unfavorable weather.
Give Attention To The Soil
Soil is everything to trees and the reason behind their success or failure—fruit-bearing trees like well-drained, moderately rich soil. They also need to be planted in an open area where they can get plenty of sunlight.
Coming back to the soil, the tree needs many nutrients to yield efficient production. This means the soil must have a lot of minerals and organic materials such as manure and compost. You also get an added advantage here, as your tree will have better drainage due to these materials. The efforts won’t end after you have planted the tree; you’ll have to feed them all-purpose organic fertilizer twice every year. This is crucial to encourage the healthy growth of the tree.
Don’t Forget Pruning
Yes, it is true. Some trees require pruning to get rid of the damaged and dead limbs. Ensure you know how to correctly prune your trees because over-pruning and not pruning enough can both bring problems for your tree. Remove the deadwood, and thin out branches that cross each other.
However, every species of tree is different and requires different pruning. Therefore, make sure you research how to prune your trees. If you don’t know how to prune, it’s advisable to consult professionals to do the job for you.
Watch For Pests And Other Problems
Like all the other plants, fruit trees are also susceptible to insects, pests, and other problems. So check the trees more often and look for any possible problems. It’s best to identify diseases and pests early and take the necessary steps to prevent any further damage. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong with your tree, meet your local extension office for more information on the most common pests and diseases to look for.
Take Care Of Pollination
Trees produce fruits due to the pollination of the blossoms. Some trees are self-pollinating and can produce enough with their pollen. In contrast, some trees require pollen from another variety. This is called cross-pollination and is usually done by bees. If the variety you’re bringing home is cross-pollinating, make sure you plant pollinating partners to ensure the process goes on.
Usually, plums, pears, most apples, and sweet cherries need a pollinator. On the other hand, Peaches, nectarines, tart cherries, and apricots are almost always self-pollinating.
The Bottom Line
Growing fruit trees for those tasty homegrown fruits take a lot of patience and effort. But once you pick those beautiful and fresh fruits, you’ll know they’re worth the initial efforts. If you ever get lazy, your tree will suffer. So, make sure you do what is required, and your tree will reward you with fresh and juicy produce every year. Another bonus point, you won’t have to buy fruits from the grocery store anymore.
