Fruit trees

Plum tree overloaded with fruits. Without support the branch could break.

Fertilizing and watering trees

Trees have drip zones. The drip zone is an imaginary circle on the ground under the tree that corresponds to the leaf canopy. Here is where rain water drips off the foliage and where trees have most of their fine roots. When you water or fertilize trees, it should preferably done in the area of the drip zone. In this way you have quicker success and the tree will keep its root activity there.

Indicators that your tree is under stress due to lack of water include that leaf tips and margins are turning brown, leaves are dropping and that dead twigs are appearing.

The best time to water trees is in the evening. This gives the tree time to distribute the water through the branches and leaves overnight.

The larger the tree, the less often it should be watered. Watering larger trees more than once a week encourages shallow root development. When you give water, apply enough so the soil gets moist to the depth of the roots of your tree.

Chunks of information

I do spend quite some time to plant one tree and this is a good investment that pays off later. First dig a hole about 1 x 1 m and ca 50 cm deep (this is for trees with more roots, when the tree is smaller the hole can be less big but not much as the roots will grow and need loose soil). Loosen the soil underneath. I take out some of the soil and replace it with about a wheel barrow of good compost. Also put some of this compost on top of the soil underneath the tree. There's a spiritual element to planting trees as well. First of all find the best place for the tree, both in an external and an internal sense. A garden or a yard can be creations of energy fields. Each tree makes a field of energy around it, which you can feel in the change of atmosphere when you come near the tree. When a tree is planted, it can be connected to the energies that already are in the garden. This is a prayerful, meditative activity. For fruit trees, give them at least once a year a new gift of compost on top of the soil. I also spray lava flour over the leaves once or twice a year as this gives the tree trace minerals and protects against many plant diseases.

Diary

September 11, 2011 - Planting fruit trees

Yesterday i planted a few fruit trees. The photo shows a pear tree, Beurre Hardy. I do spend quite some time to plant one tree and this is a good investment that pays off later. First dig a hole about 1 x 1 m and ca 50 cm deep (this is for trees with more roots, when the tree is smaller the hole can be less big but not much as the roots will grow and need loose soil). Loosen the soil underneath. I take out some of the soil and replace it with about a wheel barrow of good compost. Also put some of this compost on top of the soil underneath the tree. There's a spiritual element to planting trees as well. First of all find the best place for the tree, both in an external and an internal sense. A garden or a yard can be creations of energy fields. Each tree makes a field of energy around it, which you can feel in the change of atmosphere when you come near the tree. When a tree is planted, it can be connected to the energies that already are in the garden. This is a prayerful, meditative activity. For fruit trees, give them at least once a year a new gift of compost on top of the soil. I also spray lava flour over the leaves once or twice a year as this gives the tree trace minerals and protects against many plant diseases.

Gallery

External links

Fruit tree Wikipedia
Fruit tree pruning Wikipedia