Chapter 4 – Caring for your plants

After a tree is planted, and each spring thereafter you should mulch the roots with 2 to 4 inches of mulch. The mulch should be spread out six inches beyond the tree’s drip edge. The drip edge is the maximum reach of the branches. Through the course of a season the rain drips from the tree’s leaves, which are designed by nature to direct water towards the roots. When this water lands on the mulch it then carries the added nutrients into the soil. The mulch also helps to insulate the plant against drought, holding in moisture longer than bare soil alone.

Regular watering and properly moist soil is important all through the tree’s life. It is especially important during the tree’s first two years. Mulching is also important for weed control. A healthy fruit tree can usually out-compete a few weeds. It is none-the-less true that every single weed is stealing some nutrients and water from the tree. Any weeds that do manage to sprout or grow up through the mulch layer should be hand plucked.

Fertilizing your plants is an important aspect of keeping a healthy, productive orchard. Earlier when you performed your soil tests that should have given you a good idea of your soil’s strengths and weaknesses. Armed with this information you should be able to adjust your fertilizer to match. Most mineral fertilizers like bonemeal or kelp meal slowly release into the soil over time. This means you only need to apply them in the spring for young plants. I would advise applying them in the spring and fall for fully mature trees.

Nitrogen fertilizers are very quickly released, absorbed and used up. As such you will need to apply nitrogen more frequently. A rich compost layer that uses grass clippings will help mitigate this need. However I still advocate applying nitrogen ever two weeks during the spring and early summer when trees are developing their new shoots and leaves. After the Fourth of July, when most plants are working on putting their energy into developing fruit, I only apply nitrogen fertilizer each month until harvest.