Do you have a fruit tree or trees in your yard that just don’t seem to know how to make fruit. Are you frustrated with your fruit trees and their lack of adequate fruit production? I know it can be frustrating, but here’s the deal . . .
Fruit trees are programed at birth to be robotic fruit producing machines. It’s all they know how to do. Make leaves, put on new growth each season, make flowers, later in the season make fruit. Rinse and repeat. It’s really the only thing they know how to do.
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So why doesn’t it work?
If your fruit trees seem to have dropped their built in program and just can’t get fruit production right, chances are, there are some environmental conditions at play that you can adjust and get your fruit trees back on track.
Does the age of the tree make a difference in fruit production?
It does. Young trees need from two to five years before they really start blooming profusely which is what you need for good fruit production. Apple and apricot trees need at least two years, sour cherry and peach at least three years, pear at least four years and sweet cherry and quince can take up to five years before they really start producing fruit. So age of the tree does mean something.
What about soil conditions?
Soil conditions are extremely important. Probably more important that anything else in the equation because healthy happy trees make more fruit. Poor soil conditions make for a tree that is struggling and stressed. Insect and diseases are more likely to attack a weak tree or a tree that is under a great deal of stress.
Happy trees make lots of fruit.
A tree that is growing along mightily and appears to be perfectly happy with it’s environment is going to fight off insects and diseases better than an unhappy tree. A happy tree means a more vibrant tree, a tree free of insect and disease issues, therefore bountiful fruit production. When you think about it, it’s a pretty simple equation. However, this is where and how it all goes wrong.
Be careful about how, when or why you amend the soil when you plant new fruit trees.
What kind of soil do you have? What, if any amending does it need? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sometimes we gardeners do harm when we are really trying to do the right thing. If you have pretty good soil in your yard just plant your tree and back fill around it with the soil you have. If your soil is dark brown and not sticky like mud your fruit trees should be perfectly happy in it.
How to amend soil that is sand and gravel.
Sand and gravel that doesn’t appear to have much at all in the way of nutritional value might not be as bad as you think. I learned this back when I was building my Original Backyard Nursery. My yard was pure sand and gravel, very little topsoil, mostly gravel. I dug out some areas in the yard to build cold frames and a greenhouse pit etc and had large piles of soil that I excavated. I had four large piles of soil piled up in my backyard from this excavation effort and most of the soil in those piles was nothing but lots and lots of gravel. One pile for sure seemed troubling to me because I dug down about 24″ for my sunken greenhouse so that pile of soil contained almost zero soil! Or so it seemed. It was nothing but gravel.
None the less, I had to do something with those piles of soil and hauling them away was not an option so I created the gardens that you see near the bottom of the page. Look closely at the plants in the mounds.
Most of that soil was gravel, a little sand, but mostly gravel, little or no organic matter. When I planted the trees and shrubs that you see on those mounds I simply dug holes and dropped in the plants. No peat moss, no compost, no fertilizer. Nothing! I just dug a hole and dropped in the plants. They not only did amazingly well, they thrived. I mean they thrived! I learned something.
If you have sand and gravel in your yard this is what I recommend in the way of soil amendments. When you back fill the hole mix in some bagged or well rotted cow manure or well rotted compost. It won’t do any harm and it is sure to help. Do you have to? No, I certainly didn’t when I built those planting mounds, but I’m sure the plants would have appreciated it.
How to amend clay soil.
Sell your house! Just kidding, just kidding. Clay soil is challenging, so much so that I would be an extremely unhappy person if I had a yard full of really poor clay soil. But . . . I would deal with it, and I would make it work.
Around here I’ve landscaped so many homes, well over 500 homes, I know what areas have good soil, what areas have terrible soil, and that played a big part in my decision to buy the place that I did. When I bought my nursery property three years ago I knew immediately, as soon as I saw the for sale sign in the yard, that that particular area in Perry, Ohio had well drained sandy soil and that’s what really excited me about the property. It took me less than 20 minutes to make that buying decision. I was sold! And today I’m very happy with that decision.
Fruit trees (really all plants) do not like clay soil because it suffocates the roots. The roots cannot breath. Plant roots must have the ability to transfer oxygen through the soil to the root systems. If that can’t happen the plants suffer or flat out die. So when you set out to amend your clay soil for the planting of fruit trees, you really have to think this through before you start. You have to be aware of . . .
The Bathtub Effect!
Also known as how to kill a plant in no time flat!
If you dig a hole in clay soil, stick in a tree, bare root or balled, it doesn’t make a difference, then back fill around that tree with things like peat moss, compost, really good topsoil, you are thinking that you have done a wonderful thing for your new tree. The materials that you used to back fill the hole are nice and loose and porous. The plant will be able to breath nicely! Job well done! Not so fast!
What you have really done is you have created a way for water to get into the hole that you dug, but there’s no way for the water to get out. Your tree is going to drown. Literally drown, because once the hole fills up with water the tree can’t breath. I see this all the time!
How to plant in clay soil.
When planting in clay soil what you really need to do is only dig part of a hole and only put part of the tree ball in the ground. I say no more than half of the ball should be in the ground, but I really like only 25% of the tree ball in the ground better. Then cover the part of the ball that is exposed above ground with an ample amount really nice soil that is really high in organic matter. But, but, but, but . . .
Make sure you get it right!
This is exactly how you do it. Dig your shallow hole. Drop the ball into the hole. At least half of the ball should be above grade. Before you do anything else, back fill around the ball with the same soil that you removed from the hole. That’s right, back fill around the tree ball with the clay soil, but only enough to fill in around the ball. Dispose of the clay soil that you don’t need. You see, that will keep the hole from filling up with water. We are actually sealing around the ball of the tree with the clay soil to keep excess water out.
Bring on the good stuff!
Now your tree should be partially planted, at least 50% of the ball still exposed to the air. Now start filling around the exposed part of the ball with good, rich topsoil. But you really need to make this “raised area” much wider that the ball itself because with the ball being raised out of the ground like it is it’s going to dry out more easily, and you need a place for the tree to grow new roots. So if you tree ball is 12″ in diameter I am suggesting that you create a raised bed that is 36″ in diameter.
Sure this is a lot of work and a lot more effort, but you are doing a good thing for your fruit tree. Consider it a long term investment.
This is what I know about people and their plants.
When somebody has a plant that is not doing well, not making enough fruit, or making really poor fruit, they go looking for the solution and conclude that their plant must be suffering from xyz disease or is being secretly eaten alive by xyz bug, when in fact, the only thing wrong with the tree is that it is not happy with where it’s planted or how it was planted.
Three things to look for.
There are three things that typically make plants unhappy. One, being planted too deep. Even in really good soil the top of the plant root ball should be about one inch above grade then covered with about an inch of soil then two to three inches of mulch. That allows the roots of the plant to breath which is really important.
Two. Planted in really poor soil and the top of the root ball being covered with poor soil. The plant simply cannot breath. The tree or the plant is literally suffocating.
Three. Too wet. This happens for a lot of different reasons. The tree is planted in clay soil, the hole is too deep, too wide and filled with porous material. The water can get in but cannot get out. Putting gravel in the bottom of the hole does absolutely no good! All that does is makes more room for stagnant water to stand and no way for the water to get out.
Maybe the area in which the tree is planted tends to hold water. You cannot plant a tree in a wet area and expect it to “dry up the area”. All that will happen is the tree will die.
Lastly, but more common than you think. Somebody over watering the plant thinking they are doing a good thing. People tend to think that newly planted plants need lots and lots of water and just keep turning the hose on the plant. Before you water, stick you hand down into the soil and feel the soil. It should be cool and moist, not wet and soggy. You can buy a moisture meeter for just a few dollars.
Know what I think?
I think that’s why most fruit trees don’t make the fruit that people expect them to. Quite simply, they are not happy! There is an issue with where or how they were planted.
What else could cause a lack of fruit production?
Pollination. Fruit trees make flowers, then those flowers have to be pollinated before that bloom can turn into fruit. Some fruit trees are self pollinators, most are not. For instance with apple trees, you have to plant at least two, if not more, different,varieties in fairly close proximity to each other so they can cross pollinate. This is true for just about all fruit trees. It’s a bit of a dating ritual, they need to get out and meet new people. Then they’ll make fruit. Since trees are stationary and can’t get around to meet new people, they order in! They depend on bees and other insects to pick up pollen from one tree and deliver it to other trees.
Take care of the bees!
Be careful to not over care for your fruit trees spraying all kinds of insecticides and such. If you spray when the trees are in bloom you are certain to kill off many of your pollinators in the process.
Is Mike McGroarty an organic farmer?
No. I’d be lying if I said I was because organic farmers never use pesticides. Me? I’m not an organic farmer, but I do use as many organic practices in my yard and my nursery as I possibly can. But I do use chemicals for weed control in my nursery. As far as other pesticides, I really try to not use them. But by law I am required to keep my nursery stock disease and pest free so occasionally I may need to do some spraying. But I only do so when I am faced with a problem. Over the years I’ve learned that the longer you take to grow a plant the more issues it can develop, that’s why I love growing and selling small plants! I turn them over really quickly! They seldom develop pest issues.
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Questions? Comments? Something mean to say?
For the last couple of articles that I’ve published I’ve had a couple of people go into attack mode, saying mean things to me. Whatever, it comes the gig. Most of you are really, really kind to me and I love you for that! Cheers!
Mike,
Good afternoon and thank you for sharing all of your valuable skills. I read all of our articles faithfully and do everything I can to follow your advise. This morning I attended my church where the scripture reading today was Luke 13: 1-9. Verse 6 reads, ” A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard,and he went to look for fruit on it but he did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now I’ve been coming to look for for fruit on this fig tree and I haven’t found found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? “Sir, the man replied,leave it along one more year, I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not then cut it down.”
How ironic that I come home this afternoon and read my email to find out that barren fruit trees were the topic of your sharing this week.
I want to grow pecan trees. I am a pastry chef by day and a grower by night. What kind of soil do they like? Again, Mike thank you for sharing.
Deby
Deby,
I don’t know much about pecans except to say that I have a few backyard growers around Arkansas that grow them quite well. I’d say that like any other plant they’d prefer soil that is well drained and high in nutritional value.
So much great info on here! Spent all day making raised beds out of my pine trees to plants my apple trees in!
Hey mike! Can I send a few photos to make sure I followed your directions correctly? Thanks for your time!
-Aaron
Aaron,
No, I can’t review photos. I never see incoming email. I don’t even go to the office. In our members area http://backyardgrowers.com/join, we do share photos all the time, but I just don’t have the time to do it here.
thank you mike i’ve enjoyed your articles, the information is so valuble. i’m gald your willing to share from the years experence. i watch you on youtube. again thank you, donna and God bless
Hi Mike, Good article, good information and good how to. The one thing I did not see was you telling folks to get a soil sample done before they amend their soil. I do the soil sampling for one of the counties in Florida and we only charge $3 per sample. Quite a nominal fee and if you are spending a fair amount of money for plants it is well worth the cost. I can’t tell you how many homeowners have come to me at the county extension office and told me they put down x amount of lime and then planted an azalea. Get to sample done!
Steve Evans
Steve,
I like to keep things as simple as possible, but you are right. Especially if you do things to alter the ph. It’s good to know where you are before you start changing things. I did make that recommendation in one of the comments under the article.
Thanks Mike for your advice.
Here is something I would love to share with you to man.
http://wonderofcreation.org/
C-ya agine soon.
Lord willing…….
CPM
It is a very good article. Thank-you.
I find it amazing that common sense gardening is not all that common after all! If a tree or plant is wet after 3 days don’t water it, because it is sitting in clay! If it is bone dry after a day chance are you great drainage and need to amend with something that will hold onto the water. A good compost, until its time to water again then add a layer of mulch to keep the moisture in a little longer. Really not to difficult.
You can buy a book to tell you that but somewhere deep down inside of you (I hope) you knew that! I know that we all have those “DUH” moments and the older we get the more “DUH” moments we have.LOL!
If you are really into gardening, flower or vegitable, the first thing you do is take care of the soil. In ground you till it up and amend the soil. FOr raised beds you add good growing medium that will last a couple years. Then you amend the soil every couple years with some new compost.
Well your trees should be treated with the same respect.
Know your soil if it is a clay pot build it up. Raise the roots, raise the bed with stone or even landscape timbers. You can compost the nasty clay or purchase a product like “Revive” that helps break up a clay soil.
So in the long run, Know your soil amend regularly and you would be suprized how happy your trees and plants will be. Just a bit of common sense! LOL!
Mike, I have been in love with plants since my Grandfather began teaching me when I was 4 years old. Most of his teachings were about food crops and plants but, he had a small orchard of Peach, Plum and Apple trees and every harvest time, my Grandmother and my Mom would be in the kitchen canning and preserving basket upon basket full of fruits and vegetables. What my Grandfather was teaching was cut short however, he passed on to the other side when I was but almost 5.
I went to College to learn Horticulture but found out that after 3 years of hort. classes, my Colorblindness was really causing my advanced studies to suffer terribly so my Advisors suggested(strongly) that I find a different vocation or passion. I was not a happy camper to put it mildly. Then a couple couple years ago, I came across a link to your site.
I signed on right on the spot and have learned an absolute ton from you. Your ideas and practices have been such an inspiration to me that, you re-ignited my passion and love of all things green and flowering. Thank you so much for doing what you are doing, and I hope that you can continue for decades more. You and I are about the same age I would think and if we can keep our passions alive for growing things and of course making a few dollars in the process, we will always have something to look forward to. Thank you my friend for all your hard work and what you have been teaching.
Tom, thank you for your kind words. It delights me to know that what I do helps people I’ve never met. It’s one of the reason I do what I do. Thanks again.
they have colorblind glasses now. i hope that you can get a pair and pursue your love of growing things.
Thanks mike great info can you tell me where I can pick up yellow plum trees, and what type of soil do they like? Also do you know if goji berries can grow in waterford wi.Thanks again.Jake
wow! many thanks for that amazing post. I really cherished it towards the main. Hope you retain posting this sort of amazing content pieces
Hi Mike – thank you very much for all the helpful information you pass along to all of us. I’m especially interested in the fruit tree info because I have, what I believe to be, a sick tree on the property. It is a peach that oozes a clear, gelatinous substance from the trunk at ground level. I’m new to living in TN and have never seen this before and am wondering if you or one of your readers can point me in the right direction. I went to the Extension Office and was told “the tree is going to die” with no other explanation. Hmmmm – seems like that should have had a “should have done” message attached. Thanks again.
Helen,
If I had to guess I’d say that your tree is infected with Peach Tree Borer. A tiny boring insect that drills into the trunk of tree which is what causes the sap to run. Can you save it? On a non edible plant I’d suggest a systemic insecticide but for a fruit crop I wouldn’t use that. It might not die for a long time, but it won’t be all that healthy either.
I am all too familiar with these horrible pests!they emerge from their eggs in the soil around the base of the trees and attack in spring-pheromones have proven effective,but they have to be hung out in sticky traps by early May.Peach tree borers attack alot of trees,so control is a good idea.The traps can be gotten online at an organic gardening website.
About the bees.Mason,or wood bees,are the really big,but harmless(no stingers!)bees that eat into wood to lay eggs-but they are native bees that are FAR more effective than the (European)honeybees at pollination.Put out Mason bee houses(easy to make or buy)plant some zinnias and bee balm and watch them go!PS Avoid pesticides-they often kill the good bugs that eat the bad ones!
Howard Morgan (Albuquerque weather man) recommends spreading moth crystals around base of tree about 1 foot out in the fall, cover with s layer of dirt. This will rid your tree of these pests. Have used this method and got great results.
Helen-Dig out that sticky goo and you will find the borer larvae-this will not harm the tree anymore than the bugs already have.I you don’t they will continue to bore around the base of the tree until they girdle it and it will die from disease or lack of nutrition.I had this problem and filled in these holes with wood putty and that seemed to work to keep them out of these areas.
The larvae are also dormant in the soil ,emerging in early spring-you can remove ,and replace with clean topsoil, the top 6 inches of soil around the base of the tree and this will diminish their numbers.
Then hang a pheromone trap or two on the tree’s branches by early May and this will attract and kill mating peach borers.Not finding any more new gooey spots will confirm you have conquered them!
hello I was looking for some one with pear trees . but maybe I can pass this to you and you can help others . I bought a pear tree and planted it my back yard . and after 7 years of growth it did nothing but bear flowers and they would drop off . as I complained about it a friend told me to shock it . ?????
shock it what do you mean ? he said pick up a big stick or board and hit the trunk several times and he said then it would bear fruit , so one day I was cutting the grass and saw a two by four , so I picked it up and hit the trunk several times and said not pare r fruit , WELL on the 8,th year it was full of flowers and they all turned out to be a tree heavy with fruit
this is no joke . I would not tell this if it was not true
John,
Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Damaged plants often produce more flowers/fruit than perfectly healthy plants. Not sure that I advocate this, but often the tree at the end of the row in the nursery, the one that always gets run over, looks like the devil, but makes the most flowers.
I have that wonderful clay soil! You gave me some ideas to work with. thanks. You mentioned trees that were in a ball. How about bare root trees?
Hi Mike, We have ground with a lot of chert and limestone in it, but it grows trees well enough. When it does not get to hot :(last year was a scorching 116) we get good crops of apples, have gotten good sour cherry crops, and ok plum crops and pear crops. However , we have a terrible time with brown rot on out peach and apricot trees. Nothing organic or non organic has helped this much. The peaches start off fine, but just as they are getting ripe the brown rot sets in.
Bob, I really don’t know the answer, here are some suggestions from OSU http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1406.html
Me,too-but when I read up on it,Mike’s advice on pruning and culling fruits is spot on-especially peaches-the growers remove all but the best one developing peach from each cluster,and prune in the dead of winter to open up the center of the tree.Apparently,peaches need lots of sun and ventilation!
I did this last year and had better success.I noticed that the ones I didn’t cull fizzled and rotted,so nothing was accomplished by trying to get more!
Thank you for the article, I have apple trees that havent produced well and since reading your article, I think I should transplant them. I started apple cuttings, and grape cuttings and my new grapes are already started leafing out. My forsythia cuttings are blooming. I enjoy learning and doing all that I can. Im ready for spring, and producing more.
Hi Mike,
Alice’s favorite cat, Chessie, said something to the effect that if you don’t know where you’re going, it makes no difference what road you take. In other words, if you drop $30 to $50 on fine root stock, and you don’t spent $15 on a soil test, you don’t deserve the apples that won’t grow. Every state in the country has some version of an Extension system at a College or University that can arrange a soil test. If not, most garden supply merchants can help.
Clay soil? Gypsum!(Calcium sulfate aka Sheetrock) No need to carve up the walls in the back room, just about any garden store has it by the bag, or can get it. It’s cheap, too. If you may be the type that wants to “put something on it,” try gypsum. It flocculates the clay particles. You should see what it does for tomatoes! And blueberries! Yikes!
Thank you for all you do Mike. I read all your articles and watch all your videos. It’s a little different zones because I live in New Orkeans. I am a licensed Landscape Horticulturist with a associate degree in Hirticulture. I learn a lot from you and I appreciate that.
Gary, coming from and industry professional I appreciate your comments. My son lives in Baton Rouge, I’ll be spending a few days in New Orleans soon then up to his place. They just bought their first home in Baton Rouge.
I have a Lime Tree and a number of other plants here in New Orleans and in clay soil, which I think I now understand I have drowned. My Lime Tree is alive and has been in the same spot for almost a year, but has shown no signs of flowering or fruit even though it did last year in its pot. The Agapanthus and Daisies I planted all look to be in various stages of death….
I just couldn’t understand.
My question is –
Should I try to dig up the Lime Tree and replant properly?
Alison,
The tree should be replanted but digging it during the growing season is a bit risky, depending upon how long it’s been planted. The safest time to move the tree would be winter when the tree is dormant, or very early spring before it leafs out.
Mike, Great articles. You could write an entire chapter on each topic. I work at a 70 yr. old, family owned retail nursery. I’ve learned a lot in five yrs. there. Visit Edu. websites that have Fruit Science Depts. as part of their Ag Cirriculum; i.e., OR, WA MN, Cornell and more. Find the Growers websites, Dave Wilson’s is one I like. Learn about and support Mason Bee populations,(Genus Osmia, Family Megachilidae) as compared to honeyees(Family Apiae.)Mason bees, aka, Orchard Bees can polinate 1000 flowers/day. Proper planting is key and you’re right on with your suggestions. Also, Integrated Pest Mgmt, works well. Thanks for staying inspirational.
Richard, you lost me on the bee families which means I have something to learn. I agree on the Intergrated Pest Managment. We all need to work on that.
Mike, check out an article at urbanfarmonline.com,March/April 2013, on Mason Bees.
Your writing is absolutely correct and very helpful. It is also the method for Rhododendrum. You described an ideal scenario.
Your writings are familiar to the writings of Albert Glass,who published”Surgery with a Spade”.
He lived in Alta Vista, VA. and had a nursery there also.
Thank you for your valuable advice I just bought a pear tree and learned that I will have get another one for company. I have gravel and rocks in my yard and will need to buy top soil. Thank you.
I have powdery mildew in my old red delicious apple trees. How can I get rid of it?
I don’t know where you live, but….I read somewhere that lavender is a companion plant for citrus trees. I grow lavender in pots [started doing it 3 years ago] beneath the orange trees as they seem more prone to powdery mildew and they have been free of the powdery mildew since then.
I live in north Florida and we have bug problems that are the stuff of nightmares! Add to that the humidity and salt in the air and many plants suffer because of that. The lavender is in pots because it can’t take our climate in the summer……I can move the pots to the shady side of the trees in summer.
The article had some good information for beginners. Would like to see some pruning articles on fruit trees. Also an easy guide to pollinators and why they are important to setting blooms for fruit. I have 40 + young trees and am right in the middle of a huge learning curve! I can use all the help I can get.
HI Debbie,
Try You Tube. Lots of videos about pruning fruit trees. Hope this helps.
+Thanks Mike
I now know what’s wrong with my apricot and my asian pear.
I have clay soil out here in CA,and yes it is a challenge.
Thanks for the article. Do you think amending the soil with
clay busters is a good idea?
Linda, I don’t think clay busters will do any harm, but at this point I’m not sure how much good they will do.
Most people will think I am crazy but this works. We had several apple trees that never had fruit. In the early spring, my husband and I rolled up newspapers and beat the heck out of the trunk. Going all round and over the entire trunk. That year we had so many apples that we gave them away. Don’t know why it worked but it did.
There is an old saying in England:
A woman, a dog and a walnut tree,
The more you beat them, the better they be!
I think we should just stick to the walnuts, or trees in general? Let’s not beat our dogs – or women! lol
He did say, it was an old saying, in England.. . He didn’t say, he believed in it…
Hi Mike, great info here. We have young fruit trees in our back yard, aiming at becoming self sufficient. 2 years ago we had so many peaches on the 2 trees we started with, that many of the branches broke, even after thinning the fruit. We pruned the trees back below the broken parts and shaped them up, then last year got no fruit whatsoever. Hopefully this year will be a happy medium, especially with what we’ve learned from this one article and the following comments. Our soil is clay (yuck) so we already knew about the bathtub effect. Once we master our own trees, we can branch out (yeah, pun intended) to offer our services to existing and future clientele. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Mike,
I just wanted to thank you for all of the fantastic gardening advise you have given me over the years. I have learned so much from you and have corrected many of the mistakes I have made because of your advice. You have been a godsend.
Thanks Sherrie, I appreciate that.
I have enjoyed your writings for awhile now. Every gardener can learn something new even if it’s just a thought. About fruiting trees. We’ve had apple trees for years, sometimes they produce lots of fruit and it’s usually buggy and then some years not so much. Deer don’t care what apple it is, they love them buggy or not. You’ve got me to think that maybe our trees need a little loving care in the soil ingredients. We’ll try that this year. Keep me thinking, just like the good gardener that you are !!
Mike, Another great article, keep them coming. Here on the Gulf Coast of Texas we have heavy clay soil. When planting fruit trees, vegetables, and perennials, we use raised beds at least 2 to 3 feet high. We then compost all twice a year along with some feedings. This method has enabled us to have an abundant harvest of fruits, vegetables (year round)and flowers and berries that attract a large variety of birds and of course bees.
I been learning as I went along on my dwarf fruit trees. I have a pollination issue with my apple trees. Two are planted within 10 feet of each other but they won’t bloom together. Yes they are mates to each other. I studied hard on that issue. My 3 pear trees pollinate each other so pears are not a problem with them critters are! Ha! My peaches do well and since I got a Cocktail tree I now had plums , ( the name of the plum tree were lost so I had to get a tree that would pollinate any plum tree.) I got a heirloom eating cranapple tree to use as a buddy to the two. The problem is it blooms in April . The other two blooms in May. How do I get them to bloom together?? I have tried to everything in the tree growing book you can get. I have tried pruning the three together to see if that was the magic potion? One suggestion is to pour dishwashing old water into the roots. I plan to do that this year to see if it works. MY major issue with them is our hot wet spring and ceder trees for rust problems- the old time remedy is to drive a copper pipe next to them to prevent it. I did it on one tree last year and it worked! ( plus, chopping every ceder I can find) I enjoy your stories The two problem apples are in a drain off of poor soil, I will try to dig them out to see if that will work for me. Keep up the great tips!
Mike
I can’t thank you enough. I was always wondering why I was not getting production out of my fruit trees. I have alot of clay in my soil. The first 2-5 inches is topsoil and underneath is clay. I put the trees in deep and put manure and topsoil down in the hole. I thought I was doing good but, I guess I was not. I put 10-10-10 around the trees for the season or the fruit stakes. I then have a layer of mulch on top. My trees consist of Apples, Peaches, Apricots,Pears, cherries, and Plum trees. I have a total of 29 trees.Some of the trees are between 1- 6 years old. Should I try to replant some of the new trees with the way your article states? What precautions should I do? How can I amend the soil around the older trees?I want to do this ASAP because the trees are still dormant. I live in Western Pa any and all help will be appreciated
John,
replanting your fruit trees would probably help them a lot but you have to do so when they are completely dormant. Here in Ohio we usually have until mid April to dig plants, then as soon as the leaves appear the digging season is over until Thanksgiving. Just dig the, raise them and replant as described in the article.
Hey mike, thanks for the great info. I like the way you cover any topic with a mixture of wisdom and humility.
I honestly do not know why my cherry trees only produce pea-sized fruit that never get any bigger. I have four varieties of cherry trees and many other kinds of fruit trees and it is only the cherries that have a problem. The trees are very healthy and all my other trees produce excellent fruit, just not the cherries. I’ve tried to find the answer but haven’t so far. Is there something cherry trees need that other fruit trees don’t? They’re in the same dirt, same conditions, same everything. I don’t get it.
Hi Mike, I have 2 peach trees & 1 apricot. The apricot & 1 peach tree do not do very well. The apricots that do grow usually fall off before they ripen. The peach tree only gets a few peaches. Help!
You do have a way with words, keep the good info coming!
Mike, I believe you!
I bought a $5 crabapple tree at Walmart one year on the end-of-season close-out special. The label claimed said it was really hardy, and since I lived on a north slope at almost 9,000 feet elevation in the mountains in Colorado, I figured I couldn’t go wrong – it was only a $5 tree! I didn’t have a lot of time to mess with it, so I just kinda scraped a shallow depression on top of the ground (the dirt was really hard to dig, anyway) and plopped the root-ball in that depression. I went and got a couple buckets of composted horse manure from the heap in the back yard that a neighbor had brought over, dumped that on top of and around that little tree’s roots, and stomped it down good. I watered it, then stomped it down some more. I’d learned what the winter sun can do to baby trees, so I spray-painted the trunk and main branches with white latex, then called it a year and let it sleep through the winter. Next spring, that $5 tree BLOOMED! I had bought trees, trees and MORE trees from different nurseries, and couldn’t keep a single one alive for more than a year or two, but that little crabapple survived AND bloomed at least the three years until we moved away – and all I did was cover it up with horse manure, then spray-paint the trunk so the sun wouldn’t split it. It even made a couple of 1/4″ crabapples!
Thank you for the informative and interesting article. I’d like to say that I read them all but it’s not true. It depends on my circumstances and your delivery. This one was a winner! I live on top of a drumlin (look that one up) in southern Ontario and, believe it or not, I need to worry about drainage. I can thank subdivision developers for that. It was sound information and …. you’re back in the will!
Thanks John, I appreciate being back in your will!!!
I grew a grapefruit tree from a seed. It is outside April-November, inside the rest of the year. It is 4-5 years old.Seems happy and healthy. Never shows any sign of blossoms. any suggestions.
I have two “flowering maples” which are inside outside in the same way. They “weeded up” last year, so I cut them back while they were resting. They esach have nicely shaped growth. In the past I’ve had these trees grow and flower for years. Any suggestions as to how they might flower? I really appreciate and enjoy your site and instructions, style and manner. I would love to get a few small trees and grow them here. I am in an assisted facility and don’t get around.
I have a Tangelo tree. It bloomed the first year and had a few tangelos and they were real good and juicy. Ever since that first year the tree has flourished, but not a flower has it made. Don’t know what to do. I have many other fruit trees around it, bees are coming around and it is planted in our ground soil, along with garden soil. Got any suggestions?
Thanks Mike, I plan to plant trees in my new landscape garden. I guess I will have to plant two apple trees to be successful. Great help in understanding how to plant and what to look out for.
I’ve had luck with a “2 in 1” apple tree. 2 apple varieties grafted onto 1.
Many fruit trees try to over produce. It can break branches, produce smaller fruit and stop bearing altogether the next year. Many have seen this curious effect of bearing every other year. It is best to reduce the amout of fruit you permit the tree to produce by removing some when it gets fingernail size. A rule of thumb is leave one per cluster and no closer than 5 inches apart. This will improve the size, quality and anual results.
Hi Mike
I have been following you for some time and have used your
advise, I am getting ready to take some cuttings soon.
I seem to have more luck when I cut them just as the buds are showing small signs of growing.
I also will be planting some fruit trees and my soil has
a lot of clay my area is on a grade and I removed about
three feet of soil, that the hole is 3 feet on the upper side and 0 feet on the lower side, now all I have to do is admen my top soil I am planning on using the same sand that you used in the starting beds.
I need some information my top soil will crack when dry
due to the clay in it, I want to turn it into a loam
what percentage of sand, clay, and composted material
would you suggest I use a canning jar to put some soil in
then fill it up with water shake it well then let it set
until it settles then measure the layer with a ruler.
I was planning to raise plants here but it is not allowed
in my area, I can make compost as long as it is for my own use so I had 18 landscapers hauling grass and leaves
in for me, they save money by making a short haul and I
have the compost.
One year I gave the local high school 6 tri axle trucks of compost and I have more than that now I didn’t take on any last fall because like you I am trying to build a business on line, and processing it costs me $200.00 dollars per month for my Kubota tractor and hours and hours of time.
OK I will be watching for your answer.
Fred
Fred,
If you want to improve your clay I would use as much compost as you can til in, but I don’t think I’d add any sand. Sand can really compound problems with clay. Over time the compost should do the trick. Not allowed to grow plants??????? You’re allowed to garden right? That’s all most of us do is garden. As long as you don’t have people coming to your house your just gardening. http://freeplants.com/wanted.htm
I don’t have fruit trees at this time ,but would like to have several dwarf type in the future. Great article Mike,keep it up!
Mike.
I have planted many fruit trees over the years, some with great success, and some with not much. But after reading your article I now know why. I have made many of the mistakes you mentioned, I am sure as you said there must be many more that have made these mistakes. I would suggest that you should publish a small article on the subject and put them up for sale. I found the article well written and to say the least fantastic.
I would like to tell you how I grew peach trees from pits.
I would take the pit from the peach and push it down along the outside of the foundation of my house, about 2 to 3 inches (the south side) the cold of the night and the warmth of the day on the cement would allow the peach to crack and start to grow in the spring. I have done this many times and have giving the peach trees to many people.
Keep up the good work, really enjoy your emails.
Thanks,
Dom
Mike,
You talk a lot of sense. It should be common sense but with most people it’s uncommon.
Gwill Jones
I have two very old apple trees on my property. Can I take cuttings from these trees and root them? The 2 trees that I am talking about bear fruit but the apples don’t get very big. These trees usually bear fruit around the end of July, but the apples tend to be always small, I know they are definately not crab apple trees. I would like to cut them down and plant new ones, but I thought if I could start some new trees from these trees I could aleast keep what was on this farm when I purchased it. Any suggestions?
Frank, most apple trees are grafted onto a root stock or a dwarfing root stock for a lot of different reasons, but if I were you I’d try this. http://airpropagator.com/
Hello Mike
Thanks a lot, we do have clay soil, and we are going to plant some fruit trees.
Now they should have a fighting chance of surviving.
Regards from Norway.
Thanks for your articles Mike, I read each and everyone. Some people shall I say are just not great full for anything. Keep up the good work I am learning a lot.
Ditto!!!!
Thank you! I appreciate it.
Mike
I am now a cattle rancher and moving to south St. Petersburg, Fla. Right on the water. Temperature does not freeze so I will be growing avocados and mangos.
I live in Brooksville fla now and it gets cold up here. I am moving 70 miles south. Thanks for the tips on fruit plants. I know the tips will help
sincerely
dick barcia
Mike there stupid people in our lives and around us every day all that we can do is pray for them —just consider the source and don’t let it get unnder yer skin
i like your fine articles i have a file just for your posts alone —Keep up the good work !
Thanks Charles, I appreciate that!
Sometimes people will knock off the fruiting spurs when pruning the tree. I have seen some really brutal pruning jobs. My grandfather had an apricot orchard in loose gravelly soil, and we picked huge truckloads of fruit every year. Sometimes he would have a stingy tree, and he would wrap copper wire around some of the branches. Aggh! Propagate the species before I choke!!
We would call the bee keeper and have hives brought to the back of the property. He would pick them up after the bloom. We were really careful to do any spraying before the buds swelled. Mostly we had healthy, bug free trees. We put something that smelled like moth balls around the base of each tree to keep the borers out.
what is the copper for? How many branches?
My apple trees are about 7yrs old and has never even had a flower blossom. I bend down the limbs this past fall I read that is to shame them to blossom. Will it work? I have no idea, till spring arives. I am ready to do most anything.
these trees look very handsome looks to me to be happy. Thank you for all the teaching that you do. I look forward to all your mailing.
Great article ..appreciate it especially since we have clay soil which over the past 25 years we have amended with horse, sheep, chicken manure…garden area. We have 2 pear trees; when the pears are about the size of a golfball, suddenly one day there are NONE on the trees…..I have seen squirrels on the trees…could they be eating all of the pears?….e never see any pears on the ground. Deer?
Thanks for your help.
Diane
We have a mountain home in the San Bernardino Mountains od California (7,000 feet). The soil is virgin lake bed soil. We have planted 26 fruit trees with no need to amend the soil. The trees grow VERY well. Our problem is a frost each year at the end of May when the fruit tees are in full bloom. The frost damages the flowers
Cindy,
I need to write something on frost damage and how it can be prevented. Thanks for reminding me!
Used to be, in Southern California, numerous orange groves. Frost was always a problem, but growers used to put out ‘smudge pots’ when frost was forecast to warm the air around the trees. With the onset of ‘smog’ rules and laws, that method was eventually prohibited, and many growers saw profit in selling off their land to developers. Now, all of those ‘aromatic’ beautiful groves are gone for the most part, replaced by houses, shopping centers, industry, and malls. Wonderful, isn’t it !!!