Fall
Home Orchard Maintenance
By
Mike Stiles, Master Gardener
Fall will soon be upon us, and there are a few things you can do to your home
orchard to help ensure a healthy and prosperous crop next year.
A common mistake some home gardeners make is to stop watering after the fruit
is harvested. It is important to
continue with infrequent but deep waterings in the fall, until the rains start. Lack of fall water will inhibit flower
production in the spring. A healthy and
well-watered tree will have more success in fending off frost damage, pests,
and early leaf drop in the spring.
A fall application of fertilizer will also help ensure a better spring. As the tree goes into dormancy, its resources
will travel down into the root system for the winter. A dose of fertilizer will add to your tree's
storage of nutrients.
Christmas vacation is the time to consider spraying dormant oils for the
control of pests and diseases such as peach leaf curl, scale, aphids, and
certain fungi. For disease (leaf curl,
powdery mildew, shot hole, brown rot) control, copper must be in the tank. The copper compound used must contain at
least 50% metallic copper. The oil and
the copper may be tank mixed and applied at the same time, but both must be
there to give both insect and disease suppression.
Cleanliness is important too, in the fight against pests and disease. Rake up all leaves and fruit that are on the
ground. Peach leaf curl and other
diseases can overwinter in the detritus under the trees. Be sure to remove all mummies - old fruit -
from the trees.
Labor Day is a good time to prune citrus and avocado trees around the
home. Prune off any strong upright
growth at the desired height of the tree.
Some gardeners keep the tree, and fruit production, within easy reach
from the ground or a small stool.
If you have been watering your trees by filling a basin around the trunk,
consider removing the basin during the winter.
It is best to avoid standing water next to the trunk. A layer of mulch can be added around the tree
to help prevent the weeds that will come with the winter rains.
A peck of work in the fall will reap a bushel of tasty fruit next summer.