| Care and Selection of Fruit Trees - David Berglind, August 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduction
Minnesota Valley carries a wide variety of fruit trees so that you can have your own orchard right in your back yard. All of our fruit trees are grown on a semi-dwarfing root stock so that they are just the right size for your yard. An overview of the products we carry are listed in Table 1, and are described in more detail in our plant pages. All of the varieties that we carry are hardy to Minnesota's Hardiness Zone 4. Before selecting a variety and planting, please read through this article to make sure that you have selected the proper plant and the proper location. |
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| Pollination
Most fruit trees are not self-fertile, meaning that you need to plant two or more varieties in order to get fruit production. Apples are
generally not self-fertile. Use two or more varieties to insure
best production. Choose varieties that bloom at approximately the
same time to make cross-pollination possible. Bloom periods
normally last 5-7 days. Planting Fruit trees are generally quite tolerant to a wide variety of soil conditions. They do not like to be continually wet though, so low spots in your yard should be avoided. Heavy clay soils should be amended to provide better drainage. Plant in full sun locations for best fruit production.
General Care There are a variety of pests & diseases that can be a problem for fruit trees, but there are some simple steps that you can take to ensure a bountiful harvest. After planting the right tree in the right place, the next step is proper fertilization. A soil test should be done to determine what nutrients need to be added to your soil. If a fertilizer test is not done, a general fertilizer such as 10-10-10 can applied at the following rates for each tree: 1 lb. the 1st year, 2 lbs. the 2nd year, and 3 lbs the third year. Do not fertilize more than 4-5 lbs. per year. The fertilizer should be scattered around the base of the tree out to and a little past the drip line of the tree canopy. In order to control disease and insect problems, good sanitation is a must. Always prune out any dead or diseased branches, remove dried or shrunken fruits, and dispose of any leaves and debris from around the trees. Pruning tools can be disinfected with a 10% solution of bleach before and after use to prevent diseases from spreading with the cuts that you make.. A general purpose fruit tree (fungicide & insecticide) spray should be used starting with the 1st signs of emerging leaves in the spring. Trees should also be sprayed when blooming starts and every 10-14 days for another 2-3 applications. Pruning Pruning and training your fruit trees is important to create a structure that will yield the maximum crop of fruit. A properly pruned tree also encourages an open canopy for good air circulation that helps to prevent disease problems. There are basically two types of pruning when it comes to fruit trees (or any plant for that matter).
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