Summer Jobs in your Orchard

Summer is a busy time for trees in the home orchard, they are bursting with new growth and everything around them is growing rapidly as well.  This means it is a really important time of the year to put a little time into orchard maintenance. 

Mulch is a vital ingredient in the orchard.  It retains moisture, suppresses weeds and maintains an even soil temperature.  The best kind of mulch is organic mulch such as Lucerne hay; this will break down and feed your fruit trees.  Inorganic mulches such as blue metal are beneficial as long term mulches which do not break down and therefore do not need constantly replacing.  I always feel it is a good idea to use different types of mulch each year, as they break down at different rates and add different nutrients to the soil. 

Pruning.  If you are in the sub tropics and haven't already pruned your low chill stone fruits it is not too late to do so.  The main pruning of low chill stone fruits should be done in the spring time when they finish fruiting; this will encourage a vigorous flush of new growth and will also keep your tree in synch with the seasons and prevent it from flowering in the autumn.  It is a good time to cut out any dead wood from your fruit trees and tip prune any that may be getting too tall.

Fertilizing - Now is also the perfect time to feed your fruit trees, your citrus will have finished flowering and will be hungry for some nutrients as will all your other fruit trees.  For specific information about fertilizing Susanna Lyle has an excellent book called Discovering Fruit and Nuts it includes a nutrient section on each of the fruit and nuts mentioned in the book. 

Water - Try to ensure that your fruit trees receive a deep drink once a week during the heat of summer.  This is particularly important with citrus trees which will be busy growing your winter crop, uneven moisture levels can cause the fruit to drop prematurely.