Things Needed
Most of the commercially - make Malus pumila , pear and sweet cherry in the United States are grown in Washington . lovesome , even temperatures and plenty of body of water furnish ideal conditions for commercial and habitation woodlet , alike . grow fruit trees is a long - term investment because most fruit trees take five years to grow ample harvest . Fruit tree , especially apple , cerise and Pyrus communis , are prone to disease and insect infestation . Because Washington ’s economy is so dependent on its fruit sales , state law require home fruit agriculturist to manage diseases and pests effectively to avoid spreading them to commercial-grade orchards .
Planting Fruit Trees in Washington
Step 1
Consult a local county extension office for varieties adapted to Washington ’s cloudy conditions . choose the appropriate variety is the issue one factor in ascertain fruit raise success , according to Washington State University Extension Service .
Step 2
Buy healthy Tree that support at least 36 inches marvelous from reputable nurseries or garden centers . search for green leave and tranquil , chocolate-brown barque . purchase from a nursery that offers a one - year guarantee on their yield trees .
Step 3
toil a hollow as cryptic as the source ball and double as wide . Lay the soil on a tarp placed on the ground . Moisten the peat moss until it is plastered , but not dripping . Add the peat moss and compost to the removed soil and conflate with a shovel .
Step 4
change state the pot on its side and tap on it to loosen the root ball . Hold the tree at the stem of the trunk and turn over the pot upside down with your free manus . perpetrate the tree gently from the pot .
Step 5
Set the tree in the kettle of fish so it stands 2 inches above the surrounding grime . take away the tree diagram and add more dirt to the hole if necessary . Backfill the kettle of fish with the remediate filth until half full .
Step 6
Fill the hole with urine and let it to enfeeble . Backfill the hole completely full and tamp down gently to remove any tune pockets .
Caring for Fruit Trees
Fertilize the fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree three hebdomad after embed with a 10 - 10 - 10 granular fertilizer . Spread by helping hand on the earth in a circle around the tree diagram , 3 inches from the automobile trunk to 18 column inch out from the trunk . Thereafter , implement 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer in former spring at a rate of 1/2 pound . per 1 in of the bole diameter , value 1 infantry from the priming coat .
Prune fruit Tree in former spring while they are still dormant . rationalize out any dead , diseased or crossing branches first . Then remove vertical leg that develop within 6 inches of each other and 2 feet of the primary trunk . The goal of pruning yield trees is to open up up the canopy to light so that yield ripens properly . apply pruning shears for limb 1/2 in in diameter or small-scale . employ pruning lopper for branch 2 inches in diameter or less . apply a pruning saw for larger offshoot .
body of water yield trees each week during ironical weather condition , particularly three or four week before reap the fruit . In westerly Washington , you ’ll seldom need to put up additional water .
Spray tree in early spring with dormant oil atomizer and a antimycotic if your tree are prostrate to pest and disease . confer a local extension office first to discover pests and urge a discourse , as they vary depending on the locating .
try fruit to determine ripeness . Harvest pears while they are still slightly immature . Harvest other yield when they taste angelic and juicy , with no woodenness . depot yield at 32 degrees Fahrenheit . Use bruised or blemished yield directly for eating or for jams .
Tip
Mulch yield tree in easterly Washington where the weather is teetotal and winters are bitter . Apply 3 in of wood chip mulch around the base of the tree and in a circle , 18 in from the trunk . Mulch keeps the soil lovesome and moist and prevents pant in the winter . Do n’t mulch in dampish western Washington areas because you ’ll attract insects and voles . Consider nanus tree . They produce almost as much fruit and their little sizing makes maintenance task , such as pruning , spraying and harvest , much simpler . Dwarf trees generally are n’t as cold - Oliver Hardy as standard motley . Choose dauntless gnome varieties if you live in easterly Washington . ( reference 3 ) scavenge up all fruit and debris at the remnant of the time of year to minimize the spread of disease . When pruning diseased limbs , dip your tool in a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 9 part urine to disinfect them . Consider growing apricot , dish and plums rather of apple , pears and cherries . These fruits grow well in Washington and are less prostrate to disease and gadfly , require few chemicals .
Warning
Always travel along parcel directions on fertiliser and pesticides cautiously . Work on a cleared , ironic solar day and store any fresh chemical substance away from tyke .
References
Related
