Here in Oregon, we’re lucky to grow some of the country’s most flavorful fruit. Honeycrisp apples and Asian pears thrive in our climate, but they’re not the kind of trees you can plant and forget about. If you want your trees to produce healthy fruit every season, you’ll need to learn how to care for young fruit trees while they grow.
In this blog post, you’ll learn why fruit trees need different care, how to provide that care, and why you should call Oregon Arborist when you need the best tree services in Amity, OR.
Why Fruit Trees Need Different Care
Fruit trees need a more hands-on approach than regular trees because they’re grown to produce food.
- Young fruit trees need regular pruning to remain healthy
- Each species has its own schedule for watering, thinning, and trimming.
- Hot summers in Amity increase pest and disease pressure around ripening fruit.
If this is your first time caring for young fruit trees, call Oregon Arborist for professional help from a company that knows how local conditions affect your tree’s health.
A Quick Guide To Pruning Young Trees In Amity, OR
Caring for young fruit trees so they grow up to produce beautiful fruits takes smart planning and season-specific care.
Choose a Protected Area To Plant
Start by choosing a planting spot that’ll prevent water damage, like a sunny location with a raised berm. Use staking during the first season to protect young trunks from wind and avoid low areas that collect runoff.
Water Consistently All Summer
Set a watering schedule that provides each tree with about five gallons per week. Use drip bags for slow, deep watering. Check the soil a few inches below the surface before adding more.
Mulching Using Local Materials
Apply two to three inches of mulch to hold moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from sprouting. Leave a two-inch gap around the trunk to prevent your tree from suffocating and dying. Use local bark or compost as a fertilization method to improve soil health.
Start Pruning Early
Pruning early during springtime helps young trees grow strong enough to support fruit later in life. Clearing weak or crowded branches opens up the canopy to light and air, which reduces the risk of disease. Train apples and pears to grow upright, and shape stone fruit into a vase. Thin the fruit early to avoid broken limbs and poor ripening.
Stay on Top of Pest Control
Skip fertilizing the first year and use only a small amount the next if your tree isn’t growing taller or producing new branches. Watch for signs of peach leaf curl, cedar apple rust and spring borers.
Call Oregon Arborist for Professional Help With Young Fruit Trees
Learning how to care for young fruit trees takes practice. If this is your first season caring for a young fruit tree, call Oregon Arborist at (503) 899-4166 for local advice from a company that’s helped locals grow fruit trees for years. Still not convinced you need a professional? Check out our other blog post on the benefits of hiring a certified arborist.