Caring for fruit trees is a continual process. For most gardeners, winter months provide opportunities for composting and pruning, while spring, summer and fall are times for nurturing fruit trees. The basics of fruit tree care include proper hydration, feeding, and pruning.

Hydrating Your Fruit Trees

Proper hydration is essential for high-yielding fruit trees. When watering fruit trees, it is necessary to calculate the drip line.  The drip line is determined by estimating the distance of the farthest-reaching leaves of the fruit tree. If the branches extend six feet from the trunk of the tree, the drip line is calculated by drawing a circle in the soil around the trunk of the tree with a diameter of twelve feet.  The drip line is the outer limit that the tree would protect you from getting wet if you were standing underneath the branches during a light rain shower.

The drip line is where your fruit tree draws most of its nutrients and moisture. This is where most of the tree’s feeder roots are located. When watering your fruit trees, direct the spray at the drip line of each fruit tree to provide optimal hydration.

Mulching Your Fruit Trees

Mulching the soil surrounding your fruit trees provides a constant source of nutrients. A thick layer of organic mulch should be applied to the ground surrounding each fruit tree every spring after feeding the tree with minerals and plant food along the drip line. This provides fresh nutrients for the tree that are used throughout the growing season.  A depth of three to six inches of mulch is ideal. The mulch ring should extend beyond the drip line of each tree by one to three feet to provide optimal nutrition. It is not necessary to mulch up to the base of tree trunk since most feeder roots extend out to the drip line. Organic mulch helps provide protection from diseases and pests and the decomposing mulch releases organic nutrients into the soil on a regular basis.

Pruning Your Fruit Trees

Pruning your fruit trees is a necessary and delicate procedure. Prune too little, and your tree’s energy is diverted from producing lush fruit. Prune too much, and your tree goes into shock and fails to produce fruit at all. Vigorous pruning of fruit trees should take place during the dormant winter months. Trees that bloom late in the season, like apple trees, should be pruned first, and trees that bloom early should be pruned last. Summer pruning involves carefully cutting back new growth to divert nutrients into the tree’s fruit.

Types of Pruning Cuts

There are three basic types of pruning cuts for fruit trees.
The Thinning Cut- This is a non-invigorating type of pruning that removes a branch completely at the root of origin.  This type of cut is also referred to as a weeding cut or thinning the tree.

The Heading Cut- The heading cut is a type of pruning cut that removes the ends of a shoot. This encourages lower growth and results in a bushy, wider tree.

The Bench Cut- This is a type of extensive pruning and should be used with caution. The bench cut opens the center of the tree by removing upright branches and can damage a fruit tree if not done properly.

Caring for your fruit trees takes time, patience, and dedication, but the rewards are spectacular. A well cared for fruit tree produces bountiful, nutritious fruit year after year. These tips and basic principles of fruit tree care will help you grow your best fruit crop ever.

No matter if you are considering opening a commercial greenhouse, selling a few plants from your front yard, or simply want to grow better plants, knowing a few inside secrets of commercial greenhouses is an appealing idea. These tips from the commercial greenhouse experts can help your plants and your business flourish.

The best selling plants are annuals, herbs, and foliage plants. 6” pots sell best, and carefully pruning off discolored leaves and over-ripe blooms encourages customers to purchase more plants.

Impatiens are a very popular bedding plant. Marigolds and geraniums are good sellers as well. Ferns are terrific sellers and nearly every commercial greenhouse includes these green favorites. Include a few hydroponic vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, in your selection of plants.

If you are selling your plants to consumers, include a display of basic gardening supplies and seeds to help boost sales. A selection of gardening books and magazines is also a great way to increase your profits.

Keep a nursery log. Include important growing information for each type of plant for easy cross reference on peak times and suggested plant care.

Place fragrant plants near the entryway of the greenhouse to entice customers into the structure. Mix colorful plants in with greens to provide a visually appealing selection.

Fresh, moving air is essential to healthy plant growth, especially in winter months. Use a thermostat controlled heater to maintain temperatures of between 70-75° while ventilation flaps are open.

Take care of any standing water inside your greenhouse to prevent excessive humidity. Some commercial greenhouses will dig a ditch along the sides of the greenhouse wall to aid proper drainage and avoid standing puddles of water.

Invest in cooling pads to keep the humidity down and the soil moist. Keep in mind that using a cooling fan will decrease the overall temperature of the greenhouse by 10° for each fan used.

Growing terrific plants like commercial greenhouses is easy with a few insider tips like these.  Commercial greenhouses pay top dollar for marketing and gardening experts, but you can take advantage of their secrets by observing the habits of successful commercial greenhouses.

There are many different types of portable greenhouses available to today’s gardener. Portable greenhouses are ideal for container gardening and growing sensitive plants year round in milder climates. You can easily move these greenhouses to sunny areas of the yard throughout the colder months to give the plants inside the greenhouse maximum exposure to winter sunlight.

Different Sizes of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouses come in many different sizes. Some are small enough to sit on an end table while others are big enough to stand in. Most portable greenhouses can be set up directly over a patch of garden to protect plants and extend the growing season.

The Cost of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouse designs are available with price tags to fit nearly every budget. Some small portable greenhouses can be obtained starting around $100. Other portable greenhouses can cost upwards of a thousand dollars, but overall, portable greenhouses are less expensive than permanent greenhouses.

Types of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouses come in various shapes and sizes. One popular type of greenhouse opens like an accordion. These store-away greenhouses can be large enough to walk into or just a small cold frame cover. Complete setup takes under two minutes. Pop up portable greenhouses are simply opened and placed over delicate plants while they are still in the earth. Some portable greenhouses consist of a shelving unit covered in a protective plastic. The front panel unzips and rolls up to gain access to the plants housed inside.
Other types of portable greenhouses consist of a metal or plastic frame that can be stored when not in use. These are generally small solid cold frames that can be set over a garden bed or used to store container plants for the winter.

Some portable greenhouses use lightweight plastic or vinyl panels that slide into place along a collapsible frame for quick set up. The very smallest portable greenhouses can be constructed of glass, vinyl, or plastic and often include a carrying handle for easy transportation. Some small portable greenhouses have a solid base with a clear dome that fastens over the base with hinges or latches. These small portable greenhouses are ideal for transporting seedlings or small plants to a garden show or garden club meeting.

Portable greenhouses come in many different sizes and shapes. A portable greenhouse is available to fit every garden space and every budget. Portable greenhouses are a great addition to the gardener’s potting shed.