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.