Fruit tree production improvement...

[7SFCW4]

Good Morning,

New to growing your own fruit? No worries, here is some advice, take it or leave it, it's your call

Cold Weather Spring & Fall

In our area in the spring and fall months, the warm days cause the sap to run up into the tree trunk and major branches, when night time temperatures fall below 33, the sap freezes, cracking the skin of the tree allowing insects, disease, mold and fungus to enter and do harm to the tree. Crop yields will suffer.

Painting your tree trunks as noted below will do the following:

• White painted tree trunks will not "heat up" during the day as easily, keeping the sap in the root system until night time temperatures are above 32 degrees on average.
• Fruit tree bark is the thinnest of any tree, the white paint and lime limit hot and cold expansion to the tree bark. The lime also helps to limit insect activity.
• The Copper Sulphate kills fungus, mold, bacteria and repels insect activity.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix as below and paint onto the bark of your trees (especially fruiting trees or nut trees), the trunk and the beginning of the major branches that are not protected by the leaf canopy [see picture above].

You will need:

• Inexpensive exterior water based paint, in gallons or quarts.
• For each gallon or quart of paint you purchase, also purchase an empty can of the same size with a lid.
• Copper Sulphate, 2 Tbsp per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L222PXA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Dolomite Lime, 1/3 cup per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KHJNYPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HOW IT's DONE

• Split your gallon or quart of paint between the two cans.
• In a separate container, mix ½ measure of water with lime, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Copper Sulphate to water and lime mix, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Lime, Water and Copper Sulphate mix, to paint in can, stir slowly until blended.
• Paint your tree trunks per the picture above in the AM, when it will NOT be rainy, foggy or too cold for the painting day and the day after. The goal is to limit paint mix run off into the trees root system.

In addition, protect your young trees with a wire wrapper out to the drip line, and strong steel fence posts to limit animal activity and eating or damaging tender tree bark. I recommend leaving the fence wrapper on for at least five years.

Read More

 

[BlackPowderDad]

We bought a house almost two years ago and almost instantly planted 10 semi dwarf fruit trees on our city lot. Figs, pears, plums, apples, peaches, and cherries.

 

[Angie]

Good Morning,

New to growing your own fruit? No worries, here is some advice, take it or leave it, it's your call

Cold Weather Spring & Fall

In our area in the spring and fall months, the warm days cause the sap to run up into the tree trunk and major branches, when night time temperatures fall below 33, the sap freezes, cracking the skin of the tree allowing insects, disease, mold and fungus to enter and do harm to the tree. Crop yields will suffer.

Painting your tree trunks as noted below will do the following:

• White painted tree trunks will not "heat up" during the day as easily, keeping the sap in the root system until night time temperatures are above 32 degrees on average.
• Fruit tree bark is the thinnest of any tree, the white paint and lime limit hot and cold expansion to the tree bark. The lime also helps to limit insect activity.
• The Copper Sulphate kills fungus, mold, bacteria and repels insect activity.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix as below and paint onto the bark of your trees (especially fruiting trees or nut trees), the trunk and the beginning of the major branches that are not protected by the leaf canopy [see picture above].

You will need:

• Inexpensive exterior water based paint, in gallons or quarts.
• For each gallon or quart of paint you purchase, also purchase an empty can of the same size with a lid.
• Copper Sulphate, 2 Tbsp per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L222PXA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Dolomite Lime, 1/3 cup per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KHJNYPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HOW IT's DONE

• Split your gallon or quart of paint between the two cans.
• In a separate container, mix ½ measure of water with lime, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Copper Sulphate to water and lime mix, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Lime, Water and Copper Sulphate mix, to paint in can, stir slowly until blended.
• Paint your tree trunks per the picture above in the AM, when it will NOT be rainy, foggy or too cold for the painting day and the day after. The goal is to limit paint mix run off into the trees root system.

In addition, protect your young trees with a wire wrapper out to the drip line, and strong steel fence posts to limit animal activity and eating or damaging tender tree bark. I recommend leaving the fence wrapper on for at least five years.

Have you done this? I'm a little north of you, but similar weather.

 

[BlackPowderDad]

Have you done this? I'm a little north of you, but similar weather.

No I've never tried any of that. But they also haven't been effected by any cold snaps.

 

[7SFCW4]

Have you done this? I'm a little north of you, but similar weather.

Yes, it turned into an impromptu neighborhood clinic one weekend, now I see alot more fruit trees on Corvalis MT being painted. I get stopped in the grocery store, alot for printed handouts...

 

[Angie]

Yes, it turned into an impromptu neighborhood clinic one weekend, now I see alot more fruit trees on Corvalis MT being painted. I get stopped in the grocery store, alot for printed handouts...

Interesting! I'm going to try it. Thanks

 

[kmk1012]

Does this work with established trees? The new place we bought has several cherry, apple, pear, and apricot trees.

 

[Kcee]

The no-brainer fruit for me over the years has been grapes. They need a lot of sun to produce fruit, but other than that there's not much to do, other than water, fertilize, prune, and pick. I drip water my grape vines, but they will produce better if you water the roots away from the base.

Another great thing about grapes is all you need for a new plant is a cutting and root starter. They make a great frozen snack, they're easy to juice, and you can dehydrate them to make raisins. You can also eat the grape leaves, and use them as a wrap.

I get very few cherries because the crows love them.

The gophers wiped out my apples, because they love the sweet roots.

My blueberries did great, but I got tired of protecting them from the birds. I grew them in whiskey barrels so I could control the acid levels of the soil. The barrels rot out after about 10 years.

My plums and prunes do good, as long as there's no late freeze, and all they really need is pruning, and lots of water.

The best vitamin C comes from rose hips, and they grow in poor rocky soil. Once they get established they produce a lot of fruit, and they will produce in areas with as little as 5 hours of sun a day, and no watering. With water you will get more fruit. Because of the thorns they make a great perimeter fence addition, and they're not invasive like black berries.

 

[ATCclears]

Mason Bees. Uber pollinators, docile.

 

[Xaevian]

Good Morning,

New to growing your own fruit? No worries, here is some advice, take it or leave it, it's your call

Cold Weather Spring & Fall

In our area in the spring and fall months, the warm days cause the sap to run up into the tree trunk and major branches, when night time temperatures fall below 33, the sap freezes, cracking the skin of the tree allowing insects, disease, mold and fungus to enter and do harm to the tree. Crop yields will suffer.

Painting your tree trunks as noted below will do the following:

• White painted tree trunks will not "heat up" during the day as easily, keeping the sap in the root system until night time temperatures are above 32 degrees on average.
• Fruit tree bark is the thinnest of any tree, the white paint and lime limit hot and cold expansion to the tree bark. The lime also helps to limit insect activity.
• The Copper Sulphate kills fungus, mold, bacteria and repels insect activity.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix as below and paint onto the bark of your trees (especially fruiting trees or nut trees), the trunk and the beginning of the major branches that are not protected by the leaf canopy [see picture above].

You will need:

• Inexpensive exterior water based paint, in gallons or quarts.
• For each gallon or quart of paint you purchase, also purchase an empty can of the same size with a lid.
• Copper Sulphate, 2 Tbsp per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L222PXA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Dolomite Lime, 1/3 cup per quart of mix
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KHJNYPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HOW IT's DONE

• Split your gallon or quart of paint between the two cans.
• In a separate container, mix ½ measure of water with lime, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Copper Sulphate to water and lime mix, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
• Add Lime, Water and Copper Sulphate mix, to paint in can, stir slowly until blended.
• Paint your tree trunks per the picture above in the AM, when it will NOT be rainy, foggy or too cold for the painting day and the day after. The goal is to limit paint mix run off into the trees root system.

In addition, protect your young trees with a wire wrapper out to the drip line, and strong steel fence posts to limit animal activity and eating or damaging tender tree bark. I recommend leaving the fence wrapper on for at least five years.

That's pretty old school.

 

[Joe13]

For those with canines, grapes (and raisins) are very toxic for dogs and not something I would plant.

That's pretty old school.

Yea I haven't seen this done in this area for a very long time.