Fruit Tree Maintenance in Fall: Lawn Care Belvidere, IL Experts’ Guide
Fall is an amazing season to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables, to make delicious jams, fruit cakes and pies and tantalize your family and guests with amazing dishes containing seasonal sweet produce. But while your kitchen gets enveloped in scents and fragrances, your fruit trees outside the house risk to be a bit neglected if not treated properly. Today, our lawn care Belvidere, IL experts want to give you a quick to-do list concerning fruit trees care and maintenance during mid fall.
1. Pick Fruits Carefully
Seasoned orchard owners know how to pick the fruits without damaging the trees, but the new ones still need a bit of guidance. Don’t ever pull the fruit from the branch, but twist the fruit upwards and on the side, then pick it gently. The picked fruit should never present leaf spurs and you should make sure the spurs don’t break from the stem.
2. Water the Trees
Even it is mid fall, your fruit trees, like everything green on your property should still be watered properly. Have your lawn care Belvidere, IL experts make some watering recommendations in case there is little rain present or the weather is dry and windy. Of course, you shouldn’t waste too much water, but as a general rule, your trees should get 2-3 inches of water with each watering session.
3. Rake the Fallen Leaves
Never leave dead and dry leaves under the trees. You will favor the attacks from pests, wildlife and diseases. If a fruit tree gets infected or damaged, you jeopardize the fruits, endangering your crops. Raked fallen leaves can end up in your compost heap or shredded to be turned into mulch.
4. Add Ground Covers around Trees
As the temperatures drop, the fruit trees should be especially protected. Refresh your layers of dry mulch underneath the trees – shredded leaves, wood and bark chips make neat and healthy mulch, revamping the looks of your orchard in the same time. Dry mulch also keeps pests and small animals away from the trees roots. Landscape fabric covers also make an additions protective layer if they are placed under the mulch layer, but make sure you never install plastic covers, as they will suffocate and chafe the roots.
5. Use Only Organic Fertilizers
You should refrain from fertilizing fruit trees during mid fall, as the trees will keep on growing and thus losing winter hardiness. Ask your lawn care Belvidere, IL specialists to apply a slow-release organic fertilizer to boost your trees’ resilience to winter, but don’t use chemicals, as they will affect the crops.
6. Mind the Webworm Nests
You might find some webworm nests here and there, but they are not harmful per se as they are unaesthetic. Have your lawn care Belvidere, IL specialists remove the nests carefully and maybe treat the trees so they don’t get damaged by webworms (which have a special fondness towards fruit trees). Pesticides are not recommended, but you can ask your local team to advise you on how to get rid of the nests without endangering the trees or the crops.
