Caring for fruit trees in July

Spring and autumn are the times when you need to pay close attention to your fruit trees but that is not to say that you should neglect your fruit trees in July, for example. You still have a chance to make your trees happier and enjoy a richer harvest! So, what do you need to do?

When the weather is dry, water

Well, trees are not your regular veggie plants but if the weather is really dry you need to water. Especially smaller trees, because lack of water can be fatal for young trees. Rather than frequent and sketchy watering when the water just touches the surface, it is much better to water trees thoroughly once a week for example . Use water that has been sitting for while or rainwater (best for watering, but you may not have enough when needed).

Mulching

Use mulch to make sure that the soil retains moisture longer. You can also use mowed grass around trees – which you should have plenty in June and July as it grows quickly. Before you spread mulch around the tree trunk, loosen the soil a bit – but do not damage the roots. Do not to apply mulch to a hardened soil in a vague hope that it will retain moisture. It will not.

Photo: Pixabay

Collect excessive fruits

If you notice fallen fruits under your trees you should pay attention. Sometimes the fruits are clearly bad, other times the fruits are simply redundant. Collect fallen fruit as soon as possible and thrown it away. There is a chance that fallen fruits have been attacked by pests or diseases and you don’t want them spread around your garden. Check around and under fruit trees regularly.

Harvest

Well, it is still early for apples and pears, but you can already pick cherries. Picking should be gradual and that is a good thing because every few days you make your tree lighter and gradually enjoy the harvest.

The codling moth

The codling moth is one of the biggest enemies of your apples, plums or damsons and it thrives in warm weather. To make your flight more efficient, use both light and pheromone traps as well as yellow adhesive tapes. Use chemicals only if you see more than four eggs of this pest on several fruits. Eggs are white but later they turn red, and are about 1 mm in size.

Preview photo: Pixabay