Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Western Australia, Series 4
Volume 7
Number 9 1966 Article 6
1-1-1966
The care of young fruit trees The care of young fruit trees
R G. Cahill
Follow this and additional works at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4 Part of the Fruit Science Commons, and the Horticulture Commons
Recommended Citation Recommended Citation
Cahill, R G. (1966) "The care of young fruit trees," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 7: No. 9, Article 6.
Available at: https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol7/iss9/6
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THE CARE OF YOUNG FRUIT TREES
By R. G. CAHILL, Horticultural Instructor, Bridgetown
M U C H planning, work and expense must go into a programme of establishing a young orchard. Orchardists must be prepared t o give the care and attention young trees need if they are to become profitable paying units.
Too often young trees suffer badly when left to fend for themselves thus delaying the time when they will start to pay their way.
Planting Method
To get the tree off to a good start it must be planted properly. Dig a hole approximately 18 inches square by 18 inches deep, placing the top soil in one heap and the bottom soil in another heap.
Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole then use some of the top soil to form a six inch high cone to form a support for the tree roots. Trim off any broken or torn roots from the young tree with a clean, neat cut and place the tree in the hole with the roots evenly distributed around the cone. Push the roots into the soil with the fingers to hold them in place and while holding the tree in an upright position sift the top soil around the roots.
When roots have been covered by a couple of inches of soil, lightly tamp with foot.
This is important as it excludes all air pockets from around the roots and stops them from drying out.
Then fill in the rest of the hole with soil. It is advisable to leave the union of the young tree out of the ground, especially if the union is not completely healed over. For citrus trees the union must not be buried under any circum- stances.
Watch that weed growth
Uncontrolled summer weeds are among the worst enemies of the young tree. They
A we
allowed to persist around the young trees.
Hand hoeing, although back breaking, is a most effective method of dealing with this problem.
When hoeing or digging around young trees, roots are easily damaged and this may cause a considerable set-back to the young trees. This is particularly import- ant with citrus which have a shallow feeding root system. The use of black polythene sheeting or a mulch of sawdust around the base of young trees also prevents weed growth. The use of these materials will be discussed later.
rob the soil of moisture and must not be sawdust mulch around the base of the tree and trunk guard 407
The use of herbicides on trees under three years old must be viewed with caution. The contact herbicides Paraquat or Diquat have no residual effect in the soil but they can scorch the bark of young trees if the trunks are sprayed.
Summer moisture
It always pays to water young trees but the frequency of watering will vary with the season.
Because of the high rate of evaporation of moisture from the surface soil where most of the roots are, it is necessary to water more frequently during long hot, dry spells.
Waterings can be cut down considerably if a suitable mulch is applied around the base of the trees. Fresh sawdust has proved very effective when applied not less than four inches deep and four to five feet in diameter. It should also be
A trunk guard of sisalation has proved very effective as a protection against sun injury on this young tree
remembered that when sawdust is applied it reduces surface soil temperatures and suppresses weed growth and so saves hand hoeing. Black polythene acts in a similar way to sawdust.
Trunk protection
Each year many young trees die through lack of protection of the trunk from direct sun scorch. This injury is commonly seen on the side facing the afternoon sun and often occurs at ground level where bark tissue is burnt, thus preventing sap flow.
Trees planted in sandy loams and lighter soils appear to be worst affected. Often the damage will extend around the com- plete cirmumference of the trunk.
Another symptom of sun injury is lack of bark vigour and discoloration on the sunny side. This also is likely to impede the free flow of sap and lessen the vigour of the tree.
A variety of materials can be used for trunk protection, such as bagging or card- board wound loosely around the trunk.
One worthy of special mention is sisala- tion, using an aluminium-covered sisal- craft which reflects heat. A strip from six to eight inches wide, wrapped loosely around the trunk, is adequate.
Insects can damage
Young trees are susceptible to attack by insects, so they too have to be taken into account.
Most troublesome of these pests are the leaf eating and bark chewing types. The main insects in this category are cater- pillars, curculio beetles and grasshoppers.
These all do much the same damage, chewing out terminal points, eating leaves and ring-barking shoots.
An arsenate of lead or DDT spray will control caterpillars and a dieldrin spray in early December should check curculio beetles and grasshoppers. Apply subse- quent sprays if required.
Fullers Rose Weevil has in recent years been troublesome but, unlike curculio beetle, it remains in the tree and does not move up and down the tree trunk each night.
Mites and spiders are sap suckers and often damage is not detected until the leaves start to lose their natural green
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colour and, in bad cases, shed. Attacks by these pests upset the normal functioning of the leaves and the part they play in natural tree growth.
A systemic miticide spray applied in late December will cope with these.
Young pear trees are often affected by pear blister mite, which shows up as little red coloured blisters over the leaves.
A pre-budburst spray of lime sulphur will usually check this pest. (Organic phosphate and oil is also recommended).
A careful check should be made for a build up of scale insects and beetles under tree guards.
Some other problems to watch for
Young apple trees are not usually affected by fungal troubles. One problem worth watching for is "withertip" or
"summer dieback".
This is caused by a copper deficiency and is most likely to occur on gravelly or sandy soils. Yates are particularly susceptible. A 4 : 4 : 100 Bordeaux mixture spray applied in early December corrects copper deficiency.
A fungal disease of pears—pear scab—
can become very troublesome later on if allowed to establish itself early.
Control measures for all pests and diseases of fruit trees will be found in the Department of Agriculture Spraying Guide.
Fertiliser requirements
Young apple and pear trees planted on good orchard loams appear not to need fertiliser in the planting hole.
There is also a distinct risk of fertiliser injury to the root system of the young trees. This can occur with both organic and inorganic fertilisers, particularly if they come into contact with the roots. On poor sandy and gravelly soils the trees will benefit from the addition of a mixed fer- tiliser, but it must be kept well away from the roots. It is best to dig a wide hole and place the fertiliser in a ring well out from the roots.
A shovel full of sheep or cow manure placed at the bottom of the hole and covered with a few inches of top soil has proved very effective, but the use of animal manures involves the risk of carrying
unwanted grasses, mainly couch grass, into the orchard.
Young citrus trees require nitrogen more than other trees and this should be applied during the summer when watering. A good cover of annuals should be encouraged between the tree rows in the winter with special emphasis on legumes but do not allow them to compete with the trees.
Cultivation methods
The aim of cultivation should be to suppress competing weeds early in spring with the least possible disturbance of the soil. Cultivation which is too deep and too close to the tree can only result in injury to the young tree's root system, with a consequent setback to the tree.
Summer pruning
Summer pruning of young trees should be kept to a minimum and only aim at
The effect of the trunk guard in maintaining the bark in a green healthy condition is shown by the change in colour of the bark above the section of the trunk protected by the
guard
411
suppressing unwanted shoots by means of
"pinching" out, to give preference to selected leaders.
This pinching out should be started early in December before the misplaced shoots have made much growth; late summer pruning is less beneficial to tree growth.
Dormant- pruning
The most important feature of young tree dormant pruning is the selection of leaders to even up growth on all sides of the tree. This is done by allowing the
"weakest" wanted leader to remain the highest after pruning. Since sap flows to the highest points more freely by leaving the weakest leader the longest the greater flow of sap strengthens it.
Vermin trouble
Although rabbits may be scarce and rarely seen, it must be remembered that one or two rabbits can do irreparable damage to many young trees by completely ring-barking them.
Rabbits have the habit of attacking fruit trees spasmodically without warning. It pays to be prepared.
Measures must be taken before damage occurs. These include completely rabbit- proofing the orchard and keeping the trunks of the trees covered with a protec- tive shield such as recommended against sun damage.
Time and effort spent in caring for young trees will be more than repaid in later years through better tree growth and better crops.
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