We're talking about a popular topic: fruit trees! How to take care of them, why you might want to include them in your garden, and how they can contribute to your garden or homestead:
0:19 Intro & history of our garden
1:15 Watering tips
5:17 Maintenance
When we first moved to this property several years ago, the property had both fruit trees as well as shade trees. There were about five or six fruit trees at that time, and we've grown that to more than 30 trees now. We're officially addicted, and for good reason. It's such a blessing to have fresh fruit in our own yard, including many varieties that aren't easy to buy. As great as fruit trees are, it's a whole different animal than a veggie garden.
For starters, it's a much more permanent fixture than a seasonal crop. It can take anywhere between one to five years to actually get fruit (depending on the tree, the growing method, etc.), but it's generally much easier to maintain than a garden. Aside from water and fertilizer, most fruit trees just need attention a couple of times throughout the year if they're healthy.
If you're in San Diego like us or if you're in other areas of zones 9 or 10 that don't get a lot of rainfall, one of the first things you need to do is set up irrigation. Fruit trees need regular deep watering, and an irrigation system ensures it is consistent and controlled.
We use a drip system, and we supplement that with rainwater from our rain capture system. That fresh, natural water is much better than relying on just city water. We like to do a simple loop since it's easy to move around or adjust the flow rate.
Another key component to our system is encouraging the trees to grow deep and wide roots. By watering deeply, the roots will chase water and spread out. You don't want to just water the top layer of soil around the base of the tree because then your trees won't be as healthy or prepared to withstand hot and dry periods. Our goal is to trap water deep in the ground that the trees can access over time.
In the fall, most of our maintenance in the orchard involves weeding. We also like to mulch heavily during this time, and we keep adding layers every year. If you know me, you know I love mulch. It helps retain moisture, promotes a healthy environment for the microorganisms in the soil, and it suppresses weeds. Fall is also a good time of year to prune, such as trimming off dead or diseased branches. When the weather gets cool, we take time for our preventative measures. We spray horticultural oil on our deciduous tree trees which protects them from harmful insects. When you prune or spray organic treatments will depend on the type of trees you have. For example, your schedule for a citrus tree is going to be different than a peach tree because of the growth & fruiting cycle of the tree.
Other than that, fruit trees are fairly straightforward, and the amount of produce that you get for the hours you put in is great. They're a great way to supplement your vegetable garden, and they're all about the long game. It's a game of patience, but it's so well worth it.
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