More Leaves, Fruit and Other Young Tree Maintenance. 11.19.18

Five-Year Old Apple Tree With Rodent Protection Sleeve.  11.19.18

 While I was spreading leaves for mulch, I noted several trees that were outgrowing their rodent protection sleeves.  When the trunks have expanded to the point where there is risk of the guard girdling the trunk.  In addition, I followed recommendations to have the bottom of the guard partly under the soil surface which for some trees result in roots growing into and through the guard, which is challenging to remove.

In this case (first and second photos), once I cut through one side of the sleeve, it opened easily with no harm to tree, bark, or roots.

Apple Trunk Freed from Hardware Cloth Sleeve.  11.19.18

Removing Rodent Protection Sleeve from 5-Year Old Apple Trunk.  11.19.18

 For the second tree, about the same age, the tree guard also came off very easily.

Now I'm leaving these tree trunks unprotected.  I think they are tougher and more woody, so less likely to have vole damage this winter.  However, I am keeping the leaves raked away from the trunks. 

AdColumnar Apple Tree With Rodent Protection Sleeve.  11.19.18

Columnar Apple Tree With Rodent Protection Sleeve.  11.19.18

Smith Fig Tree Before Pruning.  11.19.18

Smith Fig Tree After Pruning.  11.19.18

The next two photos show the vole guards on trees that i recently transplanted.  These trunks also look fairly woody, so I don't know if the guards are needed.

The last two photos show the Smith fig tree that occupies a spot in the blackberry pen.   This tree is still plus/minus in this climate.  They originate in Southern Louisiana, bayou country.  Here, I lost one Smith fig tree to a freeze that did not kill other fig trees.  The crop took a long time to ripen here, and I lost more to cold weather preventing ripening of the last figs, than I got to eat.  However, of the ones that I did get to eat, the tree proved its reputation as a really good fig.  So I'm keeping it. 

However, this tree takes more space in the blackberry bed than I want.  The lower branches are not productive, and are in the way of maintenance.  So the last photos show what I did, mainly cutting off the lowest branches, and opening up the center for better sunlight.  I cut away branches that impinge on the nearest blackberry plants.  The blackberries are much more productive, whereas the fig is yet to prove itself worth the space and effort.

Fall is the Time to Collect Leaves for Mulch. 11.4.18

Each fall I spread a fresh layer of tree leaves around most of the fruit trees. For the trees in cages, and the young trees, the leaf mulch suppresses weed growth, retains moisture, and enriches soil. As the fruit trees grow and mature, I remove the deer cages and don't spread leaves, since those trees have deeper roots and less need for such intense nurturing. The photo is a pawpaw tree with a nice layer of maple leaves. The main thing to watch for is that leaves may provide habitat for voles, which can and do kill young trees by eating the bark and cambium layer. I provide a sleeve of hardware cloth around the young trunk. That too has its hazards - the sleeve needs to be removed before the tree trunk grows too tight against the mesh.

Late Fall Apple Tree Care. Pruning and Protection from Voles. 11.1.18

I've started providing some care for the apple tree area.  This is for the dwarf and columnar trees.  One of the transplanted trees was without vole protection.  Voles are the biggest reason these trees don't survive a winter.   These are hardware cloth, helt in a cylinder using zip ties.  I push them slightly into the ground, but no longer try to push them deep.  When I have them under ground level, roots grow between the mesh and it's difficult to clean up.

I pruned the trees to remove branches the almsot touch the ground, and maintain the columnar shape of columnar cultivars.

They have a nice maple leaf mulch now.  About 6 inches thick, which will pack down to a few inches.  That provides excellent moisture retention during the summer, weed prevention all year, and nourished the soil.