quince roots. Since quince is only hardy to about 

 -lOF, this presents a real risk for injury. Protect the 

 quince part of the tree by mounding soil around the 

 trunk to just above the graft union. Apply this protec- 

 tive soil in early November, and remove it as soon as 

 the ground thaws in spring. 



Dwarf cherries are starting to hit the market. This 

 is great since cherry trees are large, often growing to 

 20 feet or more. So far, there are no good dwarf 

 plums or peaches and nectarines for New Hampshire. 



How do I care for my new firuit tree? 



Fertilizer is the first thing most people reach for after 

 their new fruit trees are planted. I don't like to fertil- 

 ize new trees until the soil around the roots is settled 

 well - figure on three weeks or one good soaking rain 

 to get the job done. I use regular garden fertilizer like 

 10-10-10 (about a half-pound for new trees) — some- 

 times 1 follow it up with a second application two or 

 three weeks after the first. I love to make the second 

 application just as a thunderstorm is rolling in. When 

 I fertilize, I scatter the fertilizer in a wide circular 

 band around the tree, avoiding the 18 inches nearest 

 the trunk. In general, time-release fertilizers are not 

 used for fruit trees as we do not want to push late 

 season growth. Tree spikes just aren't worth the 

 money. 



These fertilizer recommendations assume the tree 

 was planted correctly. The planting hole should be 

 wide enough to accommodate the roots. The graft 

 union of the tree (the noticeable bump on the lower 

 trunk where the variety was grafted onto the root sys- 

 tem) should be an inch or teo above ground after the 

 planting hole is refilled level with the surrounding 

 cover. I do not recommend leaving a depression near 

 the trunk to catch water. Fertilizer can be washed into 

 this hole, concentrating near the trunk and causing in- 

 jury. And if you forget to fill in the depression before 

 winter, ice accumulation can cause injury too. 



Once apple trees are six or seven years old, boron 

 should be applied in the spring every third year. Bo- 

 ron improves fruit set and fruit quality. I use borax 

 (11.1% Boron), about four ounces for dwarf trees and 

 up to three quarters of a pound for old standard apple 

 trees. Do not apply boron to other fruit trees — it is 

 just a waste of money and too much is as bad as too 

 little. 



Pruning and training newly set fruit trees is impor- 

 tant, but many new home fruit-growers just can't 

 bear to cut them. For apples and pears, cherries, and 

 prune-type plums, perhaps the most important step in 

 tree training is planting a stake with the tree. These 

 trees are all trained to have a single trunk and a shape 

 somewhat like a Christmas tree. Some gardeners rip 

 pressure-treated 2 x 4s lengthwise. These two-inch by 

 two-inch, eight-foot stakes are placed four or five 



inches from the tree and should be set three feet in 

 the ground (deep enough to prevent frost-heaving). 

 The main trunk can be tied loosely to the stake with 

 almost anything that will not cut the bark. I like to 

 use chain tie (available at most garden centers) or 

 black plastic electrical tape. 



Once the tree trunk is tied to the stake, pruning 

 is easy. If there is a branch (or two) that is large and 

 upright trying to be trunk number two, remove it by 

 cutting it back all the way to the trunk. Generally, all 

 other branches are left for at least this first year. They 

 should not be shortened (tipped or headed). If these 

 branches are growing too upright, simply tie or weigh 

 them down so they are almost, but not quite, flat 

 (2:00 and 10:00, using the numbers of a clock as a 

 guide). I like to use soft twine to do the job. Tie the 

 twine loosely around the branch about two-thirds the 

 length away from the trunk. Anchor the twine to the 

 stake or to a plastic milk jug filled with sand or wa- 

 ter. 



New peach trees (and nectarines) are trained to an 

 open center. At planting, select three or four good 

 branches about two feet above the ground as the main 

 laterals. Cut the center of the tree out above this 

 point and shorten those laterals by about a third. 



Japanese plum trees have minds of their own when 

 it comes to tree-training. Usually, the trunk will wan- 

 der off in one direction and a branch or two will 

 grow well in the opposite direction, giving the tree a 

 nice spreading shape. This first year, remove any 

 branches with very narrow crotches and any branches 

 more than half the diameter of the trunk. 



What about 'varmits"? Deer, mice (voles actually), 

 and rabbits all love fruit trees. Controlling these 

 critters can give the home gardener fits. The only 

 thing that works well if you have a lot of deer around 

 is fencing. We generally recommend an eight-foot- 

 high fence of woven wire, but this is seldom an op- 

 tion the home grower finds attractive. Deer repellents 

 are somewhat effective, but when deer are hungry, 

 they just don't work. Soap bars (leave the wrapper on 

 so the soap lasts longer) can be hung from the 

 branches to deter deer. The effective range of soap is 

 about three feet. Some garden centers sell odor and 

 taste repellents that can be sprayed on the tree to de- 

 ter feeding. Hot pepper sprays are also used with some 

 success. One company is now selling garlic juice tubes 

 to hang on trees as a deer control device but, like all 

 repellents, success is limited when deer pressure is 

 high. 



Voles (or mice as they are often called) are easier to 

 manage. Fruit trees planted in a lawn environment sel- 

 dom are attacked since the short grass provides voles 

 little cover from predators. When snows are deep, 

 however, they can move into these low-risk areas. 

 Wire guards around the bases of trees will provide 



