■5- 



Soil Management 



Sod-Mulch System 



While it is generally true that newly set fruit trees do poorly in a heavy 

 grass sod, it is possible by the application of sufficient mulching materials 

 around the trees to obtain tree growth equal to that obtained under cultivation. 

 The mulch should be of sufficient quantity to suppress the growth of grass in an 

 area extending from near the tree trunk out to a point slightly beyond the spread 

 of the branches. The use of wire hardware cloth guards around the trunk and 

 several inches of sand applied to the base of the tree extending in a two foot 

 circle helps reduce mouse injury. 



Every effort should be made to produce the maximum growth of grass in the 

 area between the trees in order to obtain as much mulch as possible. This can 

 be accomplished by applying 500 to 600 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 

 10-10-10 and by application of sufficient dolomitic or high magnesium lime to 

 maintain a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Soils which have not had frequent application 

 of lime will require 2 or more tons of lime per acre. 



In well established and fertilized sods it is possible to obtain sufficient 

 mulching materials from the hay cut between the tree rows. On newly cleared 

 land or old abandoned hay fields it may be necessary to bring in additional 

 mulching material from outside the orchard. It is usually necessary to add 

 some form of nitrogen fertilizer to the mulch until it starts to decay. The 

 amount of fertilizer to apply will depend somewhat on the age and kind of tree, 

 the nature of the mulching material and the extent of its decay. In general, 

 1/8 pound of ammonium nitrate or its equivalent per year of tree age should be 

 sufficient for apples. If the mulch is of rather poor quality or contains much 

 straw, the amount of nitrogen should be increased. 



D£nLJ'oL8^LToJ^ER^l2LBor^n^To_Young_^ Boron deficiency symptoms 



most commonly found in fruit from young trees. Apply one-quarter pound to 

 young trees every three years . 



Cultivati^n_jEor a jrear_<jr^^^ 



Some growers prefer to cultivate the newly set apple orchards for a year 

 or two, although it is generally recommended to sow the orchard to a permanent 

 sod the year of planting. In such instances some type of cropping is recommended 

 to help maintain organic matter and to reduce soil erosion. A "trashy" type of 

 cultivation should be practiced during the spring and early summer and this can 

 be followed by a green manure crop. Oats, millet, Sudan grass or a mixture of 

 the latter can be sown in late July or August. When preparing the soil for 

 seeding, apply 200-300 pounds of 5-20-20 per acre. The grower may wish to omit 

 the green manure crop and allow grass and weeds to grow from the date of last 

 cultivation until seeding in September. 



In September the green manure crop can be worked in the soil and oats can 

 be sown preferably of the Gary variety. 



Oats are killed by the first hard freeze in the fall. Winter rye is not 



are 



