Having fresh fruit at the table from spring to fall is a privilege not many have. The ones who do know that fall is the season when most fruit trees offer their tantalizing gems of wonder, so they have plenty of work to do this time of year. Our lawn care Mason, OH experts want to offer you today a quick guide on caring for your orchard so you can enjoy the fruits and keep the trees healthy and thriving throughout the cold months of winter. Your trees need to be kept in full shape, so this is what our exerts have to say.

1. The Fruits Should Be Picked Carefully

The ones new to picking fruits should learn that you should never just pull the fruit from the branch. Instead, you should twist the fruits upwards and on the side. Another method is to grasp them from the bottom. Next, lift them upwards until they get an upside down position and then gently remove them. The leaf spurs should remain on the picked fruit – you should make sure they don’t break from the stem.

2. The Trees Should Be Watered

You should make sure the trees are properly watered at least by the end of the month. If rain is present in satisfactory quantities you should not waste too much water, but if rain is scarce, talk to your lawn care Mason, OH experts about proper watering in October. As a general rule, trees should receive 2-3 inches of water with each watering session. However, fruit trees irrigation depends on the soil type, nutrients’ levels in the soil and current weather conditions.

3. Fallen Leaves Should Be Raked

The leaves under the trees should be regularly raked. If you leave dry leaves under the trees you will only invite pests and diseases to infect the trees. Fruit trees are especially vulnerable to such threats. Gather the leaves and use them to make compost or shred them and turn them into mulch.

4. Trees Should Be Protected with Covers

Speaking about mulch, it is important to make sure the areas around the trees are properly mulched and covered. You can use drier mulches to make the orchard look clean, neat and gorgeous – especially of you use hard mulch made of wood chips and bark. This is a good measure to keep pests and wildlife away from the trees. Landscape fabric covers placed underneath the mulch layer are also a good idea, but refrain from using plastic covers – they will suffocate the roots.

5. Fertilizers Should Be Avoided

If you keep fertilizing, the newly planted trees will continue to grow, lacking thus winter hardiness. You can boost your fruit trees health and strength with organic fertilizers, but refrain from using chemicals, as they can damage the trees and the fruits. Your lawn care Mason, OH experts can tailor you a proper fertilizer to keep your trees well nourished and protected.

Talk to your lawn care Mason, OH specialists about pruning, trimming and transplanting fruit trees as well and let them devise a proper maintenance plan for you.