Our Gambier Island property near Vancouver has 48 apples trees planted over 100 years ago. Many produce abundant fruit, others have fallen to the ground but still produce fruit. The fruit trees have been neglected until recently and are in need of much care. My goal over the next years is to try and save the remaining trees by pruning to open up the centers to sunlight and reduce the layering. I have been told to carefully sever 1/3 of the roots at the drip line. Most of the trees have lichen and moss on the limbs. Do I need to take this off or will it disappear once the sunlight reaches the limbs?
Do not cut the roots! What these poor old things need is nurturing approaches, like spraying and fertilizing, deadwood removal--and not amputation. Excess loss of tissue they have already experienced plenty of. Occasional removal of an entire underproductive branch, after they start to respond to new care regime probably better than going over all of each one like they were vigorous young trees being trained into specific, unnatural shapes. I was just thinking about this the other day, in regard to landscape maintenance in general (and not just orchards). A prevailing tendency here is to attack landscape plantings, regularly over-pruning the occupants and blowing/raking the soil--but seldom actually caring for it with effective irrigation, mulching* or fertilizing. *Thin crusts of ground bark notwithstanding
Thank you for your advice. You saved me some work. I will focus my efforts on nurturing: specifically, clearing away any underbrush and fertilzing. Can you recommend a product for me to use as a fertilizer. I have never used them, but I know I can buy fertilizing sticks that are poked into the ground. Is that a useful or adequate way to fertilize?
No, those aren't too good. Soils vary, sample yours and have it analyzed to get an idea what fertilizing, if any may be appropriate. Then purchase a granular material that supplies the needed nutrient(s) in suitable amounts, apply as directed on the container.
Thanks. I can do that. Is October a good time to fertilize? I am organizing a work party for October. (there are 48 trees) When is a good time to spray? Could you recommend a product? I will remove some dead wood. There is much lichen and moss on producing branches. Should I remove this? Will the lichen and moss ever go away with proper care? As you can tell, the orchard is very needy and I can only do so much. I will give priority to fertilizing, spraying, clearing away ferns and removing deadwood. Could you recommend a book about reclaiming old orchards that might be useful to me? I need a book that addresses holes in the trunk of trees and trees that have fallen over but still produce abundant fruit.
In the areas where the trees have died already you may want to leave the soil as un disturbed as possible. Old apple orchards are excellent breeding grounds for Morrell mushrooms!
