Hello, I'm looking after my father-in-law's fruit trees in Burnaby for the summer, and have a few questions about taking care of them. He's not much of a gardener---and has been sort of cavalier in his approach---but the trees have, in previous years, produced excellent fruit. I'm not sure how much and how often I should water them (if at all, in such a wet climate)? Also, where should I water them (i.e., at the trunk, etc.)? Very good south-west exposure, although the weather hasn't been great this month. Thanks for any help, Ciccione
I don't water my trees unless it is pretty dry. Even then I ignore my plums, peach,and fig. I water the pear sparingly when its really dry, and if you really need to water don't do it when the fruit is just about ready as it splits the fruit. You don't need to water the leaves, or the trunk, but look at the spread of the tree, the roots are below the circumference of it, water there. Carol Ja
The typical July rainfall total in Seattle is less than 1/4". Water enough to keep your fruit trees moist. Use mulch to retard drying of the soil. Dig around under the trees to see how moist the soil is.
Thank you both for your advice. Much appreciated. Has it been, do you think, a bad year for fruit trees in this part of the world?
Some Japanese plums and perhaps some apples appear to me to be cropping better than usual, actually. In fact, purpleleaf plum authority A.L. Jacobson told me this is the first year ever he has seen the purpleleaf Japanese plum 'Vesuvius' fruiting in Seattle.
