August Fruit Tree to-do List

plum trees coming into blossom

The early plums are on the move, brewing up blossom. Wander your fruit trees to see which trees are beginning to roll into action. They get a little glow on as the energy starts to move and the buds start to swell. Such a subtle shift as the buds fatten, then swell enough to show a slither of pink or white and then suddenly boom! There it is! Blossom!

This journey from bud to blossom to fruit is such an important one to engage with. Being present for all stages of growth keeps you in the loop, so when things go wrong you know why. If there’s a big wind and the blossom blows off there’ll be no fruit. If it rains while blossom is peaking, pollination will be poor. Knowing this helps, and, besides, you may be able to remedy it.

Check to see whether or not the bees are working the blossom and watch the wonderful process – it happens so fast – if you blink you’ll miss it!

Frost damage

lemonade frost protection

Should any of your citrus or subtropicals get frosted, leave those burned and brown leaves on as a layer of protection, perhaps cover them in frost cloth too. Prune them back after risk of frost is gone.

Biological Fungicides

If fungal disease was an issue last year, buy in a bottle of Botryzen and be ready to spray as soon as foliage begins to emerge.

Read through my healthy fruit tree game plan and see how you can strengthen and improve your garden.

Comments

  1. Good morning! I recently purchased a lifestyle block, most of which is old orchard. I’ve spotted an avocado tree. Unfortunately it has grown in between a large old plum. And All the foliage is is about 15 foot high. Any suggestions as to how I could promote some new growth nearer to ground? Should I take out the plum to give the avo a chance? Oh how I would love to grow my own avos!

    • I can relate to the wish for Avo’s! but gosh without seeing it Gus I cannot possibly advise. Check out my “how to prune an Avocado” post ok (search it up on my website) and perhaps also “How much space do my fruit trees need” blog as well. The thing is all sorts of strange and unusual spacings and combinations work well – depending on where you live as to available light to your plum/ avo situation will the a big determining factor re amount of fruits. Have fun! Kath

  2. Kia ora Kath!
    I have continued to have leaf curl issues and was very keen on trying out the apple cider vinegar remedy you have mentioned in the past. My question is… would this replace the need to copper/sulphur spray at this time of the year? And what is the right time to start using ACV on the trees?
    Sue

    • Great question Sue. You can do them altogether if you wish. When the foliage comes in, begin your ACV. Keep building your orchard area – it is but young. Also those trees were pretty hammered when you began if I remember rightly so it may even be a case of letting go – something to sit with anyway.

      • Hi Kath,

        I live in Masterton, and have a few fruit trees (apple, plum, quince, citrus, grape, etc,).

        I usually spray EM1 quite frequently, but have been getting leaf curl on all my plums. I’m not using the EM1 over winter (quite frosty at the moment!), but will restart as soon as it’s warmer.

        My questions:
        Is lime a good thing to add around the apples and the plums now (or should I have done that earlier)?
        How do I use the apple cider vinegar for the leaf curl?
        You’ve recommended Botryzen for as soon as the foliage starts – can I use them all together?

        I always appreciate your newsletters and will look forward to your advice.

        PS I’m also a proud owner of your book, The Edible Backyard – maybe I’ll find the answers there? I’ll check now, but will still look forward to hearing from you!

        Thanks,
        Ashok

        • Big questions Ashok! Respectfully, these constitute a consult/ garden coaching session 🙂
          You will find a feeding regime in both my book and in all my free online info on the site – look under the fruit tree tab for all you need – especially read my healthy fruit tree game plan. Enjoy! K

  3. Hi Kath

    Far out, fruit trees need way more care than I ever thought!
    I have a Hawera plum tree which had a moderately alarming infestation of Plum Tree Aphid last summer. Am I too late to do a bare tree spray, and if not, what would you recommend I use?

    Warmly
    Rachel

    • Aphids wont be helped by lime sulfur Rachel – these are fungicides for fungal issues only. Hop onto the biological spray section and read through – adding Neem will help your cause as will a booming population of beneficial insects.

  4. Can I safely spray my citrus tree which are a fruiting. Do they need regular spraying and if so how often. Thanks.

  5. Melissa Savage says

    Kia ora Kath
    Love all your advice and I’ve inherited well developed fruit trees (about six years old) so our first full summer here last year and there were huge numbers of Louisa plums but sadly the tree is right in the middle of the vegetable garden! so most of my veges got no sunlight and didn’t produce well. I’m a pretty new gardener but I can see how much shade the tree gives out in the height of summer. A number of people say I should chop it down (it’s a little smaller than the one in your photo on this page) but I was wondering if I could just try chopping it right back but I don’t want to kill it.
    Appreciate any advice – there’s a nectarine tree close by about the same size as well . . .
    Thanks
    Mel

    • Ha! Curly! Gotta love a well thought out garden layout 🙂
      You could for sure try prune your plum in a way that lets enough light through. My pick (without seeing it) would be to remove lower branches. Watch the play of light through the seasons. You can prune the odd bits and pieces during summer as the shadow becomes evident. The other hold up here will the tree roots. Some vege are fine but others not so. Potatoes, pumpkins, zuchinni, leafy greens all suit this zone perfectly well because they are shallow rooted and low growing and you can create a no dig zone so as not to disturb shallow feeder roots.
      Perhaps you grow some with the plum and create another vegie growing area north of the tree in the light.
      Or move the entire vegie growing area elsewhere.
      Another option is to get another Luisa plum growing in a more suited place and in 4 years when it starts fruiting remove the original.

  6. Bianca Sepulveda says

    Kia ora Kath,
    I’m afraid I just made the mistake of pruning our nectarine and plum trees. I thought it was just the cherry trees that are not pruned in winter but now realise it is all stone fruit 🤦‍♀️
    Will be doing regular EM sprays from here on in and thinking also to try Botryzen as we did have a problem with leafcurl last year, but is there anything else you would suggest? I’m really hoping the trees won’t come down with silverleaf or some infection, especially as our apricots had a nasty bacterial-looking infection last year (fortunately no winter pruning for them!)
    Any advice appreciated,
    Thank you so much, Bianca (Wairarapa)

    • Hey Bianca, Yip EM is great and Botryzen too. Remember the health of your trees is the coming together of your whole system – the soil, mulch, herbal ley et all. Look up my Healthy Fruit Tree Game Plan – its on the blog, and read through for further inspo. I pruned stone fruit in winter for many years before I learned about summer pruning – and they were by and large good as gold. I’m sure your trees will be AOK! Especially if you remember to send them encouraging vibes, not worried ones. Enjoy, K