We Bought A House In March Of Last Year. The…
Leslie Asked
We bought a house in March of last year. The property has peach, apple, and cherry trees, and grape vines. The property was vacant for a year and a half when we moved there. The fruit did not do well at all last year. Can you tell me when and what to spray the trees with?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Leslie: The fruit on this property may have been neglected well before you purchased the land. If this is the case, spraying will not solve the problem. If the fruit was initially planted with the right conditions in mind, taking into consideration the available sunlight, soil drainage, and nutrients, as well as elevation and good air circulation, they may just need to be pruned. Assuming the fruit was cared for and properly pruned in its earlier years, hopefully it just needs to be rejuvenated. It is hard to say what condition your trees/vines are in without seeing them, so you may consider hiring a certified arborist to come out and take a look. Contact your county Cooperative Extension Service for arborist suggestions. Tell them you are specifically concerned about fruit trees. The Extension Service is a valuable resource and they have many informative publications available for home gardeners. The following are a couple that will give you specific pruning information on peaches and grapes: www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho57/ho57.pdf
www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id126/id126.htm
Ask your county agent for a copy of the publication Growing Fruit at Home in Kentucky. You should also consider having your soil tested to make sure there are nutrients available for your fruit trees and vines. This can also be done for a small fee through your county Extension Service. Phillip Meeks is the agriculture agent in Whitley County. The phone number is (606) 549-1430. I realize this is not a specific answer to your question, but hopefully it will get you on the right track.
