That would be a bit difficult as it’s compacted limestone.
If it simply limits the size of the tree I’m OK with that. I created the problem by planting a tree there… I’ll just have to see how it goes in the coming years.
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I’m not suggesting remove the gravel or the limestone but mulch on top of it. Mulch holds the moisture level more constant and prevents soil moisture loss during dry spells. It also helps to keep the soil softer for root penetration.
Dennis
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Additionally, think about the heat stress your feeder roots experience underneath all that stone. Stone and rock absorb heat driving the soil temp up above its normal 57 degrees F. Not good for those tender feeder roots that naturally want to come towards the surface to pick up nutrients and water. If you mulch over the crushed rock that also helps hold the soil temperature down. Try this during the peak if daytime heat, see how long you can hold your hand on the rocks and stone. You will see what I am suggesting makes sense
Dennis
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I am getting another infrared thermometer today as I’ve wanted to check out different features in my yard for surface temps.
As far as spoil temps, where I live you would have to dig I don’t know how deep to get below 60°.
I am curious so may play with that too.
Having removed several fruit trees a few years older than this FG I can say there are very few roots below 2 feet.
Regardless I have 3 trees planted in the same setting : FG, Cot-n-Candy Aprium, and Katy apricot. The Aprium is going well with strong growth after pruning this summer.
As a comparison for how the trees are doing in this cramped setting, here are a few photos of the Cot-n-Candy.
Nighttime photos show much better than daylight ones.
If you are talking strictly of younger dwarf fruit trees that receive regular watering that is likely true. However, ungrafted naturally grown trees can have a taproot that extends quite a ways below ground.
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Roger that.
All my trees are grafted
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I’m still wondering if I should be cutting off the dieback on my Flavor Grenade Pluot tips.
See photos. You’ll have to zoom on the landscape one.
I think I’d be less worried about cut wounds healing than whatever is killing the growth tips.
I’m still 2 months away from first freeze… Or longer.
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If the wood is dying best to cut it off well below the dieback now. Where the leaves are turning brown, what is the condition of the axil buds? If they are still healthy then the wood is not dying, and this may be only a drought response. If in doubt, cut first and don’t let it spread. Cleanse with alcohol the shears between cuts. Dispose of all infected wood off site or burn.
Dennis
Kent, wa
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Thanks… Yes once the sun dips some I will.
I’ll take a good look a the cut wood to see it’s condition.
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Earlier this summer some of my plums were defoliating but on my Spring Satin I determined it was more likely my watering process because the remaining buds were still healthy. So on 8/21 I Cut the Defoliated Spring Satin scaffold from Myro 3, disinfected it with alcohol and made scions: grafted 3 ea onto a volunteer plum, 3 ea onto SM plumcot, and one of my cherry trees I am top working. This week those grafts are growing
Dennis
Kent wa
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Good results! Happy for you!
In any event this will help in the long run to limit growth height. A key bit of information I learned in the last two years is that the majority of pure vertical growth never produces fruit, rather it only gets you a much taller, harder to manage tree. I have been applying this principle on my mature trees albeit later than I should have in retrospect! As an example my neighbor gave me permission to manage his trees several years ago, most of them he started when he moved here in 1983. In one case of P Americana a fairly mature tree spawned a number of other suckers that had grown in some cases over 16” high before I began management. As I studied this thorned thicket I knew I needed the fruit bearing wood much lower, so I began to tie each one individually down while making sure each one could receive adequate sunlight. Of course in some cases the taller scaffolds began to shade out lower limbs that eventually died back requiring pruning off. However; I noticed a doubling of fruit production in about 3 years. This morning I completed my initial tie down of the upper most ones, some over 25’ in the air. I noticed this year that unless a limb is growing at an angle just slightly above horizontal, it produces very little fruit. I concluded that even the native trees such as these eventually out grow themselves and die out and give over to the newer suckers. Below are a couple of pics after this morning’s work.
From the west side: still one high flag that I will adjust downward in early spring. The original tree on far right.
Looking SE same side
Looking westward from east side: The original tree planted in 1983 on far left.
Note: used milk jugs with rocks to weigh down many smaller limbs. This year a majority of the fruit picking was done from a ladder. I hope to be able using my reaching tool to pick most next year standing on the ground. By spring the majority of my tie downs can be examined again to assure I’m not girdling any of the tie points and adjusted to rearrange spatial location for sunlight to penetrate to lower growth.
The moral of this story is to start training much earlier for a more manageable tree!
Dennis
Kent, wa
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I certainly have hemmed myself in for a few of my trees as I have a walkway and fence of sorts on two opposing sides.
Yes I plan to be quite vigorous on pruning. I will see how it flowers next spring with the growth and structure it currently has. I’ll see where the fruit sets, assuming it does.
In the meantime I will be growing out some Lovell I will order for spring to graft to. This way I can put a few varieties on new trees and place them elsewhere in my yard.
It’s quite addictive even if you wait a long time for results.
As far as the die back… I’m not sure if it was heat followed by rains after a long hot summer spurring growth then getting hot with hot dry again.
I’ve gotten suggestions it’s too wet and too dry so I don’t know.
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I expect your dieback was caused by a fluctuation in moisture levels as the growing season progressed. The tree probably sensed a need to limit growth so it dialed back nutrition until it moisture levels came back to support growth.
Dennis
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Since the wood is healthy where I cut, I’m not overly worried.
If it were easy everyone everywhere would be growing all their own food right?!
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Noticed my Cot-n-Candy Aprium had many, many sap bleeding points on it. See photos…
I’m guessing just heat stress from this ridiculous hot and dry summer.
As long as it isn’t borers I won’t worry. Every branch has some weeping.
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As I’m thinking about next year now, I looked at the two remaining alive cherry trees. All planted this spring. 3 died already and were removed. The last two Minnie Royal and Lapins, are not particularly happy either.
Lapins. The wood looks fine, just the leaves with some damage.
The Minnie Royal has several issues. First the leaves look worse than the Lapins.
Next the wood looks funky dark and wet, though not to the touch. There has been some sap weeping in many locations…
The overall tree you can see has lost leaves on several branches.
And lastly there is a new sprout just above the graft at the trunk base. It is above the graft, thank goodness.
I’m tempted to head the tree above that bottom sprout come spring and let it grower out according to its health. That assumes it’s still alive come spring. I’ll do a scratch test come spring.
See photos of the Minnie Royal below.
Looks like blight?! Be very careful to sterilize between EACH cut.
That tree is no more. It was a cherry tree BTW.
