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Old 11-11-2007, 07:53 AM posted to rec.gardens
SteveB[_2_] SteveB[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Oct 2007
Posts: 45
Default Fruit tree quickies

We bought a property that has some fruit trees. A couple of peaches, a
nectarine, an apple, a couple of apricots, and a couple of almonds.

The trees were neglected. One that was near a spigot that was slightly
leaking had gotten regular watering from the seepage, and we got five of the
fruit boxes FULL of baseball sized peaches. The best I ever tasted. We got
just a few nectarines. Lots of good apricots, and a quart or two of
almonds.

The apple tree was full of apples one week, hundreds. The next week, it was
stripped except some at the top. No people tracks. No animal tracks, and
no half eaten cores on the ground. It was as if aliens came down in a space
ship and sucked them up. We were traveling at the time. At the time of
disappearance, they were hard and not ripe.

My questions a

Give me some pointers on watering, fertilizing, and care to get a good crop
this year. I am good at pruning, and these need some pruning, but not a
lot.

Tell me the difference between winter watering schedules, spring, and
summer. Is it good to make a moat and fill it, or slow water? We have PVC
system. Winter, how often to water? Spring and summer, same question.

When to fertilize and with what? Tilled in? Spread around the drip line
and watered in? Around the drip line and raked in? Put in the moat and let
dissolve?

I know I can get all these answers from books, and from Google. It's just
that I don't like to sift through that much information, and like the direct
quick answers here.

Thanks in advance.

Steve