Question:
When is the right time to start feeding my fruit trees? I have a cherry, apricot, and persimmon. Also, how can I prevent the ants from running up and down the trunks?Answer:
- Established or mature Cherries, Apricots, and other fruit trees except Persimmons are fertilized annually in the late winter or early spring, February through April.
- Persimmons are fed in the fall, as fertilizing in the spring can cause fruit to drop from the nitrogen. New and maturing fruit trees are fed a second time from May through July.
- Peaches and Nectarines benefit from a second feeding as next year's fruit is produced on this year's growth. Many fruit tree-specific fertilizers are available today, so you can't go wrong with any of them. I'd apply half a pound of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter, measured two feet off the ground is recommended for each tree. The fertilizer is evenly distributed around the drip line, not piled at the base of the tree(s), and then watered in. Before making a second application, water the tree(s) the day before or at least four hours beforehand to prevent fertilizer burn. It's not necessary now as there is plenty of moisture in the ground from the winter rains.
- Ants cause little to no damage to fruit trees. They are more of a nuisance than anything else. What they are looking for is food. Ants will ferry Aphids around to feed off the clear, sticky secretions called 'Honey Dew.' This occurs during the spring and early summer months.
- If ants are a problem year-round, I will suspect another insect called Scale. Scale is located on the stems and branches of the trees. They are raised, bumpy areas that could be mahogany, brown, or black in color.
- You can control the ants with two approaches. One would have you apply a sticky resin called Pest Barrier or Tanglefoot to the tree(s) trunk.
- Tanglefoot/Pest Barrier is placed about two feet off the ground in a two-inch wide band. The Tanglefoot /Pest Barrier traps the ants as they march upward.
- Controlling the insects and eliminating the food source is the second option. This eliminates the ants incentive to be in the trees in the first place. Depending on the problem, Insecticidal soap or Horticultural Oil can be used.
- Both of these products are safe to use on trees with mature fruits.
Question:
The Daffodils we planted several years are now about two feet in circumference. They come up abundantly but give maybe two blooms. We always let the leaves die and turn yellow before removing them. What have I done wrong?Answer:
- Daffodils will stop blooming when the clumps become crowded. It's too late for this year. After the foliage turns yellow and easily separates from the ground,
- I would dig up the clump(s). You could divide the clump(s) into smaller segments then or wait until next fall when you replant. The bulbs should be stored in a cool location. Daffodil clumps are divided every three to four years.