Designing an Apple Tree Guild: Attractors and Repellents
In this post we will wrap up the elements in designing an apple tree guild. A guild is simply a group of plantings that benefit one another. Guilds occur naturally in the wild, but as gardeners we can design one with plants that personally benefit us in one way or another; they could provide food, [...]
Designing an Apple Tree Guild: Nitrogen Fixers
In my quest to rejuvenate my apple trees, I am looking into the building of a guild. The typical method of growing fruit trees in a monoculture (one species) orchard or on a lawn is not in the best interest of the tree. Monocultures like this do not occur in nature. They lead to an [...]
Designing an Apple Tree Guild: Dynamic Nutrient Accumulators
In my previous article, I talked about a problem with sick soil on my property. After decades of monocrop farming with its attendant pesticide, herbicide and chemical fertilizer use, the land I now own needs some rehabilitating. Some of my diseased trees are apple trees, so today we will look at plant species that could [...]
Plant Guilds
I thought I would share with you a problem I have come across and what I believe to be an exciting solution. This past spring I was very frustrated because most of the trees on my property are unhealthy in one way or another. The English walnuts have anthracnose, the douglas firs have rhabdocline, and [...]
The Home Orchard: Healthy Apples
One common pest of apple trees in the home orchard is the apple maggot. The adult “stings” the developing fruit, laying an egg inside the apple. The larva develops and feeds by tunneling through the apple, causing it to rot and fall early from the tree.
Fire Blight – Use Bleach to Defeat the Nuisance
Fire blight is a nuisance for those of us who would like to grow pears. It also affects other trees, including apples and the Pacific Madrone. It’s called fire blight because it looks like the tree has been burnt by fire. It’s caused by a bacterium that kills blossoms, stems, branches, and sometimes the entire [...]
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