Spring is an exciting time for gardeners, especially those growing fruit trees. As the cold fades and temperatures rise, your fruit trees begin to wake up from their winter dormancy. This period is critical for ensuring your trees set the stage for a bountiful harvest later on in the year. Whether you’re growing nectarines, peaches, apricots, naartjies, or granadillas, the right care can make all the difference. Let’s explore the best practices for watering, pruning and soil management to boost the health of your spring fruit trees.
1. Watering Schedules: The Foundation for Healthy Growth
Proper watering is one of the key factors for the success of your fruit trees during spring. As the trees emerge from dormancy, their water needs increase to support new growth, blossom development, and eventually fruiting.
Early Spring: Keep an eye on the weather, and water your trees more frequently if you experience dry spells. Water deeply but not too often—fruit trees typically need around 25 to 50 mm of water per week.
Later in Spring: Once your trees begin to blossom, maintain consistent moisture levels. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot. A good technique is to water in the early morning, allowing the soil to absorb the water before the heat of the day.
Using Garden Master’s 12 x 20 cm hosepipe can make this task easier. This durable hose allows you to water at ground level, minimising water loss through evaporation and ensuring your trees get the hydration they need without wasting water.
Pruning: Encouraging Strong Growth and Fruit Production
Spring is an excellent time to prune your fruit trees, as they are actively growing, which allows for quick recovery. Pruning helps improve air circulation, remove dead or damaged branches, and shape the tree for better light exposure.
- Nectarines, Peaches, and Apricots: These trees benefit from thinning out crowded branches and removing any growth that points inward. This will help reduce the risk of disease and improve sunlight penetration, which is vital for fruit ripening.
- Naartjies and Granadillas: Remove any dead or weak branches and focus on maintaining an open, balanced shape.
Garden Master’s 3-piece pruning set is the ideal tool for this task, offering a sturdy and precise cut to keep your trees healthy.
Soil Management: Ensuring Your Trees Have the Right Nutrients
Good soil is the foundation for any healthy plant, and fruit trees are no exception. Start by assessing your soil’s pH levels. Most fruit trees thrive in slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 6-7). Here’s a nifty DIY testing technique to help you.
- Compost and Mulching: In spring, applying compost around the base of your fruit trees will replenish the soil with essential nutrients and improve its structure. Garden Master’s Compost is perfect for this, as it helps retain moisture and adds organic matter, promoting healthy root growth.
- Lawn Dressing: Another product to consider is Garden Master’s Lawn Dressing, which can be used to improve the soil around your trees. This is particularly useful if you have heavy clay or sandy soil, as it helps improve water retention and nutrient availability.
4.Fertilising: Boosting Tree Health and Fruit Production
Fruit trees need a nutrient boost in spring to fuel their growth and fruiting. A balanced fertiliser applied at the right time can make all the difference in your harvest. Use Garden Master’s Bio Fertiliser.
- Nectarines, Peaches, and Apricots: These stone fruits are heavy feeders. Look for a fertiliser high in potassium and phosphorus, which promotes flower and fruit development.
- Naartjies and Granadillas: These trees will benefit from a more balanced approach, ensuring they get equal amounts of nitrogen for foliage growth and potassium for fruiting.
5. Pest and Disease Control: Staying Ahead of Potential Problems
Spring is also a time when pests and diseases become more active. The key to healthy fruit trees is early detection and management.
- Peach and Nectarine Trees: Keep an eye out for aphids and leaf curl. An organic insecticide or homemade soap spray can help manage aphids, while a copper-based fungicide can control leaf curl if applied early in the season.
- Naartjies and Granadillas: Watch for citrus psylla and scale insects. Prune affected areas and treat them with an organic pesticide.
A good tip is to use Garden Master’s 3-piece hand tool set for regular inspection of your trees. This set makes it easy to remove any weeds growing around the tree base that might harbour pests.
6. Mulching: Keeping Moisture In and Weeds Out
Mulching is an essential part of tree care, especially in spring when new growth is most vulnerable. By applying a thick layer of mulch around the base of your fruit trees, you help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and prevent weed growth.
Garden Master’s compost also doubles as an excellent mulch, breaking down slowly to nourish the soil while protecting your trees.
7. Supporting Your Trees: Staking and Protecting
For younger trees or those that produce heavy fruit loads, staking is essential to provide support during spring and throughout the growing season. Staking also protects your trees from strong winds and helps prevent breakage.
- Granadillas: Being a vine, granadillas need extra support, so make sure you provide a sturdy trellis or fence for them to climb on.
- Stone Fruits: Use wooden or metal stakes to help your young trees remain upright and to secure branches with heavy fruit loads.
Discover Our Guides
- To find out how to grow your own citrus trees, click here.
- To learn more about caring for your lemon trees, check out our guide here.
If you’re interested in growing your own stone fruit, read this blog.
Preparing for Summer
While spring is a crucial time for tree care, don’t forget about the upcoming summer. As the days grow hotter, you’ll need to adjust your watering and pest control routines. Stay ahead of the game by continuing to feed your trees and monitor for any signs of heat stress or insect damage.
For more information on the science behind the spring equinox and how it affects your summer garden, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok an eye on the ‘Garden Talks’ page for our next blog, where we’ll cover how increased sunlight benefits your plants, tips for optimising light exposure and what to plant in September for a vibrant summer garden. Remember to visit your nearest Makro, Builder or Game for all the essentials.
