Dormant Care

Today, we pruned the roses, grape vine,  and espalier fruit trees, cleaned the beds around those pruned darlings, and sprayed dormant oil to protect from nasty insects and diseases.  The trees were planted about a year ago. 

January 12, 2009 (planted)

There wasn’t any bounty from the trees this year.  2009 was the year to train the trees in espalier fashion.  There were 5 peaches, 3 apples, and a few bunches of grapes (Most were donated to the birds – those terrorists.) was the only fruit sampled from these new plants.  So far, so good.   Here’s how everything looked today, January 1, 2010:  Santa Rosa Plum

O’Henry Peach

Granny Smith Apple

Red Flame Grape

Warren Pear

  Fantasia Nectarine

Blenheim Apricot

I’m pleased to report many earthworms in each of the tree beds.  There were also cutworms, cabbage loopers, cabbageworms, and earwigs (aka earrywigs).  We have lost many trees to borers in the past.  Hopefully this dormant maintenance will help cut down on the population of the destructive insects and any nasty diseases.

Let the year begin.  Happy 2010!

Note:  Second dormant oil application was on January 31, 2009, Sunday.