Mastering Fruit Tree Fertilization in a Food Forest or Home Garden

[@streedsdeeds]

I cannot thank you enough for this highly-informative video. The simplicity of the instructions and process is going to completely change how I manage my fruit trees…so much easier…and healthier.

[@suzanmckain9256]

I live in the Caribbean and this provided some really helpful tips for successful growing of fruit trees in my yard. I will create my own timing as we have only seasons, dry and wet. Lovely

[@breaking_bear]

Great information! I especially liked the coincidence of fertilizing with valentines, memorial, and labor day! Very cool!

[@roxannefineart]

So many thorough questions and answers! Thank you!

[@WisGuy4]

I have said this before, but you do a simply outstanding job of packing an enormous quantity of exceptionally helpful information into a reasonable length video, and still manage to keep it interesting. I’ve referred your channel to many of my friends who are starting to get into gardening. Your videos are super helpful even though some of what you do in a hot south west climate doesn’t necessarily apply in the upper Midwest.

[@caseyfrankify]

I was at AZ Worm Farms this morning to get worm castings for my new fruit trees - thanks in part to this video! - and saw you! I was a little starstruck seeing a KZbinr out in the wild, but in the best way. Best of luck with whatever you're working on right now, and thanks for all the great content to help me with my Phoenician garden!

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Ha! Next time say hello! Your fruit trees will be so happy!

[@karenr7931]

This information was very encouraging and proves that gardening isn't as complicated as we sometimes believe it to be.

[@TheLARAS-gh4bp]

Perfect timing for this info. Thank you!!

[@thejmac69]

This is one of the best guides I’ve ever seen for fruit tree care. Thank you!

[@detectivecox]

Saving this video for sure I have not been successful at fruit trees at all

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Simple, but effective method. Thanks for watching!

[@mariap.894]

You are not alone. I have invested in quite a few, but NO fruit yet. I have Asian worms on my property, so I guess that's why they are stunted 😢😭

[@edwinrodrigues9747]

​@@GrowingInTheGardenI use my own urine to fertilise my trees

[@BaliFoodTreePlanter]

@mariap what are Asian worms?

[@estebancorral5151]

@@edwinrodrigues9747but is your aim accurate, and do you leave residue around your pants?

[@grindcorizer6818]

Great video. This is the right way to do things. Got 45 fruit trees in our subtropic garden and this is exactly what I do. But I add also liquid fertilizer (chicken poop, nettle tea). All natural and organic. Trees love it

[@adams7833]

Great questions in the interview

[@daveblyden1325]

Hey Angela thanks for sharing such great information on fertilizing food forrest. I really appreciate your content.

[@cherriethomas9538]

We put mycorrplus on our whole property it has been amazing. We put it on in winter when we have rain coming it needs water to push it in the soil it gives the plants sramina in the summer.

[@EffectivImmediately]

The mulch looks top of the line

[@paulsmith1411]

Great you Share all this

[@queensgarden55]

Thanks in zone 7b. Nice information. Just pruned some trees and gave compost and used leaves but keep from trunk. They are in containers for now and doing well. Plan root prune them soon. Hope for fruit soon. Already have grapes on vines. Thanks for infor.

[@maryannromero4333]

That was flipping helpful! I have a pear and crab apple tree that has never been fed and is always abundantly fruitful. This should only be so helpful to the trees.❤

[@pubdefendr]

Great video. I wish I would have watched this a year ago.

[@honglepham2990]

This is super helpful for a beginner like me and I dont want chemical fertilizer, i only want organic food for my plants. Thank you very much 🌸🌸🫶

[@mollyryanochoa13]

Excellent and info packed. Saving this one for sure!

[@Anaturalcleaning]

Such a great video. Thank you

[@rocksolidwealth]

Fabulous and informative video. Thanks so much Angela!

[@juliehorney995]

Simply excellent! Thank you!

[@heatherwordup]

Very informative, great questions. thank you

[@Sisteryoda1440]

Thank you for this informative video. Would you also do a similar video on container trees, i.e. dwarf and Meyer lemon trees?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Applications would be similar - You might want to pull back the mulch first, depending on the size of the pot.

[@cactusbound]

Great questions Angela. What if you can’t get warm casings?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Do the best you can. Use as fresh of compost as possible.

[@BiplovRai-pg3bs]

So skilfully response to every queries masek this lesson interesting .For a moment I felt being inside the classroom.

[@jessicabender1301]

Well done video! Thanks.

[@CN-pe4gz]

I just found your channel and I’m so thrilled! I feel an urgency to kick up my gardening game this year and your tips have been amazing. I love this method so much. How do I go about finding the info on how to adjust the timeframe doing this to my trees in Northern Utah zone 7b?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

You would do this at the beginning of your growing season, and again as needed as the compost breaks down throughout the year.

[@carrolinenewtonisaac3234]

Thanks for sharing

[@Anaturalcleaning]

By any chance, Do you have a pruning videos?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Not yet.

[@Seamansguide]

I love it. Many thanks

[@millpanama007]

Your videos are so helpful thanks so much for all the useful info that you pack into each video. I have 3 peach trees, 1 apricot tree, 1 orange tree and 1 lemon tree…all were just planted in July 2023….should I start fertilizing on Valentine Day? I was told newly planted trees need to focus their energy on establishing their roots before producing fruit and I should wait at least a year before giving them fertilizer. Im excited about growing my own fruit but don’t want to rush it. They will be here a year in July. Your thoughts?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

They would benefit from this.

[@nursedroogvesch]

Two of my favorite AZ gardeners! Thanks for this video! Can the same concept apply to container citrus?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

From Zach: "It depends. If the container is large enough, it works. Most containers are too small and get too root bound for typical biological process to work well. I tell people "they are mother nature" in containers smaller than 40 gallons (the typical wine barrel) - which means they need conventional fertilizer."

[@68dewster]

Great video, thanks! Can I use the same rules for my citrus trees?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Yes, works well for citrus too.

[@irenelura4033]

How to follow zach too! Subscribed on this channel!❤

[@HannesGr]

I really enjoyed the video. I'll give it a try. What kind of wood mulch is best for mandarin, lemon, and pomegranate trees?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Any kind is fine.

[@HannesGr]

@@GrowingInTheGarden Great! :-) Thank you so much for your help.

[@stellaluuk2713]

Be careful with mulch! I added a thick layer of mulch around some young walnut trees before winter and mice moved in and ate all the bark off them that was covered by mulch.

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Good tip - like he says keep it away from the trunk as best you can.

[@scottbillups4576]

How do we "expand the berm as the tree grows" if we aren't supposed to dig? Are we just making mounds (rings) at the drip line, and covering?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Right - you don't need to dig down for a berm, mound it up instead.

[@furrycatsorchard]

If you keep adding it like a lazanya layers and mounting it like he said, and if the tree is grafted, wouldn’t it completely cover the graft union eventually and that would create a heck of a lot of problems, like no flowering, tree being suffocated shoots coming from under the graft etc? Does these layers of compost have to stay below the graft union here in zone 5 or can it cover the graft union for example grafted apple tree?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Watch your levels. The decomposition process uses up the compost and wood chips. When the layers go down, then it's time to add more. Yes, like he says in the video -keep the mulch pulled back away from the trunk. Don't bury the graft.

[@maylamoore982]

Would you recommend this for other types of trees here in AZ? More specifically new focus trees and vines?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

This will benefit all types of trees and plants. I use the method all over my yard. You don't need to feed all trees in your landscape, but they will definitely be healthier with this method.

[@tory464]

💚👍Yes!! Great stuff.

[@ranasammani7745]

Great video and wonderful info at the perfect time! Would you say 1/2 bag of their compost for small trees and one bag for mature trees?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Depends on the size of the berm you make. That's probably good for the small tree, I'm guessing a large tree would need 2-3 bags.

[@anthonymuegel5410]

any tips for flood irrigation? The well seems counter productive.

[@caitlin6324]

For newly planted trees, they'll need slow drip water like the video instructed. Slow drip water from a hose gets water wayyy deeper than flood irrigation. 😊 I leave my hose on a trickle overnight under the tree canopy as needed. I think the well is mostly productive for keeping the mulch from washing or blowing away 😂

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Same principles apply, you may not need the well depending on how you have the berms set up. Flood irrigation is an excellent way to water trees and fruit trees.

[@TheKillpacks]

We just bought a house with flood irrigation and are planning on planting all our potted citrus. What’s the best way to set up the berms for the flood irrigation?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

@@TheKillpacks From Zach: It really depends on the age and size of the trees. If they are big enough to thrive on just the irrigation (one water a month in winter and twice a month in summer - assuming residential), then the existing berms (that almost certainly ring the yard) are sufficient. If they are young and going to need water in between floods, we recommend a four to six inch berm at the current drip line - small enough so the flood water will go over them but enough so they can fill the drip area with water in between flooding

[@lindsaymartinez3356]

Where so you purchase your fruit trees in AZ? I can’t find online stores that can ship to AZ and I am looking for options that are not at big box stores.

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Look for local nurseries. I got several from Arizona Worm Farm this year. There are local growers like RSI Growers as well.

[@MsJrivas]

When should I fertilize?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Now is a good time. Memorial Day, Valentines Day and Labor Day

[@kimburns6694]

Do you have any suggestions if I live in zone 8 sandy loam with pocket gophers? So far, every fruit tree I have tried to plant has not survived due to the gopher. BTW: beautiful farm!

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

growinginthegarden.com/5-steps-to-get-rid-of-gophers-in-the-garden/

[@kenebarb5377]

Put chicken wire or smaller wire in the hole before planting

[@azyEmpero]

I have plum ,going to 3 years, when do I get fruits?❤ Can I apply the recipe for flowers?❤ Is one gallon or 5 gallon water good for large pots?❤

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

You should get fruits this year. The recipe will work for just about everything. Water the entire pot each time you water, I'm not sure how much that would be - water until water drains out the bottom holw.

[@WisGuy4]

My biggest problem with my apple trees, aside from them not blooming at the same time in some years for cross pollination, is small, misshapen fruit. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of nutrition, bad genetics to start with, or excessive insects, but I get at most one or two apples per tree that are uniform and healthy enough looking to be sold in a grocery store. When I pick my apples in late August when they’re ripe, I don’t find worms inside most of the apples so it’s not clear to me what is causing these problems. Any help would be appreciated.

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

I would check with local nursery - they would be more aware of the regional issues you face with apples and the timing.

[@TheChariot99]

Where'd you get the cargo pants from ?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

www.gopjn.com/t/1-9965-321779-9965?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dickies.com%2Foveralls%2Fwomens-cooling-ripstop-bib-overalls%2FSBF400RAFXL.html%3Fcm_mmc%3Dgoogle-_-PLA-_-women-bib-overalls-_-SBF400

[@kimberleightempleton3011]

What if I have worm castings in my compost?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

That's great. If it's microbially active.

[@marcimast2365]

I moved into my home 3 years ago and the fruit trees are surrounded by rocks. What’s the best way to take care of them?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Pull back the rocks if you can and put an organic mulch down.

[@michaelcooney7687]

The killer argument to this intense microbial interaction between the sugar exudate and the microbe is the quality of the water …. And NO-ONE TALKS ABOUT THAT… The water chemistries that make your water safe have a catastrophic effect on these interactions. Chlorine and Cloromine that kill bugs very successfully in our town water systems will do exactly the same thing in the ground… Unless you are either… catching/using rainwater, install an appropriate water filter or run an RO system with appropriate chem based additives all this great advice will be of no avail.

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Good point.

[@nabamkhasarrungmu3975]

💚

[@dovinhgardenfarm]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@salaiarunjai]

Nice sister

[@facelesspsycho8252]

Do not build up a mulch volcano on the trunk wood .

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Agreed - like he says, move it away from the trunk.

[@buckWildest]

45 minutes of water? im in a sandy area i would just be watering the lake behind my house lol

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Right. Every area is so different, that's why watering is tricky. Absolutely do what's best for your area and soil.

[@raymondkyruana118]

That seems like a lot of water being used... IDK about that

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Pay attention to your soil, watering is tricky.

[@paulas_lens]

So wish I wasn't forced to have rock in my front yard. HOA's suck.

[@nagymesterb111]

Is it only me that think this is unsustainable? 3 times a year such big amounts of compost and mulch?

[@GrowingInTheGarden]

Depends on how many trees you have and what your goals are. Using granular fertilizer is certainly simpler. This method isn't for everyone, but can be a very effective way to reduce landfill waste while feeding your trees.

[@roywhite5840]

Sounds like too much water and theory

[@MatthewWright-y2e]

Great information! I especially liked the coincidence of fertilizing with valentines, memorial, and labor day! Very cool!