A reminder concerning fruit trees

[Bowsnbucks]

This was a lesson learned the hard way at our camp. We had rows of apple & crab trees in our main orchard some 20 years ago. The idea was put forth to plow, disc, and plant clover & oats between the tree rows. Back then, none of us knew how far out the apple trees' feeder roots went, so we plowed and disked too close to the trees. We lost most of them due to our lack of knowledge about the trees themselves and their root zones.

Since that disaster, I researched & contacted Penn State's two heads of their fruit tree departments. I learned that fruit trees' feeder roots - the tiny hairy ones - can extend to 20 ft. from the trees. Our plowing was in as far as 5 ft. from the trees. We now keep at least 20 ft. from any fruit tree - and no more cultivating between the rows in our main orchard !! Money & time lost ........... but at least we learned from it.

Just a heads-up for anyone growing fruit trees to avoid our mistake.

 

[Tree Spud]

Good info Bows, so if any part of the root gets cut can kill the tree?

Any idea of how near the soil surface these roots are?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Good info Bows, so if any part of the root gets cut can kill the tree?

Any idea of how near the soil surface these roots are?

Every few years I will lightly disc mine, but I only go down 2-3 inches, and I havent had any problems yet.

 

[BrushyPines]

This is where the throw and mow method has it's benefits!

 

[Prof.Kent]

Most feeder roots are in the top 6" of soil. Roots will go deeper for water and nutrients (especiallu if crowded out by grasses) but most are near the surface where minerals are broken down by microbes to then be absorbed by the tree's roots.

 

[b116757]

Very good info I was considering just that you saved me some headache for sure. Guess I may do lite disc then throw some red clover down I should of frost seeded it a couple months ago but didn’t get to it. Always to much to do seems like.

 

[wooduck]

Search root pruning , there are orchards out west that use deliberate root cutting to size control dwarf trees , my guess you had some root damage but would be surprised if that was all that effected you that year , we do not disturb the soil around trees and still have some winters that will take some , lots of guys lose trees from underground vole damage from root pruning , if you dont see vole girdle doesnt mean they arent hurten ya , i am not a big fan of rock around trees voles live underground plenty , total vole control eliminate the risk

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Good info Bows, so if any part of the root gets cut can kill the tree?

Any idea of how near the soil surface these roots are?

I don't know how deep the roots go down. As Prof. Kent said - the feeder roots are nearer the soil surface. Our guys plowed too close and too deep, so we lost a bunch of trees some years ago. They tried to maximize tillage for planting food plot seed.
We don't till around any of our apple & crab trees anymore - and haven't lost any to that. We lost 2 trees so far, out of about 80 "newer" ones planted since 2013. One was to a bear ripping the whole tree out of the ground, and the other was to an unknown problem. No sign of damage, disease - tree was growing well ............. then over winter - it never opened up in the spring. It seemed the roots died for some reason - I didn't see any sign of chewing - no bore holes.

 

[cavey]

You can always just kill back the sod and lightly drag up the surface and seed in clovers without cutting into those fine roots.... even just spraying and cultipacking in the fine seeds will work as well. I have found just mowing often results in volunteer clovers establishing.

 

[yoderjac]

This was a lesson learned the hard way at our camp. We had rows of apple & crab trees in our main orchard some 20 years ago. The idea was put forth to plow, disc, and plant clover & oats between the tree rows. Back then, none of us knew how far out the apple trees' feeder roots went, so we plowed and disked too close to the trees. We lost most of them due to our lack of knowledge about the trees themselves and their root zones.

Since that disaster, I researched & contacted Penn State's two heads of their fruit tree departments. I learned that fruit trees' feeder roots - the tiny hairy ones - can extend to 20 ft. from the trees. Our plowing was in as far as 5 ft. from the trees. We now keep at least 20 ft. from any fruit tree - and no more cultivating between the rows in our main orchard !! Money & time lost ........... but at least we learned from it.

Just a heads-up for anyone growing fruit trees to avoid our mistake.

It is rare for a plow to do more good than harm in most applications!

 

[sandbur]

I don't know how deep the roots go down. As Prof. Kent said - the feeder roots are nearer the soil surface. Our guys plowed too close and too deep, so we lost a bunch of trees some years ago. They tried to maximize tillage for planting food plot seed.
We don't till around any of our apple & crab trees anymore - and haven't lost any to that. We lost 2 trees so far, out of about 80 "newer" ones planted since 2013. One was to a bear ripping the whole tree out of the ground, and the other was to an unknown problem. No sign of damage, disease - tree was growing well ............. then over winter - it never opened up in the spring. It seemed the roots died for some reason - I didn't see any sign of chewing - no bore holes.

I top worked a tree this spring and thought the wood looked a bit damaged. It never woke up. I hope I added Wodarz to a top work somewhere else.

I had another tree that has had fruit for a number of years. It woke up late, bloomed, and looks fine.


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