Maintaining a Fuji Apple Tree?

Question

I have a question about Fuji Apple Tree. I have been watering it daily and been using Miracle Grow every 3 months however the leaves seem to be dry and not much apples have come out from the tree lately. Is there something that I am doing wrong and what ways can I nurture the tree back to good health?

Answer 1

cut down to weekly watering and cut out the miracle grow. it salts up the soil and kills the beneficial microbes! use organic ferts only, and iron (not ironite brand--full of lead).

Answer 2

Daily only if it was recently planted. Instead you should be watering less frequently but deeply over the expanded root zone to encourage the roots to move out and have a mulch over the root system to hold in water.

Problem may be in the way it was planted. If you planted it too deep, that can kill a tree. Root ball should be at the soil surface, not several inches down. Then cover the root ball with mulch...like bark or straw or dry grass clippings.

Did the root ball break in transplanting? If so, the roots might have fractured.

Is your soil heavy clay or very compact? You dig the hole quite a bit wider than the root ball........to add air to the soil. And then only dig the hold as deep as the root ball so the plant doesn't sink in loose soil.

Water not only the root ball, but the soil around it so the roots want to go out into the moist soil, not stay in the initial root zone.

Could be your tree has internal kinked roots, tho it's early for that to show up.

If it's real hot, the tree may not have the root system to sustain it in the heat.........then we are back to getting water to the entire area.

Finally spider mites can make the leaves turn "dusty" and brown. They come with hot, dry weather. Try washing the tree off after dusk each nite with a strong stream of water. Do this until it starts getting a bit cooler at night and the risk of disease increases.

If the tree dies, fall planting is fine, if you remember to water well and then mulch the root ball over winter ........and adding supplemental water through the winter if your climate allows.