Even in northern climates, homeowners can grow some of the most popular fruit trees in their own backyards, including pear, peach, plum, cherry, and apple trees. But for success in growing fruit trees, you will need to plan carefully and maintain them properly. Good planning will take into consideration the mature height of the tree so that it does not interfere with buildings, power lines, etc. Ensuring full sun and good drainage are two other aspects of sound site election. Once you have planted your fruit tree, supplying it with sufficient irrigation and fertilizer are two of the more important maintenance tasks. In this article, you will learn why, when, and how to fertilize fruit trees. Why Fertilize Fruit Trees? There are three reasons to fertilize fruit trees: For superior quantity in fruit production For superior quality in fruit production For the overall growth and health of the tree When to Fertilize Your Fruit Tree Getting the timing right is very important when fertilizing fruit trees: The best time to fertilize fruit trees is in spring. Wait until about a week before the last frost date for your region. Fertilizing before that may result in a spurt of growth that will only be damaged by the frost. If you forget to fertilize in spring, the second best time to fertilize is in early summer. The worst time that you can fertilize fruit trees is in late summer or early fall. Fertilizing at this time would only promote new growth that will be killed when cold temperatures return. Do not fertilize a fruit tree at the same time as you are planting it. Wait till 3 weeks after planting , then you can lightly fertilize it with a chemical fertilizer. If you want to be ultra-careful, fertilize it with compost, instead.1 If your apple tree or pear tree is mature enough that it is bearing fruit, apply boron to it every three years.2 Have Your Soil Tested To have a soil test performed, you must obtain a small sample of the soil from around the base of your fruit tree. While you can perform the test at home, beginners may prefer to send the sample to their local county extension for a test. The pH level for fruit trees should be between 6 and 6.5. How to Fertilize Your Fruit Tree Don't think that effectively fertilizing a fruit tree is as easy as opening up a bag of fertilizer and pouring some out. Set aside a bit of time so that you can do the job right: Remove grass and weeds from around the tree: If you have any weeds (or grass) growing around your fruit tree, remove them. They will steal some of the fertilizer you will be putting down from your fruit tree. Clear away mulch: If you currently have any mulch around your tree, rake it away to expose the soil surface. For your safety: Wear gloves and goggles. Some fertilizers can irritate the skin or eyes. Obtain the fertilizer: Fertilizers with an NPK of 10-10-10 are widely used for fertilizing fruit trees. Granulated types are easier to work with than others. You don't need to use chemical fertilizers: Organic fertilizers are perfectly acceptable, as long as you are having your soil tested regularly to ensure that it has the nutrients your fruit trees need. Determine how much to apply: Measure the diameter of the fruit tree's trunk. This figure will be used to calculate how much fertilizer to use. Apply 1 pound of fertilizer for every inch of diameter. Common sense comes into play, too: The tree's performance will let you know if you are not using enough. Err on the side of too little. Using too much fertilizer may result in excessive vegetation, which causes the center of the tree to be shaded. The result can be disease (from too little air circulation) and reduced fruit production. Apply the fertilizer: One reason granulated fertilizers are easier to work with is you do not have to mix them with water to apply them. Broadcast the granulated 10-10-10 fertilizer evenly, starting 1 to 2 feet away from the trunk and ending where the tips of the branches extend to (the "drip line"). Rake the fertilizer: Gently rake the fertilizer into the soil. Mulch your fruit tree: Put back the mulch (if any) that you had raked away from the tree. Add new garden mulch to this. Aim to create a 3-inch layer of mulch in all. Keep the mulch 6 inches to a foot away from the base of the tree, depending on the size of the tree. Mulch will not only suppress weeds but also conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature. Water: Water the area so that the fertilizer will sink into the ground.

If your hydrangeas put on a spectacular summer show of blooms they deserve some attention for the winter. If they don't perform very well, they deserve winter care even more to encourage better performance next summer. We've gathered five tasks and some tips you should be doing to care for hydrangeas in the winter to keep your plants healthy and happy. Provide Winter Moisture to Hydrangeas Hydrangeas are thirsty plants that require hydration throughout the growing season and even in dormant months. If you live in an area where the ground freezes hard, continue to water deeply and consistently until the ground freezes solid. In areas where the ground does not freeze, hydrangeas should be watered deeply but infrequently during the winter. Monitor rainfall carefully because winter precipitation may offer enough moisture. Add Nutrients the Right Way Commercial fertilizers, especially those with a high nitrogen NPK count, should never be used on hydrangeas at the end of the growing season. The nitrogen will cause a sudden spurt of green growth that will be killed with the first frost. Instead, supplement the soil with a few inches of compost that will break down slowly during the winter months. In warmer hardiness zones (7 and above), apply the compost in late fall or early winter by layering it directly over the soil. In colder zones, wait until the ground has frozen and top-dress the soil with compost before you apply mulch to protect the roots. Protect the Root System With Mulch Whether you are in an area where the ground freezes or in a warmer zone, adding mulch will protect the roots by acting as an insulator and help retain moisture. After the ground freezes or in early winter, add about six to eight inches of mulch over the compost top-dressing. Don't mulch too early in warmer zones because that can cause rotting, disease, and provide shelter for munching rodents. Remember that thick mulch should be removed when spring buds appear. For small plants in cold temperature zones (6 and lower), the mulch can be applied as a mountain covering the majority of the hydrangea. Protect Hydrangeas With a Burlap Wrap If you live in zone 6 or lower, your hydrangeas will benefit from a burlap wrap to protect them from heavy snow drifts and drying winter winds. Growers in warmer zones don't need to worry about wrapping plants unless the hydrangeas are on a northern slope and temperatures below 0 degrees are expected for multiple days. One way to construct a burlap wrap is to place bamboo stakes in a circle around the hydrangea. Wrap a couple of layers of burlap around the stakes and secure it with twine. For larger plants or a bed of hydrangeas, build a frame with four or more posts and stretch chicken wire around the posts. The wire should be at least six inches taller than the top of the hydrangea. Add a couple of layers of burlap around the outside of the wire and secure it often with twine. Prune Hydrangeas Wisely While winter pruning is recommended for fruit trees, it's not the best time to prune hydrangeas except to remove limbs broken by strong winds or heavy snow. The best time to prune a hydrangea to produce the most blooms next summer depends on whether the shrub blooms on new wood (growth produced in the current season) or old wood (growth from the previous season). New wood hydrangeas(panicle and smooth varieties): Wait until early winter when the plant is dormant. Fall or winter pruning can be done to remove dried blooms and help shape the plant. Old wood hydrangeas (mophead and oakleaf): should only be pruned immediately after flowering in the spring and summer. Most horticulturists recommend no pruning after August 31. Additional Tips for Winter Hydrangea Care Bring container-grown hydrangeas indoors when temperatures fall below freezing. Water the plants sparingly to prevent root rot. To help hydrangeas overwinter in extremely cold zones, planting them near a heat-holding structure like a brick wall or foundation. Choose a spot with bright sunlight and protection from winter winds. Regularly inspect sheltered or wrapped hydrangeas and clear away heavy snow.

While its feathery foliage has a delicate appearance, dill is easy to grow and care for, and is an excellent addition to any garden. In addition to providing bright, fresh flavor for your dishes, dill plants also attract a host of beneficial insects such as ladybugs, green lacewings, and syrphid flies—all of which prey on aphids. To keep your dill plant happy and healthy, it's important to regularly prune it. This will will help it grow bushier and fuller, promote new grow, and ultimately lead to a more abundant dill harvest. Before You Get Started No matter what method you use to prune your dill plant, it's important to keep these guidelines in mind. Wait for the dill plant to have at least five leaves or until the plant is at least six inches tall, somewhere between four to eight weeks after planting. As with other herbs, you should never trim more than one third of the entire plant. To prevent over-pruning, allow the plant to recover and regrow to its previous size before pruning again. If you prune down a stem without leaving any fronds (leaf sets), the stem will not grow more dill. If you want the dill plant to continue growing its green foliage, pinch off any flower buds that form. Flowering is a sign that the plant is ready to reproduce and nearing the end of its life. Every part of the dill plant is edible, including the seeds, stems, and flowers. How to Prune Dill for Growth If you're growing dill to use in your kitchen, pruning the plant can play a vital role in its yield. Regularly pruning away leaves from the top of the plant will encourage bushier growth—and give you fresh herbs to cook with. I've found this is the best method to use for a bountiful dill harvest you can enjoy all season long. I follow this process when I need a few leaves to garnish a dish or salad with. I just run out back to my vegetable garden, pluck off a small handful of dill leaves, and bring them back into the kitchen to finish up. Find a tender stem with mature growth. Follow the tops of the fronds (dill leaves) to the previous leaf set. You'll want to prune right above it, leaving some leaves in tact for the stem to continue to produce leaves. Using a clean pair of pruning shears, snip off the dill leaves from that top part of the stem. You can also use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the leaves off. How to Prune Dill for Storage If your goal is to harvest large amounts of dill for drying, freezing, or preserving, then you'll want to prune away much of the dill plant. Because the goal is no longer to encourage growth, you can cut the leaves, stems, and all. Dill is an annual plant and will need to be replanted the following year. This is the pruning method I follow at the end of the growing season, when the dill plant is lush and full but doesn't have flowers blooming yet. Spray the dill plant with water one day before harvesting it. This will help clear it of dirt and ensure the plant has moisture for the freshest harvest possible. Using a pair of scissors or pruning shears, cut it at the base of the stem, pruning the whole plant away. Place the stems in a glass of water like you would flowers. If you plan to dry the dill, combine the dill stems into small bundles and hang them upside down to dry for one to two weeks. How to Prune Dill for Seed-Saving If you are growing a dill plant for its seeds, then you need to allow the plant to flower in order to harvest them. You can increase your seed crop by selectively pruning the leaves, forcing the plant to send all nutrients and energy to the seed-producing flowers. In order to collect seeds, you want to encourage the dill plant to flower. Regularly prune the top leaves, making sure to leave the main stems intact. Wait for your dill plant to start producing small yellow flowers. Allow the flowers to fully mature. The seeds are ready to be harvested when the follows are brown and completely dried on the plant. To collect the seeds, secure a paper bag over the flower heads and shake them. Once you are finished harvesting seeds, trim back the stems that held the flowers.