Mulches fruit

In the spring cut the elder back, weed and mulch it. Fertilizing with seaweed or adding a seaweed solution spray is excellent. In the summer, protect the fruits from birds if you want to have any for your own purposes. 

If you have only a small number of fruit trees and bushes, you may be able to supply adequate water by watering can or handheld hose. Where this is impractical, the best solution is to install permanent irrigation lines of drip or seep hose (see also p.60). A mulch see below) applied in late spring will help conserve water. Large, established trees should not need watering. 

Pick up fallen fruitlets, as these may house sawfly larvae. Earwigs may be found on fruits, but do not cause significant damage, and should be tolerated as they are excellent apple pest predators. In fall, remove mulches and rake up all fallen leaves, or mow over them so that they are taken down into the soil quickly, as they may harbor scab spores that could reinfect the tree in spring. Apply grease bands to trees and stakes to deter winter moths keep in place until early spring. After harvest, remove all unpicked fruits from the tree, and hang up fat to attract birds, which eat pests. 

Follow the advice on feeding, watering, mulching, and fruit-thinning given for apples seepp.296-297). In fall, remove mulches and rake up all fallen leaves, or mow over them so they are taken into the soil quickly to remove fungal spores. 

In dry weather, keep plants well watered, especially while fruit is swelling. If soil has been well prepared, strawberries will not need additional fertilizer. To keep the fruit clean and dry, lay a 2-in (5-cm) mulch of straw around plants, tucking it under the foliage. Remove all runners that form, unless you need new plants see right), if so, keep no more than three runners per plant. 

Top) ProtecUve mulch Tucking straw under fruit wiii keep it dean and dry, reducing the risk of spoiiage by rot and miidew. 

Water well in dry weather. In early summer, mulch to at least 3 ft (1 m) around the plant with straw or hay to help the soil retain moisture. Netting against birds may be needed. Raspberry beetle grubs (see p.311) may also be found in the fruits of these berries. 

Follow the mulching and fertilizing advice for red currants (seep317). Prune gooseberries as for red currants, too, but in winter, leave the spurs longer prune them to three or four buds rather than two, to allow more fruits to grow. 

What to do If larvae have been found in fruit, at the end of the season remove mulches and gently fork over the soil around canes. Remove netting after harvest to allow birds access, or put in chickens. Cut all canes to the ground at the end of the year. This should kill off the pest, although the next year s crop of summer-fruiting types will be lost. 

This application is very cost-sensitive because of the subsidy structure of the agricultural sector of the EU. The regulations for waste disposal of mulch film require either recycling or adequate treatment (e.g., incineration). If thin mulch films are concerned, the recovery of the film in the field is crop-dependent and difficult. Cleaning of the soil residues is cost-intensive. In this case, it can be more cost-effective to use biodegradable mulch film, which is adapted to the climate and the fruit application. 

Straw- Straw mulch, no Less fruit rot by Botrytis cinerea, Cliessman et al. 

Producers attempt to eliminate perennial weeds in small fruits with soil fumigation and plastic mulches. In caneberry, low rates of simazine can be used in heavier soils. Caneberry has good crop tolerance to other preemergence herbicides such as oryzalin, napropamide, and pendimethalin, though their weed spectrum may be reduced compared to simazine. 

Organic strawberries are commonly mulched with straw to prevent weeds and disease, aid in moisture retention and keep fruits free of soil particles. 

Fruit rots on underside. Cause Damp soil or mulch. To prevent rot, support fruit on scraps of wood, or tuna cans with ends removed. See page 148 for an illustration of this technique. 

Peppers tolerate drought, but do best in soil that is evenly moist, but not soggy. Plant in raised beds to improve drainage, if needed. Stake peppers to keep fruit from touching the ground and use mulch to control weeds and... 

Squash do best in well-drained, loose-textured soils with lots of organic matter. They will grow in soils with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8, but prefer a pH above 6.0. Squash need lots of water, but don t let soil become saturated. Prevent disease problems by keeping the leaves dry. Mulch squash to help conserve water. Black plastic is a good choice for northern areas, but in the extremely warm areas it can warm the soil too much. Organic mulches are good, too, but may provide shelter for pests like squash bugs. Foil mulches help prevent aphid problems. To prevent rot, support fruit on scraps of wood. 

Fruit tunneled. Cause Pickleworms. Larvae are pale green with black, and up to long. Keep fruit off ground or mulch, since worms feed at soil level. 

Leather mold causes fruit to turn dark and leathery. Infected fruit is bitter-tasting. To minimize these fungal diseases, thin plants to avoid overcrowding and mulch beds to keep fruit off the soil. Pick and dispose of infected fruit as soon as you notice them. Annual bed renovation helps control gray mold. 

Ripe fruit rots. Cause Various fungal and bacterial diseases. Remove infected fruit from plants. Stake plants to keep them off the ground and mulch to prevent soil from splashing up on fruit. Keep plants dry when watering and avoid touching them when wet. Grow crack-resistant cultivars and harvest ripe fruit promptly. Spray plants with copper after fruit forms if rots have been a problem in the past and weather is warm and wet. 

Prevention and Control Plant resistant cultivars. Pick off and destroy infected fruit. Remove existing mulch or cover it with a fresh layer. Apply preventive sprays of bordeaux mix or another copper-based fungicide just before and immediately after bloom. 

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