orchard care

I heaped bark mulch right up against my young apple trunks just to keep the weeds down: when the snow pulled back in March, what was missing at the base wasn’t the mulch

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I heaped bark mulch right up against my young apple trunks just to keep the weeds down: when the snow pulled back in March...

Gardeners who carefully mulch their young apple trees for winter protection often unwittingly create a five-star shelter for voles. By March, the bark at the base of the trunk may be completely stripped away—but the mulch itself isn’t the villain. The real culprit is where and how it’s piled.

My neighbour always paints his fruit tree trunks white before the first frosts and it’s not to keep insects away

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My neighbour always paints his fruit tree trunks white before the first frosts and it's not to keep insects away

Your neighbor’s annual ritual of painting fruit tree trunks white isn’t primarily about pest control—it’s an ancient trick to prevent sunscald and frost cracks caused by extreme temperature swings. This practice, dating back to ancient Egypt, reflects winter sunlight to keep bark temperature stable and has become standard in commercial orchards worldwide.