Tips for Renovating Old Apple Trees

Cut out dead branches and limbs any time. Cut back cleanly to living wood, but avoid cutting into it. In winter prune the entire tree following the directions in a good book on fruit tree pruning.

Remove competing trees and shrubs to let in light and reduce competition. If the tree is in a heavily wooded spot, don’t cut out all competing vegetation in the first year or you may stress the tree with too much sun all at once.

Spread soil amendments (listed below) on the ground around the drip line and several feet beyond. No need to spread close to the trunk.

10-15 lbs each:

• Hi-cal lime (long-term calcium)

• Colloidal phosphate (short-term calcium and phosphorus)

• Azomite (long-term minerals and trace minerals)

• Granite meal (for improved soil texture)

• Menefee humates (aids mineral and rock-powder breakdown)

5 Lbs: Greenstone (aids plants in nutrient uptake)

For building high levels of humus add 5 lbs each:

• Alfalfa meal

• Bone meal

• Kelp meal

• Blood meal

• ¼–½ yd compost

Cover the amendments and compost with a 6-12" mulch of lawn clippings, leaves or chipped "brush" which will smother the sod, conserve moisture, prevent leaching, and provide a habitat for soil organisms to break down the fertilizers.