Winter care of the orchard

              NE',I i\IEJilCO COTMGE OF AGRTCUTTUNE AIiD I{ECHANIC ARTS
AND AGRICULTUR.AT TITFERI},TNT STATICIN ' Press Bulletin 685
','UINTER CARE 0F Tl{E oF"CHARD
When the fa1l frosts corne and the leaves drop frore the trees, there is a tenden-cy
to forget the orchard, thinking that it has becoae dormant and needs no further
attenti.on rrntil spring, However, a closer otudy wiLL show that the tree j-s not err-tireJ.
y dcrmant, that a certain a,mount of transpiration and gro'rrbh contj-nues through
the winter, and consequcntly if the soj.I beconqes too dry the tree is sure to suffer.
Fsr this reason, in practically a.ll parts of New Me;d.co, fruit trees should be given
a vrinter irrigation. In nerqr instances, the summer supply of water is very linited
and the trees suffer from drouth, resulting in stunted t'rees and undersized fruit..
$iany of our orcharCists are largely overconing this difficulty by thoroughly soaking
their orchards during the winter and sprir6, vfiile there is plenty of water, and then
following with a eultural system that wiIL retain this moisture uritil weIL into the
sunmer, thereby rnaterially reducing the water requirenents during the sunmer.
The summer sultivr.tion of the orchard is confined Largely to diskingr as plowing
when the tree is grovring actively woreld cut many of the sn*lL feeding roots and check
the grovrbh of the tree. However, if the orchard is nevcr plowed, the soil gradual\y
nrns together and becones so hard that it takes up and retains ncisture very poorly;
aere.tion is }lnited, soil bacteria do not prcperly function md the soil soon becomes
deficient in available plent food. Ear1y winter plovring i.vr:ids these difficulties,
besides turning under much organic nr,attcr in the forn of leaves, grassr rrueeds, and
tho cover crops utrich have been fcund. to be so irnport,'-nt j,n the raa:intens.nce of prof-ltable
orchards. Where alfalfa is grown in thc crchard, it is usual-Iy plorved under
everl.r three or four )'ears and the last cutting or tryo arc left on the ground before
plol'r5-ng. The Horticulturs.l Departr,rent at State Collego, Nerv llexico, found the San
Luis Vat1ey ficld pea, rrhen planted in December, nade excelleni growbh, produeing a
gcod tcnnage of this nitrogenous €frcen ma.nure crop to turn under. '
Practically ela prrrning is done i.n the rulntcr or eLrly spring, vrtrile the trecs
are still dornant. Toung trces must be properly pruned if they are to develop into
the most productive and prcfitable ty'pes. Bearing trees should be consi.stentl-y
pruned each year, to r.raintain a uniforra production of high qtality fnrit. lllhere '
trees have been left unpruned until t'tre top has becone ver;r dsnse and fulI of brusttt
a period of two or three y'cars should be all-owed to renwe this surplus wood, as the
shock will be so great th*t it will throw the +,ree out of balance and out of beari-ng
and j.nto a vigorous producticn of new wood, if all of the excess top is rerpved at
cnc ti^ne. The present trend is to prune less severely but consistently.
Trees that have becole lnfectcd with San Jose scal-e or reC spider should be
thoroughly sprayed during the winter or early spring. Good resuLts have been secured
in the experlnents at State C'clJ-ege by tho use of oil spratrrs. The stock solution for
the oil sprey is raade by erirulslffrrU; 4 galLons of Red Engine oiLe 4 ounces of Kayso,
and 4 gallons of water, vrrtri.ch is sufficient for 100 gal.Lons of spray. Apply oil
spray in the late winter or early spring, vfien thore is no denger of the spray freezr
ing after it is put on the trees, as freezing causes the oil to separate out from the
emulsion and inJury nay result. Dctailed inforr.ration on the preparatlon and use cf
oil sprays may be .:btained by rmriting to State College, New }fexico, for press buJ-le-tin
565.
Spring irrigations should begin about the tine the t"rees begin to bloorir.
A. B. Fite
Associate Hcrticulturist
January 6, L933