The Best Advice Is to Copy Nature

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Our most simple and consistent advice is to copy nature when it comes to caring for your plants. Recently I had a customer with more than a few problems with their fruit tree. If one person is having problems, than another may too.

Here are some top tips to help keep plant care straightforward and easy!

Problem 1. What Was It?

They bought a plum, from Nursery X. Or so they thought until seeking further advice from Nursery Y when problems started with said Plum. They were told that it couldn’t possibly be a plum as a plum cannot get leaf curl.

Confused they visited us, Nursery Z.

We were able to put their mind at ease and assure them this was in fact a plum tree. Problem 1 solved.

Problem 2. What Was the Pest or Disease Causing the Problems?

The leaf was curled but it hadn’t been caused by a fungal disease.

At a juvenile stage of leaf development, the tree had in fact been attacked by aphid causing the leaves to curl and not fully develop. Pyrethrum oil was advised but to be on the lookout when the tree is shooting its new leaves. Problem 2 solved.

Problem 3. The tree had split from the amount of fruit it was carrying. Problem 3b, the wound was covered in streiprune.

There are different opinions on if we should or should not do this. I think it depends on the time of the year. Keep the wet out (Winter)… let it heal naturally (Summer).

The theory behind steriprune is to keep the wet out which in turn keeps out the diseases. But... doesn’t that also lock diseases in???

My advice for this poor 18 month old tree was to lighten the load and prune to get strength into the bottom branches. Don’t expect too much of a crop out of your trees for at least 3 years. Give the plant time to be able to support what it is carrying.

Problem 4. And this is where the main theme COPY NATURE nature comes into play.

And for me the most puzzling part of the whole situation.

This customer was told they should “Tie the branches with a piece of string to a brick so that it bends” if anyone can shed light on this advice we’d be greatly appreciative.

I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a reason that this is good for the plant or what the benefits may be. The only thing that my 20 years’ experience has come up with is trying to keep the fruit at a reachable height. A pair of secateurs can do the same thing with the right advice and pruning techniques. The art of espalier. When I give my advice I always say to try and mimic nature, and if not nature maybe an orchardist, someone that does it for a living. Everyone has traveled from Ballarat to Melbourne at some time in their life. Next time you’re travelling in the car take notice of the apple orchid at the bottom of Anthony’s Cutting at Bacchus Marsh, it has been there for my entire life. Yes it has changed over the years and new crops have been planted, but they do have fantastic shaped apple trees…….. and not one brick.

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