Dry Season Information: Young fruit trees

• Strategies for management of young fruit trees during a dry season
• Delay planting as long as possible to assess the season and water allocations. It may be easier to hold new trees in a nursery site for the season if water is short and plant next year.
• Water new trees in thoroughly at planting time - especially smaller trees with finer, more easily dried out root systems.
• Eliminate weed competition early and widen the weedicide strip.
• Irrigate close to the tree, not the whole paddock. (eg. Invert micro-jets so that the surface wetting pattern is reduced or replace existing micro-sprinklers with smaller wetting pattern micro-jets.
• Summer prune more frequently.
• Remove any fruit on trees planted this season or last year (trellised trees excepted).
• Make sure the irrigation system is in place and fully operational by the time trees are planted.
• Mulch newly planted trees after the frost period is past if straw or other material is available. This reduces water losses from soil evaporation.

Reviewed May 2013