Articles & Videos
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Plan Ahead for Rainy Weather
Posted by Stark Bro's on May 7, 2013
You might already be familiar with the rhyme, “April showers bring May flowers,” since April is traditionally a damp month of the growing season. In this article, we’re going to discuss things you should keep in mind if you’re growing trees during a wet spring and summer and the rain simply won’t go away. Things ...
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Video: Fertilizing Your Established Fruit Trees
Posted on Apr 9, 2013
By their third year your fruit trees will be well-established in their environment, and may even begin fruit production. Since their needs change as they reach fruiting maturity, you should fertilize your fruit trees, when necessary, during the growing season*. Fertilizing trees that are three years and older promotes vigorous growth, which, in turn, increases fruit size and regular bearing. Apply Stark® Orchard Fertilizer [http://ow.ly/jg8Hy] starting early in the growing season (2 weeks prior to bud break) and up until July. Avoid fertilizing too late in the season as this forces tender growth later in the year, which is more susceptible to winter injury.
*Always test your soil for nutrient excess or deficiencies before applying soil additives.
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Video: Fertilizing Your New Trees
Posted on Mar 21, 2013
Give your new trees and plants a better start by fertilizing them, as needed, during the growing season*. Fertilizing encourages leaf and root development so that your plants and trees will bear sooner and maintain good health. Apply Stark® Tre-Pep® Fertilizer [http://ow.ly/jdYh9] starting early in the growing season and as often as every 10 days until July. Fertilizing too late in the season forces tender growth that is prone to winter injury later in the year.
*Always test your soil for nutrient excess or deficiencies before applying soil additives.
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Video: Pruning Fruit Trees: Main Leader
Posted on Jan 23, 2013
The ideal time to prune your fruit trees is in the late winter and early spring, while they are dormant and before their buds break. In this video, Elmer focuses on pruning trees that require a main leader — a taller, larger limb that is dominant over other branches. He offers helpful instructions and demonstrates how and why to prune these varieties, which include apples and pears, in order to encourage stimulation and balance, so that your fruit trees are healthy and productive, year after year!
In this video, Elmer mentions the importance of Limb Spreaders.
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Video: Pruning Fruit Trees: Vase Shape
Posted on Jan 16, 2013
Each year, we encourage you to prune your fruit trees while they are dormant. Doing so will aid in their survival, stimulation and balance. In this short, how-to video, Elmer demonstrates how to prune fruit trees that require a vase shape. Trees that will benefit from this shape include peaches, apricots, nectarines and Japanese plums. By following the techniques shown in the video, you will be able to keep these trees open to light, which is an important factor in future fruit production.
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Growing Fruit Trees in Containers, Part 2
Posted by Stark Bro's on Dec 13, 2012
Caring for Potted Trees In part one of our series on growing fruit trees in containers, we gave you some helpful tips for getting started. In this article, part two of the series, we focus on what you need to do to take proper care of your potted fruit trees, so they can stay healthy, ...
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Growing Fruit Trees in Containers, Part 1
Posted by Stark Bro's on Dec 5, 2012
Getting Started With the Grow Your Own movement rooting itself in our everyday lives, people everywhere are enhancing their yards (and their diets) by growing their own fruit. Some are lucky enough to have a large enough area to plant their own orchard, but others who don’t have as much room might feel like they ...
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What To Do If You Can’t Plant When Your Order Arrives
Posted by Stark Bro's on Nov 9, 2012
In fall or spring, planting trees and plants can be an invigorating adventure. When your Stark Bro’s order arrives, it’s best to be prepared to plant your new additions within a day or so. We understand, however, that sometimes you’re simply not ready to put them in the ground right away. In this article, we ...
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Video: Winterizing Your Fruit Trees
Posted on Oct 17, 2012
Cold weather is coming, and it can be hard on your fruit trees. That's why it's so important for growers to winterize during the fall season. In this quick, how-to video, Elmer shows you a couple easy ways to protect your trees from the elements. This expert advice will help you keep them healthy and strong, so they can spring back to life next year!
In this video, Elmer shows you how to use Stark® Tree Guards [http://www.starkbros.com/products/tools-and-supplies/additional-tools-and-supplies/stark-tree-guards]
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When to Trellis Your Blackberry Plants
Posted by Stark Bro's on Aug 29, 2012
Anyone who has grown blackberries will tell you, hands down, that these plants are easy additions to your edible landscape. If you choose to grow them yourself, it is good to know about the differences between varieties that are available. For example, look at thorns — some blackberry plants have thorns that help to protect ...
