Gardening

An essential consideration when storing fresh fruit is to ensure that only the highest quality examples are selected in the first place. As an organic producer, the objective is always to provide a safe, nutrient rich environment, one which enables healthy fruit to develop without the assistance of toxic pesticides and other chemical additives. Fruit which has been nurtured appropriately from the earliest stages will always store more easily, and remain fresher than produce which has been compromised by adverse growing conditions or bad management. There are few long term advantages to be gained from storing crops which are in poor condition. Most fruit can be stored in a variety of ways. Any decision regarding the most suitable approach to...

Pruning is required to regulate the growth and shape of fruit trees, vines, and bushes. Because many of these are expected to support heavy crops, they need to develop a strong and resilient framework. This can usually be achieved through a combination of variety selection, and effective management which utilises a range of organic cultivation techniques such as soil enhancement, biological controls, companion planting, regular pruning, and fruit thinning. Immature trees and bushes are pruned to stimulate the correct orientation and solid growth of supporting limbs and branches. Over several seasons, the foliage is pruned into a shape which will eventually provide good protection for developing fruit while maintaining a reasonable degree of...

The propagation of fruit trees, bushes, and vines is a technical field containing considerable traps and difficulty for the inexperienced gardener. For a variety of reasons most commercial growers no longer propagate their own stock. Among these, time constraints, and barriers restricting convenient access to biological materials are believed to deter many growers away from the task. At the same time, the commercial success of large scale nurseries specialising in propagation have enabled these professional breeders to provide large quantities of plants at highly competitive prices. Despite these inducements to abandon their interest in the field, there is a small percentage of fruit growers who remain devoted to the task of propagating their...

Stakes and ties are applied to immature and developing fruit species to control the direction and patterns of growth and to ensure strong root and trunk development. After planting outdoors, most juvenile fruit trees will benefit from some individual support to help them establish a healthy and well distributed root system. Inexpensive and reusable wooden stakes can be purchased from most organic nurseries and garden supply centres. Alternatively, it may be feasible to cut and shape suitable tree stakes from narrow lengths of hardwood moulding. Stakes should be inserted securely into the ground before the tree is planted on the most protected side. In a site affected by strong winds, it is good practice to encircle juvenile trees with three...

While fruit trees can provide the most economically rewarding return for the labour and effort required to establish and maintain them, much of this will be directed toward protecting them against birds, insects, and other organisms. Since the organic philosophy is based upon promoting biodiversity and establishing harmonious relationships with nature, the strategies used to protect fruit trees need to be more sophisticated and enduring than those which only seek to remove or eliminate garden competitors. An integrated approach is recommended for coping with persistent fruit pests. In the first instance, ensuring the health and vitality of soil helps to support strong plants and lays the foundation for a balanced garden ecosystem. Because established...