{"id":21033,"date":"2024-08-03T06:53:07","date_gmt":"2024-08-03T13:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?p=21033"},"modified":"2025-11-07T10:19:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:19:15","slug":"has-this-fruit-tree-been-fertilized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/has-this-fruit-tree-been-fertilized\/","title":{"rendered":"“Has this fruit tree been fertilized?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s play a game called, \u201cHas this fruit tree been fertilized?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know all of these trees. Some are growing in my yard while others are growing elsewhere in Southern California, and I know how they’ve been cared for. Some have been consistently fertilized with products like the one shown above whereas others have never been given any kind of fertilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what’s your guess as to whether each tree has been fertilized?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Red Baron peach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Fuji apple.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lamb avocado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Hellen avocado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Bananas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Splash pluot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Mango.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Fuyu persimmon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Bearss lime.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Gold Nugget mandarin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Maluma avocado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Blenheim apricot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Okay, here are the answers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Baron peach, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuji apple, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamb avocado, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hellen avocado, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bananas, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Splash pluot, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mango, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuyu persimmon, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bearss lime, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gold Nugget mandarin, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maluma avocado, YES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blenheim apricot, NO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How did you score?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know I would have scored poorly. And so what this game shows me is that I cannot look at a tree that is growing and fruiting well, or struggling, and know whether it has been fertilized. Fruit trees can perform well while being fertilized and without ever getting fertilized, and they can look bad with and without fertilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My experience growing fruit trees and observing them in other yards and farms throughout Southern California leads me to believe that many people expect fertilizer to do things it can’t. Many other aspects to caring for our fruit trees are far more consequential, and proper irrigation usually tops the list. For most people, time and money spent on fertilizer would be better spent improving irrigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A few related posts:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My watering schedules for vegetables and fruit trees”<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Watering fruit trees with drip irrigation”<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Fertile soil can be child’s play”<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for your support<\/a> so I can keep the Yard Posts coming and ad-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of my Yard Posts are listed here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s play a game called, \u201cHas this fruit tree been fertilized?\u201d I know all of these trees. Some are growing in my yard while others are growing elsewhere in Southern California, and I know how they’ve been cared for. 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