And after post June drop, thin apples again removing those that are diseased or deformed. 1. leave the largest apple in each cluster, 2. Press the thumb forward on the apple to snap it off the stem. Be sure to leave the apple spurs on the tree. C. Nutrition Healthy soil means healthy trees.
Healthy soils contain the right amount of nutrients for good tree and fruit development.
One way to determine the health of the soil is to test for acidity or alkalinity or its pH levels. Soils that receive a lot of rain tend to be acidic because the rain leaches out certain alkaline nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium. In the drier Okanogan area, the soils tend to be alkaline. The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of a soil using a scale of 0 to 14. 7 is ideal for tree fruits, but anywhere between 6.0 and 7.5 is acceptable.