- 1). Ensure the climate is right for your tree before planting. Most fruit trees need a period of cold in the winter to end dormancy and prompt new spring growth. However, extremely cold weather, or cold weather late in the season, can kill blossoms.
- 2). Check the health of your tree. Trees that are diseased may not produce blooms. Signs of disease include black knots on stems, visible fungus, and curled, thickened or discolored leaves. Spray tree with dormant oil spray in late winter before the buds start to swell, but when the temperature will remain above freezing for at least 24 hours.
- 3). Prune tree to encourage horizontal, rather than vertical, growth. Excessive vertical growth delays blooming. Prune while the tree is dormant, typically from January to March.
- 4). Fertilize the fruit tree to encourage blooms. Sprinkle granular fertilizer on soil, beginning about 1 foot away from the trunk and extending to just beyond the ends of the branches. Rake the fertilizer lightly into the soil and water to encourage absorption. Apply 1 pound of fertilizer for every inch in diameter of the tree. Fertilizer in early spring, before leaves open and blooms form.
- 5). Plant additional fruit trees to encourage pollination. Some fruit trees can self-pollinate, but most do better when two or more varieties are planted together to encourage pollination.
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