Grease is the word the word

[Senrabbit]

Hi

 

It is my intention this year to sort out the fruit trees in my garden and give them the love and attention they should have!  Sometime ago,  I recall watching a program, the name of which escapes me,  which said that all trees, including fruit trees, benefit from a circular ring dug around the base of the tree. This apparently allows the tree to “breath” at its base and once a banner of grease is applied to the trunk, helps prevent invasions of some pests.    

 

So does anyone know what kind of grease is suitable for such a job, is there a special grease I should be purchasing, or would good old axle grease do.

 

I will post on TF too.

 

Would appreciate any advice.

[val douest]

I haven't heard the 'digging a circle' advice before, but you can buy (from the brico or supermarket) sticky grease bands which are simply wrapped round the trunk of the tree in Winter and which trap bugs making their way upwards in Spring. They seem to work, too, judging by the number of nasties trapped on the band.

Val

[Alcazar]

Or you could do it VERY cheaply with some parcel tape for the band, and a pot of ordinary bearing grease for the grease. Get high temperature stuff, so that any warm days don't have it all down the trunk

Dunno about the circle, but it's come to my notice that fruiting trees ALWAYS have the grass cut short around them.

Alcazar

[Jeanneclaire]

I have read in my gardening magazine, that a wide ring round the tree should be cleared and kept clear, and fed with manure etc from time to time, but I did understand it to mean young trees, though I think this will probably help any tree, certainly would do it no harm.  I intend to follow your example and work on my very neglected fruit trees, before buying new ones.

[Senrabbit]

hi everyone,

thanks for the replies, most helpful.

I will certainly look for the grease bands at he local brico.  The view I have taken is that this garden survived for 15months on its own and still managed to fruit and flower.  Indeed we have a friend who has a magnificent grape vine which adorns his gazebo. He never prunes it, cuts it back or touches it in anyway shape or form, yet every year it produces masses of bunches of sweet grapes, which are both delicious and very pretty.

thats again