RENU Blog

Who doesn’t like to eat an apricot? And, if you have an apricot tree in your yard, this is so much better. However, something that you need to know and consider is that if you don’t prune your apricot tree on a regular basis, you aren’t going to have any fruit to enjoy. 

This is why you should make sure that you know how to prune an apricot tree. You should also make sure that you know when you should prune the tree as well. You will get to know everything there is to know about pruning an apricot tree so that you can have a healthy tree that will wear fruit. 

Why Should You Prune an Apricot Tree?

There are many reasons why you should prune your apricot trees. Many people think that this is something that you can do, but that isn’t essential. However, they are wrong. There are many reasons why it is important to prune your apricot trees.

The first reason is so that you can get rid of dead branches and so that you can cut off branches that have diseases on. Ensuring that the tree is staying healthy.

It also improves sunlight and airflow through the trees, improving the quality of the fruit. It also develops the structure of the tree, so that it can withstand the weight of the fruit and all kinds of weather conditions. 

The Time of Year That You Should Prune the Tree

It is really important to make sure that you know when you should prune the apricot tree. If you are pruning it too late, you will lose blossoms and fruit. If you are pruning it too early the trees are more prone to getting diseases. 

The time to prune apricot trees is during winter when the trees aren’t growing. Some are pruning it during autumn, and this is fine as well, as long as it is late autumn. Don’t prune during spring or summer. 

Can You Prune Your Own Tree, or Should You Hire a Professional?

You can prune your own tree if you know exactly when and how to prune it. And, you need to have the right equipment for pruning your trees. Too many accidents have happened during the pruning process because the right safety equipment wasn’t used. 

If you aren’t sure about the tools that you need, or you aren’t sure how you should prune the apricot tree correctly, it is a much better idea to hire a professional to do it for you.

And, then you don’t need to worry about the left-over branches that you need to get rid of as well.  You will then have an apricot tree that will wear healthy and tasting apricots. 

What to Trim Away When Pruning the Tree

When you start pruning your tree, what should you trim away first? This is a question that many are asking. Especially if they have never pruned a tree before. 

The first thing that you should do, is to trim away the dead branches. Those branches that don’t have leaves on, and that you can see are dry. After the dried branches are trimmed away, you start looking for branches that don’t look healthy. Where disease might start happening. You will see the difference between a healthy branch and a branch with diseases. With this done, you can start pruning the tree. 

Pruning Your Trees in Three Easy Steps

In just three easy steps, you will be able to prune your apricot tree correctly. And, then you will know for sure that this year, you are going to have the most delicious apricots to enjoy. 

• The first thing that you should is to trim the dead, diseased and damaged branches. This is the most important part of the pruning part. To ensure that all the damaged and dead branches are cut away before you are actually starting to prune the tree.
• Now, you start thinning up the tree. To ensure that sunlight is getting through the tree and to ensure that all the fruit is going to receive adequate light. This is also the most difficult part, where people don’t really know where to start pruning.
• Step 3. Cut the branches a bit shorter. All the branches should be cut a bit shorter. It doesn’t need to be cut a lot shorter, as long as you are cutting each and every branch that is left.

Now, you have an idea about how to prune an apricot tree so that you can get a healthy tree and delicious fruit during Summer. If you are still unsure about how to prune the tree, it might be best to hire a professional for doing it for you. Then, you will know for sure that no mistakes have been made with the pruning.

Lawn fungal diseases come in different forms especially in visible spots like black spots on the grass. The black fungus on your grass is unsightly since it makes a poor appearance of your otherwise beautiful lawn. Apart from that, the black fungus can affect the health of your lawn and weaken its growth structure.

The presence of black fungus on your grass signals some health concerns about your grass which require quick attention to help control it so that it does not spread to other parts of your lawn. Treating the fungus will help your grass regain its health as well as natural color.

However, if you practice good care for your lawn, then it can help prevent it from being attacked by such fungal disease. Treatment can help prevent spores from spreading across your lawn and there are also other measures that you can take to solve the problem.

Causes of Lawn Fungal Disease

Black spots are mainly caused by fungal diseases like leaf spot, slime mold, Pythium blight as well as leaf smut. Leaf smut is usually common on bluegrass as well as perennial ryegrass. On the other hand, slime mold usually occurs during warm seasons on certain grasses while it rarely affects grass in cool seasons.

It is also common that some fungi and spores are natural and can be found on your lawn and some are problematic while others are harmless. Grass fungus can lead to harmful diseases though and they are caused by different factors.

Drought, compacted soil as well as improper mowing can significantly contribute to grass fungus. Using the wrong kind of fertilizer or too much use of it together with overwatering are some of the factors that can also contribute to black fungus on your grass. In some instances, the wrong type of grass can also be another factor that can contribute to black fungus on your grass. Weather conditions that include high humidity and temperature are also causes of black fungus on your grass.

How To Prevent and Treat Lawn Fungal Diseases

As you can see, improper practices of caring for your lawn significantly contribute to black fungus so you can easily prevent it by changing your approach to the way you look after your lawn.  If you care for your lawn in a better way, then it can be able to handle certain conditions that are natural which also cause black fungus.

For instance, your area can experience a heatwave in summer or soggy spring and these conditions are natural and unavoidable. Unhealthy grass is likely to catch black fungus disease under such condition but if it is well maintained, it can resist it. Therefore, best lawn caring practices are very important in preventing fungal diseases.

There are also other steps that you can take to be in control of fungal diseases in your lawn. It is imperative to conduct a soil test since it helps to identify factors like nutrient deficiencies. This can lead to stressed lawns which in turn cause diseases like black fungus on your grass. For more information, you can check with local offices that specialize in lawn services.

You must try to aerate your lawn so that the roots get sufficient and air and water which can help to promote healthy growth of your grass. If the lawn is stressed, then it can be susceptible to diseases like black fungus. On top of that, you should also improve the drainage system. Waterlogging is problematic on your lawn so try to address this issue before your grass is affected.

You must also consider the type of grass that you grow in your yard to prevent certain conditions that can affect it. You must make sure that you get grass that is suitable to your climate, soil, and environment which can also resist certain fungal diseases. Exotic grass can be susceptible to fungal diseases so you must prevent this scenario.

Treating Black Fungus

You can also treat the problem of black fungus on the grass by practicing good management of caring for your lawn. For instance, you can avoid practices like overwatering, using excessive fertilizer to promote healthy growth of your grass.

It is also essential to mow your grass and leave it at a slightly higher level so as to reduce stress. However, if these practices do not bring any noticeable change, then you can try some registered fungicide to apply over the infected areas. You must get the right fungicide from lawn specialists.

Alternatively, you can also try natural methods to treat the affected grass. Organic Treatment can be effective in dealing with the problem of black fungus on your grass.

You can apply organic treatments such as compost tea, neem oil or weak baking soda since they help to detoxify your grass against fungi.