ental Trees I
Scott P. Griffiths Great Scott Tree Care
Many homeowners associations suffer from the consequences of excessive fruit production by their beloved trees. The fruit can rot and cause a mess. It can create slip and fall hazards. Fruit can attract insects and rodents. Controlling fruit production can reduce these possible hazards.
What to Use
To stunt fruit growth, you can hand pick or cut the blossoms off a tree. The alternative to removing flowers is to apply a chemical hormonal fruit eliminator to the canopy or a growth regulator to the trunk and soil around the tree. The most effective and widely used chemicals for this type of treatment should not burn the foliage or cause the blossoms to wilt or drop prematurely. You will still have the benefit of a magnificent flowering display on the tree, but without the problems associated with too much fruit. Depending on how you control the fruit production, you may need to utilize your control method multiple times per year.
How to Use It
Licensed applicators must follow the instructions on the label for proper mixing of the fruit- reducing chemical and water. Too little hormonal application will cause fruit to set and too much may harm the tree. Timing and temperature are crucial for successful reduction of fruit development on a tree. The blossoms must be treated as they open (when they would normally be pollinated) for species such as olive or carrotwood trees. After blossom or late in the blossoming cycle, when the fruit has already set, it will be too late to treat.
Trees that don't blossom and flower such as podocarpus and ficus trees may require a growth regulator to be applied to the trunk and the soil 3-6 times per year to effectively reduce fruit production. The overall health of the tree must also be considered. The use of a hormonal chemical as a fruit eliminator can affect the hormonal balance of the tree by placing it under stress. This requires close monitoring of the tree after chemical treatment.
Other Considerations
For some trees, the amount of fruit production varies year to year and may not be as bothersome to you on the "off" years. Female trees produce up to three cycles of fruit in the same year. After observing the tree's fruit-bearing cycles, you can determine the number of treatments required per year. Very large trees are extremely difficult to thoroughly treat to eliminate all the fruit, and it is costly to do so. The location of these fruiting trees is another consideration. Trees growing in high-traffic areas near sidewalks pose a higher probability of slip and fall incidents resulting from fallen fruit than trees growing in an open area or park. You can also consider replanting fruitless trees in parkways and high-traffic areas. An arborist can be consulted regarding the appropriate type of tree considering the location, as well as other factors.
-Scott Griffiths is a licensed general contractor, /SA Certified Arborist, Municipal Arborist, and the President/Founder of Great Scott Tree Service Inc. and can be reached at
info@gstsinc.com
12 July | August 2022
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