berry tree

[mahmoud]

i have a berry tree in my garden, it has been there for almost 3 years now as i remember, the tree isn't branching. this year i ate almost 10 fruits from it only and the fruit isnt getting big enough, simmer but not big. what can i do for it?

 

[Beth_B]

Do you know what kind of tree, precisely? And what conditions is it planted in? Photos may help too.

Could need more/less sun or water, or some fertilizer or soil amendment.

 

[rz3300]

Well I cannot speak from experience about a berry tree specifically, but I would just say to ensure that it is getting all of its nutrients and sunlight and that there are no external forces at work preventing it from growing. I would do a careful inspection and look for anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes there are small little things out of place that have more of an effect than you might think, and my fern patch on the side of our house is a testament to that.

 

[mahmoud]

the tree is in the garden outside so the sunlight isn't the problem, my land has too much rocks so am concern when i planted it there may be a rock a little deeper from where it is, could that be the problem? if it is how could i solve the problem? is it a good idea to move it to somewhere else in the garden where i can make a little bigger hole for it and make sure there is no rock around the root? or should i wait?

 

[mahmoud]

the rocks in my soil are really concerning me and i dont know what to do for them, ill soon start to move some rocks from the surface of the soil but i dont know what should i do for thus under ground. they are making it hard for me to dig and am afraid that some of my tree's roots are not okay cuz of them

 

[mahmoud]

ill send a pic on Wednesday when i go to the village

 

[Beth_B]

Sounds like maybe you have very rocky/sandy poor soil there? So adding as much organic material as possible (vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and other food waste) as well as dead leaves and so on, will break down and improve your soil. I put down straw and wood chips in my vegetable garden...within a couple of years they enrich the existing soil.

Roots will grow around impediments like underground rocks so I really wouldn't worry about that. Can you buy compost or other soil amendments in Lebanon? If so, I would add that to the soil.

 

[mahmoud]

Sounds like maybe you have very rocky/sandy poor soil there? So adding as much organic material as possible (vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and other food waste) as well as dead leaves and so on, will break down and improve your soil. I put down straw and wood chips in my vegetable garden...within a couple of years they enrich the existing soil.

Roots will grow around impediments like underground rocks so I really wouldn't worry about that. Can you buy compost or other soil amendments in Lebanon? If so, I would add that to the soil.

yes i can and there is good soil but wont adding soil around trees kill them? i was thinking of getting soil for all the garden and raise my soil bed like 5cm or so but i was told that when i raise my soil bed i should stay away from the trees cuz this would kill the roots

 

[Beth_B]

yes i can and there is good soil but wont adding soil around trees kill them? i was thinking of getting soil for all the garden and raise my soil bed like 5cm or so but i was told that when i raise my soil bed i should stay away from the trees cuz this would kill the roots

I have never heard this; mind you I am no tree expert. But mulching is certainly an accepted and common way to cover up the bases of trees and conserve water. And I regularly add soil/compost/mulch to vegetable gardens and perennials.

I cannot think of a reason why adding soil or mulch to trees would harm the roots. Do you have a cite for this? The only thing I can think of is oversaturating the tree roots but unless I am mistaken you live in a fairly dry climate and not a tropical one?

 

[mahmoud]

I have never heard this; mind you I am no tree expert. But mulching is certainly an accepted and common way to cover up the bases of trees and conserve water. And I regularly add soil/compost/mulch to vegetable gardens and perennials.

I cannot think of a reason why adding soil or mulch to trees would harm the roots. Do you have a cite for this? The only thing I can think of is oversaturating the tree roots but unless I am mistaken you live in a fairly dry climate and not a tropical one?

they say that roots need some oxygen and adding much soil to the tree will make the roots burn thats what i have heard am not sure of it.
the weather here in lebanon is not too hot in summer and not too called in winter, we have four seasons:
the weather at my village is:
winter: between 10 and 18 degree's c and it rain twice or so a month and snows once a year
summer: between 28 and 33 degree c with no rain and at night it can reach 22 degree with moist.

 

[Beth_B]

they say that roots need some oxygen and adding much soil to the tree will make the roots burn thats what i have heard am not sure of it.
the weather here in lebanon is not too hot in summer and not too called in winter, we have four seasons:
the weather at my village is:
winter: between 10 and 18 degree's c and it rain twice or so a month and snows once a year
summer: between 28 and 33 degree c with no rain and at night it can reach 22 degree with moist.

Ah. Wrong. Plants have no need for oxygen. Google photosynthesis. You have been reading wrong information! Even if plant roots required oxygen they would not draw it from soil. This is basic biology.

Do not believe everything you read online. Most of it is wrong. I really think the internet is making us stupider. You must learn to discern valid information from bull poop, online.

 

[mahmoud]

Ah. Wrong. Plants have no need for oxygen. Google photosynthesis. You have been reading wrong information! Even if plant roots required oxygen they would not draw it from soil. This is basic biology.

Do not believe everything you read online. Most of it is wrong. I really think the internet is making us stupider. You must learn to discern valid information from bull poop, online.

i surly now about photosynthesis am talking about roots i have read alot of articles saying that roots will rot if you increase the soil around it, anyways thats seems not right ill check up what to do but hope that adding soil will solve the problem

 

[mahmoud]

Do you know what kind of tree, precisely? And what conditions is it planted in? Photos may help too.

Could need more/less sun or water, or some fertilizer or soil amendment.

turned out its a mullberry tree

 

[Chuck]

Trees, just like any other plant require oxygen, especially the roots. The leaves and stems and trunk do also but photosynthesis takes care of that but what about where there is no sunlight. How do roots get their oxygen? Mostly by aeration form insects and worms. Soil is not a solid mass. It is made up of small particles and around these particles is air. What happens when a plant is watered too often and the water displaces the oxygen? What happens to your lawn when the dog keeps running in the same area. What happens when you drive your car over the same spot again and again. What happens is the soil becomes compacted, basically a solid mass and the air cannot penetrate around the particles of soil..

As for adding soil or compost or any organic matter around the tree it is OK just as long as you do not cover up the trees root flare or let it stay in contact with the trunk.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/132.html

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=760

The above sites are not from some blogger. They are both fully accredited in the scientific community

 

[mahmoud]

Trees, just like any other plant require oxygen, especially the roots. The leaves and stems and trunk do also but photosynthesis takes care of that but what about where there is no sunlight. How do roots get their oxygen? Mostly by aeration form insects and worms. Soil is not a solid mass. It is made up of small particles and around these particles is air. What happens when a plant is watered too often and the water displaces the oxygen? What happens to your lawn when the dog keeps running in the same area. What happens when you drive your car over the same spot again and again. What happens is the soil becomes compacted, basically a solid mass and the air cannot penetrate around the particles of soil..

As for adding soil or compost or any organic matter around the tree it is OK just as long as you do not cover up the trees root flare or let it stay in contact with the trunk.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/132.html

http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=760

The above sites are not from some blogger. They are both fully accredited in the scientific community

but i yearly grub the soil around all my tree's (accept the old olive tree's) isn't that enough for the roots to get oxygen? do i need to worry about the rocks if there is any around the roots? must of comments said i do not need to worry, i am able to take it out and put it somewhere else but i don't want to move it if no need for that.

in a couple of months i will add some goat manure hope this helps.