Orchard & Fruit Tree Care Fruit Tree Pruning, Insect & Disease Treatment, Orchard Design, Planting
For the Hudson Valley
We provide the professional tree care needed to maintain a healthy, productive orchard in and around the Hudson Valley
Fruit Tree Pruning
Insect & Disease Management
Fruit Tree Pest Protection
Orchard Design
Fruit Tree Selection & Sourcing
Planting & Orchard Installation
Do You Need Fruit Tree Pruning & Treatment?
From insect pest management to maximizing fruit production, the Certified Arborists at Hill Treekeepers have helped orchard and fruit tree owners throughout the Hudson Valley keep their trees healthy and productive since 2009.
Fruit Tree Pruning
We've seen many fruit trees that have essentially grown into shade trees. And that means they're not producing many (if any) edible fruit.
While unpruned fruit trees may sometimes produce more fruit than unpruned trees, that fruit will be smaller and of much poorer quality. If you're growing apples, pears, peaches, or other fruit to eat, proper pruning will make a huge difference in their size, taste, and overall health.
Benefits of Fruit Tree Pruning
- open up the canopy to increase sunlight penetration which, in turn, promotes more uniform fruit ripening
- remove less productive wood so the tree can focus its energy on the branches that will generate larger fruit with a higher sugar content
- shape the crown into a stable shape that makes harvesting fruit easier
- increase airflow throughout the tree canopy to allow better spray coverage and faster drying after rainfall, both of which help to reduce fungal problems and insect infestation
- remove and prevent watersprouts
Disease & Insect Treatments
Fruit trees in the Hudson Valley area are susceptible to a wide range of fungal and bacterial diseases, as well as damage from insect pests.
The keys to successful fruit tree pest control and disease prevention are:
- Knowing what's affecting your fruit trees,
- Understanding the proper treatment to manage the problem, and
- Applying that treatment at the right time.
Treatment Timing is Critical
Most treatments are only effective within a very specific window of time, based on the growing degree days. This affects the timing of the lifecycle of the target pests and the expected emergence of fungal and bacterial diseases. Apply a treatment too early, and it will have dissipated by the time the pest or disease arrives. Apply it too late, and the damage is already done.
>> Learn more about our insect & disease treatment and prevention programs
Pest Protection
If you've ever had an entire orchard decimated over the winter by voles, you know how incredibly destructive these pests can be. Rabbits and deer also love eating the tender bark and leaves of young fruit trees.
If you only have a few fruit trees, you may be able to install pest protection measures yourself. But if you have a larger orchard or don't want to mess with it on your own, call in the fruit tree specialists at Hill Treekeepers to install protective wire screening around each of your trees.
The fruit tree pest protection screening we install extends below ground to stop animal pests from chewing off the bark around the base of the tree. It's especially helpful on young trees that can be easily girdled and killed. Once fruit trees are larger than 6 inches in diameter, their bark is generally tough enough to withstand at least some vole or rabbit damage.
Complete Orchard & Fruit Tree Services
Call the Certified Arborists at Hill Treekeepers today for any of your orchard care needs in Orange, Dutchess, & Ulster Counties, New York. Whether you have 1 fruit tree or 1,000, we'll keep them healthy and productive!
Orchard Care Services Design, Sourcing, Planting
The Arborists at Hill Treekeepers understand what it takes to install and maintain a healthy, productive orchard in the Hudson Valley area.
Orchard Design
Even if your orchard consists of only a few trees, it's important to ensure that each tree is properly sited. Different fruit species have different needs and cultivars of the same fruit type can grow to very different sizes (with larger trees crowing or shading out their smaller neighbors).
The orchard care specialists at Hill Treekeepers can help you lay out the best placement for new or replacement fruit trees to make sure each has an opportunity to thrive. We consider factors such as soil moisture and access to irrigation, sun and wind exposure, disease resistance, pest pressure in your area, and much more.
Whether you have a big lot with acres of trees or a small backyard orchard, professional orchard design (or redesign) is the best way to start your fruit trees off on the right foot (or should we say the right root?).
Sourcing for Hard-to-Find Fruit Trees
Finding the right fruit trees for your Hudson Valley orchard can be harder than you might think. While it's easy enough to find common apple trees like Empire or Macintosh, if you're looking for a specific cultivar or an heirloom variety, you must plan well in advance. Tree nurseries are often sold out by March so it's best to order your fruit trees in September or October (this is also the best time to plant them). And if you're looking for a larger fruit tree, options are even more limited.
That's why many orchard owners choose to work with an experienced fruit tree specialist, like Hill Treekeepers in Newburgh, NY, who understands the buying options and has industry contacts to help source hard-to-find apple trees and other fruit trees.
Orchard Planting
We frequently get calls from orchard owners asking why their fruit trees are stunted or producing very few fruits. Often, we find that the problem is caused by how or where the trees were planted.
Healthy fruit trees get off to the best start when they're properly planted. Many landscapers and homeowners plant trees incorrectly. Usually, the trees are planted too deeply, leading to root rot, fungal diseases, and failure to thrive.
Other times, the trees have been planted too closely (those 1-inch diameter whips quickly grow into much larger trees!). Even frequent, aggressive pruning cannot help crowded fruit trees. Eventually, they succumb to fungal diseases, lack of nutrients and moisture, or reduced vigor due to over-pruning.
These are entirely preventable problems! Hire the Hudson Valley orchard care arborists at Hill Treekeepers to correctly plant your new fruit trees. We'll make sure each tree is properly placed and planted to the right depth to give it the best chance for success.
Why Trust Hill Treekeepers For Fruit Tree & Orchard Care?
If you grow fruit trees in the Hudson Valley, you know they need special care that goes well beyond just pruning. That means you need a tree service company that specializes in orchard care. Below are some of the reasons why we think Hill Treekeepers is the best choice for fruit tree care.
Need help with your orchard or fruit trees in Orange, Dutchess, or Ulster County?
Call the Certified Arborists at Hill Treekeepers for a consultation and you'll be enjoying delicious fruit before you know it!
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED ARBORISTS · LICENSED · INSURED
When you hire Hill Treekeepers to care for your trees and landscape, you'll have peace of mind knowing that you’re working with knowledgeable tree care professionals. Our certified arborists are highly trained and experienced, we carry all required licenses to perform tree care services in New York state, and are fully insured for tree service work. Hill Treekeepers also has a Commercial Pesticide Business Registration (Reg # 18223).
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED ARBORISTS · LICENSED · INSURED
When you hire Hill Treekeepers to care for your trees and landscape, you'll have peace of mind knowing that you’re working with knowledgeable tree care professionals. Our certified arborists are highly trained and experienced, we carry all required licenses to perform tree care services in New York state, and are fully insured for tree service work. Hill Treekeepers also has a Commercial Pesticide Business Registration (Reg # 18223).
