Ornamental value of fruit trees

Amarjeet Singh Baath ...

A beautiful garden is admired by everyone. It is well understood that it’s the flowers which bring charm and add colour to any green space. We often grow trees, shrubs, climbers, bulbs and seasonal flowers etc to add as much elegance as we can to brighten up the garden. However, if gardener has a vision and innovative ideas then he can plant some options to add to the beauty as well as utility of a home garden. Fruit trees form an important component of this. But as most gardening enthusiasts know that there are just a handful of fruit trees that also have ornamental beauty. Peach, plum, pear and almonds are fine examples of such flowering fruit trees which add to the beauty of a garden. The main reson for this is that these trees are in bloom at a time during winters when most of the other plants are dormant and the ones that are in bloom  are not able to provide much of the desired colour and charm to a garden. These fruit trees, on the other hand lend elegance no less than that of any other flowering tree.

 The white flowers of plum, pink flowers of peach and salmon of almond flowers can be seen in profusion in February-March. The elegance of these flowering fruit trees against the clear bluish sky even on a semi cloudy weather adds a mystic splendor to the landscape. 

The citrus trees, varieties of lemon especially ‘Italian round’ and ‘Italian Oblong’ also keep on fruiting almost all the year round. A few fruit trees like chiku, grafted loquat, and pomegranate are other suggested alternatives for growing and beautify garden space. 

Maintenance and planting

As winters set in these trees shed their leaves and present a sculptured element to the garden landscape. It’s the time also for the pruning to get them in good form. Thick pruned stems should be covered with Bordeaux paste. Farm yard manure, superphosphate and muriate of potash are added in December-January followed by a dose of urea in February. In Feb-March the buds stars appearing and it’s time for second dose of urea of about 200-250 grams thoroughly and watered.

In March thinning of fruit occurs naturally and if required it can also be done  manually. In summers, deep irrigation by flooding should be carried out at a weekly interval. The fruit trees need to be maintained free from pest and diseases.

If you desire to grow these fruit trees then January is the right time. All deciduous trees are preferred to be planted in this month while others can be planted even during the rainy season. Planting procedure is standard by digging a pit at least three feet by three feet and add farm yard manure, superphosphate and muriate of potash.

• White flowers of pear tree take about 5-6 years to come to first fruiting. In case of plum, ‘Purple Satluj’, being sterile requires companion of ‘Kala Amritsari’  which should be planted at a ratio of four is to one. 
• Three-year-old plants of peach yield fruit. With the passage of time and age the fruit yield increases and so does the upkeep. 
• The (kagzi) varieties of almond could not make into commercial growing due to low-yield in this region.