MPG Youth Crew on Fruit Trees

To give us an update on the MPG Youth Crew and share a bit about fruit tree care: Jake, one of the crew, wrote a little update on our work. Tori, another crew member, took the photographs.

This week was our fifth week working at MPG and we we continued to care for the orchard. So one thing I learned: grass is soooo hard to dig out of the ground.  We worked all day to clear away a two foot circle around each tree.  The grass was so thick at the base of the trees so we used digging forks and hands tools to loosen the soil in order to get the grass roots out.

We were charged with getting rid of the grass so the orchard tree could get better access nutrients.  Once we weeded, we added compost to the base of each tree.  Both the bigger, older trees, and the younger trees benefit from this treatment.  Keeping fruit trees weeded and the soil around them fertile will help them stay healthier, last a lot longer, and fruit more regularly.

Another thing that keeps trees healthy is regular watering. MPG irrigates their fruit trees with underground drip lines. The drip lines are located at the base of each tree, so we had to be careful to avoid puncturing them.

Next week is our last week at MPG and the orchard work will be all wrapped up!

To read more about the MPG Youth Crew or MPG Ranch check out at the MPG website.

If you would like more information about the Youth Farm and our goings-on, please check us out atwww.gardencityharvest.org and www.Youthhomes.com, and check out more blog posts!