Tree Trimming at Apple Hill
Right where we live and work is Apple Hill. Got a ranch, some orchard rows, or two old apple trees by the porch? Ring (530) 248-6054. We'll hook you up with a nearby pro who has pruned fruit trees before, and we'll book the look-see.
What it is
Apple Hill in a few facts
Apple Hill is a growers' association. Wikipedia counts 55 ranches in the Sierra foothills, all in and around Camino. It began with only 16. Later came Christmas tree growers, plus wineries and vineyards, a small brewery and a spa.
Wikipedia calls it California's largest concentration of apple growers. In 2001, local growers produced more than 9,300 tons of apples and 2,494 tons of pears.
There's even a record-holder. At Larsen Ranch stands a Rhode Island Greening that people believe is the county's oldest apple tree.
Old trees
Caring for old apple trees
An old tree can still pay you back. Take that Greening. Age alone doesn't mean a tree is done. But age does mean the pruning has to be careful and steady.
UC Master Gardeners say to start with dead, diseased and crossing branches, cut back to the next major branch or well below any disease. Next, take out water sprouts. Finally, aim to keep the tree short enough to pick without a ladder.
For an old, tall tree, that last goal can take more than one winter. Ask the pro to bring the height down a bit at a time, not all at once. The International Society of Arboriculture says heavy pruning is a significant health stress.
Pears here
Pears and the blight story
The whole Apple Hill idea started with trouble. In the early 1960s, a pear blight encouraged growers in and around Camino to switch to apples. Wikipedia tells the story.
That pear trouble was fire blight, and it hasn't gone away. UC names pears, Asian pears and a few apple types as the easy targets. If you grow them, look closely each spring. Fast infections come out right away, while slower ones wait for summer or winter, when the bacteria sit still.
UC's tip is to cut at the next branch fork below the infection. Cutting too short is the bigger risk. Don't put a dressing on the wound, UC says.
Ranch edges
Shade trees, pines and wires
Ranches have more than fruit. They have big oaks over parking, pines by the road and wires along the lane. Each has its own rule.
- Oaks over parking: UC says remove big horizontal limbs over a driveway or walkway.
- Pines: no pruning February to mid-October.
- Wires: stay 10 feet back, says PG&E.
If visitors walk or park under a tree, get it checked before the busy season. Camino is known for fall apple picking, so September is not the time to find a split limb.
Prices
What it costs
A single backyard apple tree is a modest job. Fixr lists medium trees of 20-30 feet at $150-$450. Its pruning range is $350-$650, and a bit more for larger trees. Homeyou says $248-$548.
For a full orchard, ask for a single price across all the rows. LawnStarter advises a yearly trim for fruit trees, so a standing yearly plan may suit you.
Before harvest
Check the trees before the crowds
Camino is a fall apple-picking spot, so visitors come when the fruit is ripe. Before then, walk the rows and the parking areas. Look for dead limbs over cars and tables, and for fruit trees that have grown too tall to pick.
Winter is the time to fix the tall ones. Spring is the time to look for fire blight. Summer is for light trims. Put each one on the calendar, so harvest is the one job that never gets crowded out.
Questions
Apple Hill questions
Can I book a pro in the Apple Hill ranches?
Yes. Call (530) 248-6054 with your ranch road.
Is Apple Hill the same as Camino?
No. People mix them up, says Wikipedia, but Apple Hill is the growers' group, and Camino is the community its 55 ranches surround.
When do I prune an old apple tree?
In winter while it's dormant, with a light summer trim if needed.
Close by
Nearby
Close by are Pleasant Valley, Pollock Pines and Placerville. The orchard pruning page goes deeper, and Camino is the home base.