Fruit trees get their nutrition from the soil. Healthy soil needs to be a happy home for ‘good’ critters—worms are the biggest and most obvious, but there’s thousands of living things in every teaspoon of soil. Healthy soil needs ground cover, such as mulch, so it doesn’t dry out or bake. ‘Living’ mulch such as ground covers or herbs are even better, but should be kept low or be mowed regularly. To keep your trees  healthy it’s important to improve the soil and stick to natural sources of nutrition. Worm castings (poo!) are fantastic and it’s easy to set up a worm farm at home. Compost is also great, and homemade compost  turns scraps and waste into a valuable resource—and it’s free!

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