Right now I rake back the mulch once a year and put down a layer of compost, then rake the mulch back over it.

From time to time I also pour some liquid Aggrand organic fertilizer on the soil.

Is this enough to nourish the trees as they get bigger? Or do I need to be putting anything down further into the soil?

I don't have a whole lot experience growing trees yet, but they overall seem to be growing well.

Scott

Since I don't spray chemicals, all the foliage I get from pruning is composted and returned back to the orchard/garden. It makes no sense to cart away nutrients and then replenish them with commercial inputs.

I disagree, it's best to throw away bramble cains. And I also do not recycle tomato foliage. I guess most of the time it would be OK, but it is possible to spread problems. I myself would rather add commercial compost, I know it is safe. Last year every tree around here had fungus on the leaves. I know composting can kill this, but I just don't have time to monitor compost temps. Commercial compost can be of very high quality, I doubt I could make anything near as good. Such as worm castings. I usually mulch leaves and grass when cutting so I have no leftovers. I really don't generate much yard waste. I do harvest pine needles, and some leaves when clean. If I can use it as a mulch, I will like coffee grounds. I don't have pines, but my in-laws do so I always bring a few yard waste bags with me when I visit. They actually have hundreds of pine trees. I could harvest a thousands bags a year, but 5 or so are good for me! I also love to use chemicals, so my waste is filled with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. I have no patience for problems. I use organics when it makes sense, but for me it always doesn't make sense.

This year, we had a late spring, and my compost isnt even heated up yet, so I just had to use "triple mix" which is bagged peat/manure compost, and bags of cow manure, then mulched with wood chips.

Also, I have many types of plants around my trees that help suppliment nutrients like comfrey, alfalfa, lupine, peas and beans. I dont remove much plant matter in spring, and what I do I compost. I also mulch with about 6 inches of leaves every fall, slowly but surely layering organic matter to build my soil. This is the fourth year, and I can see the results of this.

You can make super compost tea by using comfrey plants. They accumulate a large number of nutrients and minerals, and are a great ground cover if you dont mind something being a bit spreading. You can cut it down 2 - 6 times a year, depending on where you are. The roots also help break up compacted soil, and the flowers attract beneficial insects, moreso then sage in my experience.

I compost diseased plants because most foliar diseases are ubiquitous and wind born anyway. Roots with nematode damage get thrown away, and that's about it. The best defence against disease is a healthy plant, and compost makes for very healthy plants. The garden is not a sterile environment.

Commercial worm castings are generally derived from worms fed with cheap steer manure containing lots of salt, hormones, and antibiotics from animals raised on GMO feed.

they are sterile, and i add some to the compost pile, and some scratched in near the drip line.
They attract worms LIKE CRAZY.
Worms = castings = excellent fert and growth.

The compost pile also gets grass clippings from my yard and my neighbors. in New Orleans, thats a LOT of grass!!!
add 20lb of grounds a week and presto!

I go to Starbucks and ask them for their used grounds.
i get sealed 5lb bags. sometimes they just give me the bag they were using.
Once it was like 40lbs
i go at least once a week, i could go more often if needed.

after researching a bit, i found it doesnt even change the PH
its great stuff...

I add fish emulsion sometimes, my Papayas are VERY hungry in the summer. They love it.

You probably have to develop and interstem first.

I'll use my mariposa plum x myrobalan plum hybrid "Chocolate Jewel" as an interstem to grow both peaches and cherries on the same rootstock.

Im not saying GMO shouldnt be studied or that it doesnt open up a large window of advancement for us. So far it has not solved any problems at all, if anything its caused more problems.

If it were used to created drought resistant plants, or help cold tolerance, yeild (not by surviving chemicals, i mean all around survival). Lets face it, being able to grow peaches in most of canada would make a huge difference on food availability, or even pushing it to the max, and using to to make cold hardy oil palms.

The problems with all GMO, is the same problems monsanto is facing; How do we stop the plants from spreading, or contaminating natural stock? How do we stop those GMO genes from entering nature? I think thats the big problem - we would have to create 100% infertile plants, or pollenless plants (which can still revert), and in that case that basically makes doing this with fruit trees pointless.

GMO foods are a long way away from saving us, or even bypassing evolution. IF anything it would be better to spend the time and money to better refining genetic techniques first, such as reviving the exting passenger pigeon, a bird that was extremely valuable to the eastern forests.

Anyway, he could no longer guarantee his product as organic, which was his trade.

THEN...
monsanto SUED HIM, for stealing their "DNA"...
They had a patent on it.
Of course Monsanto had the high price lawyers and won

go figure...

But if I put compost down and then mulch over top..... how long does it take for that compost to filter into the soil where the roots are?