permaculture

[Stephen Sherman <spsherm@msn.com>]

This last winter was a hard one for the orchard. Winter came on with 
little or no fall and started with temps near 0F and 50mph winds. The 
winter was cold and long as well. Additionally some deer "pruned" many 
of the trees in late summer/early fall which caused them to start 
re-growing just before the cold snap. And I was probably a bit too 
generous with N fertilizer in last spring leading to prolonged/late 
growth period.

All in all a bad combo for the fruit trees. Any one would not have been 
much of a problem, but all three really knocked them for a loop. About 
15% (mostly young ones and stone fruits) died outright. Many died on 
their upper parts, but are leafing out on their lowest branches/trunk. 
The bigger/older trees only show dead branches at their tips. However 
none of the trees which made it are growing well. Few leaves, and only 
3" of growth (whereas usually they would be at 6-8" of growth by now). 
And I notice that the buds at the end of the branches are just now 
starting to burst and leaf out. Clearly they are stressed.

So my question, is anyone familiar with proper techniques for helping 
fruit trees to recover from winter kill? Obviously replace the dead 
ones, but what if anything can be done for the stressed live ones. I've 
resisted putting a bunch more hi N fertilizer on, although that will 
improve growth this year it will likely cause a repeat of last years 
winter kill. Would hi P or K fertilizers be helpful? Other things?

TIA