2/18/2009. Do you have: Time Space Expertise Realistic expectations. Teryl R. Roper Dept. of Horticulture University of Wisconsin-Madison

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1 Tree Fruit Production Teryl R. Roper Dept. of Horticulture University of Wisconsin-Madison General Considerations Do you have: Time Space Expertise Realistic expectations 1 2 Site considerations Appropriate Soils Air and water drainage Wind protection Water Sunlight Previous crop Soils for Tree Fruits Well drained loamy soils High organic matter Amend with compost, etc. ph between 6.0 and Air drainage Soil Drainage is important Warm air Frost Pockets Cold air 5 6 1

2 Site Preparation The most common mistake gardeners make is to not begin soon enough to prepare p the site adequately for planting fruit trees. 7 8 Site preparation Begin the year before planting Soil test & add P, K fertilizer if needed Adjust ph (if needed & possible) Control perennial weeds Cultivation Non-residual herbicides Add organic matter Manure, green manures, compost Choosing a Crop Hardiness Productivity Taste, appearance, texture, season Intended use Ease of culture Pollination requirements 9 10 Apples Pears Quince Tree Fruit Crops Cherries Apricots Plums Peach?? Rootstocks Tree fruit rootstocks control tree size

3 Rootstock Selection Hardiness Size Control Precocity Anchorage & root strength Disease or insect resistance Rootstocks Clonal Super dwarf Dwarf Semi-dwarf Semi-standard Seedling Apple Rootstock Size MM Seed dling MM.111 M.26 Relative size M.9 M M.7 M

4 M.9 M Recommended rootstocks Apples Dwarf M.9, Bud.9, M.26 Semi-dwarf G.30, M.7 Standard Not recommended Pears Domestic seedling OH x F 57 or Recommended rootstocks Tart Cherry Mahaleb Plums Myrobolan seedling Apricot Manchurian seedling Peach Bailey or?? 22 Propagation Fruit from a single cross Don t come true from seed Must be propagated asexually Stool layering (rootstocks) Grafting & budding

5 All fruit plants are perennial Tree Fruit Botany Buds produced one year Fruit produced the following year Plant and buds must overwinter Pome Fruits Inferior ovary Fruit from accessory tissue Stone Fruits Superior ovary Fruit from ovarian tissue Stigma Anther Style Filament Ovule Ovary Nectaries Anther Filament Stigma Style Anthers Stigma & Style Ovary

6 Fruit set requires: Pollination issues Flowers Pollination with compatible pollen Double fertilization Egg Central cell (endosperm) 31 Triploids (3n) Jonagold Gravenstein Season of bloom Early Late Sports Delicious McIntosh Cortland 32 r tree Fruit pe Fruit No. vs. Fruit size Fruit size Fruit wt. (g) 33 Hand Chemical Sevin Florel Thinning apples Within 3 weeks of petal fall to get fruit size & return bloom response. 34 Cell number in millions Cell volume in µm 3 x M26EMLA Ottawa-3 Pajam-1 V Seeds release hormones that cause cells to divide and expand. When seeds are only on one side lopsided fruit results. Weeks after full bloom

7 Pollination Requirements 37 Crop Required Not required Beneficial Apple Pear Asian Pear Tart cherry Sweet cherry Peach/ nectarine 38 Pollination Requirements Crop Required Not required Beneficial Apricot Euro.Plum Hybrid plums Cultural Practices Steps in tree planting Wide shallow hole Prune off long or damaged roots The roots should be spread, not circling Backfill with the original soil Graft union 2-3 above soil Water immediately

8 43 44 Water Immediately! Scion Rooting Scion Rooting If scions are allowed to root, the dwarfing influence of the rootstock is lost

9 Nutrition Principles All nutrients don t come from the soil each year Perennial plant parts hold nutrients Soil test preplant Add required P & K preplant Tissue test Mineral Nutrition 1 oz actual N per year of tree growth More for stone fruits < ½ lb actual N per tree per year inches of new growth on young trees 8-12 inches on bearing trees Mineral Nutrition If the site was properly prepared you should only need to add nitrogen Generally tree fruits don t need micronutrients or other expensive nutrient materials Foliar applications alone usually are not sufficient to meet the needs of the trees Tissue Testing Sample tree fruits midsummer Fully expanded leaves from the middle of current season growth Sample throughout the planting Submit promptly to a lab Weed Management What is a weed to a tree? Annual broadleaf weeds Woody perennials Grasses

10 Tractorus blightii Roden nt Injury

11 61 62 TRAINING To cause to grow in a desired form or fashion PRUNING Removing unwanted wood Pruning is really light management

12 Shading by a single leaf Lowers light intensity to just 10% of leaves in full sunlight Reduces photosynthesis to 28% of leaves in full sunlight Limits the export of carbohydrates to fruits and spurs The Shade a Tree Casts on Itself is its own Worst Enemy 60 to 100% Full Sun 33% leaf area 30 to 60% Full Sun 38% leaf area 0 to 30 % Full Sun 29% leaf area % 5% Tree Shape Influence Dwarf 8 Semi-dwarf 12 15% 30% Semi-Standard 16 Standard

13 Training and Pruning Pruning is a part of the training program, with some required to: 1) Eliminate potential structural problems. Vertical Growth Very vegetatively vigorous Not fruitful 2) Remove superfluous branches. 3) Direct the growth of selected structural units Horizontal growth Not vegetatively vigorous Very fruitful Response to Branch Angle Vertical Vigorous terminal growth. Minimal flower production. Horizontal Less growth. Near base. Greatest flower production

14 Training Techniques Spreading Bending Trellising Tying All position limbs Right strong crotch Wrong weak crotch

15 Toothpicks Normal Response Clothes pin growth 3-4 Clothes pin response

16 Types of wood removed during pruning Suckers Suckers arise from roots Water sprouts strong upright growth in tree interior Spur short lateral branch Leader the primary vertical axis of tree Scaffold major lateral branch Spur Water sprouts Central Leader Types of pruning cuts Scaffold 95 Heading cut Thinning cut Stubbing cut Dutch cut Bench cut Chain saw cut Kindest cut of all 96 16

17 Heading Cut Removal of Apical Dominance Heading removes the growing point or terminal bud. Downward flow of inhibitors This results in severe changes in the hormonal balance of the shoot. Growing points are released Thinning cut Dormant Unpruned Heading cut When to prune? f Dormant season Late February to late April Not before January

18 Staking Prevents wind whipping Supports graft union Helps maintain central leader Critical for dwarf trees Place the stake about 2 from the tree, fasten the tree to the stake, use nonmetallic fasteners Tree Support Influences Growth and Fruiting Reduced movement Less secondary trunk thickening. Fewer carbohydrates used in wood development. More available for fruit production Staking Modifies Tree Growth Un-staked trees require more pruning. Shoot Growth - Fruiting Stakes 3/4 inch electrical conduit 2 x 2 pressure treated lumber 3 inch round pressure treated posts Movement causes minute damage to cells and trunk tissue. Stress Ethylene Lateral Cell Growth

19 Summary Choose appropriate plant materials Plant it correctly in an appropriate spot Control pests Train and prune to manage light and for limb position