Backyard Tree Fruit. Chuck Hoysa Retired Extension Agent Fruit Tree Hobbiest

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Martha Jacobs
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1 Backyard Tree Fruit Chuck Hoysa Retired Extension Agent Fruit Tree Hobbiest

2 Fruit Trees are easy to grow

3 Producing useable fruit is another story!

4 Tree Fruit Primer Purchasing trees Site Selection Types/Varieties Pollination Rootstocks/Spacing Pruning/Training Pests and Spray Programs

5 Local Nurseries Larger trees, in container Longer planting season See what you get Limited variety selection Mail Order Smaller trees Whips/dormant More varieties Easier to train Purchasing

6 Site Selection

Variety Selection Start with suggestions in MG Manual These are proven in

Varieties popular in other areas may not do well here Don t be overly

for cold climates may not tolerate our summers and vice versa Be aware of

7 Variety Selection Start with suggestions in MG Manual These are proven in Virginia, though some are hard to find. Varieties popular in other areas may not do well here Don t be overly tempted by pictures and descriptions in catalogs Hardy varieties developed for cold climates may not tolerate our summers and vice versa Be aware of ripening times and uses, some really are much better for cooking and preserving while others are mainly for fresh eating

8 Disease Resistant Varieties Mostly apples Scab Immune in MG Manual Immune to scab, but may or may not be resistant to other diseases Great variability in susceptibility to diseases Most of the listed pears are resistant to fireblight

10 New Varieties May do well here May take years to make the recommended list May have been in development years Are probably patented Pink Lady

11 Asking for problems Apricots and kin Nectarines Old trees in need of renovation

12 Pollination Apples 2 3 varieties Sweet Cherries Plums and Pears 2 varieties Peaches, Nectarines, Sour Cherry Self Fruitful Exceptions. Golden Delicious self fruitful and excellent pollinator Winesap and Staymen sterile pollen Crabapples Good pollinators Don t have to be next to each other Some varieties may be listed as partially fruitful. May set some fruit on their own, but more with cross pollination Don t let it get too confusing!

14 Blooming On average. Peaches bloom a week or two before average last frost Apples bloom around last frost date Flowers are frost tolerant Upper 20 s some damage Mid 20 s heavy damage Low 20 s no crop Kills flowers, not leaves

15 Rootstock Fruit trees are budded or grafted to rootstock because they do not come true from seed There are rootstock nurseries You can plant a peach pit or apple seed and it will grow The resulting tree will take several years to fruit and will be different from the parent Colonists planted millions of trees from seed

16 Rootstock Selection Another topic that can be confusing if you let it! Dwarf, semi dwarf, and standard trees More than one kind of dwarf and semi dwarf Have names and numbers For apple dwarf or semi dwarf Dwarfs need stakes For most others standard

18 Dwarf Semi Dwarf Dwarf Semi Dwarf

19 Planting Do not bury union of rootstock and scion Keep weed free Do not pile mulch around trunk

20 Spacing Chart in book is good Leaves room for mowing at mature size Numerous high density methods that require more skill and training

21 Fertilization No magic formulas nitrogen, mulch, compost Rather grow fruit trees on average soil and control fertility Growing too fast slows down production and reduces fruit quality Based on growth Mature apples should grow 8 10 yr. peaches (twice that for young trees)

22 Sooner the better Easier than it sounds 6 10 inches between fruit Increase fruit size Decrease insect damage May help prevent alternate bearing Sevin willl thin apples Thinning

23 Alternate (biennial) Bearing Heavy crop every other year Most likely in apples reason commercial growers thin crop Certain varieties more susceptible Golden Delicious, York Fruit trees are spring bloomers they are setting next years flowers buds while they are growing fruit

24 Pruning and Training Central Leader Apples and Pears Open Center Peaches and Plums

25 Why Prune? Strong framework Allow light and air penetration Disease and insect control Higher quality fruit Keep tree to a manageable size Remove disease and insect damage

26 Pruning Cuts Heading Cut.. Stimulates branching, used in early years, especially on central leader tree to stimulate branching Thinning Cut Removes entire branch or part of a branch at a junction less stimulating

27 Pruning at Planting and Beyond

shading other branches Narrow crotch angles Downward

29 Pruning Mature Trees Mostly thinning cuts Remove suckers (watersprouts) Competing leaders Branches shading other branches Narrow crotch angles Downward angled branches Disease and insect damage Can you touch the trunk?

30 Afraid to Prune! No two people will prune tree the same way Chances of killing tree are slim to none At worst Excessive growth Lower quality fruit Delay fruiting Promote poor structure

31 Spray Equipment and Schedules Despite what newspaper and magazine writers tell us, spraying is necessary for consistent crops of usable fruit We live in a warm humid climate ideal for insects and especially diseases Timing and coverage are critical Most homeowners don t know what they are spraying for and don t have adequate equipment

32 Spray Schedules Schedules for chemical products Organic schedules Aggressive schedules (VA Tech) Low input schedules Huge difference between organic and no spray Most based on stages of tree development Coincide with appearance of specific diseases and insects Insect and Disease pressure varies

33 OK first year or two OK for a few dwarf trees Good for a few mature trees Good for a small home orchard

34 Tree Development

36 Silver tip early green tip Copper + Oil followed by Copper or Lime Sulfur at ½ inch green tip During rest of scab season Before each rain use Sulfur or within 48 hours of rain use Lime Sulfur Petal Fall Sulfur + Bacillus thuringiensis 10 days later, Sulfur + Bacillus thuringiensis About June 1 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum 10 days later Pyrethrum add Sulfur if Scab is present About July 1 10 days later Bacillus thuringiensis add Sulfur if Scab is present 10 days later Sulfur + Bacillus thuringiensis 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum About August 1 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum + Bacillus thuringiensis 10 days later Sulfur + Pyrethrum + Bacillus thuringiensis

37 Advising clients who desire a lowinput or organic approach Easier to start from scratch Select disease resistant varieties May have to do own research Sanitation is sacred Find reliable source of spray material Visit some pick your own orchards Join interest group (NAFEX)

38 Low Input Schedule Once before bloom Petal fall 7 10 days after petal fall Monthly More frequent during rainy growing season May need a dormant and full bloom spray some years

39 All In One Products Easy to use Contain insecticide and fungicide Not as effective on some trees Will not control certain diseases

41 Common Problems Majority are diseases Most are caused by fungi Like humidity and wet leaf surfaces Often too late to do anything once they show up, the infection period was weeks before

42 Peaches and Plums Brown Rot Hits as fruit is ripening Can eliminate entire crop

43 Peach Scab Cosmetic Can peel and use fruit

44 Black Knot Only on plum and cherry Can be pruned annually Take years to kill tree

45 Peach Tree Borer Larvae of clear winged moth Girdle trunk and branches Branches may die, even whole tree

46 Early season disease Relatively easy to control Apples

47 Cedar Apple Rust Primarily on leaves Heavy infection can partially defoliate tree Infection around bloom time Great variability in susceptibility

48 Quince Rust Only on fruit Can wipe out crop Again, susceptibility varies Tree susceptible to quince rust may not get cedar apple rust!

Pruning and sanitation helps Streptomycin sprays during

49 Fireblight Caused by bacteria Only on pears and apples Primary infection period is during and just after bloom Pruning and sanitation helps Streptomycin sprays during bloom Pressure varies year to year, some varieties resistant

50 Sources of trees and information Adam s County Nursery Stark Brothers Vintage Virginia Apples Cummins Nursery Mid Atlantic Fruit Loop

Tree Fruit for the Home Gardener

Tree Fruit for the Home Gardener Barry Hayes Henrico County Master Gardener Virginia Cooperative Extension Lisa Sanderson Michael Lachance Rongcai Yuan Diane Relf Rich Marini Growing tree fruit is highly