Year Around Harvest 9: Fruit Trees & Bushes

Transcription

1 Year Around Harvest 9: Fruit Trees & Bushes Linda Gilkeson

2 How is it going?

3 Don t forget: Late Aug.- early Sept. under-planting Sow fall salad crops, leafy greens, corn salad (may not germinate until soil is cooler) Broadcast seeds under tomatoes, peppers, squash, annual flowers, etc.

4 Is your winter refrigerator full?

5 Late season Cabbage Avoid splitting in fall rains: twist heads slightly to break fine roots After freezing weather, wait to harvest until heads thaw before harvesting Don t let this happen

6 What to do by end of September? Dig mature potatoes, pick winter squash Pick winter pears, kiwi fruit, some apples Harvest seeds Start collecting leaves for mulch Stockpile compost materials

7 Composting Ideal to build piles when the rains come, moistens stockpiled materials Stockpile crop waste, leaves, manure, any other waste materials Before heavy winter rainfall cover compost to shed water

8 Fruit Trees & Bushes: Topics Choosing what to plant Where to plant Basic pruning for tree fruit Pest management on dormant trees Pruning other fruit: Figs, grapes, kiwi, currants, bramble berries

9 Choosing fruit What do you like? How will you use the surplus*? Do you have a suitable site? Sun exposure, enough space? What pest & disease problems can you expect? How do you plan to manage them? * 1 tree can produce a lot of fruit

10 Choose fruit to extend harvest Everbearing: Strawberries Raspberries Mix early and late cultivars: Apples: Harvest from July to November Plums: July through September Blueberries: July to Sept. Opal is an early European plum Tristar produces through September

11 Storage varieties extend fresh eating Storage apples can keep 6-10 months Winter pears can keep 3-5 months Spartan Bosc Seckel >1 year later

12 Check whether cross-pollination is required Most apples & pears, some cherry & plum varieties can only set fruit if they receive pollen from a different, compatible variety Pollenizer: A variety with compatible pollen for the variety you want to plant Note: Pollen from these apples won t fertilize other apples: Gravenstein, Mutsu, Jonagold, Stayman Also: Avoid crabapple as pollenizers (not as effective as other apples)

13 Choose fruit easy to pollinate* Self-fertile plums & cherry varieties; peaches, nectarines Multi-graft trees: 3 to 5 varieties on one tree Berries: Longer, later bloom periods = better chance of good weather for pollinators (strawberries & currants set good crops without pollinators) No pollinators needed: Grapes: Wind-pollinated Figs: Closed fruit *Including by hand

14 Choose for disease prevention Disease resistant cultivars: Table grapes: American hybrids ( Himrod, Interlaken Vanessa, Cornation ) are resistant to powdery mildew, but not European varieties Apples & pears: Many scab resistant apple varieties; some pears ( Orcas, Rescue, Bosc )

15 Know likely pest problems Spotted wing Drosophila is now doing most damage to cherries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries Apple maggot is now present in the region and will likely become very damaging in future Other pests: Codling moth, currant fruit fly, cherry fruit flies, birds, rats, squirrels, yellowjackets, racoons, deer, rabbits Apple maggot SWD Currant fruit fly

16 Codling moth: apples & pears

17 Spotted wing Drosophila SWD may be a deciding factor for whether or not you want to grow some kinds of fruit Choose earliest blueberry & cherry varieties to avoid peak populations in August (but in 2016 high populations occurred in June in urban areas) To be effective, install covers 3 weeks before fruit ripens

18 Insect pest management options are limited Primary for home gardens: Bags for individual fruit (paper, poly mesh, organza) or insect netting to cover whole trees or bushes Very few sprays currently allowed for home gardeners: will need monitoring traps, sprayer, protective clothing & pesticides

19 Planning to Use Barriers Choose plants that stay small: Trees on dwarfing rootstock, genetic dwarfs Compact fruit bushes: e.g., bush raspberries ( Raspberry Shortcake )

20 Pruning For Barriers Start from planting day to shape small trees that are easy to cover or that keep fruit within reach for bagging Summer pruning is an essential technique to keep trees small Young bark on tree trunk protected by a rabbit barrier

21 Avoiding vertebrate damage Free-standing single trunk fruit trees can have sheet metal trunk barriers that prevent raccoons, rats from climbing Cages, supports for netting to keep out birds, rats

22 Where to Plant Best air and water drainage, deepest soil Slopes are good; southwest slopes ideal Heavy frost (-3 o C) kills blossoms of early flowering trees: Avoid frost pockets where cold air settles Plant against south side of building* Plan for access to all sides of tree *Not too close to the house or roots may interfere with building perimeter drains

23 Planting Fruit Buy young ( 1- or 2-year) trees for best root development and establishment Older stock doesn t transplant well, requires special effort to spread out circling roots

24 Planting Fruit Good soil: good levels of organic matter, phosphorus & potassium, but not too high in nitrogen Correct ph: ph 6.5 for tree fruit; ph 5.0 for blueberries Wide rather than deep planting holes, able to spread roots out Mulch to control competing weeds You may need to protect trunks from rabbits

25 Dwarf trees always need support Fully loaded trees tip over in fall wind: Use 2 or 3 permanent posts or steel stakes Add temporary supports for branches heavy with fruit

26 Watering Fruit Deep, infrequent watering, but not over-watering: 1 st year: 1 gal weekly for container stock; 2 times/week for bareroot stock 2 nd year: 1 to 2 weeks >2 gals or switch to drip irrigation 3 rd year: 2 to 3 weeks, depends on weather Crop years: Monthly depending on weather, soil; every 1-2 weeks while fruit ripens With less water fruit will be smaller, but quality is still good Drought-stressed trees may lose next year s crop

27 Basic Pruning: Tree Fruit WHY? Strong branches to withstand load Air circulation, sun into centre Good fruit size and quality Manageable size for pest control Fruit kept within reach Make plant fit space available

28 Good air circulation reduces fungal infection time Apple scab: top of tree vs. bottom of tree

29 Start with strong framework Main branches should be well spaced around trunk Open angle where branch meets trunk: Ideal is a 45 o angle

30 Spreaders Narrow crotches are weak; use spreaders while young (first year) branches are flexible

31 Two basic fruit tree shapes (freestanding trees) Planting 1 Yr. 2 Yr. Planting 1 Yr. Central leader Christmas tree Open centre (not for multi-grafted trees) (best for multi-grafted trees)

32 Central leader 3 rd year Scaffold branches: Well spaced around trunk Good angle with trunk

33 Central leader 4th year Scaffold branches: Well spaced around trunk Good angle with trunk Permanent support posts installed

34 Open centre: First year of growth

35 Multi-graft Dwarf Trees Pruning objective: Balance the different grafts so each remains a equal in size relative to the others Prune to open centre form, not central leader Head back dominant grafts Tie or stake smaller grafts to keep tip up to height of stronger branches Need little pruning once form is established

36 Espalier is an option Small spaces, against wall or fence, provides support for dwarf trees

37 But cankers are very common on espaliers

38 Espaliers take discipline Rub off every bud in wrong spot, tie in branches Use soft ties, ensure branches are not rubbing on wires to prevent disease Check often for rubbing

39 Fruit removal Yes, you should remove all flowers and fruit on 1- and 2-year old trees to avoid stunting their growth When to allow fruit to mature: Dwarf trees: 3-year old tree, IF well grown, can usually carry 1 fruit per branch (maybe 5-10 fruit per tree) Some dwarf fruit may not start fruiting until over 3 years old anyway

40 Basic Pruning: Fruit Trees Prune every year Never remove more than 1/3 of branches in a single year (10-15% is optimum) Look for: 1. Damaged, crossed branches 2. Small diameter, weak branches & watersprouts 3. Head back long branches Takes 3-5 years to restore & re-shape a neglected tree Consider removing overgrown, standard size trees & replace them with smaller stock

41 Where to make pruning cuts Make angled cuts with sharp pruners Just above an outward/downward facing bud

42 Prune branches above the wound collar

43 Wound collar

44 Sanitation Wipe pruners with rubbing alcohol or dip in bleach solution (1:9 hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach to water) Between trees for most work After each cut when working in trees with cankers or black knot

45 Summer vs. Winter Pruning Prune in summer and winter to: Balance growth rate (slow some trees down, speed others up) Keep trees within the space allowed Maintain shape and size for installing pest barriers

46 Summer Pruning (late July to early August) Slows growth, reduces vigour: removes leaf area during the growing season so less food is stored in roots results in less vigorous growth on remaining branches Summer Fall

47 Summer Pruning Some overly vigorous trees should only be summer pruned Apples & pears: Cutting back new shoots by ½ to 2/3 can cause more flower buds to develop on branch (leaf buds can convert to flower buds in these tree, not others)

48 Summer pruning Prevent disease in cherries, peaches, nectarines: pruning in warm, dry weather avoids spreading bacterial canker

49 Winter Pruning (Dormant) Stimulates growth: removes branches after maximum food was stored in roots = results in more vigorous growth in spring from remaining branches because tree has a large root ball relative to the top Summer Winter

50 Remove Watersprouts any time Vertical, rapidly growing shoots Best removed in early summer as soon as they form, when easy to rub or snip off Don t wait: it can become a jungle!

51 Remove Watersprouts Must prune them out in winter if you missed them during summer

52 Thinning branches Annual Pruning

53 Annual Pruning Keep the strongest (in this cluster, just the one)

54 Annual Pruning Start with choosing the best branch to keep, then remove the rest Last step is heading back the tips of the branch if needed

55 Some pest management steps must be done while trees are dormant

56 Winter Moth Sticky tree bands stop female moths from laying eggs on tree branches: Install by end of October, remove end of February Use 2 bands if numbers are high; replace as needed

57 Tent Caterpillars Remove egg masses over winter while pruning

58 Remove brown rot mummies Mummified fruit remaining on branches are the overwintering sites for the fungus. Easy to see when trees dormant: knock them off branches and destroy (burn, bury, dispose) before buds swell

59 Dormant oil sprays? Effective for scale, late season apple aphids, woolly aphids, red mite or other spider mites during the growing season Dormant oil does not work for: Tent caterpillars Winter moth

60 Lime-sulfur sprays? If trees have pear blister mite, peach leaf curl, pear scab (not effective on apple scab) Don t spray if it isn t needed: kills beneficial mites & other organisms wintering on bark Pear leaf blister mite Pear scab

61 Pear Leaf Blister Mite Lime-sulphur spray October/November as last leaf drops (overwintering mites are on outer bud scales) Second spray in early spring, before buds swell Photo: S. McKeachie

62 Other Fruit

63 Prune Figs for the first crop First crop is on last summer s new growth pruning branch tips in winter removes the fruiting zone Second crop figs rarely ripen in this climate; fall off over winter (Note: pruning info on the internet are usually for second crop figs)

64 Pruning Figs Shape as a large bush: Control size by stubbing back tallest branches, leaving several nodes to send out shoots at base

65 Another tip for figs In March cut back branches with brown bark and unripe second crop figlets First crop fruit forms on the branches with green bark

66 Grapes 2 or 3 wire trellis is common, but they can be trained to fit any space or shape Fan shape on wall or fences Long, tall vines over arbours

67 Grapes 1 st year: allow to grow unchecked, tie to support 2 nd year: Choose well-spaced side branches ( arms ) and cut back the rest

68 Trunk Grapes: Dormant pruning Cut fruiting canes on established arms back to 1-2 buds every year Buds becomes fruiting canes Arm Arm

69 Grapes: Dormant pruning Remove 90% of wood If vines are not fruiting, may not have been pruned hard enough Don t worry about sap bleeding from cuts

70 Grapes: Spring training Keep 2 buds Later choose one to become the fruiting cane

71 Grapes: Summer Pruning Grape vines: stop tips at 3-5 leaves past grape cluster Keep removing axillary shoots that form all summer (weekly!)

72 Large-fruited Kiwi Keep male vine small; female needs a lot of space Vines grow rampantly--prune winter & summer

73 Large-fruited Kiwi Keep fruiting branch 2-3 yrs; then prune to 1-2 strong buds at base to renew Control rampant shoots all summer

74 Hardy Kiwi Much easier to prune; most self fertile Prune like grapes: thin out shoots, cut back to 2 buds

75 Red Currants, Gooseberries Fruit on 1-yr. old branches & spurs of 2-3 yr old branches Remove branches >4 yrs old; keep 3-4 new canes each year Maintain plants to 6-8 strong canes

76 Raspberries Cut out canes that bore fruit previous summer, pull weak & surplus shoots Everbearing: Cut back tops after 1st crop (at tips of canes); 2 nd year crop develops on bottom part of canes; remove spent canes the following winter

77 Raspberry Canes Old canes: rough, brown/grey bark New canes: smooth bark

78 Easy bramble training 1 st year: Direct canes along lower part of trellis (2-4 each side) 2 nd year: A. Untie lower canes, fan them out on upper part of trellis B. Direct this season s new canes along bottom of trellis Winter: Cut out canes that have fruited.