On this episode of HomeGrown our expert Larry Sagers will help you understand the basics and beyond of fruit tree growth and success. He will talk about what you need to know about watering, fertilizing, pruning, and pest control to have the best fruit crop ever.
Featured Expert:
Larry Sagers, our expert on this episode, is a Utah State University extension horticulture specialist, a radio host, and a newspaper columnist. Contact Larry at lsagers@ext.usu.edu
Click on a topic below to view additional information.
To help you make the best choice when choosing a fruit tree access complete information on fruit tree varieties here.
Chilling Hours
Some fruit trees have a dormant time and require a certain amount of hours below 45 degrees F to trigger the development of leaf and flower buds. This is referred to as chilling hour requirement. You will need to know if your area has the proper amount of chilling hour requirements for the fruit trees you want to plant.
Fruit trees, size and yield
To obtain information on space requirements, yield, bearing age, pollination requirement and life expectancy of fruit trees check out this site.
Tips on tree selection from Larry Sagers
It is important to know what trees will grow well in your area before you plant a fruit tree. It takes several years before your trees will produce fruit. Growing fruit is a long term commitment. Doing some research beforehand can save time and money. Consult with local nurseries, local Agriculture Universities, see what friends are growing, ask local commercial growers, or contact local extension offices about the best varieties for your area.
Hardiness Zones
Plant Hardiness Zonesdivide areas into planting zones based on a difference in the average annual minimum temperatures. There are also different climates and frost dates within planting zones in a region due to the topography. The map is only useful as a very broad guide. It needs interpretation that takes into account other factors that limit plant growth.
For climates in the United States that have extreme heat you should be aware of the Heat Zone Map
Selecting a Site for Your Fruit Trees
Site selection or where fruit trees are planted has far-reaching effects. Because once a tree is planted, the chances of moving that plant are slim. If the site is not suitable for the fruit tree, the tree will never grow and produce fruit like it should.
When selecting a site to plant a fruit tree find the best place to avoid frost pockets.
The success of an orchard is only as good as the planning and site preparation that go into it. Find more information about planning and site preparation on this web site.
Tips on picking your site from Larry Sagers
Find a spot where the trees will warm up gradually, allowing the blossoms to reach pollination without freezing.
The cold air comes out of the mountains and collects in the lowest parts of the valley.
Keep trees out of the wind and frost pockets, which are areas that may be surrounded on 3 sides. Frost pockets will trap the cold air and make freezing more likely.
Don't plant on the south side of a building. This will cause the trees to bloom earlier and be more likely to freeze.
The most limiting factor you have on whether you can grow a fruit tree in your yard is whether the frost occurs after your fruit tree is in bloom.
If you have 10% of the blossoms set you have a full crop.
Access a table from this web page that shows the average temperatures required to kill 10 percent and 90 percent of buds.
What to look for when you are buying a tree.
Fruit trees are not grown from seeds but are propagated by grafting.
To help you make the best choice when choosing a fruit tree access complete information on fruit tree varieties here.
Tips on tree types from Larry Sagers
A dwarf tree will reach 10 to 12 feet high. A semi-dwarf tree will reach 10 to 16 feet. A standard tree will reach to about 40 feet high.
Dwarf and Semi-dwarf will begin producing fruit quicker than a standard tree.
Tips on grafted trees from Larry Sagers
Make sure you keep the graft union above ground, or the union may rot and the upper portion will start to root, which may cause you to have a standard size tree. If the upper part roots you will loose the benefit of having a dwarf root stock.
To prevent winter damage do not place the graft union more than 3 to 4 inches above the ground.
How to Plant Your Tree
Success in growing fruit trees and in producing quality fruit doesn't just happen. Careful attention must be given to basic management practices including site selection, variety selection, weed control, water management, and pest management. Access more detailed information about these on this web site.
Look at the soil before you plant your trees. If you have heavy clay soil that does not drain well you will not have success in growing your fruit trees. Begin by digging a hole, fill it up with water, let it all drain out then fill it up again. After 24 hours if there is still water in the hole, you have some drainage issues that you need to address. If you do not properly address these issues you will likely lose your tree to root rot.
Click here for tree planting information and for illustrations on correct and incorrect tree planting.
Planting Tips From Larry Sagers
Don't plant a $10 dollar tree in a $1 dollar hole.
Don't dig the hole real deep, because the tree will settle and the water will then collect around your tree, which will cause it to rot at the base and you will probably lose that tree. Dig it the same depth as the root ball.
Dig the hole 3 or 4 times wider than the width of the root ball. This will encourage root growth, which will give you good growth on your tree. You can loosen the sides of the hole with a pitchfork.
If planting a bare root tree get it planted soon after getting it home.
Where you start seeing the first lateral roots coming off the rootstock is where you will want to have the ground level.
If you have poorly drained soil you can raise that up a little so the water will run off away from the tree. Never plant it so the water collects around the base of the tree.
We often want to grow our fruit trees in our lawn, but we water our lawns too much and too often. Fruit trees should be watered deeply and infrequently. Put your fruit trees in an area where they will not get watered frequently to avoid problems like root rot, crown rot diseases and other problems.
Frost Protection
Water filled containers will retain heat from solar radiation and emit that heat throughout the night.
This site contains information on understanding cold weather and how to protect your trees and plants from frost.
Try placing Christmas tree lights in the tree to provide warmth throughout the night.
Using water to protect blossoms from cold can be an effective frost deterrent.
Watering Recommendations & Fertilizing
Tips on Watering from Larry Sagers
For the first couple of years make sure you soak up the root ball.
After that you want to water out around the drip line of the tree. If your tree is 10 feet tall you want the water 10 feet away this is where you really need it.
In general as the leaf area of the tree grows so does the need for water.
The signs of over watering are exactly the same as the signs of under watering. If the tree is over watered the oxygen is not getting down to the roots and all the little absorbing roots die. So the tree looks like it needs water.
The very best water gauge you can have is to scrape off the top soil then grab a handful of soil and squeeze it if that leaves a film of moisture on your hand there is still water there that the plant can absorb. If that is not leaving a film of moisture you need to get more water on your tree.
Fertilizing
The question arises when and how much fertilizer should be applied to fruit trees. A soil analysis is highly recommended for determining an accurate composition of the soil nutrients. If a soil analysis is not available, this site provides some general guidelines that can be followed.
Tips on Fertilizing from Larry Sagers
For the most part trees don't need a lot of fertilizer for the first 2 or 3 years. You can use a starter fertilizer. If you do put a little on use a dilute fertilizer such as a transplant solution.
Never mix dry powder fertilizer in with your back fill or it will burn the new developing roots.
After two or three years use fertilizer stakes around the drip line.
Pruning
Producing luscious fruits demands lots of energy, which comes from the sun, and one goal of pruning is to help all the limbs on your tree bask in as much sunshine as possible.
This site gives a quick rundown on how to prune the following: apples, pears, peaches, other stone fruit, grapes, blackberries and blueberries.
This site gives basic information about the need to prune, what equipment you will need, and training systems.
What is an open center tree?
An open center pruned tree has branches going out at about the four points of the compass. The central leader is then cut away.
Some of the trees that should have an open center are: Plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and some of the cherries.
What is a central leader tree?
A central leader keeps a central trunk with branches coming off in whirls going out at about the four points of the compass.
Tips on Pruning from Larry Sagers
You need a good pair of loping shears that will cut well and a good pair of hand shears. For larger older trees you will need a good tree pruning saw, which will have very course teeth with a wide set on those teeth, meaning they are spread out a little further so you can cut through green wood.
A good set of tools will last the rest of your life if you take care of them.
Prune your tree from the same ladder that you will pick your fruit from. Then you won't end up with fruit higher than you can reach.
Pruning actually encourages higher fruit yields.
New wood needs to grow to produce fruit. Each kind of tree grows the fruit on different kinds of wood. Peaches bear on the wood that grew last year. If you don't prune them heavily you won't get a new crop of wood therefore the following year you will not get a good crop of peaches. Pears and apples bear on two year old wood.
You need to prune trees to clean them up and take off any broken branches.
Prune to provide light channels so the fruit gets plenty of sunlight. This will help the fruit mature well and give it lots of color.
Thinning Removing a portion of the fruit from fruit trees often results in larger yields of better quality fruit. Thinning during an "on" year also tends to reduce biennial bearing tendencies of some varieties.
Thinning is best accomplished by hand picking small fruits after the June drop, which is a natural thinning process. Those that are not pollinated will drop off. You should thin so fruit is about six inches apart. This gives plenty of room to grow large fruit and allows the fruit to develop properly.
Pest Control
There are many pests that can harm your fruit trees see these Bug Mugs to determine if those in your fruit trees are harmful.
Codling moth is a serious insect pest of apples, pears, and English walnuts.
Pear psylla is one of the most serious insect pest of pears because of its ability to develop resistance to insecticides and vector pear decline disease.
Brown mites feed by sucking the contents out of leaf cells. Such leaf damage reduces tree vitality and can adversely affect fruit size.
Spider mites feed on leaves causing white speckling, bronzing, and defoliation. Tree vigor and fruit production can be reduced.
Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects with long, slender mouth parts that they use to pierce stems, leaves, and other tender plant parts and suck out plant fluids.
Female Apple Maggot flies lay eggs just under the skin of the apple. The larvae, or maggots, which hatch from the eggs, tunnel at random throughout the flesh of the fruit, usually avoiding the core. External signs of maggot infestation are the minute brownish egg punctures in the skin.
Spraying information
As an owner of backyard fruit trees, you must control insect pests and diseases to reduce risks to your neighbors and especially to nearby commercial orchards.
Protecting most tree fruits from attack by insects or diseases usually requires some pesticide application through the course of the summer. The maximum result with the least amount of pesticide applied can result if the spraying is done correctly. The site offers helpful information about spraying techniques.
Tips on Pests from Larry Sagers
It is becoming increasingly difficult to grow fruit because of the many pests that are around.
For specific spray information check with your local extension service or local agricultural university.
When choosing a tree look for trees that do not need to be sprayed as often.
