Jon Traunfeld Extension Specialist jontumdedu College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Reasons to grow fruit Flavor and quality high store price versatility health benefits Its a challenge ID: 712295
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Slide1
Tree Fruit and Small Fruit
Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialistjont@umd.eduSlide2
College of
Agriculture and
Natural ResourcesSlide3
Reasons to grow fruit
Flavor and quality, high store price, versatility, health benefitsIt’s a challengelots to learn (science, art, and mystery)long lived plants that require timely care and attention each seasonStart small; start with small fruitSlide4
Fruit plants grown in Maryland
Tree fruit Major- apple, European pear, peach, plum (Asian and European), sweet and tart cherry, fig Minor- Asian persimmon, Asian pear, lemon, lime, orange, banana, pawpaw*Small fruit (take less space, more forgiving, can be grown organically, less expensive to maintain and easier to dig up)
Major- strawberry, blackberry*, raspberry,* blueberry*, grape* Minor- currant, gooseberry, jostaberry, hardy kiwi, elderberry*, beach plum*, chokeberry*, medlar
, citron*Native to mid-AtlanticSlide5
Will I have to spray a lot?
Pest problems (commercial growers spray):Peach (many pests)Apple (many pests)Sweet cherryJapanese plum
GrapeCan grow these organically:
FigRaspberry/blackberryCurrant
StrawberryBlueberryAsian pearAsian persimmonEuropean plum (maybe)
Sour cherry (maybe)Slide6
Plan ahead
Do I have enough room? Enough time? What’s practical for me?Start planning one year before plantingSelect a full-sun, well-drained site Amend soil to achieve correct pH and increase organic matter contentSlide7
Picking cultivars
Select well-adapted, recommended cultivars with good disease resistance. Buy high quality plants- “certified”, “registered”Bareroot plants will catch up to container plants Do I need a special rootstock? Do I need more than one cultivar for pollination?Slide8
Pollination
Most fruit plants in MD require bees to pollinate flowers and produce a cropNative bees (pollen bees)- bumble bees and solitary bees; responsible for more than ½ of pollinationEuropean honey bees AND native bees need our help!Avoid or reduce pesticide use and don’t spray when flowers are openSlide9
What if my plants arrive too early?
Keep roots moist and keep plants cool“Heel in” plants outdoors ORKeep plants in garage or refrigeratorSlide10
Hydrating an apple whip in a bucket of water for 12 hours prior to planting
3-year old bare-root apple whip has just arrived from the nursery. Notice graft union where the scion is joined to the rootstock.Slide11
Water and fertilizer
Regular watering throughout the year is essentialShallow-root small fruit plants are especially vulnerable to drought stressFertilize with 1 inch of compost each springUse fertilizers according to recommendationsBe careful not to over-fertilize Slide12
Weeds and mulch
Grass and weeds compete with fruit plants for water and nutrients.Use an organic mulch to conserve soil moisture prevent weeds and soil temperature extremesKeep mulch away from plant crownsAvoid herbicidesSlide13
Wildlife “issues”
Deer scat
Vole feedingSlide14
Common problem…
snake trapped
in bird
netting
Solution: Keep netting >4-inches above the groundSlide15
Pruning
Control size and shapeInvigorate- stimulate new fruiting woodImprove air circulation and increase sunlight interceptionSlide16
Strawberry
Two main types for Maryland gardeners:
“
June-bearing”
and “everbearing” (a.k.a day-neutral)Slide17
Blackberry
Perennial crown; biennial canesVery well adapted to all parts of MarylandFour types:Thorny erect (excellent flavor)Thornless trailing (rampant canes; large fruit)Thornless erectPrimocane-bearing, thorny erectPrimocane-bearing, thornless erect (newest!)Slide18Slide19
‘Prime-Jim’ thorny erect blackberry that bears on first-year canes in late summer through frost.Slide20
Raspberry
Perennial crown; biennial canesLess heat-tolerant than blackberry, but ok for all parts of MD Types:Red, purple, black; June bearingRed, yellow; primo-cane or “fall-bearing.” Cut them back to the ground in late winter or early spring. Slide21
Black raspberry- new shoots (primocanes) are thinned to 6 inches apart.
Red raspberry plant tied to a single wire between posts. Slide22
Tip rooting
New raspberry plant from tip rooting
Landscape fabric laid down to suppress weeds and raspberry suckersSlide23
Bramble problems
Orange
rust
Botrytis (gray mold)Slide24
Cane borer
White drupelet disorderSlide25Slide26
Spotted wing drosophilaSlide27
Grapes
Vitis vinifera- European wine grapes (less cold-hardy than native grape and more prone to diseases)Vitis labrusca- native fox grapes (seeded and seedless). The source of table grape cultivars like ‘Concord’Slide28
Seedless table grape cultivars
‘Mars’
‘Canadice’
‘
Himrod
’
Slide29
Black rot- #1 problem in backyard grapesSlide30
Blueberry
Plant a mixture of Northern Highbush and Southern Highbush cultivarsUse elemental sulfur and iron sulfate to reduce soil pH to 4.5Mix large amounts of compost and sphagnum peat moss into planting areaSpace plants 5 ft. apartSlide31
Fertilize with ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at flowering and 2 weeks later.
Blueberry plants produce flushes of growth periodically during the growing season.Slide32
Sensitive to environmental stress Slide33
Potted blueberry plants showing leaf scorch due to small container size, lack of water, and “hot site”
Grow bags require regular watering and winter protectionSlide34
Underused small fruits
Elderberry- SambucusRibes spp.-Currant- red, black and whiteGooseberry- American, European and crossesJostaberrySlide35
Black chokeberry-
Aronia melanocarpaSlide36
Beach plum-
Prunus
maritima
Native to U.S. Atlantic
Coast
Named cultivars produce larger fruitSlide37Slide38
Wineberry- very invasive!
Rubus phoenicolasius- China native that displaces native plantsSpreads by seed, suckers and tip rootingDelicious fruit- but Do Not dig up and transplant into your landscapeSlide39
Some keys to apple success
:Dwarfing rootstock- BUD 9, EMLA 9, EMLA 26Disease-resistant cultivars (scions); e.g. ‘Liberty’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Enterprise’Support with stakes and wire (vertical and oblique cordons work well)Close attention to pruning, pest monitoringDon’t over-fertilizeSlide40
Apple Pruning
Suggested Pruning Cuts
A. Suckers.
B. Stubs or broken branches.
C. Downward-growing branchesD. Rubbing or criss-crossing branchesE. Shaded interior branchesF. Competing leadersG. Narrow crotch
H. Whorls
From Clemson Univ. Extension fact sheetSlide41
Apple problems and growth stages
Codling moth larva; eggs are laid on young fruits by adult females at p
etal fall stage
.
Silver tip stage
Pink stageSlide42
Plum curculio
Photo credit: NHFruitGrowers.org
Photo credit: U. of MN Extension
Photo credit: U. of KY Extension
Photo credit: Oklahoma State U. Slide43
Commercial maggot barriers (nylon)
Commercial apple bags (paper) Slide44
Bagging the fruit to protect it from codling moth.
Illustration by Valerie Winemillerhttp://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pni7412-2.html
University of CA/Statewide IPM ProgramSlide45
Cedar apple rust- a common fungal disease that is difficult to control. Requires Eastern red cedar as the alternate host.
Fireblight- a bacterial disease that can move through the vascular system of apple and pear, killing branches and trees.Slide46
What’s wrong with my apples? Can I eat this apple?Slide47
Surround is a pulverized kaolin clay product that suppresses and repels some fruit insect pests such as codling moth, plum curculio, and apple maggot.
Photo credit:
nmfruitgrowers.wordpress.com (7/2/12)Slide48
Above: ‘Olympic’ Asian pear- good alternative to apple and European pear but can have insect pest and disease problems.
Quince rust fruiting bodies on ‘Bradford’ pear fruit.Slide49
Pearleaf
blister mite
Environmental injurySlide50
Brown marmorated stink bug injurySlide51
Peach
Peach is best pruned to an open vase shape to maximize captured sunlight and fruit production.
Peach fruits need to be hand-thinned to increase fruit size and decrease disease problems.Slide52
Peach leaf curl- fungal disease; prevent with
fungicide
application
when
buds swell in early spring.
Black knot of plum and wild cherry- fungal disease; prune out symptomatic wood to prevent spread.Slide53
Bacterial spot disease
Gummosis- peach trees exude sap naturally and when stressed by insects, diseases and abiotic factors. Slide54
Brown rot- a major fungal disease of stone fruits.
Dried, infected fruits are called “mummies” and must be removed from trees and ground.Slide55
Peach tree borer (PTB) larva feeding on cambium.
Sap mixed with
frass
(sawdust-like excrement pushed out of entrance hole by larvae
) indicates PTB presence.Slide56
“Portable” fig in ½ whiskey barrel is moved into garage for winter rest.
Protected Baltimore City fig with Southern exposure.Slide57
Shrub form with multiple fig stems pulled to center, tied and covered for winter protection.
Same plant during growing season.Slide58
Resources
Grow It! Eat It!http://www.extension.umd.edu/growitWe have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog!Home and Garden Information Center
http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgicHere you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts” Maryland Master Gardener Program
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mgConsider becoming a trained MG volunteer! Slide59
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program______ CountyUniversity of Maryland Extension