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8/7/2019 FRUIT TREES How to Grow Your Own Dinner Class 6
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FRUITTREESHowtoGrowYourOwnDinnerClass6
Selection:Deciduousfruitsandnutsthatgrowwellhere(CentralCoastdesignation)includealmond,apple,apricot,cherry,fig,nectarine,peach,pear,plum,pomegranate,pruneandwalnut.IwouldalsoaddthenativeSambucusMexicanus,anElderberrythatgivesdarkbluefruitandgrows
likeafruitshrub.Choosecultivarsthatcanthriveinyouraccumulationofchillinghours(
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arelessthan3/16indiameter.Thosethatare3/16d.atthebasecanbeshortenedtostubsof23buds.Brancheslargerthand.wheretheyjointhetrunkcanbecutback1/31/2oftheirlength.Retainedstubsorbranchesshouldbespacedverticallyandradiallyaroundthetrunk,ifpossible.Byretainingoneormorelateralbranchesyoucangetbetterverticalspacingbetweenscaffoldbranches;otherwise,nearlyallofthenewbrancheswillarisejustbelowtheheadingcut.Lateron,youshouldthintheshootsthatgrowfromthebudsonstubstoonlyoneshootperstub,orasmanyastwoshootsfor
longerretainedbranches.Theseshootswilllaterbecomethetreesmainscaffoldbranches.Waterthoroughly:Formadonutshapedringaroundtheouteredgeoftherootballofacontainergrowntree,orjustbeyondtherootballofabareroottree,andfillwithwater.Ifusingdripirrigation,placethedriplinenearthetreewith2emittersabout1footfromeithersideofthetrunk.IRRIGATION:Tocalculategallonsperdaypertree,startwiththeradiusofthecanopy.Calculatethetotalcanopysquarefootageas
youwouldtheareaofacircle,r2.=3.14,thereforethetreeareainsquarefeet=3.14x(radiusofthe
canopy[ft])2.Forexample,iftheradiusis10feet,thenthetreearea=3.14x(10ft)2.=3.14x100sq.ft=314sq.ft.Ifthetreesdailyusis.25/day,thenyoucanusethecanopyareatoconvertthatvalueintogallonsperdayusingtheconversionfactorof.623:Treewateruse(gallons/day)=treewateruseinaday(.25)xtreecanopyarea(ft2)x.623(gal/day).Treewater=0.25/dayx314sq.ft.x0.623use(gallons/day)=49gallonsperday.Weatheraffectsevaporationfromstomatesmuchasitaffectsevaporationfromanopenbodyofwater.Atreeswateruseincreaseswithanincreaseinlight,daylength,temperature,windspeedordecreaseinhumidity.Detailedcomputermodelshavebeen
developedtoestimatedailyplantwateruse.Sofar,Californiasweatherconditionshavebeengenerallyconsistentenoughfromyeartoyeartoallowlongtermaveragestoestimatetreewateruse.Thefollowingtablegivesasummaryoftheseestimates.
Calculateyourwaterdelivery:
Hose:Recordthetimeittakesyourhosetofilla5gallonbucket,thendivide
300bythatnumberofseconds.Forexample,ifittakes45secondstofilla5gallonbucket,30045=6.7
gallonsperminute.Thenyouknowhowlongtorunthehose.Dripemittersarespecifiedatgallonsperhourofdelivery.Stationarydeliverycontainers(e.g.a5gallonbucketwithholesdrilledinthebottom,oratreegator)shouldbefilledasoftenasnecessarytomeetthetreescalculateddailyneeds.Timerscanalsobeattachedbetweenthefaucetandthehose,allowingyoutosetthedurationofdeliveryinminutesorhours
andintervals,indays,betweendeliveries.Applyingtherightamountofwater:Thetableabovegivesagoodstartingpointforhowmuchtoirrigateyourtree,butyoumayhavetomakesomemodificationstofityourlocalconditions.Hereareafewbasicthingstoconsider:Atreeshadedbyabuildingorothertreeswilluselesswaterthanatreeinfullsun.Asageneralrule,shadedtreesuseaboutonethirdasmuchwater.Therefore,ifthetreeisshadedallday,multiplythevaluesinthetableby1/3;ifshadedforhalftheday,multiplyby2/3.Theuseoforganicorfabricmulchesaroundthetreecanbeverybeneficial,reducingwaterlosttoevaporationfromthesoilsurface,coolingsurfaceroots,andreducingweedgrowth.Unwantedweedgrowthunderthetreecanincreaseirrigationwaterusebyasmuchas30percent.
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Fruitthinning:Fruitisbestthinnedafterthenaturaldrophasoccurredsothatyoucanassessthecroploadbeforeyouthin.Takethesmallestfruitfirstandworktohaveabout57betweenlargestfruitleft.Youngtreesareespeciallyatrisk
ofbreakingbranchesfrombearingtooheavyafruitload.Thiscanalsodamage,andmoreoftenkill,largematuretrees.Theirinjurywillinvolvemoretissue,adeeperwoundandgivegreaterexposuretopathogensandpests.Therewillalsobeagreaterlossofnutritionandtheincreasedsizeofthewoundisusuallybeyondthetreesabilitytocallus.Fertilizing/feedingyourtrees:Mulchunderthetrees,butnotnexttothecrown.Thiskeepsweeds/grassesawaythatwouldstealnutritionandwater,retainsmoistureinthesoil,andincreasesmicroorganismspopulations.Compostreleasesnutrientsslowly,improvessoil
tilth,andincreaseswaterpenetration.BesttousefinishedcompostsoasnottocreateaNitrogendrag.Plantbasedcompost(finished)containsvirtuallyallofthenutrientsneededforthetreegrowth.Applyatdriplineorthroughfoliarfeedingwithcomposttea.Compostteaisespeciallybeneficialtonewlyplantedbareroottreesastheliquiddeliveryis2030%moreeffectiveinfacilitatingnutrientuptake.UsefulWebsites:
DaveWilsonNursery:http://www.davewilson.com
U.C.FruitandNutResourceandInformationCenterhttp://fruitsandnuts.ucddavis.edu/index.htmlU.C.ANRCumulativeChillingHourshttp://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/chillcalc/Books:
TheHomeOrchard;U.C.ANRPublication#3485Availableathttp://anrcatalog.ucdavis.eduORANRCommunicationServices,6701SanPabloAve.,2ndfloor,Oakland,CA94608.Costis$25.HowtoPruneFruitTrees,R.SanfordMartin,21stedition,2006.Includesgrapesandberries.AvailableatACEGardenCenter,GrandAve.,Oakland.Costis$7.
