Pluot trees
On Oct 12, 6:19*pm, "David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds wrote:
I'm new to growing fruit trees and as much as I've searched, I can't
find an easy to understand description of the life/season cycle of my
pluots and cherries.
I just want to know when to expect the leaves to fall, preventative
care, fertilization and whatever else is important.
I'm zone 9 and these are first year bare roots (both multi-variety)
that have doubled/tripled in size
If you look up plums, peaches and other stone fruit you may have better luck
than pluots which are rarer. *Most, if not all, *of the information will be
transferable. *In summary, if you want good fruit you need to defeat 101
things that want it too.
Your cycle starts in winter when the trees are dormant. *There are some
disagreements about pruning time (apparently there are some situations where
winter pruning is not recommended) but I have always pruned then and it
works for me. *Young trees need more attention as you will be shaping them
for the future.
Late winter to early spring, just before bud swell, you will want to spray
with a copper-based fungicide to prevent peach leaf curl. *Depending on your
conditions (microclimate, progress of the season, what month you call spring
and the cultivars you have) *the buds will swell and burst in early spring,
usually flowers first them leaves. *If it is dry you would start watering
then. *Once you have leaves feed the trees. *I use horse and chook manure.
Don't over feed especially with strong fertiliser like chook manure and
synthetics. *If you are unsure how much to apply several small applications
is safer than one big one. *About this time the grass and weeds will get
going so clear around the trees and mulch to avoid root competition and
conserve moisture. *Keep the mulch off the tree trunk.
Depending on your situation the fruit will be mature anywhere from mid
spring to mid summer. *Ripen them on the tree for maximum lusciousness. *As
they swell you need to start testing for fruit fly if these are in your
area. *If the crop is too heavy for the branches thin before the fruit get
too large. *Keep your eyes open for fungal diseases on the fruit or leaves
especially if the weather is damp for any length of time. *You will have to
act quickly as some fungi can ruin your crop in a few days if not caught.
Around this time you may need to protect against fruit predators. *Birds,
bats, possums and other frugivorous beasties will flock to your orchard if
they are in the area. *Continue supplementary watering as required, uneven
moisture can cause problems with fruit. *Feed again in mid summer. *When the
leaves fall in autumn stop watering unless it is excessively dry. *There may
be other pests to look out for that I don't get here so talk to growers in
the area.
David
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