April Todo at the orchard

Unthinned peaches might look like the bottom picture but after thinning it should look like the top picture, fruits about four inches apart.

Thinning is at the top of our list of things to do. We have been thinning peaches for the past three weeks. Thinning is now to include plums and plum relatives like pluots and the Keifer pears.

Delta type pheremone trap

With these warm temperatures we need to check to see if peach twig borer is flying (pheromone traps) and replace the sticky surfaces and the pheromone capsule. Tomorrow is not an irrigation day but if the plots need irrigation then irrigate the plots. It is important right now to make sure the garlic and onions are not stressed or the garlic may not size up properly and the onions may not get to a good size as well.

Dieback of new peach growth due to peach twig borer. Later it can get in soft fruit.

The orchard phone on the computer now seems to be working well. The number for the orchard is 702-257-5532.

Asparagus will need to be harvested. When harvesting please remember the next harvest day isn’t for three days so we need to harvest the spears accordingly. At 90F the spears may grow an inch a day if there is enough water.

Todo
• Thinning peaches, nectarines, plums and Keifer pears
• Harvest asparagus
• Add drip for hops and plant hops
• Irrigate vegetable plots where needed
• Spray nectarines with insecticidal soap/spinosad for thrips control
• Weed vegetable plots
• Remove suckers from trees

March and April Todo at The Orchard

Irrigate deeply every 7 days if you have mulched your fruit trees

Thin fruit when fruit reaches thumbnail size: peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, pears, Asian pears, plums and plum relatives. Needing no thinning are figs, pomegranates, persimmons, all nut trees.

Begin spraying nectarine fruit with spinosad immediately AFTER flowers drop for control of Western flower thrips (ugly and sappy nectarines)

This is iron chlorosis. Foliar iron fertilizers can be applied if you missed your soil application of iron. This may take multiple applications while the temperatures are cold.

This is a good time to put in limb spreaders on apples, pears and Asian pears. The branches will bend easily now on limbs one or two years old.

Ground squirrels become active in late March and early April

Look for tomato hornworms to be active in April. They attack grapes as well as tomatoes.

Grape fleabeetles may appear in mid April and eat holes in the leaves of grape leaves which appear as holes in the leaves. To the left is grape fleabeetle damage.

Watch for early damage to peaches and nectarine new shoots by peach twig borer. Treat with Bt or spinosad

New transplants, protect from cutworms with Bt or spinosad

December and January Todo at The Orchard

1. Irrigate every 7 to 10 days if you have mulched your fruit trees.
   



2. Begin pruning of older wood to improve tree structure, lower height and improve fruit production.
   



3. Two applications of a dormant oil should be applied in winter or as late as early spring after leaf development (February) AS LONG AS THE TREES ARE NOT IN FLOWER.
   



4. Whitewash trunk and large limbs after pruning.
   



5. Borer control by mechanical means (sharp knife). Remove limbs if the borer damage has damaged over half of the circumference.
   



6. Fertilize trees with a fruit tree fertilizer (usually these are high in phosphorus) as well as iron.

Whitewashing. The purpose of whitewashing is to prevent damage to the trunk and primary limbs from intense sunlight and subsequently attack from borers and entrance of disease to damaged areas. The whitewashing is done with a sprayer or with a brush.
White or light-colored latex paint is diluted at least 1:1 with water and applied to the trunk and scaffold limbs, concentrating primarily on the south and west exposures.

Much of the damage is in the primary and secondary scaffolds, on the top surface, in the interior of the canopy where the branches are exposed to the sunlight. The trunk and primary scaffolds are the main focus because they are permanent supports for the fruit-bearing branches. Fruit-bearing branches can be regenerated if damaged and removed due to borer damage.

Apply the whitewash to any newly-planted trees, and trees with the color of the bark showing. Apply the whitewash to the trunk and primary scaffold limbs that are facing south or west. Pay particular attention to the interior of the canopy and apply up the branches two inches in diameter or larger.

Dormant Oil. For controlling insects such as aphids and other general feeders we spray dormant oil twice during the winter when temperatures are warm. The first time is usually in December just after leaf drop and the other is in January. It is best to do this when temperatures are warm, above 50 F and with warm nights. The purpose of the oil is thought to be to “suffocate” the insects by “blanketing” their bodies with the oil and “plugging” their breathing. Unless you have had disease problems in the past I don’t recommend that you apply a disease control chemical such as a dormant spray for disease prevention.

Controlling Borers. The best time to find borers is when the leaves are off of the trees. We usually find them on the tops or sides of branches exposed directly to sunlight where the branches can get sunburned. The damage attracts the insects through “smell”.

Once cleaned, the damaged area is left to heal without using any pruning paints. The damaged area will heal quickly once the borer is removed. If the

The damaged area is located and cut out with a knife. All of the damaged wood is removed hoping that we will see the borer so it can be removed.

If damage by the borer extends more than halfway around the branch, the branch is removed. This is why it is so important to protect the trunk and major limbs by painting them with white paint. We generally chip the wood we prune from the trees right back into the Orchard and use it for mulch. One of the big reasons we think our Orchard has been productive and healthy is because of our mulching program. Chipping the wood back into the Orchard destroys any borers that might be “hiding” in the wood.