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Fruit Tree Workshop 101 By Josh Singer Class Outline Types of DC Fruit Trees Plan>ng Considera>ons Fruit Tree Maintenance Harves>ng Pests and Diseases Types of DC Fruit Trees Maintenance levels of DC Fruit Trees •  Low Level Maintenance –  Watering –  light pruning •  Medium Maintenance – 
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Watering pruning fruit thinning light pest and disease management •  High Maintenance – 
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Watering Pruning fruit thinning high pest and disease management Low Maintenance: Pawpaw Characteris>cs •  Full to Par>al Sunlight •  15-‐25 K. High, 15 K. Wide •  Live 25-‐80 years •  Na>ve to DC area •  Few pests or diseases •  Poor cross pollina>on (can assist pollina>on by hand with a paint brush) •  Ripens on the tree in Sept/Oct when fruit soKens and lightens in color. Female male Low Maintenance: Persimmons Characteris>cs •  Asian prefer full sunlight •  American (na>ve) can survive in par>al sunlight •  Asian – 25 Ft tall •  American – 80 Ft tall •  Live 50-‐75 years •  Few pests or diseases •  2 types: astringent and non-‐astringent •  Both ripen on tree when soK in Fall Low Maintenance: Figs Characteris>cs •  Prefer full sunlight •  10-‐20 Ft high and wide •  Figs produce for several decades but live upwards to 200 years •  Few pests and diseases •  May need winter protec>on •  Two harvests: late spring and mid summer •  Ripens on tree when soK •  Grows fruit only on new and 1 year old growth. Resprou>ng Winter Killed Fig Tree •  Many ﬁgs die during a harsh winter but may grow back from the ground. •  Help the ﬁg grow back by pruning all deadwood oﬀ. –  May have to prune back to the ground. –  If any parts s>ll alive prune to ou]acing buds and limbs. •  Check cambium before pruning. Winter Protec>on •  Choose a winter hardy variety (Chicago Hardy, Brown Turkey). •  Create a windbreak from the NW winter winds. •  Wrapped with burlap/paper bag and stuﬀ with leaves. Low Maintenance: Serviceberries (Juneberries) Characteris>cs •  Full to par>al sunlight •  20-‐30 Ft high, 15 Ft wide •  Live 20-‐60 years •  Few pests and diseases •  Cedar Juneberry Rust. •  Harvest berries in late Spring, when they turn soK and purple Low Maintenance: Red Mulberry Characteris>c •  Full to par>al sunlight •  30-‐50 Ft high depending on variety •  25-‐35 Ft wide •  Live up to 75 years •  Na>ve to DC area •  Few pests and diseases •  White Mulberry is invasive •  Ripens late Spring as fruit turns soK and black Low Maintenance: American Hazelnut (Filbert) Characteris>cs •  Full to par>al sunlight •  15-‐20 Ft high, 10-‐15 Ft wide •  Live 20-‐80 years •  Na>ve to DC area •  Few pests and diseases •  Ripens late summer, early Fall Medium Maintenance: Pears Characteris>cs •  Full sunlight •  20-‐30 Ft. high, 20 Ft. wide •  Live up to 50 years •  Ripens late summer-‐late fall •  Pruning and thinning needed •  Some pest and disease management Two types: Asian Pears: -‐  crisp like an apple -‐  More disease and pest resistant European Pears: -‐  More suscep>ble to Fire Blight -‐  Most need to ripen oﬀ the tree (Seckel is the excep>on) Characteris>cs Full sunlight 15-‐25 Ft. tall and wide Live 15-‐30 years Huge harvest: lots of thinning, pruning, and harves>ng •  Some pest and disease management •  Ripening late spring to early fall 3 types of Plums Japanese and European Plums -‐ more maintenance -‐  taste becer fresh -‐  E. tolerates cold becer -‐  J. tolerates heat becer, but is an early bloomer suscep>ble to late frosts • 
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American Plums -‐  na>ve, hardy, low maintenance -‐  Some are too tart to each fresh Medium Maintenance: Plum Medium/High Maintenance: Cherries Characteris>cs -‐  Full Sunlight -‐  15-‐30 Ft. high and wide -‐  Live 15-‐20 years -‐  Lots of bird issues. -‐  Some pest and disease management -‐  Short growing season (60 days) -‐  Ripens around June to July -‐  2 varie>es: -‐  Sweet -‐  Most need cross-‐pollina>ng -‐  Most can be eaten fresh -‐  Sour -‐  Most are self pollina>ng -‐  Most aren’t eaten fresh High Maintenance: Apples Characteris>cs •  Need Full sunlight •  10-‐40 Ft. high and wide •  20-‐80 years old (35-‐45 typically) •  Lots of pest and disease management •  Lots of pruning and thinning •  Ripens August through December (October Peak) High Maintenance: Peaches Characteris>cs •  Needs full sunlight •  Grow 10-‐25 Ft. high and wide •  15 -‐50 years •  Lots of Pests and Disease Management •  Lots of pruning and thinning •  Fruits on one year old wood –  Once fruit is harvested that sec>on is done. –  Prune heavy every winter for more fruit. Other Possible Fruit Trees • 
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Jujube (Chinese Date) Russian Pomegrante Edible Dogwood (Kousa) Hardy Almond Apricots Chinquapin Hardy Kiwis Plan>ng Considera>ons Pre Plan>ng Considera>ons •  Plan>ng seasons –  Fall vs Spring •  Types of trees –  Container •  Root bag –  B & B –  Bare root –  Pollina>on •  Self Pollina6on/self fer6le •  Cross Pollina6on –  Make sure cross pollinators bloom at the same >me. –  All fruit trees beneﬁt from more pollina>on Sunlight »  Full sun – 6 hours or more »  Par>al shade – 3-‐6 hours Shade »  Are you shading a garden? Proper Space »  Telephone wires »  Paths »  Play areas Proper Spacing »  Dwarf: 10-‐12Ft »  Semi-‐dwarf: 12-‐15 Ft »  Standard: 15-‐25 Ft Water Issues »  Drainage »  Access Weather Protec7on »  Winter northern winds »  Microclimates Calculate Caretakers’ Investment Level »  Watering »  Harves6ng »  Pruning and thinning »  Pest and Disease control ***Call Miss U6lity Right Tree, Right Place, Right Investment Level
Digging the Hole • 
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Dig the hole at least 2 >mes the size of the root ball Plant the root ﬂare level with the ground (may have to dig it out) Remove as much wrapping materials as possible Backﬁlling • 
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Amend backﬁll with organic compost Gently pack backﬁll soil Create a dirt basin for watering Mulching • 
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Cover plan>ng area with 1-‐3’’ of mulch. Leave 2 inches around trunk mulch free to avoid volcano mulch Create a mulch ring Staking • 
Only stake if the tree is in danger of being knocked over – 
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(wind, on a hill, heavy foot traﬃc, etc) Avoid staking >ghtly around trunk Use ﬂexible fabric (arbor >e) Remove aKer 2 years Guards • 
For protec>on against animals or weedwacker damage use arbor guards and deer guards Plan>ng Watering •  Water for ﬁrst 2-‐3 years •  Create a berm with extra back ﬁll dirt •  Use slow drip watering bags •  Water at least once a week Spring-‐Fall •  Trees are dormant in winter •  Mulch once a year Mulch for Fruit Trees Beneﬁts of mulch • 
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Retain moisture Suppress weeds Increases organic macer Protects soil. Limit exposed soil!!! Good mulch for fruit trees • 
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Shredded wood/bark mulch Aged woodchips Living mulch (white clover) Straw Avoid •  Hay, which has seeds •  Fresh woodchips can pull out nitrogen •  Let sit for 2-‐3 months, un>l not steaming •  Dyed mulches – may be toxic *Never use more than 2-‐3 inches of mulch* Plan>ng in Contaminated Soil •  Woody plants store contaminants in old wood/heart wood. •  Fruits are generally clean of contamina>on. •  More likely to inhale containments •  Mulch exposed soils –  If unable to cover exposed soils wear a mask •  Wash fruits thoroughly Forest Garden/Tree Guild A sustainable ecosystem based on a woodland habitat •  Nutrient cycling – nature’s recycling system –  a con>nuous ﬂow of organic macer (leaves, stems, etc) into the produc>on of living macer. Companion Plants Nitrogen Fixers: •  Plants to extract nitrogen from the air and transfer it into soils –  Cow peas, beans, white clover –  May need to inoculate . Companion Plants Green Manures: •  Plants that are cut back and plowed before they can seed to add nutrients to the soil •  Comfrey, Alfalfa, Bayberry Companion Plants Soil Decompacters: •  Plants with strong deep roots that help to beak up compacted soil •  Dandelion, Daikon Radishes, Carrots •  Don’t harvest!!! Companion Plants Pest Deterrents •  Alliums (Chives, garlic) – apple scab, aphids, root nematodes, fruit tree borers •  Nastur6um -‐ codling moth, whiteﬂies, borers •  Tansy – Japanese beetle hcp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pest-‐
repelling_plants Companion Plants Acracters of Beneﬁcial Insects (pollinators and predators) •  Marigolds •  Sunﬂowers •  Dill hcp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_companion_plants Mycorrhiza •  A Symbio>c rela>onship between fungus and roots. •  Roots give Mycorrihizae (plural) food and a place to stay and in return Mycorrihizae increases the root’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. •  Mycorrihizae are mostly found in natural habitats such as a forest. Fruit Tree Maintenance Fruit Thinning •  Pick oﬀ any fruit for the ﬁrst 2-‐3 years •  AKer tree is established thin fruit when it’s the size of a dime. •  Thin the fruit 2-‐5 inches apart and 1-‐2 pieces per cluster. •  If possible leave fruit that will be exposed to more sunlight –  This causes fruit to be sweeter. –  Remove fruit hidden under leaves or branches ﬁrst. Animal Protec>on: Birds •  Hanging shiny and/or noise making objects –  CDs –  Soda cans –  Wind chimes •  Nepng Structures •  Protec>ve fruit bags Animal Protec>on: Squirrels •  Humane traps •  Hot pepper sprays •  Nets Animal Protec>on: Deer •  Deer Guards and deer fences •  Hot pepper sprays •  Repellents –  hair, dryer sheets, liquid fence •  Mo>on detectors •  Plant Pawpaws Spraying •  Kaolin clay •  Compost tea •  Hot pepper mixture –  Blend, ferment or boil hot peppers, garlic, onions in a gallon of water •  Homemade fungicides –  4 teaspoons of baking soda or apple cider vinegar –  ½ tablespoon of citrus oil –  ½ tablespoon of Dr. Bronners –  One gallon of water *spray lightly, test a small area for the ﬁrst couple of days Sprayers •  Strain all solu>ons below spraying •  Clean sprayer aKer every use Orchard Sanita>on •  Prune oﬀ infected areas quickly –  Do not compost –  Sani>ze pruners between each cut •  Cleanly prune any dead/
broken branches •  Prune open canopy to allow more sunshine and circula>on •  Water the soil rather than the tree •  Clean up leaves at the base –  Shred into a mulch, compost, or rake away •  Remove/compost all ropng fruit from the ground and tree Harves>ng Harves>ng •  Most fruit ripens on tree -‐ 
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Color SoKness Ease of separa>on Fruit drop Smell •  Some fruit is picked unripe (European Pears) -‐  Store in a paper bag -‐  Store in a dark dry area at room temperature * European Pears need a chill period at 30 degrees for 1-‐7 days before storage •  Tools –  Harves>ng pole –  Harves>ng Ladder *always pick ripe fruit before it rots! Pathogens Powdery Mildew •  A fungal disease •  Displays powdery white spots •  Grows well in high humidity Treatment •  Not fatal, but can signiﬁcantly hurt a tree •  Overwinters Preven6on: –  prune trees to open circula>on and sunlight –  Avoid excess Nitrogen Treatment: –  Prune out infected areas if possible –  Apply fungicide at ﬁrst sigh>ng, once a week un>l gone Cedar Apple/Juneberry Rust Fungal disease • 
•  Overwinters on Cedars •  Most prevalent during mild winters/wet springs •  First appears as Yellow/
brownish lesions •  Deforms fruit Preven6on •  Remove winter galls on any nearby cedars •  Fungicide treatments aKer the ﬁrst wet spring rains Treatment •  None, remove any aﬀected fruit • 
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Rots (Black, Brown) Fungal diseases Circular ropng spots on fruits Fruit eventually decays Leaf spots and leaf damage Overwinters on mummiﬁca>on of fruit Preven6on •  Prune for circula>on and sunlight •  Select resistant varie>es Treatment •  Prune out aﬀected areas •  Remove leK over fruit •  Fungicide • 
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Peach Leaf Curl Fungal disease Curls and distorts the leaves, with a red/
purple color •  Causes an early leaf drop once leaves turn yellow and brown •  Overwinters in infected bark and twigs Preven6on •  Select disease resistent (ie. Red Haven) •  Compost tea Treatment •  If early leaf drop occurs, thin the fruit out to compensate •  Apply a dormant fungicide spray at the end of the growing season will prevent the fungus from returning. •  Pick oﬀ infected leaves and dispose properly • 
Pear and Apple Scab Fungus prevalent in mild, damp seasons •  Brown blotches or scabs eﬀec>ng leaves and fruit •  Reduces vigor and early leaf fall Preven6on •  Thin canopy •  Select resistant varie>es Treatment •  Prune out infected area •  Fungicide •  Wait >ll next season FireBlight •  Bacterial disease •  Blacken, scorched appearance •  If leK untreated the tree may die •  Highly contagious Preven6on •  Avoid excess nitrogen Treatment •  prune diseased parts at the beginning of the limb. –  If the cambium isn’t healthy (green) at the cut, prune farther back un>l it is. –  Sani>ze tools between each cut – bleach or alcohol –  Dispose of limbs properly Pests Aphids •  Sap sucking insects, that damage leaves •  Excrete excess sap called honey dew, which ﬁrst looks shiny, then brown. •  Honey dew can damage leaves and cause sooty mold Treatment •  Biodegradable soap sprays •  Hand squishing •  Lady bugs Pear Psylla •  Aphid like insect that aﬀects only pears •  Aﬀects fruit and leaves •  Decreases tree vigor •  Asian Pears are more resistant Treatment •  Biological controls: lacewings •  Biodegradable soap sprays •  Hand squishing White Flies •  Tiny sap sucking insects, who feed on the underside of a leave •  Excrete honeydew which can cause mold growth Treatment •  Bio-‐degradable soap sprays •  high pressure water spray •  Biological control: Lacewings & Ladybugs Codling Moth •  Famous “Worm in the Apple” •  Small insects that lay eggs in apples and pears •  When the larva hatch they eat the fruit Treatment •  Biological Controls – Trichogramma parasi>c wasp •  Destroy any fruit with small holes •  Protec>ve cloth fruit bags •  Kaolin spray aKer petal fall •  Hanging Traps -‐ molasses mixture •  Corrugated cardboard trunk wraps Peach Tree Borer •  Acacks peach, cherry, plum, almonds, and other stone fruits •  The larva tunnels under the bark •  Tunnel holes may appear on trunk up to 6 inches below the soil. •  Sawdust, frass and/or a jelly like sap may appear at the base of the tree. Treatment •  Biological controls: Lacewing & paras>c nematodes (injected into the holes) •  Worming – remove soil around the base of the tree and carefully dig the borers out of the tree with strong thin wire •  Insec>cides •  Pheromone traps Caterpillars •  Many diﬀerent types of caterpillars (Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Gypsy Moth, etc) •  They generally eat leaves •  Many create tents Treatment •  Remove all catepillar tents and squish catepillars •  Burlap trap: Wrap a wide piece of burlap around the trunk, >e it in half and fold it over. Check daily. Plum Curculio •  Acacks plums and apples, pears, peaches, cherries •  In spring adults feed on buds, blossoms, leaves •  Majority of injury comes from eggs laid in fruit Treatment •  Dispose of fallen fruit frequently •  Surround spray •  Orchard Sanita>on Japanese Beetles •  Adults eat the >ssue of the leaves between the veins (skeletonizing) •  Larva lives as grubs in soil and feed on plant roots •  Adults emerged in late June and usually only stay for 1 month Treatment •  Hand pick in the early morning and drop in bowl of soapy water •  Cover the tree in Kaolin or hot pepper spray •  Biological controls for the grubs: Bacterial Milky Disease and Entomopathogenic Nemtodes •  Avoid pheromone traps Brown Marmorated S>nk Bug •  Adults feed on tree fruits and certain vegetables. •  Sucking damage to fruit •  Adults will search for shelter (usually indoors) to hibernate over the winter •  Barrel shaped eggs are laid on the underside of leaves from plants they eat Treatment •  Biological Control –  Yellow/Black Garden Spider –  Chinese Praying Man>s –  Parasitoid wasp (trissolcus basalis) •  Knock them into soapy water bowl •  Don’t squish them – leaves bad odor. Addi>onal Resources •  Josh Singer –  [email protected] •  Fruit Tree Network –  [email protected]