FRUIT TREE FACTS & TIPS

The following information pertains to growing

Fruit Trees in our local area.

Some ideas to consider if your fruit tree is not producing fruit:

Age Many varieties need to be at least 3-4 years old before becoming productive.

Frost Though frost is generally not an issue in our mild climate, it can affect fruiting if a late frost occurs at blooming time.

Pruning With improper pruning, all fruiting wood could be cut off. Different fruit trees require different pruning techniques. Be sure to purchase a copy of “How To Prune Fruit Trees” by R. Sanford Martin for  simple pruning guidelines for most varieties.

Chilling Always choose the right variety for your climate. Trees with too high of a chill requirement will not produce in mild climates. Areas such as Agoura, Monte Nido, and parts of Westlake can grow higher chill requirement trees.  

Location Choose your planting carefully. Be sure the area isn’t too windy. Chilling hours can also be affected if the tree is planted too close to a building that has warmed up from the sun during the day and retains the heat.

ROOTSTOCKS

Fruit trees are often grafted onto rootstocks to affect the height, adaptability and fruit bearing. Height can also be controlled with pruning. Commonly used Rootstocks include:

Nemaguard Vigorous, resistant to root-knot Nematode. In slower draining soils, plant on a mound or berm. Unpruned tree height of standard varieties is 15-25’. Used on stone fruits.

Citation Dwarfs peaches and nectarines to 8-14’, apricots and plums to 12-18’. Tolerant of wet soils and induces heavy bearing at a young age.

Colt In heavy soils, standard cherries are dwarfed to about 3/4 of standard. 22-30’, but can be kept to any desired height by summer pruning.

Mariana 26-24 Used for apricots, plums, most almonds. Shallow root system, tolerant of wet soils. Resists oak-root fungus and root-knot nematodes. 15-20’ for most varieties if left unpruned but may be held to any desired height with summer pruning.

M-111 Used for apples. Tolerates wet, dry or poor soils. Resists wooly apple aphids. Induces bearing at a young age. Unpruned height of tree is 80-90% of a standard or about 15-20’

CHILLING HOURS

Chilling refers to the number of hours 45 degrees and under during the dormant period. All fruit and nut trees need a specific amount of chilling hours before they will produce fruit. The amount varies with each variety and the hours need not be continuous.

Mild areas which include most of Los Angeles and the beach areas should choose varieties with the lowest chilling hours, less than 300. Most of our local area, including Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and Westlake can choose varieties that require less than 500 hours. The coldest valley areas including parts of Agoura, Monte Nido and other chilly microclimates can experiment with the higher chill varieties though there is no guarantee that the temperatures required for fruit production will be met.

PRUNING

Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Apples, Berries and Grapes each require slightly different pruning techniques to encourage the best fruit production. We recommend picking up a copy of the paperback “How To Prune Fruit Trees” by R. Sanford Martin. The book is available at Sperling Nursery and is an incredibly valuable tool when pruning season arrives. It explains, in simple terms, the different pruning techniques for all fruit trees and berries.

POLLINIZING

With the exception of just a few indicated varieties, most of our fruit tree selection is ‘self-fruitful’. The ‘self-fruitful’ varieties do not require pollinizing from another variety and should produce enough fruit for the home orchard.

PESTS & DISEASES

If you have had trouble with insects, such as mites, scale, mealybug or whitefly on your fruit trees, try using an oil spray such as All Seasons Spray Oil or Ortho® Volck during the dormant season to destroy overwintering insects and their eggs. Also, keep the area around the tree clean and tidy by discarding any fallen leaves or debris.

For common diseases such as Peach Leaf Curl on Peaches and Nectarines and Shot Hole Fungus on Plums, try  Copper Fungicidal Garden Spray  (Monterey Liqui-Cop) during the dormant season.

Copper Spray may also be used on Grapes and for fireblight on Pears and Apples.

As with all chemicals, always read and follow the manufacturers directions before application.