Citrus Greening QUARANTINE
Asian Citrus Psyllid
What does this mean?
Next up Ensuring the Success of Your Home Orchard
Ensuring the Success of Your Home Orchard Presented by Deborah Birge Fort Bend County Master Gardener, S02
Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas cooperating
Get Started
But First a few questions
What is your gardening personality?
Structured Hands on
Free-formed Laid back?
Your Time vs Basic Care Watering & feeding Pruning Cold protection Spraying Fruit thinning Floor maintenance
What fruits do you like to eat? Kiwi, raspberries, apricots Apples, peaches, blueberries Figs, pears, blackberries, kumquats
When will fruits ripen? January March Persimmons, lemons, kumquats, strawberries April June Strawberries, blackberries, high bush blueberries, loquats, mulberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots July September Grapes, figs, pears, pawpaws, jujubes, blackberries, peaches, rabbit eye blueberries, plums, quince, banana, pomegranates, satsumas October December Persimmons, pecans, satsuma, figs, mandarins, grapefruit, oranges, limequat, lemons, pomegranates, kumquats, tangelos, pong koas
and a few tasks Plant new trees correctly * bare root * potted plants Planting site needs airflow and sunlight *trees are less likely to be plagued by disease *trees are less likely to be plagued by insects
Planting Site Sun At least 6 hours daily Soil Test soil ph & nutrients Well-drained bed, container, build raised bed Water should drain quickly Water retention test Space to grow Diameter of tree at maturity Air circulation Maintenance
Take Soil Samples
Water Retention * Dig a 12 deep hole * Fill hole with water * Let hole drain, refill * If the hole retains water after 24 hours Think Raised Bed
Why prune?
Pruning for Health of the Proper Pruning Home Orchard * Guide tree growth by cutting branches * Cut branches at outward facing buds * Remove diseased wood * Remove crossing limbs
Pruning to Size the Home Orchard Limiting Tree Size * shape tree with detail pruning during dormant season bring down the top * keep tree small with vigor-reducing pruning in summer keep roots in check
Appropriate Size
Pruning for Better Quality Fruit Thinning * Increase fruit size and quality by thinning young fruits so that fewer, larger, uncrowded fruit mature * Promote high fruit quality by reducing or promoting leaf-cover on fruit depending on climate. Sun scald of fruit minimized by allowing greater leaf-cover over fruit
What Chill Hours are Required?
Insufficient Chill - 2013
What is Cold Hardiness?
Least Hardy to Hardiest High 20 s lemon lime Mid 20 s citron sweet orange navel orange mandarin grapefruit Low 20 s tangerine tangelo kumquat satsuma
Good Planting Techniques
Bare Root Trees Plant as soon as possible after purchase Critical that roots are not exposed to air or allowed to dry out FBMG using Hydrogel slurry to protect roots Temporarily heel-in plant--moist mulch, garden bed or container Prepare planting hole before unwrapping tree or removing from temporary location
What to Look for in Bare Root
1/3 Root and 2/3 Tree
Avoid root bound plants
Success *Trim tree, 1/3 root, 2/3 tree *Trim limbs *Trim broken roots *Soak roots *Dig the hole *Score the hole *Plant tree, spreading roots *Replace native soil halfway *Water in *Replace remaining soil *Build rim with remaining soil *Water well *Mulch
Soil Amendments Advantages Makes soil easier to work Provides nutrients Disadvantages Roots tend to stay in amended bowl causing girdling Bowl retains water, root rot Amended soil dries out quicker, more watering Costs money
Focus Focuson onthe thetop top12 12
Mulch
Mulching made Easy
References Texas A&M - Aggie Horticulture aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut University of Florida www.crec.ifas.ulf.edu Urban Harvest www.urbanharvest.org Dave Wilson Nursery www.davewilson.com Soil Testing www.soiltesting.tamu.edu