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EXTENSION

Agriculture and Natural Resources • Family and Consumer Sciences • 4-H Youth Development • Community and Economic Developm

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCK Y COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, LEXINGTON, KY, 40546

Growing tree fruits and/or nuts can provide a great deal ofsatisfaction, but it takes a commitment to care for yourtrees year-round.

Planning

Variety SelectionWhen planning your orchard, choose varieties that not only

are family favorites but are easy to care for. Remember that dwarf

trees are always the best choice for home orchards.Generally, the more varieties of fruit you grow, the more complex

it is to manage them. However, if you enjoy a lot of different fruitsand the management challenge, by all means plant a wide range.

Nearly all fruit and nut tree varieties (including some hazelnuts)are grafted to a genetically different root system, called a rootstock. When you choose a variety based on flavor, harvest period, diseaseresistance, color, etc., it is the grafted variety you are choosing, notthe rootstock.

Te ultimate size of a tree depends on the vigor of both therootstock and the grafted variety. By knowing the vigor ratings ofboth, you can determine how big a tree will grow. See able 1 for

vigor ratings for some apple varieties. See the section on rootstocksbelow to learn more about vigor of various rootstocks.

Not all recommended varieties are included in the lists in thischapter. For apples alone, hundreds of varieties exist, and otherfruits could have many more varieties. Consult the resources listedunder “For More Information” to learn about additional varieties.

General types of apples include old style, cider, English, or flavor varieties. If you want to have fresh-off-the-tree apples for a longperiod of time in the summer and fall, choose varieties with stag-gered maturity dates (able 2).

When buying trees for Kentucky, select disease-resistant variet-ies (able 3) to reduce the impact of apple scab, cedar apple rust,

fireblight, and powdery mildew.

Growing Tree FruitsKentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 16By Jeff Olsen, extension agent, Willamette Valley, and Anita Nina Azarenko, extension horticulture specialist; both at Oregon StateUniversity. Adapted for Kentucky by John Strang, extension horticulture specialist, University of Kentucky.

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In this chapter:

Planning ................................................................243

Pruning Terminology ......................................246

Planting and Fertilizing ...................................248

Irrigating ...............................................................249

Fruit Thinning .....................................................249

Harvest and Handling ......................................250

Insect and Disease Management ................252

Pruning .................................................................254

For More Information .......................................255

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CHAPTER 16244 • Growing Tree Fruits

Table 1. Applevariety vigor ratings.

High vigor

EarligoldLodiMutsu or Crispin

Moderate vigor

AkaneArkansas Black CortlandCrimsonCrispDelicious (red)EmpireEnterpriseFreedomFujiGalaGolden Delicious

GoldRushGranny SmithIdaredJersey MacJonagoldJonathanLibertyMelroseMollies DeliciousNewtownPixie CrunchPristineRedfreeSansaRome BeautyStaymanSuncrispSundanceWilliam’s Pride

Low vigor

Spur DeliciousSpur GoldenSpur Granny Smith

Very low vigor

Spur Arkansas Black Spur DeliciousSpur RomeSuper Spur

Figure 1. Approximate size of mature trees grownon various rootstocks.

P e r c e n t

80

90

100

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

M.9

Bud 9

M.26

G.11

M.7

G.30

M.106 M.111

25-35%

40-50%

55-65%

60-75%

90%

Seedling

Rootstock SelectionWhen choosing a fruit tree, check to see

what rootstock it uses. Rootstocks are notchosen for their fruit. Most originally wereselected for their ability to control overalltree size. Some were selected for othercharacteristics, such as the following:• Ecient yield production• Disease resistance• Tolerance of dierent soil conditions,

including poorly drained soils• Cold hardiness

Apples

Te greatest choice in rootstocks existswith apples. Te most vigorous apple

rootstocks are seedlings, which are sim-ply sprouted apple seeds. When an apple

variety is grafted onto a seedling rootstock,the tree can easily grow more than 30 feettall. Most home orchardists can’t ecientlyspray, thin, and harvest a tree this tall.

Researchers in England developed theMalling series of apple rootstocks, whichoffers the opportunity to select trees thatgrow to specific heights. Te height maybe anywhere from dwarf (4 to 12 feet) tosemidwarf (16 to 18 feet). Each rootstock in

this series is identified by the letter “M” (forMalling) or “MM” (for Malling Merton) anda number (Figure 1). Higher numbers don’trepresent taller trees.

Te following list shows approximatesizes as a percentage of the size of a tree onseedling rootstock:

Rootstock PercentMM.111 90

MM.106 60 - 75

M.7, G.30 55 - 65

M.26, G.11 40 - 50

M.9, Bud 9 25 - 35

M.27 < 25

Most home orchardists select dwarfrootstocks, such as Bud 9, which are espe-cially appropriate if you want to train a treeto grow along a trellis. Dwarf trees shouldbe supported by stakes, poles, or wires.

Te M.27 rootstock is the only choice forgrowing apples in containers. For containerplantings, use spur-type varieties, which arethe least vigorous.

M.7 produces semidwarf trees thatnormally do not require staking. However,some support might be required if earlyproduction is encouraged.

MM.106 and MM.111 produce largertrees that require no staking and are suitablefor the home orchard. In nursery catalogs,these trees are identified as semistandard.

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CHAPTER 16 Growing Tree Fruits • 245

Table 3. Disease-resistant apples.1

Variety

Resistance To

Comments Harvest StoresUntil Skin ColorAS CR FB PM

Pristine2 VR S S R Good quality for season, not as tartas Lodi, makes excellent applesauce

early July shortstorage

Light yellow with red blush

WilliamsPride

VR S MR R Good quality for season, corkspotfrequently observed, subacid, yellowflesh

mid-July shortstorage

70-80% dark red

Redfree2 VR VR S S Firm, summer apple, juicy late July Oct 90-100% dark red on yellow

Dayton2 VR R MR R Similar to Prima mid-Aug. Sept Up to 90% bright medium red

Liberty2 VR R3 R R Fruit similar to Macoun, crisp, juicy,yellowish flesh, tart at harvest

late Aug. Dec 90% dark red stripes on green-yellow

Nova Easygro VR VR R S Fruit similar to Cortland, fair quality(for trial)

earlySept.

Dec 80% dark red on green-yellow

Spartan2 MR R MR R Firm McIntosh type, needs thinning

to develop size

early

Sept.

Jan Dark to pale red depending on

weatherJonafree2 VR S S R Fruit similar to Jonathan, but less acid earlySept.

Dec 90% red stripes

Pixie Crunch2 VR — — — Small, sweet flavored, super crisp,kids apple

earlySept.

Dec Deep red

Macfree VR VR3 MR S Similar to McIntosh, mealy under hotconditions

mid-Sept. Dec 75% medium red over green-yellow

Priscilla2 VR VR3 VR R Tart, firm, somewhat coarse textured,crisp, juicy, small fruit size

mid-Sept. Nov 70-90% dark red blush overyellow-green

SirPrize2 VR S R R Fine grain, crisp, tender, bruises veryeasily, sterile pollen

mid-Sept. Dec Greenish yellow, slight red blush

CrimsonCrisp VR MR S S Medium sized red fruit, firm, crisp,tart, stores very well

mid-Sept. March 95% red

Enterprise2 VR VR3 MR R Sprightly, subacid, slightly aromatic

and spicy, crisp, fine grained juicyflesh, stores well

early

Oct.

Feb Washed, 90% light to medium red

GoldRush2 VR S MR S Fruit very crisp, firm, tart at harvestand sweetens up after storage, verysusceptible to black rot. Will store for11 months.

mid-Oct. April Deep yellow with red blush

Sundance2 VR VR VR VR Excellent quality with fruity flavor likemild pineapple, fruit does not drop

mid-Oct. Mar Yellow, occasionally russets in stemcavity

AS = Apple Scab, CR = Cedar Apple Rust, FB = Fire Blight, PM = Powdery MildewVR = Very Resistant, R = Resistant, MR = Moderately Resistant, S = Susceptible, — = Insufficient InformationNote: All apples require cross-pollination by a different variety. Winesap and SirPrize cannot serve as pollinizers because they have sterile pollen.1 Resistance to diseases other than scab has not been fully evaluated and may differ in some locations from that reported here.2 Produces high quality apples in Kentucky.3 Although these cultivars are resistant to cedar apple rust, they are susceptible to cedar quince rust.

Table 2. Apple varieties grouped by general time of maturity.

Early Midseason Late

AkaneDayton

ErligoldJersey MacLodiMollies DeliciousMonark PristineRedfreeSansa

William’s PrideEmpire

FreedomGalaGinger Gold

JonathanLiberty

Arkansas Black CortlandCrimsonCrispDelicious (Goldenand Red)EmpireEnterpriseFujiGold RushGranny Smith

IdaredJonagold

MelroseMutsu or CrispinNewtownPixie CrunchRome BeautyStaymanSun CrispSundanceYork

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Table 4. Cherryvarieties.

Sweet

Black GoldHedelfingenLapinsSweetheart

Tart

DanubeMontmorencyNorth StarSurefire

Table 5. Pearvarieties.

European

Blake’s PrideHarrow SweetHoney SweetKiefferMagnessPotomacSeckel

Asian

ChojuroKorean Giant,OlympicMegietsuShinkoYoinashi

Table 6. Nectarinevarieties.

Nectarines

FantasiaFlavortopRed GoldSunglo

Table 7. Peach varieties (westside).

Maturity

July August September

GalaHarrow DiamondGarnet BeautyRedhavenSentry Topaz

AllstarBiscoeBlushing Star (White)BountyContenderCoralstarCresthaven

Ernie’s ChoiceGlowing StarJohn BoyLoringMadisonRedskinSummer Breeze

EncoreFlamin’ Fury PF-27AFlameprinceLaurolOuachita GoldVictoria

Te ultimate height of any tree can begreatly influenced by pruning, but root-stocks that impart more vigor make itharder to contain trees to the height and

width desired.Other commercially available apple root-

stocks provide vigor control, disease resis-tance, and winter hardiness. Te Budagorsky(Bud) series was introduced from centralRussia. Te G series was developed at CornellUniversity at the New York State AgriculturalExperiment Station, Geneva, NY.

Cherries

Most cherry trees in Kentucky are grownon Mazzard rootstocks. However, recentresearch on growth-controlling rootstocks hasproduced more choices. New dwarf varietiesare now being grown on Gisela rootstocks,and new European rootstocks are beingtested each year. Te most common Giselarootstocks are Gisela 5, Gisela 6, and Gisela12. Tey produce trees that are 50, 70–90, and60 percent of Mazzard, respectively. Othernew rootstocks include MxM2 (100 per-cent), MxM60 (100 percent of Mazzard), andMxM14 (75–85 percent of Mazzard). Teybear earlier and have better disease resistancethan Mazzard seedlings.

Sweet cherries generally do not surviveor produce well in Kentucky. Some of thesenewer rootstocks are available to homegardeners from a few mail-order nurser-ies in the Pacific Northwest. See HortFact3002— Fruit and Nut Cultivar Nursery

Sources, which is listed in the “For MoreInformation” section at the end of this chap-ter. See able 4 for cherry varieties.

Pruning TerminologyCrotch angle—The angle formed between thetrunk and a limb. The strongest crotch angle

is 45° to 60°.

Leader—The uppermost portion of a scaffoldlimb.

Scaffold limb—A large limb that forms a tree’sframework.

Shoot—The length of branch growth in oneseason. The bud scale scars (ring of smallridges) on a branch mark the start of a sea-son’s growth.

Spur—(1) A short shoot that bears flowerbuds on the end (terminally) or on the sides(laterally). (2) A short shoot that fruits.

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self-pollinated do have pollen that setsfruit on other varieties. For example, RedDelicious doesn’t set its own fruit withits own pollen, but sets fruit on Golden

Delicious, and vice versa. Gravensteinrequires an early-blooming pollinizer suchas Lodi, but does not produce good pollenfor other varieties. Mutsu does not pollinizeother varieties, but requires another varietyto set fruit itself. McIntosh is self-unfruitfulbut pollinizes other early-blooming variet-ies such as Gravenstein.

Other fruits

Most varieties of pears do not set fruitunless they are pollinated by anotherpollen-compatible variety.

Most European plums are self-fruitful.See able 8 for nut varieties.

Planting for PollinationPlant pollen-compatible trees within 100

feet of each other to ensure adequate pol-lination, which depends mostly on bees andto a lesser extent on other insect activity.For nuts, pollination depends on wind. Tebloom periods of the main and pollinizer

varieties must overlap enough to provide

at least several days for cross-pollination totake place. Orchards with many pollinizersare more fruitful than those with only onepollinizer.

If no pollinizing varieties are grow-ing nearby, cut a bouquet of blooms fromanother variety and place it in a pail ofwater beside your tree while it is in bloom.Or, if you have a single fruit tree that needsa pollinizer, graft a compatible variety ontothe main variety.

Table 8. Nut varieties.

Hazelnuts (filberts)*

GammaJeffersonSantiamYamhill

Walnuts, Persian

AlleghenyCoble No. 2Kaiser

Walnut, Black

Leon Pounds IINeel No. 1

RowherSauber No. 1Surprise Thomas-Myers

*Complete resistanceto eastern filbert blight(EFB).Note: Gamma, Santiamand Jefferson are goodpollinators for the bestvariety, Yamhill.

Pears

Most European pears are grown on oneof many selections from the Old Home-Farmingdale cross. Asian pears sometimes

use these rootstocks but also are grown ontwo species of Pyrus: Pyrus betulaefolia and Pyrus calleryana. See able 5 for pear

varieties.

Plums and peaches

Plums are produced on a wide varietyof Prunus rootstocks, such as peach, plum,apricot, and almond. Peaches usually aregrown on peach seedling rootstocks. Tereare no suitable dwarfing rootstocks forpeaches. See ables 6 and 7 for nectarine

and peach varieties.

Pollination Methodsrees can be grouped into two catego-

ries: those that bear fruit through self-pollination (called self-fruitful ) and thosethat must be pollinated by another variety(called self-unfruitful ).

Cherries

Lapins, Black Gold, and Sweetheart areself-fruitful sweet cherry varieties, as are

tart (pie) cherries.Some sweet cherries do not set fruit

unless they are pollinized by anotherpollen-compatible variety. Hedelfingen ispollinated by Lapins or Sweetheart.

Apples

Some apple varieties, such as RomeBeauty, Newtown, and ransparent, areself-fruitful, but most varieties of apples donot set fruit unless they are pollinated byanother pollen-compatible variety. Most

apple varieties that don’t set fruit when

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ree SpacingApple trees typically are spaced from

6 feet apart (high density) to more than20 feet apart. Spacing between rows forother fruit trees ranges from 12 to 24 feet because they often lack growth-controllingrootstocks.

rue genetic dwarf trees can, of course,be planted closer. Dwarf trees trained ontrellises have the closest spacing.

In planning your orchard, compare theamount of space available to the number oftrees you want to grow. Spacing trees veryclose together does push them into earlierproduction, but tightly spaced trees requiremore pruning at an earlier age in order to

keep them productive and so foliage doesnot dry out as rapidly, which can lead tomore disease problems.

Planting and FertilizingOrchard trees grow best in deep, well-

drained soils. o have adequate room forroot development, trees need at least 4 feetof soil above an impenetrable soil layer orwater table. In poor soil conditions, raisedbeds can be helpful. Always choose a spot

that gets full sun.Fruit trees usually are sold bare root. It’s

very important to plant a tree at the rightlevel. ry to plant the tree at the same levelat which it was growing in the nursery.Make sure the graft union is aboveground;if it is not, the rootstock will produce shootsthat may overpower the grafted or buddedstock. Te scion (grafted variety) may alsoproduce roots that lessen the effect of therootstock.

Dig a hole large enough to comfortably

accommodate the tree’s root system. Don’tleave smooth soil on the sides of the hole—roughen the sides with a shovel so the rootscan grow into the soil. Place the roots over alow mound of soil in the hole.

Paint the trunk with a white, water-basedindoor latex paint to reflect sunlight andhelp prevent sunburn. o save paint andmake it easier to apply, you can dilute thepaint with water to 50 or 70 percent paint.

drip line

main feeder root zone

Figure 2. Locating atree’s drip line.

A tree protector placed around the trunkwill protect it from damage from smallanimals and sunscald.

Protection from deer is important, too.

Fencing is the best method, but caging alsoworks. Hanging soap, human hair, animalscents, or other deer repellents will helpprevent damage for only a short time.

A tree’s need for fertilizer varies accord-ing to the amount of minerals available inthe soil. Soil types vary within a specificarea and regionally. For example, fruittrees generally don’t need much phos-phorus in the Central Kentucky area,but respond to phosphorus applicationsin most other areas of the state. Consult

your county extension oce for specicrecommendations.Fruit trees do need nitrogen. Te amount

needed varies from very little to 2 poundsof actual nitrogen per tree for fully maturetrees. Te best way to gauge nitrogen needsis to watch the amount of annual growthand check for yellowing of older leaves. Ifa tree has at least 12 to 18 inches of newgrowth each year, it is thriving. Over appli-cation of nitrogen may cause excessive tree

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drip-irrigate, take care not to overwater,especially near the base of the trunk, whereexcessive moisture can lead to crown rot.

Fruit ThinningTinning of apples, peaches, and Asian

and European pears is an important partof orchard management. It removes someof the developing embryos that otherwisewould produce flowering inhibitors. Itimproves the size and quality of fruit andhelps ensure an adequate crop the next year.

Te effect of fruit thinning is greatest oncultivars that tend to have a heavy fruit set.Determine the size of fruit you want and

thin accordingly.Tere are three ways to thin fruit. Pickingthe tiny fruit or blossoms by hand is themost commonly used method. Mechanicalthinning involves using a tool to knock fruitoff the tree. Plant-growth regulators aresprayed onto apple and pear trees in com-mercial orchards during and after bloom tothin the crop.

imingEarly thinning of blossoms or fruit helps

stimulate flower initiation for the next year’scrop, especially on cultivars that tend towardbiennial bearing (bearing fruit every other

year). Apples initiate flower buds for thefollowing year’s crop within 40 days of fullbloom, so thinning has a positive effect on thenext year’s bloom if done within this period.Pears form buds a little later, so you can thinthem within 60 days of full bloom. Attainingadequate return bloom on peaches is seldom aproblem, but early thinning generally helps.

Tinning also helps increase the size of

harvested fruit by stimulating cell divisionin the remaining fruit. More cell divisionmeans more cells per fruit and thus largerfruit. Te period of cell division for appleslasts four to five weeks after petal fall. Forpeaches, it lasts four weeks after petal fall,and pears continue cell division for seven tonine weeks after petal fall. All fruits con-tinue some cell division in the epidermislayer (the skin) much longer than in themain part of the fruit flesh.

growth as well as physiological problems inthe fruit, such as bitter pit in apples.

Most gardeners use a complete fertilizer(one with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potas-

sium) around the yard and vegetable gar-den. Tese fertilizers are fine for fruit trees,but if they are used every year, phosphorusand potassium levels build up far in excessof the tree’s actual need.

Most home orchardists do not applyboron to their fruit trees. Although boron isneeded only in small amounts (it is a micro-nutrient), it is essential for plant health andproductivity, especially for fruit set . reesthat are low in boron have poor shootgrowth and poor fruit set.

An easy source of boron is Borax. If youneed to apply boron to a fruit tree, add atablespoon of Borax to 2 gallons or moreof water and apply it to the soil within thetree’s drip line (Figure 2). If you think yoursoil has boron deficiency, it is best to havethe soil analyzed before adding more. oomuch boron is toxic to the trees.

IrrigatingTe amount of water fruit trees need

depends on rainfall and soil type. Te bestway to determine your trees’ needs is tocheck the soil moisture in the root zone at12 and 24 inches deep.

o test, remove some soil with a soilprobe or shovel and squeeze a handful of itinto a ball. If it crumbles when released, thetrees are dry and need water. If the ball ofsoil stays together but does not feel wet, thetrees have adequate moisture. If the soil balldrips water when squeezed, there is morethan enough moisture.

Remember that young trees have an

undeveloped root system and cannotabsorb much water at a time. In warmweather, watering young trees regularly is

very helpful to get them off to a good start.Drip irrigation is preferred by many

orchardists because it allows the foliage,flowers, and fruit to remain dry, an impor-tant factor in disease prevention. If you

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Sometime during the cell-division phase,cell enlargement begins. Enlargement con-tinues throughout the growth of the fruitand often is positively influenced by fruit

thinning.

How to TinApples

Home orchardists generally thin by hand.With apples, remove the smaller fruit first,remembering that the relative sizes of thefruit do not change throughout the seasonand that the largest fruit early in the seasonwill be the largest fruit at harvest.

Decide how much fruit to leave on thetree based on the vigor and general con-dition of the tree. In cultivars that tendtoward biennial bearing (every two years),leaving every other spur without fruit andspacing fruit 6 inches apart helps ensureadequate return bloom.

Asian pears

Asian pears must also be thinned. Tinearly to get large fruit. Each blossom clustercontains several flowers. Save the blossom/fruit in the middle and remove the rest.Research has shown that this middle fruit

is the roundest. By keeping that in mindand by counting the flowers as they appearstarting from the base of the cluster, youcan determine which fruit to remove. Forexample, if there are seven flowers, savethe fourth fruit from the base of the cluster.Depending on the tree’s vigor, you mightexperiment by leaving two fruits per spurand checking the fruit size response.

Peaches

Tin peaches to about 6 to 8 inches

from one another. Tis spacing gives themadequate room to mature to full size.

Harvest and HandlingNursery catalogs, Cooperative Extension

publications, and other sources give a gen-

eral idea about when given varieties ripen.However, ripening times may vary from year to year depending on the weather.Keep in mind that apples with codling mothdamage drop about one to one-and-a-halfweeks before the crop is ripe.

Te best and most time-tested methodof judging when to pick fruit is the tastemethod. When enough starch has beenconverted to sugar and the flavor is devel-oped, the fruit is ready to eat. Fruit contin-ues to ripen in cold storage, so pick fruit

before it is ripe if you intend to store it.Fruit changes color as it ripens. Te basecolor , or ground color, is the color under-neath the red striping or blush of peaches,apples, pears, and cherries. In most fruits,the fruit is ripening when the ground colorturns green to yellow. Te surface color maydevelop before the fruit is actually mature.

If storing fruit, cool it as soon as possibleafter picking. Te sooner heat is removedfrom freshly picked fruit, the longer thefruit will keep.

Handle fruit for storage gently. Bruisesand wounds allow pathogens to infect thefruit, and disease will spread to adjacentfruits once it gets started.

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Tight clusterStage

5Stage6Stage

7Stage

8

White bud Bloom Swollen bud White bud

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

23° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

27° F

90% kill

23° F

10% kill

27° F

90% kill

21° F

10% kill

26° F

90% kill

22° F

10% kill

27° F

90% kill

24° F

10% kill

27° F

90% kill

24° F

10% kill

26° F

90% kill

21° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

24° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

23° F

Pink Bloom Petal fall Bloom Bloom

Bloom Petal fall Fruit set:

shucks on

Petal fall Petal fall

Petal fall Fruit set Fruit set:

shucks off

Fruit set Fruit set

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

Stage

9Fruit set

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

24° F

10% kill

28° F

90% kill

25° F

DormantStage

1Stage

2Stage

3Stage

4

Dormant Dormant Dormant Dormant

10% kill

15° F

90% kill

2° F

10% kill

15° F

90% kill

1° F

10% kill

18° F

90% kill

2° F

10% kill

17° F

90% kill

5° F

10% kill

14° F

90% kill

1° F

10% kill

18° F

90% kill

10° F

10% kill

20° F

90% kill

7° F

10% kill

23° F

90% kill

5° F

10% kill

25° F

90% kill

14° F

10% kill

18° F

90% kill

3° F

Silver tip Swollen bud Swollen bud Bud burst Swollen bud

Green tip Bud burst Half-inch green Green tip Bud burst

Half-inch green Green cluster Pink Tight cluster Green cluster

10% kill

23° F

90% kill

15° F

10% kill

26° F

90% kill

15° F

10% kill

25° F

90% kill

18° F

10% kill

26° F

90% kill

17° F

10% kill

26° F

90% kill

16° F

Apple Pear Peach Tart Cherry Plum and Prune

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Insect and Disease ManagementMany insect and disease problems can

affect home orchards. You can control or

prevent them by knowing the probabilityof such problems and by closely monitor-ing trees. Keep insects in check through asystem called integrated pest management(IPM), which integrates cultural, mechani-cal, chemical, and biological controls inaddition to taking the environment intoconsideration.

Te IPM approach differs from a stan-dard calendar approach, which uses datesand developmental stages of the plant todetermine when to apply control sprays

regardless of whether pests are present.Successful IPM programs are based onsolid research and practical experience.One of IPM’s cornerstones is accurate pestmonitoring. You can use visual inspec-tion, trapping, and phenology models (cropdevelopment stage models) to determinethe presence or absence of a pest and thenmeasure its population density. Figure 3shows growth stages of several tree fruits.

Economic thresholds are the level atwhich pest damage justifies the cost ofcontrol. Economic thresholds are importantin IPM. Of course, economics are not asimportant in home orchards as in commer-cial situations. Each orchardist must decidehow much damage to allow before applyinga control. Te level of damage consideredacceptable can vary from one gardener toanother.

Pheromones are chemical messengersused by animals to communicate with eachother. Pheromones are used in IPM in thefollowing ways:• Female sex pheromones are used to

attract males to a trap.• Small pieces of glass or plastic contain-

ing female sex pheromones are spreadthroughout an area to confuse males.

• Pheromones are mixed with pesticides,such as an insecticide, to attract pests tothe chemical control.

Te UK Cooperative Extension publica-tion Kentucky Backyard Apple Integrated

Pest Management Manual (IPM-9) providesa more in-depth discussion of IPM.

Learning the life cycles of importantinsects and diseases that may attack yourorchard is part of IPM. Te next sectiondiscusses some of the more commonorchard insect pests and their IPM-controlstrategies.

Codling MothFollowing are the stages in the life cycle

of the codling moth, which typically pro-duces three generations per year.• It overwinters as a mature larva under

loose bark on trees, in leaf litter undertrees, or in other protected places.

• It pupates in spring and emerges as anadult in late May to early June.

• Adults begin depositing eggs two orthree days after emergence and continuedepositing eggs for a month.

• Eggs hatch in 12 to 14 days, and larvaeenter fruit.

• Larvae feed for about three weeks thenpupate in protected places.

• Second-generation adults emerge one to

two weeks later, in early July.• ese adults lay eggs on fruit during July

and August.• Eggs hatch in six to seven days, and lar-

vae enter fruit to feed.• Larvae stay in fruit for a month then

emerge and look for overwintering sites.

Pheromone-trapping program for codling moth

• Place traps in the orchard by mid-May.• Place the traps along all sides of the

orchard.

• Check the traps once per week throughmid-September. Replace the lures everyfour weeks.

• If you want to use a threshold approach,apply an insecticide control 250 degreedays, base 50° F after you catch fivemoths per week in a trap.

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• Follow spray recommendations forcodling moth control listed in the UKCooperative Extension publication

Disease and Insect Control Programs for

Homegrown Fruit in Kentucky IncludingOrganic Alternatives (ID-21).

• If you want to use a calendar approachto control, spray 15 to 21 days after petalfall for the first generation and again twoweeks later.

• For the second generation, spray the rstweek in July and again two weeks later.

Sprays for Disease andInsect ControlDormant (winter) sprays

Most home orchardists try to controloverwintering mites, aphids, and scales witha dormant (winter) oil spray, which essen-tially smothers the pests.

Winter sprays are also used to controldiseases that enter the tree through thebuds.

Follow two general rules when applyingwinter sprays on fruit trees:• Use a sticker , unless the label says not to.

Stickers improve the spray’s adherence toleaves.

• Obtain good coverage. Timing and thechoice of material are important, but ifthe spray doesn’t cover the tree and stayin place, pests will not be controlled.

Peaches need winter sprays to controlpeach leaf curl and bacterial canker. Forpeach leaf curl, which causes reddish,twisted, distorted leaves, spray after leafdrop in the fall. Chlorothanlonil or fixedcoppers are effective.

Blossom spraysIdeally, blossom sprays should be applied

at three stages: pink, full-bloom, andpetal-fall (Figure 3). Use fungicides andinsecticides listed in the UK CooperativeExtension publication Disease and InsectControl Programs for Homegrown Fruit in

Kentucky Including Organic Alternatives (ID-21).

Cherries, peaches, and plums—Applyingprotective fungicide sprays before, during,and after the blossom period can controlbrown-rot blossom blight on cherries,

peaches, and plums.Brown-rot blossom blight is caused by

fungi. Tese fungi overwinter on infectedpeach, plum, and cherry fruit (causingwhat’s called fruit mummies) and on budsand cankers. Te fungal spores are spreadmostly by wind but also by splashing rain.

Te fungi infect blossoms, and fromthere can travel into twigs to cause twigblight and cankers. Tey also infect fruitlater in the season, entering maturing fruitmore easily than green fruit.

Apples and pears—Blossom sprays can alsocontrol apple scab, cedar apple rust, andpowdery mildew on apples and pears.

Apple scab must be controlled each yearon most varieties. Scab infects leaves andfruit. It overwinters on leaves, so sanitationcan help control the problem by removingsources of inoculum (fungal spores). Applysprays at the prepink, pink, calyx, and first-cover stages.

Cedar apple rust must also be controlledannually on most apple varieties with spraysfrom pink through second cover.

Fire blight is a serious problem onsusceptible apple and pear varieties. A finalcopper spray during the dormant periodand streptomycin sprays during bloom arerecommended.

Powdery mildew sprays are recom-mended for four stages: prepink, pink,calyx, and first-cover.

Summer Sprays

If an orchard has a mite, aphid, or scaleproblem, a dormant oil spray in winter

can reduce populations of these insects.However, some summer control often isnecessary.

Look for scale in June. Te timing ofsummer control is important for these tinyinsects. You must apply the spray whenthe insects are in the crawler stage, whichis when the young scales move out fromtheir protective shells and are vulnerable topesticides.

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Good light penetration is necessary forfruit spur formation and productivity, sotrees that fruit on spurs should be main-tained in a fairly open form. Tose that

form their crop on 1-year-old wood (such aspeaches and hazelnuts) benefit from prun-ing because it stimulates new wood forma-tion (and more fruit).

Pruning Guidelines• Prune all fruit and nut trees at plant-

ing time. Cut just above the heightwhere you want the lowest branches togrow (usually 30 to 40 inches above theground).

• Prune young trees very lightly; heavy

pruning delays fruiting.• Prune mature trees more heavily, espe-

cially if they have shown little growth.• Prune the top portion of trees more

heavily than the lower portion.• Train young trees in the rst few years

after planting to avoid corrective pruninglater. Spread main scaffolds to a 45° to 60°angle from the trunk.

• To keep trees small (unless they aredwarf trees) prune moderately every

year and do not apply excess fertilizer,

manure, or compost.• Prune during the dormant season (after

fall or early winter freezes, but before fullbloom in spring).

• When removing large limbs, rst cutpartially through from the undersideabout 6 inches out from the collar, thenmake a second cut from the top a littlefarther out, cutting all the way throughuntil the branch falls away. Finally, cutthe stub back to the branch collar. Do notremove the branch collar.

• Tere is no need to paint pruningwounds. Te best protection for a woundis to leave the branch collar intact sothe tree is protected from wood-rottingfungi.

Place double-sided sticky tape or blackelectrical tape with the sticky side outaround infested branches. Tis traps thecrawlers so you can see them with a hand

lens (20-power is good). Spray when there issubstantial insect activity.

BaggingBagging individual apples and pears on a

tree when they are about an inch in diam-eter provides excellent insect and diseasecontrol for the rest of the season. See the

Apple Bagging Alternative Pest Management for Hobbyists (ENFAC-218) and the video Apple Bagging (VHO-1386). Both areavailable through county extension oces.

PruningPruning is a necessary part of home

orchard care. Prune trees to direct growth,maintain health, and manage fruit-bearingpotential. For a more complete discussionof pruning, see Chapter 4. Te discussionhere covers only guidelines specific to prun-ing fruit trees.

Fruiting HabitsPruning strategy should take into

account the fruiting habit of each tree. Tetype and age of wood that bears fruit varieswith the kind of tree. Some fruits bear onmore than one kind of wood. For example:• Persian walnuts produce fruit on the cur-

rent season’s shoots.• Hazelnuts, nectarines, and peaches pro-

duce fruit on the previous season’s shoots.• Sour cherries, some apples, and some

pears produce fruit on the previous season’s spurs and shoots.

• Some apples, sour cherries, sweet cher-ries, pears, and plums (European andJapanese) produce fruit on long-lived

spurs.

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For More InformationUK Cooperative Extension publications

Fruit/GeneralDisease and Insect Control Programs for

Homegrown Fruit in Kentucky IncludingOrganic Alternatives, 2008 (ID-21)http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id21/id21.pdf

Fertility Guidelines for Home Fruit & NutPlantings (HortFact-3004) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/fertilityguides.pdf

Fruit Insect-Pest Calendar for Kentuckyhttp://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-

facts/fruitcalendar.aspHome Composting: A Guide to Managing

Yard Waste (HO-75) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho75/ho75.pdf

Home Fruit Variety Recommendations,2007 (HortFact-3003) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/homefruitrec07.pdf

Fruit and Nut Cultivar Nursery Sources,2007 (HortFact-3002) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/frtnurs-ery07sources.pdf

Fruit and Vegetable Ripening Dates inKentucky (HortFact-3000) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/ripedate06.pdf

Rootstocks for Kentucky Fruit rees (HO-82, revised) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho82/ho82.pdf

Reproducing Fruit rees by Graftage:Budding and Grafting (HO-39) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho39/ho39.pdf

Cultivar Evaluations of Apple, Peach andGrape (new resource) http://www.uky.

edu/Ag/Horticulture/masabni/cvevalu-ation.htmFruit and Vegetable Insect and Disease

Identification Picture Sheets, http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/picturesheets/picturesheets.htm

Dry Pesticide Rates for Hand-Held Sprayers(HO-83) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/masabni/Publications/HO-83.pdf

NutsEuropean Red Mite (ENFAC-205)

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-facts/ef205.asp

Nut Tree Growing in Kentucky (ID-77)http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/id/id77/id77.pdf

Nut Weevils (ENFAC-206) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef206.asp

Pecan Insects ENFAC-210) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef210.asp

ree Fruit

Apple Scab (PPA-24) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ppa/ppa24/ppa24.htmBagging Apples: Alternative Pest

Management for Hobbyists(ENFAC-218) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef218.asp

Apple Cultivar Performance(HortFact-3006) (new resource) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/mas-abni/Publications/applecultivar.pdf

Cherry Fruit Flies (ENFAC-217) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/

ef217.aspCodling Moth (ENFAC-203) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef203.asp

Controlling Apple Insect Pests(ENFAC-201) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef201.asp

European Red Mite (ENFAC-205)http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-facts/ef205.asp

Fire Blight (PPA-34) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ppa/ppa34/ppa34.htm

Green Fruitworms (ENFAC-214) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef214.asp

Growing Peaches in Kentucky (HO-57)http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho57/ho57.pdf

Peach Fruit Diseases (PPFS-FR-T-09)(new resource) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-FR--9.pdf

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Kentucky Backyard Apple Integrated PestManagement Manual (IPM-9) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/manuals/ipm9h-map.pdf

Leafhoppers on Apples (ENFAC-215)http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-facts/ef215.asp

Leafrollers (ENFAC-216) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef216.asp

Lesser Peachtree Borer (ENFAC-213)http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-facts/ef213.asp

Oriental Fruit Moth (ENFAC-212)http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/ent-facts/ef212.asp

Peach Cultivar Performance (HO-6) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho6/ho6.htm

Peachtree Borer (ENFAC-200) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef200.asp

Plum Curculio (ENFAC-202) http://

www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef202.asp

Rosy Apple Aphid (ENFAC-211) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef211.asp

Rust Diseases of Apple (PPA-23) http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ppa/ppa23/ppa23.htm

San Jose Scale (EN FAC-204) http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef204.asp

Training and Culture of Dwarf Apples

Using the Vertical Axis System (HortFact3501) (new resource) http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horticulture/appletraining.pdf

Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. Issued in furtherance ofCooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, M. Scott Smith, Director of Cooperative ExtensionPrograms, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. Copyright © 2012 for materials developed by University ofKentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall givecredit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at www.ca.uky.edu.

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