Tree Fruit and Small Fruit

Tree Fruit and Small Fruit
Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Reasons to grow fruit Flavor and quality, high store price, versatility, health benefits It’s a challenge lots to learn (science, art, and mystery) long lived plants that require timely care and attention each season Start small; start with small fruit Can I make the necessary commitment to tree fruit? Tree fruits Take up more room More expensive to plant and maintain More pest problems Bigger deal to remove from landscape

Fruit plants grown in Maryland
Tree fruit Major- apple, European pear, peach, plum (Asian and European), sweet and tart cherry, fig Minor- Asian persimmon, Asian pear, lemon, lime, orange, banana, pawpaw* Small fruit (take less space, more forgiving, can be grown organically, less expensive to maintain and easier to dig up) Major- strawberry, blackberry*, raspberry,* blueberry*, grape* Minor- currant, gooseberry, jostaberry, hardy kiwi, elderberry*, beach plum*, chokeberry*, medlar, citron *Native to mid-Atlantic Depends on what part of MD. Even with global warming it can be tough to grow peaches or nectarines of Hagerstown, MD. Dormant peach buds are killed when temperatures reach degrees below zero. Apricot not going to work in many sections of MD. First to bloom; get frosted out 3 out of 4 years in Central MD. Too cold for muscadine grape. Native grape- Vitis labrusca is more hardy than European wine grape- Vitis vinifera. Plum, pear can take some neglect and heavier soils. Apple and peach are the most challenging tree fruits. Hardy kiwi has escaped commercial planting and established in nearby woods. It can be a smothering vine. Medlar (Mespilus germanica)- shrub, small tree; attractive ornamental; Rose family; raw fruit is tart; better after a frost; bletting is slow indoor ripening till they turn to tasty mush; make jams and jellies. Native to SW Asia and SE Europe

Will I have to spray a lot?
Pest problems (commercial growers spray): Peach (many pests) Apple (many pests) Sweet cherry Japanese plum Grape Can grow these organically: Fig Raspberry/blackberry Currant Strawberry Blueberry Asian pear Asian persimmon European plum (maybe) Sour cherry (maybe) Plum, pear can take some neglect and heavier soils. Apple and peach are the most challenging tree fruits.

Plan ahead Do I have enough room? Enough time? What’s practical for me? Start planning one year before planting Select a full-sun, well-drained site Amend soil to achieve correct pH and increase organic matter content Macro- can’t grow apricots in Hagerstown Meso- plant peach on northern exposure site to retard spring bloom Micro- plant fig next to a brick wall facing south; plant raspberries on the north side of blackberries. Peach, plum, apricot, V. vinifera have thin bark easily damaged by cold temp. Fruit plants need well-drained, fertile soil. Pear can tolerate somewhat imperfectly drained soil. Small fruits can be cut down to ground if necessary. Drainage test: How do you know whether or not your soil drains poorly? What affets does poor drainage have on plant growth, on life in the soil. What are causes of poor drainage? Test- lay a tarp on the ground with a shovel, yardstick and watering can. Make a 12x12x12 hole in sod where poor drainage is suspected. Lay square of sod on tarp followed by soil. Stand yard stick in hole. Fill hole with water. Tell audience that drainage is ok if water level goes down 1 in./hr. Drainage is slow if level goes down less than 1 in./hr., and drainage is too fast if level declines more than 1 in./hr. Come back an hour later to look at level.

Picking cultivars Select well-adapted, recommended cultivars with good disease resistance. Buy high quality plants- “certified”, “registered” Bareroot plants will catch up to container plants Do I need a special rootstock? Do I need more than one cultivar for pollination? We have good dwarfing rootstocks only for apple and now sweet cherry. Dwarf sw. and tart cherry are not so dwarfing. and ‘Meteor’ and ‘Northstar’ are tart cultivars and supposed to reach only 10 ft.

Pollination Most fruit plants in MD require bees to pollinate flowers and produce a crop Native bees (pollen bees)- bumble bees and solitary bees; responsible for more than ½ of pollination European honey bees AND native bees need our help! Avoid or reduce pesticide use and don’t spray when flowers are open The US Fish and Wild Life Service lists 50 native bee species in PA as threatened or endangered. Solitary bees have limited (200 yd) foraging range; bumble bees will travel 1 mile or more. Problem is small number in colony in early spring. Orchard bees (Osmia) are more effective than EHB. Pesticide sprays are harder on native pollinators than EHB.

What if my plants arrive too early?
Keep roots moist and keep plants cool “Heel in” plants outdoors OR Keep plants in garage or refrigerator March and September are good times for re-locating plants.

Hydrating an apple whip in a bucket of water for 12 hours prior to planting
3-year old bare-root apple whip has just arrived from the nursery. Notice graft union where the scion is joined to the rootstock. Planting- remove all flower buds and fruit the first year or more depending on species, cultivar and rootstock. For ex., dwarf apple can bear in year 3 (remove blooms first two years) but a standard tree may take 5-7 years to even produce any flowers.

Water and fertilizer Regular watering throughout the year is essential
Shallow-root small fruit plants are especially vulnerable to drought stress Fertilize with 1 inch of compost each spring Use fertilizers according to recommendations Be careful not to over-fertilize

Weeds and mulch Grass and weeds compete with fruit plants for
water and nutrients. Use an organic mulch to conserve soil moisture prevent weeds and soil temperature extremes Keep mulch away from plant crowns Avoid herbicides Pea gravel in photo is to discourage voles.

Wildlife “issues” Deer scat Vole feeding

Common problem… snake trapped in bird netting
Solution: Keep netting >4-inches above the ground Eastern garter snake

Pruning Control size and shape Invigorate- stimulate new fruiting wood
Improve air circulation and increase sunlight interception Renewal pruning- blueberry, grape, peach, currant, brambles Pruning to prevent biennial bearing problem Thinning cuts are less stimulating. Heading cuts force bud breaking behind the cut. Other reasons- remove diseases, infested, damaged, dying wood, crossing branches, adv. Shoots, root suckers Light pruning required on pear, apple, plum to encourage growth and maturity. Overly pruned trees remain juvenile and delays fruiting. Old, weak, neglected trees in low vigor can take heavy pruning to reduce canopy and bring it back to fruiting. Debate over cutting back whips. Why would you want to or not want to cut it? The idea of balancing top growth with existing roots has probably gone too far. The primary reason is to force laterals for scaffold branches. When is pruning done- dormant season. Peach not until bloom. Late summer pruning can lead to new growth that prevents plant from hardening off. Summer pruning of foliage around apples and grapes is ok. Removing succulent peach shoots, suckers, floppy bramble canes, etc. is all ok. Heading (stimulating) vs. thinning (less stimulating) cuts. What is apical dominance and how does it affect plant growth and fruiting? Apical dominance in fruits- king berry keeps succeeding fruits smaller; a heavy apple crop reduces fruit bud formation leading to a biennial fruiting pattern. Reduction vs. heading cuts

Strawberry Two main types for Maryland gardeners:
“June-bearing” and “everbearing” (a.k.a day-neutral) Family: Rosaceae Botanical name: Fragaria ananassa Origins: derived from 2 N.A. species: F. virginiana- Virginia scarlet strawberry F. chiloensis- from Chile Both species were brought back to the old world, crossed to produce F. ananassa and then returned to N.A. in 18th century. Recommended types: F. ananassa is the common June-bearing strawberry. So-called “everbearers” will flower during short days- they often produce a June and September crop. Day-neutral cultivars are more likely than the everbearers to flower and fruit regardless of day-length. However, neither will flower and fruit continuously in MD when temps. exceed 80ºF. F. vesca is the wood strawberry or Fraises de bois and F. vesca sempivirens is the alpine strawberry. Neither are well-adapted to MD. Hardiness: Down to -20ºF if well mulched. Over-wintering is not a problem. Botany & habit Compressed stems with fleshy buds that produce leaves and flowers Runners arise from axillary leaf buds Flowers with long days; buds are formed in late Sept. as days shorten. Aggregate fruits with ovules per flower. Seeds (achenes) imbedded in fruit skin. Flesh is enlarged receptacle. Bees required for pollination. Seed development determines size and shape of fruit. King berries are largest- have most pistils. Each succeeding set of berries, secondary, tertiary, etc. will be smaller in size. Site, soil, and culture: Avoid planting in turf areas unless left fallow or in cover crop for one year (due to white grub problem.) They like ammonium; top-dress with 3# ammonium nitrate per 100 ft. row in ;late August. Sweep fertilizer off foliage. Mulch with 1 bale straw per 100 sq. ft. area after 3 nights below 20ºF. Cover plants completely. Floating row cover in early spring will also help protect plants from frost. Damage occurs at following temps: tight cluster (22F.), blooms (28F.), small fruit (26F.) Strip flowers off plants first year after planting. Will fruit following year. Beds “play out” after 3-4 years. Renew (renovate) beds after 2-3 years picking if getting crowded and less productive. Top-dress plants with 4# per 100 sq. ft. of area after harvest season. Mow plants to within 4 inches of ground and remove the debris. Narrow row to inches with tiller, rake or spade. Thin plants to 6 inches in each direction. Fertilize lightly in late Aug.. Irrigate bed throughout summer and fall! Harvesting: Fruits are ripe 5 weeks after bloom. Usually a 3 week harvest but very variable due to spring weather conditions. Does not develop sugar off plant.

Blackberry Perennial crown; biennial canes
Very well adapted to all parts of Maryland Four types: Thorny erect (excellent flavor) Thornless trailing (rampant canes; large fruit) Thornless erect Primocane-bearing, thorny erect Primocane-bearing, thornless erect (newest!) Relatively new primocane-bearing blackberry (thorny)- ‘Prime Ark’, ‘Prime Jim’, ‘Prime Jan’ Prime-Ark Freedom is thornless. Natchez is early erect thornless. Blackberry Family: Rosaceae Botanical name: Rubus eubatus Origins: 400 spp. Worldwide wild, Eastern N.A. blackberries are R. allegheniensis (erect with prickles) and R. baileyanus (trailing dewberry) Two cultivated types are erect and semi-trailing. Cultivars derived from American-European crosses. Recommended erect, thorn-less cultivars: ‘Apache’ - Univ. of Arkansas release; ripens earlier than Navaho but later than Arapaho. ‘Navaho’- ’88, Univ. of Arkansas (highly regarded by some MD growers) ‘Arapaho’- ’93, “ “ (ripens earlier and produces more canes from roots; very resistant to orange rust.) Flavor of thorny type better than thorn-less type. However, ‘Arapaho’ and ‘Navaho’ are superior in flavor to semi-trailing cultivars ‘Chester’ and ‘Hull.’ Hardiness: erect type- hardy down to -15ºF. semi-trailing- hardy down to 0ºF. trailing types (loganberry, dewberry) not hardy blackberries can take our summer heat Botany & habit: perennial crown; biennial canes. new shoots come from crown buds in spring; erect type also makes root suckers (semi-trailing do not). flower buds are formed at the end of summer on main stems and the following spring on laterals. Lower canes are unproductive; first 5 nodes on laterals are sterile aggregate fruit pistils per fruit; each pistil contains 2 ovules- one develops into seed the other into drupelet. Receptacle (core) stays with harvested fruit. Bees required for pollination. fruited canes removed at end of harvest. Flower buds should be stripped off bottom 20 inches of floricanes. Easy to transplant; easy to renew neglected plants by cutting them back to ground. Tip rooting of semi-trailing type can be a problem- they must be kept off ground. Site and soil: keep 300 ft. from wild blackberries to prevent virus diseases. Spacing: erect type- plant 2’ apart in row; maintain 1 ½ ft. wide hedgerow; 4-6 shoots per lineal ft. of row. Semi-trailing form a clump; 8’ between plants. Harvesting: first harvest 2nd year after planting. Pick when blackberries lose their shine and become dull.

Left: ‘Shawnee’- thorny cultivar. Fruit at various stages of maturity.
Right: 2nd year floricanes in background. They will flower, fruit, and die by first frost. Can be removed anytime after end of harvest season by cutting at ground level. 1st year primocane in foreground emerged from roots of mother plant in early spring. It will be headed at inches to force branching and then the laterals will be pruned in summer to 24 inches or so. The primocane produces leaf and flower buds, overwinters, and becomes a floricane in year 2

‘Prime-Jim’ thorny erect blackberry that bears on first-year canes in late summer through frost.
Blackberry is one of the easiest fruits to grow. For small spaces select erect, thornless erect varieties such as ‘Navaho’, ‘Arapaho’, and ‘Apache’ or grow the new “fall-bearing” varieties like ‘Prime-Ark’, ‘Prime-Jim’, and ‘Prime-Jan’ (these will produce fruit in late summer on shoots that emerge in spring). The newest cultivars such as Prime-Ark Freedom are erect and thornless. One nice feature of primocane bearing cultivars is that you cut the entire plant down to the ground after the first killing frost.

Raspberry Perennial crown; biennial canes
Less heat-tolerant than blackberry, but ok for all parts of MD Types: Red, purple, black; June bearing Red, yellow; primo-cane or “fall-bearing.” Cut them back to the ground in late winter or early spring. Left: June-bearing cultivar. Once these floricanes are done fruiting they can be cut out at ground level. Right: New shoots of ‘Caroline,’ a primocane-bearing cultivar emerging in spring. They should be thinned to a 4-6 inch spacing between shoots.

Black raspberry- new shoots (primocanes) are thinned to 6 inches apart.
Red raspberry plant tied to a single wire between posts.

New raspberry plant from tip rooting
Top left: tip of this cane touches ground and roots. Top right: a new plant emerges from a bud at the cane tip. It can be cut from the mother plant and planted. Bottom left: the crowns of primocane bearing raspberry plants are visible. The plants had been cut back after the summer/fall harvest. Landscape fabric laid down to suppress weeds and raspberry suckers

Bramble problems Orange rust Botrytis (gray mold)
Left: Orange rust- is a fungal disease that affects blackberry and black raspberry. Late leaf rust is a different pathogen that produces yellow spots on the leaves of red and purple raspberry later in the season. These are systemic pathogens. Remove entire plant. Right: Wet, overcast weather is favorable for this cosmopolitan pathogen of bramble and strawberry fruit. Harvest frequently and prune to increase air circulation.

White drupelet disorder
Cane borer White drupelet disorder Left: Swellings along cane indicate cane borers. Prune out the injury below the swelling. Right: white drupelet disorder is very common in raspberry and to a lesser extent in blackberry. Caused by prolonged hot, clear, dry weather. High sunlight exposure. Affected fruit have individual drupelets that are hard and white.

Japanese beetle is a major pest of Rose family members, including brambles and strawberry. Sweep adults into bucket of soapy water.

Spotted wing drosophila

Grapes Vitis vinifera- European wine grapes (less cold-hardy than native grape and more prone to diseases) Vitis labrusca- native fox grapes (seeded and seedless). The source of table grape cultivars like ‘Concord’ Grape Family: Vitaceae Botanical name: Vitis labrusca Origins: V. labrusca- native fox grape V. rotundifolia- native muscadine (scuppernong is white type) V. vinifera- European wine grape American-European crosses Recommended types: Grow V. labrusca; muscadine types not hardy in MD. French-American hybrids like Seyval and Foch are OK. V. vinifera cultivars are more disease prone, are less winter hardy, and may have other specific needs related to length of growing season and site. Hardiness: V. labrusca- hardy down to -20ºF. V. vinifera and hybrids more cold tender; damaged at 0ºF to -10ºF. Botany & habit Perennial crown; fruits on 2nd year wood. Older latent buds sometimes flower and fruit on older wood. Very deep root system. new shoots come from arms in spring. Shoots don’t end with terminal bud; grow all season. First year growth is a shoot; second year is cane. Compound buds formed during summer. Buds contain 4 growing points. If primary is killed by late freeze, crop is usually cut in 1/2. Lateral shoots grow from over-wintered buds and produce leaves and 1-2 flower clusters (panicles). Fruit is a true berry. Bees are not required for pollination. Spacing: ft. in row. Harvesting: Will fruit 3 years after planting. Does not develop sugar off vine. Can be left when fully colored for up to 1 week before harvesting. Notes: difficult to transplant; very long-lived plants if properly cared for. Failure to prune hard leads to fewer flower buds, small, poor quality fruit. Can get into biennial bearing pattern. Don’t allow more than 2 flower clusters per shoot develop. Leaves and shoots come out before flowers in spring. Must protect new growth with fungicide to prevent black rot.

Seedless table grape cultivars
‘Himrod’ ‘Mars’ ‘Canadice’

Black rot- #1 problem in backyard grapes

Blueberry Plant a mixture of Northern Highbush and Southern Highbush cultivars Use elemental sulfur and iron sulfate to reduce soil pH to 4.5 Mix large amounts of compost and sphagnum peat moss into planting area Space plants 5 ft. apart High organic matter soil is key- can compensate for a pH that is too high (nutrients are more available). Water and nutrients uptake happens to some degree at soil-mulch interface. Plants can take some shade. Northern Highbush type is less forgiving of low OM-high pH soil. Southern highbush and rabbiteye adapted to more soil types and situations. Legacy is a NH with Southern genes. Does well at CMREC/UM. Brightwell is rabitteye that has done well (highest yields by far at CMREC. O’Neal (SH) and Duke (NH) also recommended. 7 species native to MD; don’t dig up and move wild blueb. Whether in MD or ME. Huckleberry has ten seeds and you can feel them in your mouth. Blueberry fruit is many-seeded. Southern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum X Southern types) – 6-7 ft. tall; Reveille, Ozark Blue, O’Neal, Legacy Northern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) Rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei) – Premier, Brightwell; 6-12 ft. tall; 8-14 lb. fruit/plant Select Northern highbush or Southern highbush varieties. Add lots of compost to the soil prior to planting. Consider adding iron sulfate and elemental sulfur to lower soil pH to the required range. Water blueberry roots regularly for the first three years after planting. They have shallow, fibrous roots that can easily dry out. Family: Ericacaeae Botanical name: Vaccinium corymbosum Origins: native plants; 26 species include lingonberries, cranberries, bilberries (huckleberries have 10 seeds and are in different genus). V. corymbosum- highbush blueberry. Most widely cultivated; best adapted to mid-Atlantic. V. ashei- rabbiteye blueberry for S.E. USA. Not hardy here. V. angustifolium- low bush; hard to establish and maintain in MD. Southern highbush are rabbiteye type X highbush type (e.g.‘Patriot’) V. craslifolium- creeping ornamental type (also fruits) for Southern coastal plain region (‘Bloodstone’) Recommended types: Highbush type grows best overall in Maryland. Southern highbush will break dormancy early; less winter hardy but more heat and drought tolerant than highbush type. Hardiness: Highbush- buds hardy down to -15ºF to -30ºF Botany & habit Very shallow fibrous root system. Must never dry out. No root hairs; endomycorrhizae very important for extending root system through soil profile. perennial crown; fruits on wood 2-8 years old. Best fruiting wood is 5 years old. new shoots come from crown buds in spring. Shoots grow in successive flushes. Apex dies and laterals break below. flower buds differentiate from vegetative buds at the end of summer at the ends of young shoots and older canes; 5-10 flowers per bud. Old wood is un-productive. Epigynous fruit- fusion of receptacle and multi-seeded ovary. Bees required for pollination. Blooms turn a wine color if not pollinated. Pollinated flowers drop after 5-6 days. ‘Coville’, ‘Berkley’, ‘Jersey’ and ‘Earliblue’, not especially attractive to bees. Site and soil: High organic matter soils feed the endomycorrhizae. Amend a 16” wide and 16” deep hole with peat moss, rooted manure, rotted sawdust. Bring pH down to 4.8 with iron sulfate and sulfur. May need to add ½ lb. sulfur per 1,000 sq. ft. each year to maintain low pH. Mulch with wood chips, rotted sawdust, or pine needles (wet the soil before applying mulch). Plants dry out quickly when temps. exceed 90ºF. Must receive regular water; root system can also drown. Very waxy leaves, slow transpiration rate. Stomata close during drought and growth stops. Plants need ammonium form of nitrogen: (ammonium sulfate) Spacing: 4-5 ft. in row. Harvesting: Strip off flowers the first 1-2 years after planting. Premature cropping weakens plants. Fruits will ripen over a 5-7 day period after fully colored. Ready to pick when red ring disappears from stem end of fruit. Notes: difficult to transplant; very long-lived plants if properly cared for. Iron chlorosis and conversion of ammonium to nitrate are problems when pH exceeds Never prune during budswell or bloom. Fall pruning causes late spring blooming, protecting blooms from late frosts. Will not recover from wilting condition. Reddish leaf color in spring due to cold weather is normal. Water deeply before cold weather sets in.

Fertilize with ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) at flowering and 2 weeks later.
Blueberry plants produce flushes of growth periodically during the growing season. New shoots emerge from crown beginning at bud break but more so at flowering. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are highly recommended. Or water at base of plants with a hose whenever rainfall is lacking. Blueberry does not have root hairs making it more drought vulnerable. It does best when root system is consistently moist.

Sensitive to environmental stress
Left: Bleaching of leaf tissue between leaf veins is called chlorosis. Iron chlorosis is a symptom of an iron deficiency caused usually by soil pH that is too high causing iron to be less available for plant uptake. Right: Off-color of leaves (red and purple coloration, yellowing) is often a symptom of one or more stressors- low temperature, temperature fluctuation, drought. Leaves naturally turn maroon, purple, or red in the fall. Sensitive to environmental stress

Potted blueberry plants showing leaf scorch due to small container size, lack of water, and “hot site” Grow bags require regular watering and winter protection

Underused small fruits
Elderberry- Sambucus Ribes spp.- Currant- red, black and white Gooseberry- American, European and crosses Jostaberry Red currant can take some shade. Jostaberry is big and togh; eaasy to pick musky fruits. New WPBR strain overcomes genetic resistance in “immune” cultivars (CT, NY):

Black chokeberry- Aronia melanocarpa
Red chokeberry- Aronia (Photinia) pyrifolia

Beach plum- Prunus maritima
Native to U.S. Atlantic Coast Named cultivars produce larger fruit

Cornus kousa (Korean or Asian dogwood) fruit
Cornus kousa (Korean or Asian dogwood) fruit. Slimy, mealy, creamy; mildly sweet. mealy, Osage orange – Maclura pomifera (hedge apple) fruit- seed only are edible. Native to Great Plains and beyond. Squirrels love them.

Wineberry- very invasive!
Rubus phoenicolasius- China native that displaces native plants Spreads by seed, suckers and tip rooting Delicious fruit- but Do Not dig up and transplant into your landscape

Some keys to apple success:
Dwarfing rootstock- BUD 9, EMLA 9, EMLA 26 Disease-resistant cultivars (scions); e.g. ‘Liberty’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Enterprise’ Support with stakes and wire (vertical and oblique cordons work well) Close attention to pruning, pest monitoring Don’t over-fertilize Some apple varieties have sterile pollen and cannot be used for cross pollination. These are Baldwin, Creston, Gravenstein, Jonagold, Boskoop, Mutsu, Crispin, Rhode Island Greening, Roxbury Russet, Shizuka, Spigold, Stayman, Bramley’s Seedling, Wealthy and Winesap. When growing any of these varieties, plant at least two other varieties for good cross pollination. EMLA 9 and BUD 9: 8 to 10 ft. tree EMLA 26: 8-12 ft. tree May be best to remove standard size trees that cannot be maintained. Up to 1/3 of a neglected tree can be removed in one season to open and lower the canopy. Tri-ploid apples- Jonagold, Crispin, Rhode Island Greening, Mutsu; need two diploid cultivars to have successful pollination and fertilization. Self-fertile & Partially Self-fertile Apple Varieties – Over 215 varieties listed. Self-fertile or partially self-fertile varieties, no pollinator required. Heavier fruit set will occur if a pollinator is provided. Triploid Apple Varieties – Over 160 triploid varieties listed. Triploid means that they have 3 pair of chromosome (3n = 51 chromosomes) rather than 2 pair (2n = 34 chromosomes) and all are sterile and require a pollinator. Generally, the fruit and trees are larger.

Apple Pruning Suggested Pruning Cuts
A. Suckers. B. Stubs or broken branches. C. Downward-growing branches D. Rubbing or criss-crossing branches E. Shaded interior branches F. Competing leaders G. Narrow crotch H. Whorls Why Prune? Reduce tree size or maintain manageable tree size. Invigorate (break apical dominance)- promote new, vigorous growth that will eventually support tree functions and produce fruit. Open canopy- increase light interception, improve spray coverage and air circulation (reducing disease problems). All apple trees in all situations require some type of yearly pruning. Know the growth and fruiting habits of the selected cultivars Early Training (e.g. is it a tip-bearer, a vigorous grower, precocious (early fruiting), notorious for weak leaders?) Keep a picture in your mind of the ideal, mature tree- Christmas tree shape- central leader (main trunk) with scaffold branches positioned nearly horizontal to the ground (the lowest scaffold branches having the widest spread.) Select 4-5 evenly spaced scaffold branches the season after planting, for the first tier. Head back your central leader so that it is 6- to 10-inches above the first tier. Select a second group of scaffold branches the second year that is 2-3 feet above the first tier. It is very important to force these scaffold branches to grow at a 60°-90°angle from the trunk. The use of limb spreaders can aid in earlier fruit production, improved tree shape, strong crotch angles, and better fruit color. Spreaders can be either short pieces of wood with sharpened nails driven into each end, wooden, spring-type clothespins or sharpened metal rods. The spreaders will need to remain in place for 1-to 2-years until the branch “stiffens up.” Unwanted branches should be removed or cut back early to avoid the necessity of large cuts in later years. Years 4-10: continue to “tip” or “head back” the new terminal growth by one-fourth each year, cutting to an outside bud (to encourage branching out into sunlight). Remove any upright limbs. Trees should be pruned lightly. Pruning in Succeeding Years Any broken, diseased, crossing, or interior upright shoots and small branches should also be removed. Always maintain the central leader as the highest point on the tree. The ends of the primary and secondary scaffolds should be kept below the top of the tree. Mostly small thinning out cuts after year 10. 15”-20” of shoot growth per year is desirable. On “spur-type” cultivars 12” is desirable. Excessive shoot growth may be caused by over-fertilization and needs to be tipped back. Pruning Tips Prune the trees every year in late winter (February or March). Young trees should never be pruned during or after bloom. Older trees can take later pruning. Excessive pruning encourages excessive shoot growth, delays fruiting and reduces quality of fruit on young trees. Older trees (25 years and older) will produce higher-quality fruit following a vigorous pruning. Make your thinning cuts back to the branch collar; do not leave stubs. Remove sucker growth from the interior of the tree and around the base of the trunk annually. Thinning out cuts (entire limb or shoot removal) are associated with increased flower bud production on apples. Heading-back cuts (shortening the ends of branches) encourage shoot growth. Summer pruning should only be done to increase light penetration. Fruits need sunlight. Remove and dispose of prunings from the orchard area. Dead wood will harbor disease organisms that can spread back into the tree. Occasionally a tree does not grow as well as it should during the first year. If this happens prune the tree back to a whip and start over. You will delay fruiting by a year but you will have a more manageable tree. From Clemson Univ. Extension fact sheet

Apple problems and growth stages
Codling moth larva; eggs are laid on young fruits by adult females at petal fall stage. Silver tip stage Pink stage

Plum curculio Photo credit: U. of KY Extension
Photo credit: U. of MN Extension The apples in the photo looks like they were subject to feeding by the plum curculio. The reason that you did not see any larvae could be because the egg/or immature larvae may have been squished by the expanding apple. This weevil-like insect can be a problem on apples and stone fruits because the eggs are laid in the fruit. The most serous damage on apples occurs in the first month after petal fall when egg laying on very young fruits causes severe deformities and early fruit drop in June. Larvae that successfully hatch and grow tunnel through the fruit flesh to the seed. Attempts by later generations to lay eggs are seldom successful but the oviposition scar develops into a slightly raised shield shaped russet spot about 1/4 to 3/4 inch in diameter. Later injuries are unsightly but do not seriously reduce the quality of the fruit. Our Home Fruit Production Guide and spray schedules are not in print anymore. Spray when most of the petals have fallen and repeat in 10 days. You can use spinosad, botanical insecticides, or kaolin clay (Surround). If you use kaolin clay, the fruit needs to be completely covered. This means frequent applications as the fruit is growing, particularly when they are small and rapidly expanding in size, and whenever the material weathers, such as after every rain or other event that removes the product. Getting thorough coverage can be a challenge on a larger tree. Some non chemical mgmt: Hang plastic traps (empty 2 liter soda bottles filled halfway with molasses, vinegar and water, from tree limbs at petal fall. Remove infested fruit from tree, lightly cultivate soil prior to budswell to disrupt /kill overwintering adults. Keep trees pruned and open. Lay a white sheet under trees, tap limbs with padded stick, and capture adults when they drop to the ground. See Va Tech and Penn State for more information Photo credit: Oklahoma State U. Photo credit: NHFruitGrowers.org

Commercial apple bags (paper)
Commercial maggot barriers (nylon)

Bagging the fruit to protect it from codling moth.
Illustration by Valerie Winemiller University of CA/Statewide IPM Program

Cedar apple rust- a common fungal disease that is difficult to control
Cedar apple rust- a common fungal disease that is difficult to control. Requires Eastern red cedar as the alternate host. Fireblight- a bacterial disease that can move through the vascular system of apple and pear, killing branches and trees.

What’s wrong with my apples? Can I eat this apple?
These are two fungi known as flyspeck (the spots) and sooty blotch (the black smudges). Both of these fungi can be washed off. Soak and scrub off-- or just peel the apples. Fortunately, they don’t affect eating quality and the apple flesh is perfectly safe to eat. .Some cultural practices may help prevent and/or reduce the severity of sooty blotch and flyspeck. These include dormant and summer pruning to open up the tree canopy and thinning to separate fruit clusters which will facilitate the drying of fruit after rain or dew. Both diseases are difficult to control in apple trees and pear trees with restricted air movement. Finally, in July you can apply a fungicide labeled for control of these fungi.

Surround is a pulverized kaolin clay product that suppresses and repels some fruit insect pests such as codling moth, plum curculio, and apple maggot. The active ingredient is kaolin clay, also used in toothpaste! It’s sprayed on as a liquid, which evaporates, leaving a protective powdery film on the surfaces of leaves, stems, and fruit (full coverage is important). The white film works to deter insects in several ways. Tiny particles of the clay attach to the insects when they contact the plant, agitating and repelling them. Even if particles don't attach to their bodies, the insects find the coated plant or fruit unsuitable for feeding and egg–laying. In addition, the highly reflective white coating makes the tree less recognizable as a host. Surround enhances plant growth by cooling leaf surfaces so that photosynthesis continues longer into the afternoon on hot days, after untreated plants have shut down because of heat stress. White coating reduces sunburn on fruit and improves fruit color. Can be used on a wide variety of food crops and is supposed to suppress many insect pests. Surround is most effective once 3 uniform applications have been made. One coat of clay is simply not enough coverage to deter the insect's normal inclinations. Heavy rain may necessitate additional applications. There appears to be no mammalian toxicity or any danger to the environment posed by the use of kaolin. Large predators (ladybird beetles, lacewings, syrphid fly larvae, spiders) do not seem to be harmed by Surround. Predatory mite numbers are suppressed. Coverage needs to be applied to the point of runoff and allowed to dry. A sticker-spreader isn't necessary. Figure on using 1/2# Surround per gallon of water. Surround stirs best into the water as opposed to pouring water into the dry powder. Numerous online suppliers. Photo credit: nmfruitgrowers.wordpress.com (7/2/12)

Quince rust fruiting bodies on ‘Bradford’ pear fruit.
Above: ‘Olympic’ Asian pear- good alternative to apple and European pear but can have insect pest and disease problems. Stink bugs, pear psyall, pear blister mite, plum curculio, mites, aphids Fireblight, rusts, pear scab? Deer Quince rust fruiting bodies on ‘Bradford’ pear fruit.

Pearleaf blister mite Environmental injury

Brown marmorated stink bug injury

Peach Peach fruits need to be hand-thinned to increase fruit size and decrease disease problems. Tap branches with towel or rag wrapped around stick to knock off young fruit. You only need 5% of total blooms to set fruit to have a bumper crop. Renewal pruning required to force new vegetative shoots that will bear fruit in year 2. Fertilize with N in early spring (heavy feeder) Peach is best pruned to an open vase shape to maximize captured sunlight and fruit production.

Peach leaf curl- fungal disease; prevent with fungicide application when buds swell in early spring.
Black knot of plum and wild cherry- fungal disease; prune out symptomatic wood to prevent spread.

Bacterial spot disease
Gummosis- peach trees exude sap naturally and when stressed by insects, diseases and abiotic factors.

Brown rot- a major fungal disease of stone fruits.
Dried, infected fruits are called “mummies” and must be removed from trees and ground. Brown Rot: This fungal disease damages blossoms (blossom blight), fruit on the tree, and fruit already purchased and sitting on the counter. It is spread by wind, water, insects, humans and can only enter through a wound or lenticel. In a single season the possibility exists for many cycles of infection. To prevent infection: remove mummies from ground and tree and remove fruit stems attached to the mummies. The fungus moves into the stems and overwinters. Prune before budbreak to reduce the incidence of blossom blight (fungus is active once green tissue is first observed in the spring). Rubbing the fuzz on a peach creates a wound opening. Insect induced injuries and rough handling will help spread the disease. Warm, rainy weather during the bloom period will greatly increase the inoculum levels. Fungicide control: a protective fungicide barrier is critical from pre-bloom through pre-harvest. The critical times to spray are when 5-10% of the blooms are open, at full bloom and about 2 weeks prior to harvest. If disease pressure has been high, cover sprays, beginning at petal fall, should also be included. Alternate captan with sulfur to slow resistance. For organic growers- 95% micro-fine wettable powder sulfur or flowable sulfur with surfactant are best. Sulfur kills fungus when it is gaseous stage; the finer the particles the more quickly the gas is produced. Harvesting- when background color is all yellow fruit has reached maximum sugar content; complete the ripening process for 1-2 days indoors.

Peach tree borer (PTB) larva feeding on cambium.
Sap mixed with frass (sawdust-like excrement pushed out of entrance hole by larvae) indicates PTB presence. The black substance is sap. This is oozing out of the trunk because of an injury of some sort, possibly infection from Leucostoma canker, physical wound (such as from a weed wacker), or peach tree borers. You cannot do much about any of these except keep your trees as healthy as you can by not pruning before March, not over-fertilizing with nitrogen, and watering during drought when trees are young. Thiodan no longer labeled. Ortho Bug B Gon Max Garden and Landscape Insect Killer now has permethrin as a.i. Or, stick a wire in to pierce larvae. Paradichlorobenzene still sold. Dangerous to children and other non-target critters.

“Portable” fig in ½ whiskey barrel is moved into garage for winter rest.
Protected Baltimore City fig with Southern exposure.

Shrub form with multiple fig stems pulled to center, tied and covered for winter protection.
Same plant during growing season.

Resources Grow It! Eat It! http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog! Home and Garden Information Center Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter. We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click “Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts” Maryland Master Gardener Program Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!

This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program ______ County University of Maryland Extension Remember to put in the correct county! Created by Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, UME; 11/16

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