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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - South Texas: Fruit/nut trees eta: fruits harvested! Pg3 (Page 2 of 3)

Posted: 3/11/2023 7:44:36 AM EST

[#1]

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How long were they planted?

Bare root or potted?

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They were potted nursery stock that we put in last year.

Semper Fi

Posted: 3/11/2023 8:18:43 PM EST

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:

They were potted nursery stock that we put in last year.

Semper Fi

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I'm told that potted stuff the roots can get bound up and circle the hole strangling itself if you don't cut or pull them apart when you plant them.

Posted: 3/12/2023 1:41:35 AM EST

[#3]

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I'm told that potted stuff the roots can get bound up and circle the hole strangling itself if you don't cut or pull them apart when you plant them.

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This is correct.

Look at the roots when you pull any plant out of its pot.

Are they circling the pot?

Take your knife, start at the top of the "pot"--meaning the dirt formed by the pot, and slice down through the "dirt pot," including the roots in that slice. Cut right through them.

Then turn the pot ONE THIRD of the way around. Do it again.

Then turn it ONE THIRD of the way around. Do it again.

I am not telling you to slice through anything at the TOP OF THE POT. Like...if there are roots coming directly off the trunk, extending outward...yeah, don't attack those.

Just...the roots IN the pot...the ones growing in a circle...those you want to cut.

Posted: 3/18/2023 11:42:26 PM EST

[#4]

Any ideas on keeping stink bugs off fruit trees? Picked a couple of the fruit trees tonight and 3 or 4 off a few nights ago.

Picking them off manually seems like an incredibly inefficient method. But I'm hesitant to use anything that might kill off local bees.

Posted: 3/19/2023 12:03:07 AM EST

[#5]

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Any ideas on keeping stink bugs off fruit trees? Picked a couple of the fruit trees tonight and 3 or 4 off a few nights ago.

Picking them off manually seems like an incredibly inefficient method. But I'm hesitant to use anything that might kill off local bees.

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Are you going to get the cold weather Is that enough to kill the bugs? (Don't know where you are, or how cold it's going to get.)

Posted: 3/19/2023 2:29:11 AM EST

[#6]

Down to about 45 here for a couple of nights. This is probably the last gasp of "cold" weather til next winter.

We didn't get very many days of freezing weather this winter. But we never do. I want to say it only dipped below freezing for a full day once and not by much at that.

Was nice to finally get a bit of rain. Last couple of days was the first rain all year.

Posted: 3/19/2023 4:23:27 AM EST

[#7]

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Yeah, it can be pretty humid here. Not much average rainfall, tho. 30" a year, I think.

Thanks, can't really use Lakota unless maybe I swap it out for one of my other two varieties. Nacano and Choctaw are both type II trees as is Lakota. Desireable is a type I I think.

What are some good scab resistant type I's I should consider?

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Caddo and Cape Fear.

ETA: see you already have them. Pecans like slightly acidic soil. May want to spray early with a zinc mixture when they leaf out. Also a pyrathoid for insects.

Posted: 3/19/2023 4:00:48 PM EST

[#8]

Are there no deer there? Those trees would be stripped bare in 10 minutes here..

Posted: 3/20/2023 1:33:08 AM EST

[#9]

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Are there no deer there? Those trees would be stripped bare in 10 minutes here..

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Never seen any on the property. But I have a couple of good sized dogs, too.

I did put some PVC around the trunks of some of the fruit trees just in case rabbits decide to nibble. Need to finish that.

Posted: 3/20/2023 1:35:30 AM EST

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:

Caddo and Cape Fear.

ETA: see you already have them. Pecans like slightly acidic soil. May want to spray early with a zinc mixture when they leaf out. Also a pyrathoid for insects.

View Quote

I did put some sulfur on the soil a few weeks ago. Going to give that a nice long time to break down and modify the soil and then check the pH again.

Does the pyrathoid hurt bees or other pollinators?

Posted: 3/20/2023 8:58:00 AM EST

[#11]

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Are there no deer there? Those trees would be stripped bare in 10 minutes here..

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Deer stripped our peach trees of almost ripe peaches at an old house we had.

This go around, all fruit trees are in heavy welded wire cages so the deer, chickens, rabbits and whatnot can't get to them.

Just hoping that everything is surviving this late freeze. The plums were heavily flowered out and the peaches weren't far behind.

Semper Fi

Posted: 3/21/2023 11:24:39 PM EST

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:

I did put some sulfur on the soil a few weeks ago. Going to give that a nice long time to break down and modify the soil and then check the pH again.

Does the pyrathoid hurt bees or other pollinators?

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Yes.

You have to pay attention to timing.

Don't put the pesticide on when bees are working the blooms of the trees.

Wait until after the flowers are gone.

Posted: 4/4/2023 5:39:32 PM EST

[#13]

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Bump

Going on trip, we'll see how things look in 3 weeks

Posted: 4/6/2023 7:34:23 AM EST

[#14]

Hadn't checked the fruit trees in a couple of days so I did a walk around of them yesterday afternoon.

Had been looking like we had lost a peach tree and both apple trees. Was pleased to see that the peach and one apple tree are budding out and still alive.

That will give us four plum trees, four peaches, and one apple, (will probably replace the dead apple tree).

Semper Fi

Posted: 4/6/2023 3:38:23 PM EST

[#15]

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Hadn't checked the fruit trees in a couple of days so I did a walk around of them yesterday afternoon.

Had been looking like we had lost a peach tree and both apple trees. Was pleased to see that the peach and one apple tree are budding out and still alive.

That will give us four plum trees, four peaches, and one apple, (will probably replace the dead apple tree).

Semper Fi

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There's a few good charts for which varieties pollinate each other, just Google apple pollination chart.

Posted: 5/1/2023 8:44:10 AM EST

[#16]

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I might just go ahead and pluck that apple before it weighs that branch down too much. I really want to eat it when it ripens tho...

Posted: 5/6/2023 1:42:58 AM EST

[#17]

Leaf footed bug..not good

Posted: 5/6/2023 3:50:58 AM EST

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

I did put some sulfur on the soil a few weeks ago. Going to give that a nice long time to break down and modify the soil and then check the pH again.

Does the pyrathoid hurt bees or other pollinators?

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It depends, but pecan trees do not pollinate that way.

Posted: 5/6/2023 3:53:03 AM EST

[#19]

Pecan graft coming along. Lakota to seedling.

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Posted: 5/6/2023 8:09:22 AM EST

[#20]

You need to round up at the base of your trees. All those weeds and grass are robbing the tree of nutrients. It can hurt very young trees, but your trees look old enough to be fine.

Posted: 5/7/2023 5:40:55 PM EST

[#21]

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You need to round up at the base of your trees. All those weeds and grass are robbing the tree of nutrients. It can hurt very young trees, but your trees look old enough to be fine.

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Thanks, I will do that. I pulled out some weeds by hand but yeah. Going to carefully roundup to kill what's there, then add a bit more soil (ground settled a bit), then a layer of some coarse bark mulch.

Posted: 5/7/2023 5:43:06 PM EST

[#22]

Next year I think I'm going to add a couple of pear trees. Looking at Hood and Flordahome (both have low chill hour requirements).

I'm curious to see how the big Pink Lady apple does. I think it was in its pot way too long.

Posted: 5/10/2023 8:03:09 PM EST

[#23]

plucked the little apple off the Anna tree. Branch was bending down pretty hard from the weight and it still had a long way to go. Wanted to let it fully grow and ripen but was worried it would get heavy enough to hurt the branch.

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Did a little maintenance. Had a couple of suckers trying to grow off the roots below the graft on a couple trees. Pruned those, hand weeded around the trees, and added bit of good dirt w/ some chicken compost.

Took a soil sample first, will check the pH on that this evening after its had a good chance to soak in the water.

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Will put some round up on the grass around the perimeter where I weeded. If the weather calms down, lol. Not that I'm complaining about rain or anything.

Posted: 5/10/2023 8:48:02 PM EST

[#24]

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Quoted:

Our Desirables are very scab prone if you have high humidity.
Lakota is very prolific and about as scab free as they come.

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quoted:

Thanks, I had forgotten about Womack. I might just drive up there with the trailer and pick the trees up when I'm ready to plant. Only about a 3 hr drive up there.

Their pecan trees are about half the price of Willis and Willis is all the way over in Georgia.

Right now, leaning towards a Desirable, a Nacono, and a Choctaw. Looking at the chart here, I could lose any one of those and still have plenty of overlap in the shed/receptive dates.

https://www.texaspecannursery.com/product/choctaw-pecan/

All three produce similar sized nuts, supposed to be disease resistant, and are "eastern" adapted pecans.

Will probably go ahead and get the fruit trees at the same time.

Our Desirables are very scab prone if you have high humidity.
Lakota is very prolific and about as scab free as they come.

This, I Have a very bad Scab issue right now near Thorndale. Research what trees you buy.

Posted: 5/10/2023 8:56:55 PM EST

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:

This, I Have a very bad Scab issue right now near Thorndale. Research what trees you buy.

View Quote

I wound up planting a Desireable, a Nacano, and a Choctaw.

The Desireable is a type 1 and the others are type 2.

I have another good spot for a pecan tree, I will probably plant another type 1 next winter. Not sure which, yet.

Posted: 5/10/2023 11:17:02 PM EST

[#26]

eh. 7.5 pH? I hate these little color test strip things.

Posted: 5/11/2023 12:54:36 PM EST

[#27]

One thing I noticed on the Pink Lady apple tree was alot of suckers coming up from the roots, below ground level. Not a ton of new leaves on the tree, either. I think it was potted way too long, judging by how much bigger the trunk is than my other trees.

Not sure if any or all of these things are related. I really hope it does ok because its the only thing I've got that will pollinate my fuji trees.

I didn't want to get 2 fuji trees, originally. But they were all out of Mollies. I should try to find a mollies delicious and just go ahead and plant it.

Posted: 5/11/2023 1:33:00 PM EST

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
You need to round up at the base of your trees. All those weeds and grass are robbing the tree of nutrients. It can hurt very young trees, but your trees look old enough to be fine.

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I will a little bit later. I killed one last year when it hit a stump sprout.

Posted: 5/16/2023 8:06:44 PM EST

[#29]

Mid-may update, individual trees:

Choctaw Pecan

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Desireable Pecan. This one has grown like a weed. Its a foot taller than when I planted it!

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Nacono Pecan

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Anna Apple. This one had the apple on it.

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Posted: 5/16/2023 8:09:32 PM EST

[#30]

Dorsett Golden Apple

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Pink Lady Apple

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Fuji 1

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Red Baron Peach

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Earligrande Peach

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Posted: 5/16/2023 8:10:26 PM EST

[#31]

Fuji 2

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Posted: 5/22/2023 6:31:56 PM EST

[#32]

How far away is safe enough to move my citrus trees before I spray the apples and peaches for insects?

Some of the citrus have open blossoms so I don't want to risk bees getting killed if I can help it.

Posted: 5/24/2023 9:43:50 PM EST

[#33]

Potential second wave for next year:

Sundowner 200-300 chill hours

Winter Banana, less than 400 (supposed to be a good cider apple)

Pettingill 300

Ghost 300-400 (white apple!)

Beverly Hills 300

King David less than 300 (pollinates with Fuji and Pink Lady, which I've already got)

Posted: 5/26/2023 12:43:04 AM EST

[#34]

Growing Apples in Southern California? | Trial Results Low Chill Hours Test | #ProPlantTips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=920EH_onLyc

Interesting. Lots of high chill hour apples fruiting well in southern california.

I suspect the chill hour thing is not as cut and dried as some think.

Posted: 6/11/2023 10:59:24 PM EST

[#35]

My citrus aren't doing so great. In pots.

They've lost some color and a fair amount of leaves. The orange is doing ok but the lemon and the lime are showing varying degrees of distress.

I've been watering them and I started giving them some liquid soluble fertilizer on a more regular basis but still... could they be getting too much sun? Would it hurt/help to put a partial sunshade up over them so they don't get such a beating sun mid-day?

Posted: 6/15/2023 8:40:03 PM EST

[#36]

all purpose 10-10-10 slow feed, some manure/compost and top soil mix, and another treatment of elemental sulfur. Red bark top mulch to help mitigate the grass and weeds

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I'm glad I spaced the rows in this little fruit orchard the way I did. makes using the tractor FEL as a wheelbarrow much easier. I can just drive between the trees.

Posted: 6/19/2023 9:21:33 PM EST

[#37]

Does anyone want some cuttings? I need to do a little pruning, anyways. I hate to just throw them away. Its not that big a deal to put them in a little pot or something and see if they'll root.

Will do some more major structural pruning this coming winter, too.

Posted: 7/2/2023 9:38:12 PM EST

[#38]

The pink lady and fujis are really starting to put on alot of new leaves now. They are in a later flowering group from the anna and d. golden so I guess that makes sense.

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I put in a layer of topsoil and manure with some more slow release 10-10-10 and some sulfur then topped that with red bark mulch to keep the grass down and keep water from evaporating too fast.

Pests aren't real bad so I haven't sprayed for them. Probably this drought is keeping the pests down. I did apply some fire ant/harvester ant poison in the orchard area. I will spray near the end of fall and then again in the spring before blossoms open to control any eggs laid.

Still need to put in permanent irrigation.

I think I can squeeze in 6 more apple trees before getting too close to those live oaks. I'm thinking:
King David (2)
Wickson Crab (1)
Cox Orange Pippin (1)
Granny Smith (1)
Williams Pride (1)

Then over on the far end of the orchard up by the gate, I can fit another 2 or 3 stone fruit. Probably one more peach and then an apricot.

Posted: 7/3/2023 9:53:28 AM EST

[#39]

Thanks for documenting this.
I try to add an apple or 2 every year now to my "orchard". Got a nice looking Honeycrisp this year - sucker died almost immediately.
My blueberries look decent though!

If you have any cuttings you can root, I would be interested, 'cause I am duper cheap, but honestly you will have better luck sticking them on Craigslist or Faceboook locally - they will go quick without having to ship anywhere.

Posted: 7/13/2023 3:24:55 PM EST

[#40]

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Haven't gotten around to doing any cuttings yet. Soon.

For now, the irrigation system is a big step forward. Layed out spots for next years plantings, too.

Going to add 6 apples, a peach, and 2 apricots.

Will make a total of 11 apples, 3 peaches, and 2 apricots.

Posted: 9/5/2023 8:54:46 PM EST

[#41]

Earligrande Peach got leaf curl and eventually lost all of its leaves. But the rest are doing fine.

Finished irrigation! 16 total uprights plus a PVC line from the pump house to the middle of the garden. 7 fruit trees currently with spots for 9 more. I've got 5 on order from Orangepippin.com plus another I'll probably buy from the local nursery.

Also got a timer going. Not sure I like how I've got it set up. Its awfully flimsy.

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Old live oak negates a few spots along the irrigation line I otherwise might have used for more spots for fruit trees. Its still a good number. Plenty for table fruit, jams and jellies, wine and cider, etc...

Posted: 9/14/2023 12:26:40 AM EST

[#42]

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Playing around with drone. Overhead shot of fruit trees.

Posted: 9/14/2023 2:43:33 AM EST

[#43]

Thank you for all the updates. Explain cuttings. If I trim my fruit trees and stick the cut branch in water, it may root? Any certain time of year to try this?

Posted: 9/14/2023 3:17:10 AM EST

[#44]

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Thank you for all the updates. Explain cuttings. If I trim my fruit trees and stick the cut branch in water, it may root? Any certain time of year to try this?

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You’ll have to use a rooting compound and keep moist. I would do it several months before dormancy. But to be honest, you can plant a tree this winter and save about 2-4 years. I would plant seeds and then graft them later. I’ve had lots better luck.

Posted: 9/14/2023 3:20:22 PM EST

[#45]

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You’ll have to use a rooting compound and keep moist. I would do it several months before dormancy. But to be honest, you can plant a tree this winter and save about 2-4 years. I would plant seeds and then graft them later. I’ve had lots better luck.

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Yeah rooting media and some plant hormone to promote rooting.

Doing some research, I like the plastic bottle idea. You take a plastic coke bottle, cut it in half, plant the cutting in it, then cover with the top half. Occasionally mist or water through the cap.

Posted: 9/14/2023 4:21:45 PM EST

[#46]

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There was a time when the Rio grande valley was citrus trees (orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit) as far as the eye could see.

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Yep. 'Member it well.

Posted: 9/16/2023 4:31:36 PM EST

[#47]

Real nice rain yesterday and today.

Posted: 10/27/2023 7:27:26 PM EST

[#48]

October bump

Posted: 11/15/2023 3:09:24 PM EST

[#49]

Bit of an infestation of these green caterpillars on the apple trees. A little bit of cedar-apple rust or something like that (red blotches on the leaves) on a couple of them (mostly on the Pink Lady). The green caterpillars kind of look like hornworms or tomato worms.

Sprayed all the trees down with "gardensafe fungicide3"

Will spray something again in mid/late february, I think. Right before or as they start budding new leaves.

Posted: 1/13/2024 5:43:32 PM EST

[#50]

Sprayed everything down with horticultural oil and copper fungicide solution.

1 gallon water, 6 tbsp of hort oil, 5 tsp of copper fungicide.

Pecans haven't had leaves in weeks. Peach trees are likewise bare.

Apples leaves are about half turned/fallen. I expect this next week of cold weather will snap them more completely into dormancy tho.

5 more trees ordered from a nursery in New York, should get here in late February or early March, I think.

Wickson Crab, King David (2), Ashmead Kernel, and William's Pride. These are supposed to be decent hot weather varieties despite previously reported chill hour requirements. I have the space and irrigation already in place, might as well try more varieties.

Will probably add a Granny Smith from the local nursery, too.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - South Texas: Fruit/nut trees eta: fruits harvested! Pg3 (Page 2 of 3)

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