PowerPoint Presentation · Age (years) N per tree or per acre –1 None* 2 1/4 lb/tree if growth is poor 3–5 1/4–1/3 lb/tree 6–7 Delicious; Fuji; Arkansas 1/2 lb/tree over 7

2/9/2012

1

Growing Fruit in the

Albuquerque Area

Joran Viers County Agriculture Agent/Program Director Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service

Fruit That Grow Well Here Trees:

• Apple

• Apricot

• Cherry

• Fig

• Jujube

• Peach

• Pear

• Plum

• Asian Pear?

• Japanese

Persimmon?

Small Fruit:

• Blackberry

• Grape

• Raspberry

• Strawberry

Poor choices:

blueberry,

citrus, kiwi.

This is mostly

due to soil

chemistry and

temperature

ranges.

Apple (Malus pumila; Rosaceae)

• Cross-pollinating, so more

than one variety needed;

• Rootstock controls size –

– fully dwarf needs staking but

is very precocious and

productive;

– semi-dwarf is free-standing,

but not too tall to work;

– full size too big to work

easily but can be good shade,

landscape tree.

2/9/2012

2

Apple

• Train to central leader or

modified central leader;

• Bear on fruiting spurs;

• Thin to 6” between while

fruit is small;

• Fertilizer formula:

Age of tree (years) x 5 = lbs fertilzer/tree

% of N in Fertilizer

Example: 15 yrs old x 5 = 75/2% =

2% (manure)

Melrose apple; image by Stephen Shirley

Apple

Amount of N recommended for apple trees:

Age (years) N per tree or per acre

1 None*

2 1/4 lb/tree if growth is

poor

3–5 1/4–1/3 lb/tree

6–7 1/2 lb/tree

over 7 150–200 lb/acre

* When leaves have appeared and young trees

are growing vigorously, broadcast

monthly applications of N at the rate of

0.05 lb N per tree (0.25 lb ammonium

sulfate).

• Varieties:

– Ginger Gold; Gala;

Honeycrisp; Golden

Supreme; Golden

Delicious; Fuji; Arkansas

Black; Melrose; King

Edward VII; Rome

• Later-blooming varieties

are more reliable fruiters.

Apple Pests Codling moth:

• Pheromone traps at full

bloom, keep active for > 16

weeks;

• “fruit socks” on each fruit;

• Spinosad or Intrepid sprayed

starting 2-weeks after petal

fall, repeat every 10-14 days

for 3 sprays;

• Degree day monitoring more

effective but complicated.

2/9/2012

3

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca; Rosaceae)

• Self-fertile; one tree will

do;

• Semi-dwarfing rootstock

not drought tolerant –

very regular watering;

• Full-size tree 15’-25’ tall,

smaller with summer

pruning.

• Fertilize like apples, or

less.

Apricot • Like all stone fruits, can

get peach tree borer and

cystospora;

• Early bloomer! Goldcot,

Harglow are later

varieties;

• Open vase structure,

good small shade tree;

• Blooms on small spurs

on 2-year old wood;

• Usually not thinned.

Cherry (Prunus avium; Rosaceae)

• Some varieties self-

fertile, some cross-

pollinated;

• Dwarfing rootstock is

available (Geissen);

• Full size is 35’ + tall!

• Peach tree borer,

cytospora;

• NOT drought tolerant!

2/9/2012

4

Cherry

• Open vase pruning;

• Net to keep birds off;

• As with all trees, mulch

deeply with organic mulch

(chipped/shredded trees) or

grow an under-story;

• Sour cherries, Nanking

cherries, choke cherries…

Varieties:

• WhiteGold;

• Stella;

• Lapins;

• BlackGold (later bloom);

• Balanton (sour)

• Danube (sour)

• Montmorency (sour)

Fig (Ficus carica; Moraceae)

• Cold-sensitive, so grow

in warm microclimate;

• Small trees, to 12’ tall;

• Drought tolerant;

• Most varieties should do

well here;

• Low fertilization

requirements (< ½ of

apple needs)

Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba; Rhamnaceae)

• Small, spiny, drought

tolerant tree;

• Fruit dry-ish when ripe,

mildly sweet, date-like

taste;

• Low fertility needs;

• Li and Lang are two

common varieties, need

one of each.

2/9/2012

5

Peach (Prunus persica; Rosaceae)

• Small tree, relatively short-

lived;

• Self-fertile, blooms on last

year’s wood;

• Open vase or “Y” pruning;

• Peach tree borer,

cytospora;

• Typically up to 15’ tall,

Pumi rootstock is dwarfing

but needs staking.

Pear (Pyrus communis; Rosaceae)

• Most varieties need cross

pollinating;

• Bear on spurs, need little

if any thinning;

• Train to central leader,

eliminate weak crotches;

• Fertilize like apple;

• Harvest before ripe to

avoid grittiness.

Pear

• Fire blight may

damage young

tips and leaves,

especially in a

“wet” spring;

• Prune out,

sanitize pruners

in between cuts

with rubbing

alcohol.

2/9/2012

6

Pear

Varieties:

• Bartlett

• Duchess

• Eldorado

• Harrow Delight

• Keiffer

• Moonglow

Plum (Prunus X domestica.; Rosaceae)

• Small, short-lived trees;

• Mostly self-fertile,

though additional

varieties may increase

fruit set;

• Open vase training;

• Thin as needed to

reduce limb breakage;

• Peach tree borer &

cystospora.

Plum

Varieties:

• Earliblue;

• Castleton;

• Stanley;

• Kirke’s Blue;

• French Petit;

• Victoria;

• Santa Rosa.

2/9/2012

7

Peach Tree Borer • Attacks stone fruits in lower

trunk area;

• Moths emerge in late

spring/early summer;

• Eggs hatch in mid-summer;

• Trap with pheromone traps;

• Spray lower trunk with

pesticide July – August;

– Spinosad

– Bt (repeat often!)

Cytospora

• Airborne fungus;

• Drought stress increases

danger;

• Attacks through exposed

wood;

• Plugs up vascular system;

• Gummosis in branches is

symptomatic;

• Untreatable! Prevention is

the key.

Asian Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia & P. ussuriensis;

Rosaceae) • Listed for our zones…

• Cross pollination greatly

increases production, including

with European pear;

• Harvest fully ripe;

• Has crisp texture like an apple;

• Fertilize like apple;

• Varieties: Chojuro, Hosui,

Kikusui, Seuri, Shinko, ,

Yoinashi, etc.

2/9/2012

8

Japanese Persimmon (Diospyros kaki;

Ebenaceae)

• Listed for our zones…

• Late blooming!

• Non-astringent can be

eaten firm, astringent

need to “blet”;

• Train to modified central

leader;

• Few pests;

• Fertilize less than apples.

Blackberry (Rubus spp.; Rosaceae) • Best bramble for our area;

• Good thornless varieties;

• Need trellising;

• Do well on drip irrigation;

• Fruit on 2-year canes;

• After fruiting, cut out old

canes;

• 1-year canes should be topped

above trellis wire to induce

more branching and fruiting.

Varieties:

•Triple Crown

•Chester

•Ouchita

•Natchez

Blackberry

• Moderate fertilization,

like OM-amended soil.

• Plant 24”-36” apart in

rows;

• Woven plastic weed mat

is good mulch over drip

irrigation;

• Water regularly.

2/9/2012

9

Grape (Vitis spp. & X; Vitaceae)

• Seedless table or wine;

• Prefer sandier soils, not

too much water or

fertility;

• Trellis on strong system;

• Cane prune table grapes,

spur prune wine grapes;

• Prune in early April.

Grape

• Seedless varieties:

– Blue/black: Glenora,

Mars, Venus, Jupiter

– Red: Reliance

– White: Thompson

Seedless, Himrod

– Many others, I’m sure!

• Wine varities:

– Regent, Leon Millot,

Vidal Blanc, etc.

Cane Pruning Grapes

First winter

2/9/2012

10

Cane Pruning Grapes

Second growing season (double lines show

pruning cuts)

Cane Pruning Grapes

Second winter

Cane Pruning Grapes

Third growing season

2/9/2012

11

Cane Pruning Grapes

Third winter, before pruning

Cane Pruning Grapes

Third winter, after pruning

Raspberry (Rubus ideaus; Rosaceae) • Everbearing varieties do

better here:

– Polana; Caroline,

Heritage, Redwing,

Autumn Bliss…

• Plant in a row, train to a

hedge;

• Rich soil, regular water;

• Fertilize with compost,

or light synthetic N.

2/9/2012

12

Raspberry

• With everbearing

varieties, cut to ground

once dormant in the

fall/winter;

• New canes will arise in

spring;

• Lose some early fruit

for more later fruit.

• Drip irrigation is ideal

for raspberry production;

• Mulch with old leaves,

wood chips, compost,

etc.

Strawberry (Fragaria X annunsa;

Rosaceae) • Can do well here, but

drought stresses easily;

• Spring-bearing

varieties: Chandler,

Honeoye, Seqouia,

Surecrop;

• Day-neutral varieties:

Tribute, Seascape,

Tristar.

Strawberry

• Amend soil well with

compost;

• Drip irrigation under

fabric mulch is ideal;

• Fertigate or use foliar

feeding;

• Watch out for soil salts;

• Protect early blooms

from late frosts.

2/9/2012

13

Stay away from:

• Asian plums: bloom too early;

• Blueberries: like acid soil, ours is alkaline;

• Citrus: winters are too cold;

• Early-blooming varieties: likelihood of late

frost is good;

• Poorly grown stock: pot-bound and circling

roots, shoot/branch damage and/or dieback.

Resources: • The Backyard Orchardist,

and The Backyard Berry

Book, by Stello Otto;

• NMSU Extension pubs:

– Raspberries, strawberries,

blackberries, grapes, apples,

other horticultural topics;

– Go to:

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/

or call our office: 243-1386

for a hardcopy.

• Internet searches for

publications from

Extension Services in

other states;

• NM Apple Council:

http://nmapples.com

• Master Gardener hotline:

292-7144 daily 9:30 –

2:30, Feb1 – Oct 31.

Thank You

Joran Viers

County Program Director

Agriculture Agent

Bernalillo County

Cooperative Extension

Service

1510 Menaul NW, 87107

243-1386