Citrus and Peach trees

[PeakOiler]

Saturday I finished harvesting the limes this season.
History:
2010: 27 fruits weighing ca. 1.6 kg (3.6 lb). Avg wt per lime: 61 g.
2009: 16 fruits. Avg wt per lime: 61g.
2008: 11. Avg wt: 102g.
2007: 13. Avg wt: 88g.

[PeakOiler]

I've started moving some of the potted citrus trees into my greenhouse since the first freeze of the season is not too far away now. Some of the citrus, (those that still have some immature fruit,) I'll bring back into the house. The furniture has been rearranged again to make room for the trees near the windows. The rest of the citrus, esp., the satsuma, will stay in a temporary "hoophouse" outside, right next to the house.

I found one more over-ripe lime and also noticed one of the lime trees already has some new fruit forming!

The peach trees are getting pruned. I found this great article on growing peaches in Texas:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/peach/peach.html

I don't necessarily agree with the water requirement for the peach trees given in that reference. I've used a lot less water per tree, and as some of y'all might know, my peach yield was great this year...

I used collected rainwater for most of the peach tree's irrigation while the fruits were forming, so I know there wasn't but perhaps trace amounts of salts in the water.

[PeakOiler]

Yesterday I learned that what I thought were oranges were in fact satsuma tangerines after harvesting one of the nearly completely orange fruits and peeling it. I had mislabeled the pot. D'OH! I thought those fruit looked a lot like tangerines! It was delicious. There are six fruits left. The remainder are still mostly green but getting a little more orange each day now.


Satsuma harvest history:
2007: 29 fruits
2008: 3 fruits
2009: 15 fruits

So, it has taken about four years for the amount of tangerines harvested to have "paid back" the cost of just one of the trees. Hopefully future harvests will be better...

[PeakOiler]

Once upon a time, MercuryGirl wrote:

Help again!!

Now I have aphids on the trees, like thousands, ants are still around. Maybe my moat went dry, I didn't look very close, but I thought there was still a bit in it.

Anyway, they weren't there until recently. Do the ants bring them to the trees? And aren't the ants in the soil multiplying now? Unless I kill every insect won't they just come back?

What should I do? Please forgive my ignorance.

I'm so pissed!!!!!

At the time, I had no answer to her question from my experience since my citrus had not had a problem with aphids until this last season.

What I've done is routinely spray off the aphids from the small potted trees with just water and use a small brush to clean the limbs and leaves while spraying. I tried some dilute soapy solution on one of the grapefruits last year and it almost killed the tree.

I also tried releasing 1000 ladybugs onto the trees which helped too. I'm thinking that if the potted trees were in a greenhouse or some other enclosure that could hold the ladybugs a little longer, the aphids would be under better control. (That's the experiment I'm going to try soon. The citrus in the greenhouse will get another visit from some more ladybugs soon.)

Definitely keep the ants away which aid aphid infestation.

[SpringCreekFarm]

Last summer, the summer of 2009, I thought my 3 peach trees were in big trouble because of a horrible case of peach leaf curl. I overlooked spraying dormant oil on them and paid the price, or so I thought. This spring I sprayed them with the sulphur mixture, spread compost liberally and because of the generous rains this year, they flourised. There was only one tree that had one leaf that curled. I think I got lucky and will not be forgetting anymore.

A few small but inedible peaches showed themselves for the first time this year. I'm hoping that next summer there'll be a harvestable crop.

[Pops]

In my mailbox:

Dear Michael:

NCAT horticulture specialist Guy Ames is embarking on a comprehensive update of our ATTRA publication Organic & Low-Spray Peach Production (2003), probably also incorporating information on organic and low-spray plum production. As always, we are interested in institutional research but also GROWER EXPERIENCE.

Because farmers (especially organic farmers) are so often conducting their own research, and because organic production of peaches and plums is so difficult, Guy is interested in what worked for growers and--just as important--what didn’t work. He is especially interested in grower experience in the humid eastern half of the U.S., but information from anywhere would be helpful.

If you are willing to talk to Guy and share your experiences and information, write him at guya@ncat.org . Also, if you work with an organic growers’ group, please share this request with them, perhaps even through the group newsletter.

Thank you for your assistance.

[PeakOiler]

In my mailbox:
<<snip>>

Did you send the mailer a link to this thread?

Fortunately, and perhaps I've just been lucky, but so far I have had no major problem with bugs in the peaches. I've never needed to spray them. I planted my first peach tree here over 14 years ago.

I harvested and ate another satsuma tangerine today. Yum! Only five left!

The first frost of the season hasn't arrived here yet, and none is forecast in the next seven-days or nights--but we're getting close...). I'm planning on moving a few more of the citrus into the greenhouse this weekend. I need to re-pot the largest lemon tree. That old plastic pot it's in is really starting to crumble and split.

[PeakOiler]

Deleted. Double post.

[PeakOiler]

Yesterday I moved the second orange tree into the greenhouse. Today I moved the second lime tree into the greenhouse. Tomorrow I'll move a lemon tree in there. I'm still taking things pretty slowly after that hernia operation six weeks ago. The hand truck helps a lot moving these potted plants about 40 ft from the porch/deck to the chain link fence gate, and at least another 100 ft around the fence over to the greenhouse.



Once two of the three lemon trees are moved in here, I'm going to buy another 1000 ladybugs and release them in here. The third lemon tree will get re-potted soon and will come into the house to serve as a Christmas tree again.

Still no overnight freezing temps in the 7-day forecast...

[PeakOiler]

Today I moved the sixth citrus tree into the greenhouse and bought 1500 ladybugs since there are still some aphids on them. The ladybugs will arrive in about a week. I mounted the ladybug house in the greenhouse, seen on the lhs of the picture



I sprayed off most of the aphids from each tree (with just water) before moving them in here.

[PeakOiler]

Today I repotted my oldest citrus tree--a lemon. The old plastic pot had begun to split around the top, and I was concerned that it would split further as I move it into the house for the winter. I still have to fill the pot with a little more soil and water again.

This is my Christmas tree.



A freeze is likely later this week.

I harvested my last satsuma tangerine of the season today.

[PeakOiler]

So far the ladybugs are doing a great job devouring the remaining aphids on the citrus in the greenhouse. Applying the beetles in an enclosed space is the way to go. There are no ants to impede the ladybug attack.



Closeup of one of the beetles (note the lemon blossom buds):



I think these two need to find a leaf-room!

[Ludi]

I'm always inspired by your posts, PeakOiler.

[PeakOiler]

I'm always inspired by your posts, PeakOiler.

Thanks Ludi. You've been helpful with your posts too.

There are still some ladybugs in the greenhouse. I hope the weather doesn't get too cold this winter. I'm using a couple electric lights in there at night for a little warmth (as needed.) I'm planning on setting up the chimeneas near the greenhouse soon.

The one and only pink grapefruit this season is almost ready to be picked.

All three lemon trees are covered with flower buds.

[Ludi]

It seems like it's been a cold winter so far. Seems like we've been using the woodstove a lot more earlier in the season this year, but of course that doesn't mean it will get a lot colder. Just maybe more cold days, but not colder days, if you know what I mean. I think your place might be a little warmer than ours, PeakOiler, even though you're farther north. We're in a little valley, a bit of a frost pocket.

[PeakOiler]

Yes, Ludi, it has been colder than normal so far this season. KBMQ in Burnet recorded 3-4 new record lows this season so far.

My lemon Christmas tree:



Instead of a pine smell from a dying tree decorated for the season, I smell lemon blossoms from a living tree.


One of those spheroids is the last lemon of the year. I'll pick it on Christmas day.

[Ludi]

That's adorable!

[PeakOiler]

I harvested the one and only pink grapefruit of the season yesterday. 336 grams (3/4 lb) It is about 3.5" in diameter.

The aphids were not kind to the young grapefruit trees this last season. The " I'm not quite dead, I'm getting better" young grapefruit tree is making a good comeback so far and may produce this next season. (I hope).

[jdmartin]

OK, it's almost time for spring. PO, how do you prune your trees? My peach tree is starting to get a little tall - should I keep the growth short and bushy, or let a central leader get some height on it?

[PeakOiler]

OK, it's almost time for spring. PO, how do you prune your trees? My peach tree is starting to get a little tall - should I keep the growth short and bushy, or let a central leader get some height on it?

Check this reference: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/peach/peach.html

Pruning
The main goals of pruning are to maintain tree form to an open center which facilitates light penetration and air circulation, and to partially control crop size by selectively thinning out fruiting wood. Peach trees bear fruit only on one year old wood. Dormant pruning is an invigorating action which results in a healthy canopy to produce the current season's crop and allow for ample production potential for the following year. Another pruning objective is to lower the fruiting zone to a height which can be hand-harvested from the ground. Topping trees at 7 -8 feet usually accomplishes this objective because the weight of the crop will bring limbs down where the fruit can be easily reached. Additional objectives of pruning are to remove dead or diseased shoots, rootstock suckers, and vegetative water sprouts from the center of the tree. When thinning out fruiting wood, remove old gray-colored, slow growing shoots which are not fruitful and leave one-year-old, red, 18 - 24 inch bearing shoots.

I didn't prune my trees too much when they were young, just the lowest shoots, suckers, and dead twigs. I did a more serious pruning last fall. "Topped" a couple of them.

The record low freezing temps recently damaged the citrus in the greenhouse. I may lose the two lime trees. We'll see...