Home Gardening Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request (from previous phone conversation): I've just moved into my new house. There's a small “fruit tree orchard” in the back garden. I'm not acquainted with growing fruit trees, but my neighbor tells me that the previous owner pruned them this time of year. Can you give me some advice on what and where to prune the trees.
MGCC Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program's Help Desk.
You may be interested in a free Master Gardener library talk about growing apples and pears on Feb. 28 at the Lafayette Library from 6-8 pm. I am sure pruning will come up during that talk. To RSVP or to ask about upcoming talks contact higginssierra@gmail.com.
Since you are beginning on your newly acquired "home orchard" and you have several different types of fruit trees, below are a number of links from UC that you might consult for both general and specific information on tree pruning.
General and Specific Information for the Home Orchard, including pest control and pruning, please see: http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/. This one reference will probably cover most of your concerns.
Figs: hhttp://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/ENVIRON/figpruning.html
Cherries: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/CULTURAL/cherpruning.html
Citrus: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/CULTURAL/citruspruning.html
Tree Pruning: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/CULTURAL/pruningtrees.html
Vine (e.g. grape) Pruning: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/ENVIRON/trainprune.html
Good luck on your home orchard.
Thank you for contacting us. Let us know if we can be of further service.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: What do you think caused my lemons to be too big (Picture 1). The second picture has a normal size Meyer lemon next to my too big Meyer lemon. All the lemons on the tree this year were like this. Last year most of the lemons were normal size except for three. The tree is about 8 to 10 years old. It's always been in the same pot on my deck. I fertilize it about three times a year. I appreciate any advice you can give me.
Response from the MGCC's Help Desk: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your question about your Meyer's lemon. It was a pleasure to talk to you in order to find out a bit more about your dwarf Meyer Lemon that has over-sized lemons with thick rinds and little juice.
After completing some research, reviewing the photograph of your 10 year old potted plant, and learning more about your fertilizing and irrigation routines, we have some information and suggestions to share with you that we hope you will find helpful.
Fruit Left on the Tree Too Long
Lemons may develop thick, puffy skin when left on the tree for too long after they ripen. You can wait to pick until the lemons have turned fully yellow, but to ensure juiciness and thinner skins, pick them while there is a little green still on the fruit.
Environmental Moisture and Watering
Dry weather or infrequent watering may cause your lemons to have a dry pulp. Water stress may prompt the tree to absorb moisture from the fruit's pulp, resulting in lemons with little juice. This reabsorption may also occur if you leave the lemons on the tree too long after they ripen. To prevent water stress, keep the top 5 to 6 inches of the soil moist; for dwarf lemons grown in a container, keep the top 1 to 2 inches of soil moist. Alternatively, excessive moisture in the air from high humidity levels may cause puffy rinds with a coarser texture and duller color, though the amount of juice may not be affected.
It's Time to Repot your Meyer Lemon
It is probably time to repot your Meyer Lemon. Potted lemon trees require repotting every two to three years, or when the roots begin growing out the drainage holes. The best time to repot your tree is in spring during heavy growth so it has time to establish in the new container.
Select a container one size larger than the current container. For example, upgrade from a 5 gallon to a 7-gallon pot or a 7-gallon to a 15-gallon pot.
Fill the new pot one-fourth full with a potting soil similar to the type used in the old container. Water the soil until it's evenly moist and the excess just begins to drain from the bottom.
Insert a trowel or knife between the soil and pot sides to loosen the root ball from the container. Grasp the tree near its base and lift it up while a second person pulls the pot downward.
Thoroughly examine the roots and locate any roots that are completely encircling the root ball. Slice through these roots with a clean knife; otherwise, they may constrict the root ball as they grow and cause the tree to die. Remove any dead root material.
Set the tree in the new pot. Adjust the depth of the soil beneath the root ball so the top of the root system sits 2 inches beneath the pot rim. The top of the roots should be just beneath the soil surface, and crown roots (root collar area) should show above the soil line.
Fill in around the roots with additional soil until the lemon tree is potted at the same depth it was at previously. Water thoroughly so the soil settles around the roots and add more soil, if necessary.
Possibly Over Fertilizing Your Tree
Most mature citrus require regular fertilization with nitrogen. Your fertilizer should have more nitrogen (N) than phosphorous (P) or potassium (K). Use at least a 2-1-1 ratio. Typically, most other nutrients are available in sufficient amounts in the soil. Nitrogen should be applied in January or February just prior to bloom. The second application then can be applied in May and perhaps a third in June. Avoid late-season fertilization as it may affect fruit quality, delay fruit coloring, and make the rind tough. Dwarf plants or trees in containers with restricted root space may require less fertilizer. Be careful not to over-fertilize as this could cause excessive new growth, which makes trees susceptible to other disorders.
Here is a list of citrus care articles that you may find helpful for the continuing health of your tree:
http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/Citrus/
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/citrus.html
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/slomggarden/blogfiles/4260.pdf
We certainly hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us again should you have any other questions about your lemon tree or other horticultural needs.
Help Desk of the Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (WHM /SLH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
Advice From the Help Desk of the
Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Responding to Client's Phone Call Request: Thank you for calling the Master Gardener Help Desk with your question about replacements for your fallen oak tree. You were especially interested in our recommendations on small trees, possibly bigger “shrubs” vs. trees, planting them in a row (as many as 14), multi-trunk vs. single-trunk, overhead powerline friendly, and of course, drought-resistant. I think you are on the right track looking into multi-trunked plants such as upright manzanita, as 14 of those might make a more pleasing landscape than 14 standard trees. Since you have powerline considerations, you also need to be mindful of the eventual height of the plants.
You do have many choices, both evergreen and deciduous, for replacements for the old oak. The PG&E publication (Guide to Power-Wise Tree Planting... you can click the link at left for information on obtaining this free publication) that you have is an excellent resource for options. Some that would do well in central county as well as most of the county include western redbud, manzanita, strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), California laurel, and crape myrtle. All of these have low or fairly low water needs, but the strawberry tree will also do well in a lawn. Another tree that isn't on the list, but would be appropriate, is Chilopsis linearis (desert willow). This tree has beautiful flowers that can range from white to rose to purple. It requires little water, so is a good choice for a drought-adapted landscape. All of the trees I mentioned can also be trained as single-trunk standard trees if you have a place in your landscape where that might be more appropriate. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is another shrub that can grow to be a multi-trunked tree to 25' tall and wide. It takes pruning well, so can be shaped to fit the space.
We also strongly recommend that before you dig and plant the new trees that you call PG&E @ 811 to check the location of the gas lines on your property. The service is free.
Good luck on your tree replacements Please let us know if we can help you further.
Help Desk of the Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa
Help Desk Client: My mature 40 foot redwood trees seem to be showing signs of stress from the continuing drought. While it gets just as much water from my garden irrigation as it did pre-drought, I now am noticing that various branches are showing needle die-back. Can you tell me what's wrong? Is it the drought or something else affecting the tree? And if it's something else, what is it and what should I be doing to correct it and bring back the trees to full health?
We have completed our research. The symptoms are consistent with the types of water stress we are seeing on redwoods in the central parts of the county where redwoods are not well-adapted. Under the microscope, there also appeared to be some fungus, but not the aggressive type that would cause a serious problem in your trees. More likely the fungus, in an opportunistic way, came into the needles that were already dying from the drought stress. No treatment is advised or necessary, other than good cultural care of the trees.
The best course of action is to follow the advice you received while visiting us last week: making sure that you water the trees out at the dripline and beyond during the warm, dry summer and fall months prior to the rainy season. Avoid watering near the trunk which can predispose the trees to rot. Redwood trees will compete with each other if planted closer that 7 feet apart, increasing their water needs. Water stressed trees should not be fertilized. As long as the needles are green and growing during the spring and summer, fertilizer is probably not needed.
General Information on redwood trees in the garden can be found at this University of California website http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/redwood.html.
Also, as noted above, during the drought, the MGCC Help Desk has fielded many questions and concerns about redwood trees. A previous blog responded to many of your and others' concerns, especially with advice on irrigation, at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/?blogpost=19256&blogasset=12496. Your perusal of the advice and recommendations should help you determine the necessary steps to make your redwood trees healthy again.
I hope that your trees will become healthier ithis spring after all this good rain we are having along with the possibility of supplemental irrigation over the non-rain periods. Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (JL)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
Advice from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa
MGCC's Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting Master Gardeners about your fava beans. And, thank you very much for sending the photo. It was very helpful.
I do not think that the fava beans was damaged by the frost. Frost damage generally appears on the tops of plants rather than the bottoms. Also, fava beans are generally hardy down to 21 degrees. Unless you are in a severe microclimate area, we have yet to see temperatures that low this winter.
Instead, I believe that the beans may have been affected by a fungal disease called Chocolate Spot (Botrytisfabae). Chocolate Spot has been found in fava beans in the northern San Joaquin Valley which is not far from us. Chocolate Spot begins with small red-brown lesions on leaves and stems which can expand and, in an aggressive form, can lead to necrosis (death) of leaves and stem tissue. The aggressive form occurs in high humidity situations, so, if this is the disease you are seeing, it could have come from the earlier rains. I noticed also from the picture that there is a lot of plant material (weeds?) around the fava bean patch which could have also raised or maintained a higher humidity level. It is also possible that this is from some other fungus, but in any case I would suggest hand weeding in the area to increase air circulation to the plants.
With the weeding, it may be possible to save the plants for this year. You have some flowers that would provide you with some beans to enjoy. However, if you are interested in a larger crop you may want to remove these plants now and replant in February or March. That is the planting time for growing fava beans as an edible (as opposed to cover) crop. In either case, once you are done with the plants, I recommend pulling them up and putting them in the commercial green bin for disposal rather than your compost pile. You should also avoid digging them into the soil, since that could cause the fungus to spread.
One other tip: You had mentioned and the photo shows that the plants had fallen over. I have found that to be a common problem with fava beans myself. I use my tomato cages in fava bean patches in my garden to help keep the plants upright.
For more information on fava beans, please see: http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/pubs/brochures/favabean/
While this link is farm-oriented, it has some good background information.
I hope this is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions or would like more information.
Good luck with your favas!
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (ECS)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
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