Help for the Home Gardener from the
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk

Japanese Maple leaf scorch...
picture: Missouri Botanical Garden

Master Gardener Response:

Sun Burned/Scorched Leaves: You did not mention what type of sun exposure your maples have so I will address that first. Most Japanese Maples will do well in a location with direct morning sun and shade in the afternoon. Hot afternoon summer sun exposure on many varieties of red Japanese Maples can result in sun burned leaves.  I can personally attest to this.  With the recent summer winds and hot sun, all of my Japanese Maples have sun burned leaves and some early leaf drop. This often occurs in late August through September but has so far never affected the overall health of my trees.

Leaf scorch can appear on any type of deciduous tree, shrub or plant. During prolonged periods of drought, windy weather or bright sunshine, Japanese Maples are particularly susceptible, especially young trees. In hot weather with dry soil, tree roots cannot absorb enough water to send to the leaves. Foliage may stay on the tree in mild instances, but premature leaf drop occurs in severe cases of leaf scorch.

Watering Japanese Maples:  Your question regarding a proper watering schedule is challenging because of several factors including your soil type and whether this is a newly planted or an established tree. Generally speaking, watering of Japanese Maples should be done uniformly throughout the growing season and even more during summer heat. Japanese Maple trees have fairly shallow roots that can dry out easily. Your Japanese Maple requires a consistent amount of water. The amount of water will also depend on your soil type. A clay soil will retain more moisture than a sandy soil. Your nursery's recommendations on watering may fall short in during a drought season, and especially in light of our summer's high temperatures and windy days. 

The University of Colorado web site referenced below is a great resource on caring for trees in a drought year.  However, a Japanese Maple is a moisture loving tree and if it is newly planted, will require additional monitoring and water. A three inch layer of mulch is helpful to provide moist conditions as well as winter protection for the shallow root system.  Mulch will also help cool the soil in summer. Some other good cultural practices for your tree's health include keeping lawn 2-3 feet away from the trunk and keeping mulch about 6 inches from the trunk.

Some Additional References Worth Reviewing on Japanese Maple Care:

General Information on Tree Care in Lawns from the Contra Costa Master Gardeners  
http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/files/177645.pdf

Information on Japanese Maples; Master Gardener Newspaper Articles
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/268-223.pdf

University of Colorado resource for addressing water needs in a drought situation
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Trees/caring.htm

Missouri Botanical Gardens on leaf scorch:  
http://bit.ly/1l1N4r8
 
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk

Editor's Note: The CCMG Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA  94523.  (map) We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, and we are on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/. "Ask a Master Gardener" help tables are also present at many Farmers Markets as well as at the CCMG's "Our Garden" programs (map). See the CCMG web page for details/locations.

Pear Tree 2012

This is my first year harvesting Bartlett pears. I've grown pears before, when I lived in the Pacific Northwest, but focused only on Asian pears. I did have a Bartlett tree for pollination purposes, but I'm ashamed to admit that while I harvested the Asian pears, I let those Bartlett pears drop and rot. (Bad gardener - bad, bad gardener).

My pear tree in California was planted in the fall of 2012. I chose an espaliered tree to plant along the street side of my fence line for a number of reasons: (1) the location (SW) received a lot of sunlight in the summer, and plenty of chill in the winter, (2) using an espalier allowed me to grow fruit in a smaller space, (3) harvesting horizontally was much easier, ie, no ladder (4) the tree worked as an interesting landscape plant in addition to producing fruit, and (5) growing the tree out rather than up kept the lovely view of the hills I enjoyed from my backyard intact.

Because I had only harvested Asian pears in the past, it didn't occur to me that there would be any follow-up required for Bartlett pears. After all, Asian pears ripen on the tree, and are then picked, so why not Bartlett too? (See, my "drop-n-rot" technique above).

In general, pear trees will produce fruit in the fourth to sixth year of growth. Nurseries usually sell fruit trees that are one or two years old. My tree was larger than that, and because it was espaliered, it was probably closer to four years old. Last year, was the tree's first true growing season. It produced a single piece of fruit but that disappeared before I could pick it (the most likely culprit being a squirrel). So, my theory on Bartlett fruit harvesting remained unchallenged and unexamined.

Pear Tree 2014

My tunnel vision mindset led me to read about the growing, maintenance and pruning of espaliered pear trees, but it stopped me from looking further into the correct harvesting practices for pear cultivars. Thankfully, in the fall of 2013, I enrolled in the Contra Costa Master Gardener (CCMG) program. Through the program, I had access to the UC/ANR website with its wealth of materials. Almost anything I wanted to know about all things related to agriculture and gardening was just a click away. But as important as having the data was, it was equally important to know how to search all of that information. The program taught me how to make the most of my research and break out of my tunnel vision mindset.

Now, back to my pears . . .

This year, the tree had more than three-dozen pears dangling from the branches.

I was able to locate a very helpful publication advising me of the different types of pears, and, when and how, to pick the pears. (Yes, there is a technique — "tilt" the pear horizontal from its usual vertical hanging position. If the pear detaches from the tree, then it's mature; don't force it).

I was so pleased with myself. In fact, I felt very "Master Gardener-y." Fortified by the pear research I had done, I was ready to pick my Bartlett pears and enjoy their deliciousness as soon as they ripened. But the funny — not ha-ha funny — thing is, that the first few pears I picked didn't really ripen. They just sat there on the counter and stayed pretty hard (for those of you experienced in pears, you probably already know why my pears didn't ripen).

Those first picked pears weren't very satisfying to eat, and I was thinking what a bust that was for all that work and research I did. It was clear that I didn't know what I was doing after all. My excitement over the pear harvest had deflated, along with my ego.

The remaining pears weren't ready to pick yet, so I turned my attention to other things, and went about my days working in other areas of my garden. But, the question of why my picked pears didn't ripen was still on my mind. I made a mental note to look into it later.

Ripening Pears

A few weeks later, while I was volunteering at the CCMG Our Garden in Walnut Creek, I was chatting with a much more experienced Master Gardener about how things were growing in our gardens, and I mentioned that I had some pears to harvest. That's when she told me to be sure to chill the pears after picking so they'll ripen correctly. And just like that, my dilemma was solved. Chill the pears.

Later, at home, I researched the chill times for pear cultivars, and determined that Bartlett pears need between 0-14 days of chilling, then about 5-8 ripening days. Thanks to my fellow master gardener's advice, I was able to properly harvest my pears and avoid having them turn gritty or mealy. My last remaining pears ripened beautifully and were turned into canned pears and pear butter to enjoy this winter.

Sometimes, resource materials – even the vast troves of material available through UC/ANR – aren't enough. Sometimes, it takes talking with other master gardeners to solve a problem. The Master Gardener community brings so much passion and varied experience to the conversation, and is always so willing to share information, resources and tips to support the success of other gardeners – including this novice Master Gardener with so much still to learn.

Finished Product

If you would like to know more about pears, the following are some very helpful publications:

• Pears, The California Backyard Orchard, http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/Fruits_&_Nuts/Pear/ (Gives a nice annual calendar of tasks for growing pears)

• When to Pick and How To Ripen Pears to Perfection, Oregon State University Extension, http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/413 (general information on picking and ripening pears)

• Picking Pears, Filoli Gardener's Reference Sheet, http://www.filoli.org/downloads/garden/gardeners-reference-sheets/pear-ripening.pdf (Provides a great chart showing first pick dates, chilling requirements and ripening days for various pear cultivars)

• Apples and Pears: Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners, UC Davis, ANR Publication 7258, http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/7258.pdf (information on year-round maintenance and growing tips)

• Pear Fact Sheet, UC Davis, Postharvest Technology Center, http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/PFfruits/PearBartlett/ (provides helpful post-harvest information regarding chilling)

• Growing Temperate Tree Fruit and Nut Crops in the Home Garden and Landscape (Pear), http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/plant_pear.pdf(lists pears varieties and harvest periods)

If you would like to know about the Master Gardener Program, click here:http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Join_Us/

I love this time of year. Fall is just around the corner, and these shoulder seasons at the farmer's market are always a great time to buy a variety of fruits and vegetables. Nothing says fall to me like apples. Yes, I also love the falling leaves and pumpkins and the excitement in the neighborhood as Halloween approaches, but apples will always be the first signal of fall's approach for me. Well, apples and my birthday (which is on the fall equinox). 

While a couple of my tomato plants and my strawberries are still producing, my baby apple tree (only planted a couple years ago) has already given me some tasty apples. At the farmer's markets you can get anything from watermelon and peppers to brussels sprouts (did you know the proper spelling is, in fact, "brussels sprouts," not "brussel sprouts," as the tiny cabbages are named after the city Brussels? You can learn a bit more on that topic here) to yes, you guessed it, apples.

In the United States around 2,500 varieties of apples can be grown, but only 100 of those varieties are produced commercially - so keep an eye out for some new varieties at your local farmer's markets. If 2,500 seems like a lot of types of apples you should know that throughout the world over 7,500 varieties of apples are grown! If you are interested in some more facts about apples, check out this website from the University of Illinois Extension.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to be on the East Coast during fall, and was taken by some friends to an apple orchard in Pennsylvania where we got to do our own picking. Needless to say our suitcases came home full of as many apples as we could fit. We also indulged in amazing apple cider, and apple cider donuts! If you ever get the chance to pick your own apples, I highly recommend it. Just be careful how crazy you go out in the orchard, because most orchards have a "you pick it, you bought it" rule!

Help for the Home Gardener from the
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk

Compost Bin from recycled pallets... from San Joaquin Master Gardeners

Master Gardener Response:
These flies are not harmful, but can be quite a nuisance when you get clouds of them in your face on lifting the lid of the bin! Very often, even a well-managed bin will have a few of these creatures. One way to minimize them would be to build the pile all at once, then turn frequently so the process runs hotter. The compost will generate heat which will kill or reduce the numbers of fly maggots. Here is a UC link which explains this process. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8037.pdf. You can also save your kitchen scraps in the freezer until you are ready to add them. 

If regular turning of the bin is not something you want to do, you could start by protecting the kitchen waste container from flies, as they can lay their eggs there which are then transferred to the compost bin. One helpful tip is to line the waste container with newspaper. When you take the scraps out to the compost, wrap them up completely in the paper and bury them under the surface of the bin. Don't add a lot of pulp material at once, especially citrus, as this is more likely to attract the flies. Pine needles are fine in the compost, but I would be wary of adding large quantities, as they are quite acidic. 

I would also advise checking the moisture level of your bin. If the compost is too wet, the flies are more likely to be attracted to the rotting material. If this is the case, you should add more browns such as shredded leaves, cardboard or newspaper.

I hope that this information will help you with your fruit fly problem. If you would like any further information on composting in general, or on worm bins, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Happy Composting,
Contra Costa Master Gardeners' Help Desk

Editor's Note: The CCMG Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA  94523.  (map) We can also be reached via telephone:  (925) 646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, and we are on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/. "Ask a Master Gardener" help tables are also present at many Farmers Markets as well as at the CCMG's "Our Garden" programs (map). See the CCMG web page for details/locations.