Whether you are thinking of planting your first fruit tree, or you have been tending fruit trees for years, here is a collection of resources just for the home gardener from the UC Master Gardeners of Sacramento County and other external resources.
Monthly tips - what to do for your fruit trees each month.
The orchard at the FOHC - a history of the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center (FOHC) orchard.
Orchard maps - tour of orchard plantings at the FOHC.
Frost Protection - cold weather can damage citrus and other sensitive plants.
Master Gardener publications and videos
- Growing Citrus in Sacramento (PDF 222KB) (GN 127)
- Citrus Resources (PDF) (GN 135)
- Cherry tree cover - for Spotted Wing Drosophila.
- Peach Leaf Curl Prevention - trial of various products.
- Codling Moth Management at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center.
- Phytophthora Crown and Root Rot - prevent and manage.
- Using computerized tools (PDF) - Codling moth management. (EHN 100)
- Reduced Chemical Pest Management (PDF 88KB) - summary. (EHN 81)
- Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear (PDF 202KB)(EHN 68)
- Orchard Bee Nesting House (PDF 200KB) (GN 102)
- Espalier Demo (PDF 21MB)
Videos
- Video Library - view our many videos about growing fruit and citrus.
- Grow Fruit Trees in Limited Space (10:11 min.) - Ed Laivo for Virtual Harvest Day 2020
External resources
- The Home Orchard: Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees - UC ANR book store.
- Citrus Culture and Pests - UC IPM
- Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing Disease - invasive pest and the disease it spreads
- Detecting Asian Citrus Psyllid - video from UC ANR
- Selected common citrus pests:
- Citrus Picture Guide, leaf and twig - UC IPM citrus diseases and disorders.
- Citrus Picture Guide, fruit - UC IPM citrus diseases and disorders.
- Citrus Leaf and Twig Problem Diagnosis (PDF) - UC IPM to help diagnose citrus pests, disease and cultural problems
- Citrus Pest Management - UC IPM intended for commercial growers. A comprehensive list on citrus culture and pest management. Note: many pesticides mentioned are not available to home gardeners.
- Citrus varieties - Four Winds Growers
- Growing citrus - Four Winds Growers
- Budding and Grafting - Citrus and Avocado (PDF 168KB) - UC ANR (ANR 8001)
- Citrus - Tried and True or Something New (PDF) - UC ANR (ANR 8472)
- The Citrus Family Tree (PDF) - National Geograhic magazine. The origin of citrus
- Frost Protection (PDF) - UC ANR (ANR 8100)
- General fruit tree information - California Backyard Orchard website covers the basics and more.
- Maintenance calendars - California Backyard Orchard seasonal care.
- Fruit tree varieties - Dave Wilson Nursery
- Recommended varieties and taste tests - Dave Wilson Nursery
- Backyard orchard culture - Dave Wilson Nursery. Grow tree-ripe fruit in a small space.
- Planting and Care of Young Trees (PDF 112KB) - UC ANR. (ANR 8048)
- First Year Care - feed and protect young orchard trees.
- Pruning Overgrown Deciduous Trees (PDF 97KB) - UC ANR. (ANR 8058)
- Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees (PDF 226KB) - UC ANR. (ANR 8057)
- Thinning Young Fruit (PDF 109KB) (ANR 8047)
- Plant problem diagnostic tool - UC IPM gives you the ability to solve plant problems.
- Winter Pest Management - UC ANR. Backyard fruit trees (PDF 5.3 MB) (ANR 8368)
Videos
- Detecting Asian Citrus Psyllid (0:30 min.) - UC ANR
- Backyard Fruit Tree Basics (16:50 min.) - Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery.
- Shopping for Bare Root Fruit Trees (6:38 min.) - Ed Laivo of Dave Wilson Nursery.
- Plant a Fruit Tree (6:05 min.) - Ed Laivo of Dave Wilson Nursery.
- Fruit Tree Pruning Demonstration (4:50 min.) – Ed Laivo and Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery.
- Grafting Fruit Trees (9:01 min.) - Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery.
- Pests and Beneficials - UC IPM list of videos on many topics.
ANR = free publication from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Catalog
PN = free publication from UC Integrated Pest Management
EHN = Environmental Horticulture Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County
GN = Garden Notes from the UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County