FRUIT
TREES
–
How
to
Grow
Your
Own
Dinner
–
Class
6




Selection:
Deciduous
fruits
and
nuts
that
grow
well
here
(Central
Coast

designation)
include
almond,
apple,
apricot,
cherry,
fig,
nectarine,
peach,

pear,
plum,
pomegranate,
prune
and
walnut.
I
would
also
add
the
native

Sambucus
Mexicanus,
an
Elderberry
that
gives
dark
blue
fruit
and
grows

like
a
fruit
shrub.
Choose
cultivars
that
can
thrive
in
your
accumulation
of

chilling
hours
(<
45
ºF
between
November
1
and
February
28).
Reputable

sellers
will
have
chill
hours
requirements
for
those
they
sell
(e.g.
Peaceful

Valley
Farms
Supply).
Know
your
site’s
climate
averages:
Chill
hours,

heat
units,
rain
fall
amounts
and
months,
wind
patterns,
sun
and
shade

dispersion
year
round,
where
are
cold
sinks,
if
any.
This
is
the
primary

information
on
which
to
depend
when
you
plan
your
garden
design.
The

cumulative
data
will
dictate
where
to
put
the
plants
you
want
to
include.

For
example,
you
would
not
want
to
put
citrus
in
a
cold
sink
or
avocados

in
a
strong
wind
tunnel.
Test
your
soil:
pH,
drainage,
horizons
(top
soil,

sub‐soils
that
include
clay,
rock,
and
salts
leached
from
the
top
soil).
Sub‐
soil
levels
will
not
support
easy
root
penetration
due
to
compaction
and

composition
of
clay,
rocks,
etc.
It
will
also
not
have
as
many
nutrients
or
microorganisms.
Trees
need

deep
(at
least
3
feet
is
best),
uniformly
textured,
well‐drained
soils
with
pH
between
5.5
and
7.5.
Correct

these
conditions
before
you
begin
planting.

Self­fruitful
or
not:
Plan
for
grouping
your
fruit
trees
with
those
others
required
for
pollination.
For

example,
Montmorency
sour
cherry
is
self‐fruitful
and
successfully
pairs
with
sweet
varieties
that
are
not

self‐fruitful.
Partially
self‐fruitful
varieties
will
set
some
fruit
when
pollinated
from
flowers
on
the
same

tree,
but
they
seat
a
better
crop
if
pollinated
from
a
different
variety.
When
buying:
Check
the
rootstocks,

as
the
rootstocks
determine
the
size
of
the
mature
tree,
as
well
as
the
scion
matter,
when
planning
your

garden
layout.
Space
plants
to
allow
for
the
mature
tree
size.
Containerized
fruit
and
nut
trees
can
be

planted
at
any
time
of
the
year.
More
common
practice
is
to
select
bare
root
trees
in
January
and

February,
when
they
are
dormant.
Look
for
bare
root
trunk
diameter
between
½”
to
¾”
for
a
better

survival
rate
and
less
time
to
become
established.
At
the
nursery
check
for
diseases,
pests,
and
that
roots

are
mostly
straight
and
without
kinks
or
breaks.
Branching
may
be
useful
in
the
nursery,
but
is
not

necessary
as
the
trunk
and
most
or
all
of
the
branches
will
be
cut
off
at
planting
time.
If
planting
is

delayed,
heel‐in
your
bare
root
trees
(cover
roots
with
soil,
sawdust,
or
compost
and
keep
moist).

Planting:
Pick
site
that
gets
full
sun
(6‐8
hours),
gives
protection
from
wind,
and
provides
the
benefit
of

heat
retained
by
a
building,
wall
or
trees.
A
depth
of
three
feet
of
loose,
rich
soil
that
is
of
uniform
texture

that
provides
good
drainage
is
best.
Plant
in
an
area
where
water
will
be
available,
from
natural
or
man‐
made
irrigation.
Allow
enough
space
around
the
tree
for
pruning,
spraying,
harvesting,
raking
leaves,
etc.

If
you
want
to
enjoy
the
delights
of
a
fruit
tree
in
bloom,
consider

proximity
to
walking
paths
where
you
will
be
able
to
see
and
smell
the

flowers.
Just
remember
that
the
fruit
will
need
to
be
harvested
timely

to
prevent
the
creation
of
a
trip
hazard.
Planting
on
berms
or
raised

beds
will
help
give
the
trees
the
loose,
well‐drained
loam
that
they

require,
and
you
won’t
have
to
amend
so
much
offensive
sub‐soil.

Unless
the
hole
you
dig
is
surrounded
by
clay,
leave
the
adjacent
soil

intact
to
prevent
“settling”,
where
the
tree
sinks
into
the
ground
after

planting
and
watering.
If
a
basin
is
created
around
the
tree
trunk,

there
is
a
danger
of
rotting
the
crown,
where
the
scion
meets
the

rootstock.
Container‐grown
trees
may
have
circling
or
girdling
roots

that
should
be
gently
pulled
away
from
the
root
ball
before
planting.

Fill
the
hole
with
soil
and
firm
lightly,
eliminating
large
air
pockets.

Keep
the
top
of
the
root
ball
free
of
backfill
soil.
Pruning
the
newly

planted
tree:

To
maintain
relatively
small
trees
and
facilitate

pruning,
thinning,
pest
management,
and
harvesting,
head
(cut
off)
the

newly
planted
bare‐root
tree
at
18”
–
24”.
This
forces
the
tree
to

develop
low
branches.
Take
off
branches
under
the
heading
cut
if
they






are
less
than
3/16”
in
diameter.
Those
that
are
3/16
–
¼”
d.
at
the
base
can
be
shortened
to
stubs
of
2‐3

buds.
Branches
larger
than
¼”
d.
where
they
join
the
trunk
can
be
cut
back
1/3
–
1/2
of
their
length.

Retained
stubs
or
branches
should
be
spaced
vertically
and
radially
around
the
trunk,
if
possible.
By

retaining
one
or
more
lateral
branches
you
can
get
better
vertical
spacing
between
scaffold
branches;

otherwise,
nearly
all
of
the
new
branches
will
arise
just
below
the
heading
cut.
Later
on,
you
should
thin

the
shoots
that
grow
from
the
buds
on
stubs
to
only
one
shoot
per
stub,
or
as
many
as
two
shoots
for

longer
retained
branches.
These
shoots
will
later
become
the
tree’s
main
scaffold
branches.
Water

thoroughly:
Form
a
donut‐shaped
ring
around
the
outer
edge
of
the
root
ball
of
a
container
grown
tree,

or
just
beyond
the
root
ball
of
a
bare
root
tree,
and
fill
with
water.
If
using
drip
irrigation,
place
the
drip

line
near
the
tree
with
2
emitters
about
1
foot
from
either
side
of
the
trunk.
IRRIGATION:
To
calculate

gallons
per
day
per
tree,
start
with
the
radius
of
the
canopy.
Calculate
the
total
canopy
square
footage
as

you
would
the
area
of
a
circle,
πr2.
π
=
3.14,
therefore
the
tree
area
in
square
feet

=
3.14
x
(radius
of
the

canopy
[ft])
2.
For
example,
if
the
radius
is
10
feet,
then
the
tree
area
=
3.14
x
(10
ft)
2.
=
3.14
x
100
sq.
ft
=

314
sq.
ft.
If
the
tree’s
daily
us
is
.25
“/day,
then
you
can
use
the
canopy
area
to
convert
that
value
into

gallons
per
day
using
the
conversion
factor
of
.623:
Tree
water
use
(gallons/day)
=
tree
water
use
in
a

day
(.25”)
x
tree
canopy
area
(ft2)
x
.623
(gal/day).
Tree
water
=
0.25
“/day
x
314
sq.
ft.
x
0.623
use

(gallons/day)
=
49
gallons
per
day.
Weather
affects
evaporation
from
stomates
much
as
it
affects

evaporation
from
an
open
body
of
water.
A
tree’s
water
use
increases
with
an
increase
in
light,
day

length,
temperature,
wind
speed
or
decrease
in
humidity.
Detailed
computer
models
have
been

developed
to
estimate
daily
plant
water
use.
So
far,
California’s
weather
conditions
have
been
generally

consistent
enough
from
year
to
year
to
allow
long‐term
averages
to
estimate
tree
water
use.
The

following
table
gives
a
summary
of
these
estimates.









Calculate
your
water
delivery:

Hose:
Record
the
time
it
takes
your
hose
to
fill
a
5
gallon
bucket,
then
divide

300
by
that
number
of
seconds.
For
example,
if
it
takes
45
seconds
to
fill
a
5
gallon
bucket,
300
÷
45
=
6.7

gallons
per
minute.
Then
you
know
how
long
to
run
the
hose.
Drip
emitters
are
specified
at
gallons
per
hour

of
delivery.
Stationary
delivery
containers
(e.g.
a
5
gallon
bucket
with
holes
drilled
in
the
bottom,
or
a
tree

gator)
should
be
filled
as
often
as
necessary
to
meet
the
tree’s
calculated
daily
needs.
Timers
can
also
be

attached
between
the
faucet
and
the
hose,
allowing
you
to
set
the
duration
of
delivery
in
minutes
or
hours

and
intervals,
in
days,
between
deliveries.
Applying
the
right
amount
of
water:
The
table
above
gives
a

good
starting
point
for
how
much
to
irrigate
your
tree,
but
you
may
have
to
make
some
modifications
to
fit

your
local
conditions.
Here
are
a
few
basic
things
to
consider:
A
tree
shaded
by
a
building
or
other
trees
will

use
less
water
than
a
tree
in
full
sun.
As
a
general
rule,
shaded
trees
use
about
one‐third
as
much
water.

Therefore,
if
the
tree
is
shaded
all
day,
multiply
the
values
in
the
table
by
1/3;
if
shaded
for
half
the
day,

multiply
by
2/3.
The
use
of
organic
or
fabric
mulches
around
the
tree
can
be
very
beneficial,
reducing
water

lost
to
evaporation
from
the
soil
surface,
cooling
surface
roots,
and
reducing
weed
growth.
Unwanted
weed

growth
under
the
tree
can
increase
irrigation
water
use
by
as
much
as
30
percent.








 




























Fruit
thinning:
Fruit
is
best
thinned
after
the

natural
drop
has
occurred
so
that
you
can
assess

the
crop
load
before
you
thin.
Take
the
smallest

fruit
first
and
work
to
have
about
5‐7”
between

largest
fruit
left.
Young
trees
are
especially
at
risk

of
breaking
branches
from
bearing
too
heavy
a

fruit
load.
This
can
also
damage,
and
more
often

kill,
large
mature
trees.
Their
injury
will
involve

more
tissue,
a
deeper
wound
and
give
greater

exposure
to
pathogens
and
pests.
There
will
also

be
a
greater
loss
of
nutrition
and
the
increased
size

of
the
wound
is
usually
beyond
the
tree’s
ability
to

callus.
Fertilizing
/feeding
your
trees:
Mulch

under
the
trees,
but
not
next
to
the
crown.
This

keeps
weeds/grasses
away
that
would
steal

nutrition
and
water,
retains
moisture
in
the
soil,

and
increases
microorganisms’
populations.

Compost
releases
nutrients
slowly,
improves
soil

tilth,
and
increases
water
penetration.
Best
to
use

finished
compost
so
as
not
to
create
a
Nitrogen

drag.
Plant
based
compost
(finished)
contains

virtually
all
of
the
nutrients
needed
for
the
tree

growth.
Apply
at
drip
line
or
through
foliar
feeding

with
compost
tea.
Compost
tea
is
especially

beneficial
to
newly
planted
bare
root
trees
as
the

liquid
delivery
is
20‐30%
more
effective
in

facilitating
nutrient
uptake.



Useful
Websites:

Dave
Wilson
Nursery:

http://www.davewilson.com



U.C.
Fruit
and
Nut
Resource
and
Information

Center

http://fruitsandnuts.ucddavis.edu/index.html



U.C.
ANR
Cumulative
Chilling
Hours

http://fruitsandnuts.ucdavis.edu/chillcalc/



Books:

The
Home
Orchard;
U.C.
ANR
Publication
#3485

Available
at
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu
OR

ANR
Communication
Services,
6701
San
Pablo

Ave.,
2nd
floor,
Oakland,
CA
94608.
Cost
is
$25.



How
to
Prune
Fruit
Trees,
R.
Sanford
Martin,
21st

edition,
2006.
Includes
grapes
and
berries.

Available
at
ACE
Garden
Center,
Grand
Ave.,

Oakland.
Cost
is
$7.