Cultural Considerations in Growing Stone Fruit

Win Cowgill

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

2006 MASS Aggie Seminar

New Jersey Stone Fruit Production

1999 Tree Fruit Survey

• Peaches 7,656 Acres• Nectarines 694 Acres• Cherries 65 Acres

New Jersey“the Garden State”

• 9 million people

• 8,000 farms

• 400 fruit farms

• 7000 A peaches

• 1000 A nectarines

• 2500 A apples

NJ is the Northern Most Commercial Peach Production

State

Most Important Issues

• Flower Bud Hardiness

• Tree Hardiness

• Cytospora Canker

• Peach Borers

• San Jose Scale

Back to Basics

Location-only best orchard sites• Frost Free site-know past weather

history• North Facing-delay bloom• Well drained fertile soils

N

More Basics

Plan two years ahead• Soil Tests• Adjust pH and nutrients• Nematode assays • Add soil organic matter• Control perennial weeds• Order Trees

Type of Tree To Order

•Smaller Caliper•Weak tree•Low Buds

Pay Attention to Proper Establishment

• Correct pH and Correct pH and NutrientsNutrients

• Establish Raised Establish Raised bedsbeds

• Establish sod middles Establish sod middles and herbicide strips and herbicide strips the fall beforethe fall before

Turf Establishment

• Rutgers Fact Sheet FS319 on Orchard Rutgers Fact Sheet FS319 on Orchard Turf Establishment Turf Establishment www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/pdfs/fs319.pdf

• Plant in the fall before establishmentPlant in the fall before establishment

• Turf type tall fescue cultivars have Turf type tall fescue cultivars have worked best in NJworked best in NJ

• Prevent Erosion and have IPM benefitsPrevent Erosion and have IPM benefits

Root Distribution

Root DistributionStops at Turf

Weed FreeHerbicide Strip

Soil Preparation

• Subsoil Prior to planting

• Clay Pot Effect From Auger-(fall)

• Break sides before planting

Planting Depth& Lime

• Correct Planting Depth• Leave graft union 2”

above• Two pounds of High

Calcium Lime in backfill

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Melick video-cultivars

Cultivar Selection

• Select only bud hardy cultivars-most California cultivars are not hardy enough

• Bud vs. wood hardiness

• Unique Cultivars white flesh-non melting flesh

Donut Peaches

Donut Peaches

Peentu Types

• Saturn

• Galaxy

• Jupiter

• Numerous NJ Selections

Avoid Winter Injury

• South West Injury

• Peach Borers

• Cytostopora Canker

• Paint trunks whiteExterior White Latex Paint-(turf paint)2 to 1 waterLow acrylic content

Steve Hoying-Canker

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are needed to see this picture.

Cytospora Canker

•Most Serious Problem in NJ and the North East•Prune at bud-break in April if possible•Paint Pruning cuts on scaffolds•Use tree paint with benomyl

Peach Planting Systems

Higher Density 10 x 18

Y or V

Central Leader

Standard Northern New Jersey Production System

• Open vase training• 20 X 20 or 25 feet• Dormant and Summer

Pruning• Herbicide Strip• Sod Middles• Trickle or Drip

Maintain tree height at 8 feet

Pencil thick fruiting shoots

Peach Fertility

• Soil and tissue tests• Split applications of nitrogen• 1st app. In a complete fertilizer 3-4 weeks

prior to bud break to supply 1/2 total seasonal N requirement

• 2nd app. at shuck split• If frozen out eliminate 2nd app.• Do not over-apply Nitrogen• Do not apply N After June 1

Peach Thinning

• Large Size is Essential

• Thin Early-consider bloom thinning

• Wiffle bat, toilet brush, fan belt on broom handle

Sweet Cherry

•Dwarfing Rootstocks-Gisela

Concerns-

1. Cracking-rain-covers

2. Birds-netting

3. Bacterial Canker

Sweet CherryGisela Rootstocks

Hartland/G6Heidlefingen/G5

Bacterial Canker

• Bordeaux sprays

• Summer prune only

• Stub prune

• Resistant Cultivars

More information?

Other Web Sites• www.nc140.org• www.RCRE.rutgers.edu• www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/