Cultural Considerations in Growing Stone Fruit

1. Cultural Considerations in Growing Stone Fruit Win Cowgill Rutgers Cooperative Extension 2006 MASS Aggie Seminar

2. New Jersey Stone Fruit Production 1999 Tree Fruit Survey • Peaches 7,656 Acres • Nectarines 694 Acres • Cherries 65 Acres

3. New Jersey“the Garden State” • 9 million people • 8,000 farms • 400 fruit farms • 7000 A peaches • 1000 A nectarines • 2500 A apples

4. NJ is the Northern Most Commercial Peach Production State Most Important Issues • Flower Bud Hardiness • Tree Hardiness • Cytospora Canker • Peach Borers • San Jose Scale

5. Back to Basics Location-only best orchard sites • Frost Free site-know past weather history • North Facing-delay bloom • Well drained fertile soils

6. N

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

8. Type of Tree To Order • Smaller Caliper • Weak tree • Low Buds

9. Pay Attention to Proper Establishment • Correct pH and Nutrients • Establish Raised beds • Establish sod middles and herbicide strips the fall before

10. Turf Establishment • Rutgers Fact Sheet FS319 on Orchard Turf Establishment www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/pdfs/fs319.pdf • Plant in the fall before establishment • Turf type tall fescue cultivars have worked best in NJ • Prevent Erosion and have IPM benefits

11. Root Distribution Weed Free Herbicide Strip Root Distribution Stops at Turf

12. Soil Preparation • Subsoil Prior to planting • Clay Pot Effect From Auger-(fall) • Break sides before planting

13. Planting Depth& Lime • Correct Planting Depth • Leave graft union 2” above • Two pounds of High Calcium Lime in backfill

14. Melick video-cultivars

15. 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

16. Donut Peaches Peentu Types • Saturn • Galaxy • Jupiter • Numerous NJ Selections

17. Avoid Winter Injury • South West Injury • Peach Borers • Cytostopora Canker • Paint trunks white Exterior White Latex Paint-(turf paint) 2 to 1 water Low acrylic content

18. Steve Hoying-Canker

19. 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

20. Peach Planting Systems Higher Density 10 x 18

21. Y or V

22. Central Leader

23. 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

25. Maintain tree height at 8 feet

26. Pencil thick fruiting shoots

31. 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

32. Peach Thinning • Large Size is Essential • Thin Early-consider bloom thinning • Wiffle bat, toilet brush, fan belt on broom handle

33. Sweet Cherry •Dwarfing Rootstocks-Gisela Concerns- Cracking-rain-covers Birds-netting Bacterial Canker

34. Sweet CherryGisela Rootstocks Hartland/G6 Heidlefingen/G5

35. Bacterial Canker • Bordeaux sprays • Summer prune only • Stub prune • Resistant Cultivars

36. More information? Other Web Sites • www.nc140.org • www.RCRE.rutgers.edu • www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/