The 3 Big Do-NOTs of DIY Fruit Tree Pruning

The 3 Big Do-Nots of DIY Fruit Tree Pruning

Its pruning time for most of our deciduous fruit trees and while there are many things you can and should do, there are a few things that you should never ever do.  So instead of talking about everything you should do, I want to mention the most important things to not do, so your trees stay healthy and productive for years to come.

  1. Never cut in the middle of a branch.  Also called “top-cutting” or “heading cuts” these are cuts made in the middle of a branch or at a bud.  Although often advocated (even among fruit tree experts) to stimulate growth and maximize production, these types of cuts promote excessive branching and are not good for the long-term health of your tree.  Instead always make your cuts at a point of connection, just beyond the branch collar (see image).  This type of cut allows the tree to heal more rapidly and does not cause excessive branching.  Following this rule will ensure a much healthier, happier, and long lived tree
  2. Never prune a tree, without first understanding its fruiting habit!  All too people ask me why they did not get fruit from their tree last year and I have to tell them its because they removed all of their fruiting wood.  Different trees fruit on different types of wood, some, like apples, produce fruit on long lived spurs, while other types like peaches produce fruit on last years growth.  Below is a table with some common fruits and their fruiting habit.

Trees that fruit on current seasons’ growth

  • Fig (generally have two crops, one from last years growth, and then a fall harvest on current new growth
  • Mulberry
  • Persimon
  • Quince
  • Walnut

Trees that fruit on growth from the previous season

  • Fig (first crop)
  • Nectarine & Peach (last year’s growth has a greenish red color)
  • Quince

Trees that form spurs (these are short stubby branches usually less than 6 inches long with very dense clusters of buds)

  • Almonds
  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Cherry
  • Pear
  • Plums, pluots, & other hybrids
  • Pomegranite

3. Never use ANY kind of wound sealant on pruning cuts! Time and again research has found these kinds of treatment to be ineffective at best, and harmful at worst.  The best way to keep you trees healthy is by using good tools (I never leave home without my Felcos J ) with sharp blades and making proper cuts at branch connections.

For more detailed information and pictures showing  good pruning practices and techniques check out this power point created by Tom Del Hotal, chair of the San Diego Rare Fruit Grower Society.

http://www.crfgsandiego.org/Presentations/Fruit%20Tree%20Pruning%20Basics.pdf

Author: Ari Tenebaum   |   Posted on: February 9th, 2012   |     No Comments »

Sour Citrus?

Around this time of year I always encounter a number of folks who tell me their citrus is sour.  And I’m not talking lemon and limes here.  I’m talking tangerines and oranges and all the other wonderful citrus that grows so well here in our temperate Southern California climate.  So why so sour?  Well, the answer is simpler than you might think.

You see, many people assume that when their fruit takes on that beautiful orange hew that it must be ripe.  NOT TRUE!!!  Many oranges, tangerines, and other common citrus crops can be quite ripe when the skin still has some green, or on the contrary may not be ripe even when they are nice and orange.  The navel orange trees in my backyard orchard have been loaded with ripe-looking fruit since December, but it wasn’t until today that I got to taste the first truly sweet fruit.

Now I know what you are thinking:  Then how do you tell when the fruit is ripe?  Well, again, there is a simple answer-give it a taste.  Even in commercial groves, growers rely on taste to tell when their crop has its peak sugar content and is ready for harvest.  Be warned, that if you pick all your fruit too early it WILL NOT ripen or gain sweetness off the tree.

So before you go running out to the nursery for a bunch of fertilizer, or frantically spread sugar around the base of your tree to boost your sugar content, just sit back and wait until your fruit is just ripe :)

A little patience brings the sweet citrus we all know and love

Author: Ari Tenebaum   |   Posted on: February 1st, 2012   |     No Comments »

Marshall House Edible Therapy Garden

Here are some of the latest pics from our ongoing project at TERI’s Marshal House in Vista.  Recycled pavers create an attractive boarder for our pathway and the bridge and arbor shown are constructed from Western Juniper that was harvested as a part of a grassland restoration project in Eastern Oregon.  The entire pathway will be decomposed granite that will allow water to infiltrate on-site instead of running off and causing pollution downstream.  Stay tuned for more updates on our latest edible and eco-friendly landscape and make sure to check out the Spring issue of Edible San Diego to see the finished photos and more information about this great project!

Author: Ari Tenebaum   |   Posted on: December 20th, 2011   |     No Comments »

Blood Bank Offers Tasty Rewards Straight from New Edible Landscape

The next time you leave the San Diego Blood Bank, proudly sporting your badge-of-honor arm wrap, you’ll have even more to feel good about. Not only will your donation help save lives, but you’ll support an organization that is doing its part for the environment through sustainable landscaping.

The San Diego Blood Bank just welcomed the final touches on an edible, sustainable landscape at its new San Diego Gateway Donor Center. The garden looks delectable from any angle—organic citrus and avocado trees will provide employees with a tasty treat during the day, while native plants save water and cut pollution that would run into our waterways.

For over six decades, the San Diego Blood Bank has helped save the lives of countless San Diegans. Hospital patients and trauma victims across our county depend on the generous donations of 400 blood donors per day, who know the Blood Bank is an organization they can trust to do the right thing for San Diego.

Now the Blood Bank is giving again with its new eco-friendly landscape, designed by Revolution Landscape, a homegrown San Diego business committed to providing residents with fresh, healthy food grown right in their own backyards.

The new landscape features a unique mix of low-water native plants, fruit trees, and other edibles. Avocado and citrus trees replace a water-hungry lawn, while fragrant sages and milkweed provide a habitat for monarch butterflies. The new native plants will require little to no water, a rare and welcome sight in parched San Diego.

“Donors and employees alike were curious and excited about the prospect of growing organic food onsite,” said Revolution Landscape co-owner Ari Tenenbaum. “We listened closely to the ideas of Blood Bank staff, and even planted several varieties of avocado trees at the request of employees.”

This isn’t the first time Revolution Landscape has turned an outdoor space into a beautiful, productive, and eco-friendly landscape. The company’s trademark green flamingo is cropping up in yards across the city, challenging its 1950s lawn ornament cousin. With the green flamingo comes fruit trees, vegetables, and native plants—a far cry from the costly, chemical-infused grass so often seen around our city.

Having grown up in University City, Revolution Landscape co-owners Jeff Robbins and Ari Tenenbaum are hungry to show San Diegans the true meaning of fresh, organic, and local. For Robbins and Tenenbaum, the Blood Blank garden is more than just another landscape. They hope that donors and employees will be inspired to plant their own fruit trees and native gardens at home.

“Building edible gardens at homes is always rewarding, but we were especially eager to create this landscape for the Blood Bank, which gives hope to so many San Diegans,” said Robbins. “We wanted to give back, and now the garden will continue to provide for and inspire blood donors and staff for years to come.”

So even if your plate is feeling full this fall, head on over to the Blood Bank. Help your fellow San Diegans by giving blood, and get a taste of another fresh idea that’s bringing energy and flavor to our community.

For photos of the Blood Bank’s new edible garden, visit:

www.flickr.com/photos/revolutionlandscape

To learn more about growing fresh, organic food in your own yard, visit:

www.revolutionlandscape.com

Author: Jeff Robins   |   Posted on: October 5th, 2011   |     No Comments »

CLCA Edible Landscaping Presentation – Nan Sterman

Nan Sterman author of Water-Wise Plants for the Southwest and California Gardeners Guide delivered a presentation on edible landscaping to our CLCA group (California Licensed Contractor’s Association), Thursday 6/30/11.  See us in the lower left with a savory bay tree Ari won!

Nan is a local authority on low water gardens and edible landscaping and it was a delight hearing her insight. A lot of the information she presented on fruits and vegetables confirmed our urban farming practices. Check out her website at http://www.plantsoup.com/

Author: Jeff Robins   |   Posted on: July 1st, 2011   |     No Comments »