Pruning Mature Apples and Pears

A good fruit tree should not make a good shade tree. However, when pruning is neglected, many apples and pears become better shade producers than fruit producers. Standard-sized trees often outgrow the reach of ladders or pruning hooks. Backyard and commercial growers have come to prefer dwarf or semi-dwarf trees which are not as tall and are easier to prune, spray, and harvest without the use of ladders.

A neglected but otherwise healthy tree will usually show a marked improvement in fruit quality as a result of pruning. Fruit buds begin developing in the growing season previous to the one in which they mature into fruit, and more are initiated than can be fully developed into fruit. Growing conditions during the season of bud initiation and the subsequent winter will affect the number of buds which flower, and certain cultivars are "alternate bearers" that seldom initiate many buds during a year with a heavy fruit crop. In any case, by late winter the buds for the coming summer's crop will be very evident. Buds only appear on two or three year-old twigs or spurs which are no thicker than a pencil.

The primary purpose of pruning is to increase sunlight penetration, remove less productive wood, and shape the crown into an efficient, stable form. If left unpruned, the quantity of fruit produced might be greater, but the quality much lower. Pruning increases fruit size, promotes uniform ripening, increases sugar content, and decreases disease and insect problems by allowing better spray coverage and faster drying following rainfall. It also allows easier access for timely harvesting.

When to Prune

The best time to prune is during late winter or early spring just before the beginning of active growth. If large blocks of trees are to be pruned, time it so that you finish just before bud break. It will not harm trees if sap is beginning to flow at the time you prune. The main reasons you should prune during the late dormant period are:

1. Wounds heal quickly when growth starts.
2. Undesirable branches and other wood to be pruned can be easily seen since there are no leaves on the tree.
3. The bark is less likely to tear when cuts are made.
4. Trees pruned in early winter may be damaged by low winter temperatures that occur after pruning.

Summer pruning may also be used to control growth of young trees, improve light quality in the fruiting z o n e, thin heavy fruit loads or remove water sprouts and other undesirable wood.

Planting an Avocado Tree

These are good tips from the masters :

Planting an avocado tree

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Is the avocado a vegetable or a fruit?

The avocado is widely considered a vegetable most commonly used in salads. However, it is actually a fruit that tastes like a vegetable, and most markets display it with other typical fruits.

In some areas, it is known as the avocado pear and also the alligator pear due to the pebbly, rough exterior of one of the common types. There are quite a few varieties of avocados with each person having a preference.

The fruit is harvested from tall trees, which grow in groves. The rich, pale yellow-green flesh of the pear-shaped fruit has a texture likened to a firm ripe banana, smooth and buttery, with a faintly nutty flavor.

Most avocados are grown in tropical climates, primarily in Mexico, California, Hawaii, and Florida. California is the number one producer of avocados in the United States, supplying 95% of the nation's crop, with 85% of the crop being of the Hass variety. Mexico is the world's leading producer of avocados. 

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Varieties of Avocadoes

A favorite for our dips and a must have for our meals, this fruit is primarily pear-shaped, but some varieties are also almost round. They can weigh from 1 ounce to up to 4 pounds each.

The most common types are: Bacon, Fuerte, Gwen, Hass, Pinkerton, Reed, and Zutano, with many chefs having a particular preference for the Hass variety.

Avocados are used not only in salads and the ever popular guacamole, but also in breads, desserts, main dishes, and in non-culinary creams for facials and body massages.

The Taiwanese eat avocados with milk and sugar. Indonesians mix them with milk, coffee, and rum for a cold libation. Filipinos puree them with sugar and milk to make a dessert drink.

Even the avocado tree leaves are used in some parts of Mexico. Both green and dried leaves can be used for wrapping tamales, or seasoning for barbecues and stews. Dried leaves will keep for several months in a tightly-closed container.

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Growing a Grape Tree

buyLook for the optimal location for planting your grape tree. Tropical plants do better in southern areas, near overhangs or under extending canopies of tall trees.

Till topsoil to loosen it to a depth of 6 inches. Dig a hole twice the size of the grape tree's root ball, but not deeper than the root ball. Mix the soil taken from the hole with compost. The backfill should consist of half soil and half backfill.

Water the bottom of the hole. Place the grape tree inside of the hole and re-pack the hole with the compost and dirt mixture. Build a berm around the grape tree 1 foot in diameter and 4 inches high, using the rest of the compost and dirt mixture.

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Fill the berm with water. Keep your grape tree's root ball moist, especially during the summer. Grape trees cannot survive any periods of drought. Press your fingers into the first 3 inches of soil to feel if it is moist. Apply water to the inside of the berm. To keep the root ball moist, you may need to water your grape tree up to three times a day.


Fertilize your grape tree annually at the beginning of its growing season by applying 4 inches of compost around the tree and about 1 foot away from the base.

Avoid spraying a herbicide anywhere near your grape tree, which cannot survive applications of chemicals like fertilizers or herbicides.

Guavas

Guavas are evergreen, shallow-rooted shrubs or small trees, with spreading branches. Guava leaves are opposite, oval or oblong-elliptic, somewhat irregular in outline, 2 - 6 inches long. Guava fruits may be rounding, ovoid or pear-shaped. The flesh may be white, pink, yellow, or red.

Soil: The guava prefers many soil conditions, but will produce better in rich soils high in organic matter. They also prefer a well-drained soil in the pH range of 5 to 8. The trees are also well adapted to both summer and winter rainfall conditions.

The soil must be loosened as deep as possible before planting. The filed for planting is prepared during summer season. The pits of 1m x1m x 1m size are dug and filled with a mixture of farmyard manure and soil. The planting is done during the rainy season.

Pruning: In every growing season, a large number of new shoots emerge on a guava tree and majority of these are lateral. These shoots produce fruits. Pruning is usually recommended after harvesting or in spring. Pruning also takes place during harvesting as the fruit is plucked along with the shoot on which it is borne.

Fertilization: Guavas are fast growers and heavy feeders. Mature trees may require as much as 1/2 pound actual nitrogen per year. Apply fertilizer monthly, just prior to heavy pruning. 600 g nitrogen, 400 g Potassium have been recommended.

For the first 4 years the nitrogen should be divided into 4 equal applications viz. 2 weeks before pruning and then at two-monthly intervals.
–1/3rd weeks before pruning
–1/3rd 4 weeks after pruning
–1/3rd 10 weeks after pruning.

Potassium and phosphate
Half the quantity of potassium and all the phosphate must be applied together with the first nitrogen application. The rest of the potassium must be applied 4 months later.

Zinc and boron
This element must be applied every year. – Zinc oxide at 200 g/100 liter water. Many guava orchards are also low in boron and it is desirable to spray the tree every 2 years with 100 g borax /100 liter water.

Pest: Fruit flies are a major pest in guavas in most production areas. Female flies lay white, oblong eggs in groups just under the skin of mature, ripening fruit. A few days later the maggots hatch and feed on the fruit flesh. The maggots are creamy white, reach a length of about 6 mm and have no legs. Pierced fruit is characterized by small holes in the skin surrounded by a bruise. Such fruit soon becomes soft, and can decay and drop early.
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