Desert Dawn nectarine

[Richard]

First ripe pit fruits of the season

[Richard]

[Richard]

Before and after January pruning:

[Richard]

[ltilton]

How it’s grown in those few years!

[Richard]

Desert Dawn with Mid Pride Peach on the left.

[Richard]

It’s already time to start thinning! These are about chickpea size.

[Ahmad]

It seems you have some PLC, did you spray copper while dormant?

[Richard]

I fertigated with copper about 4 months ago but did not perform a copper dormant spray. My peach and nectarine leaves are showing about 10% PLC.

[Ahmad]

Not sure what you mean by fertigate (dictionary says it’s to fertilize and irrigate together, so I take it you applied copper in conjunction with irrigation, but not sure how that is possible). Anyways, is that your usual practice? and do you usually get that much PLC?

[Richard]

@Ahmad - I have Dosatron injectors coupled with my irrigation system. I use them for fertilizer and soil drench pesticide as needed. Our soil is notorious for anaerobic bacteria, hence the copper application. For PLC the proper treatment is dormant spray which I missed this winter. So far the outbreak is minimal and acceptable.

[Richard]

Loaded with fruit. Let the harvest begin!

[Courtney]

Wow! So beautiful!

[Richard]

Snack size!

[Girly]

Wow, that’s a beautiful tree!!!
@Richard - what is the diameter of the circles(edging) around your trees?

[Richard]

@Girly - the inner radius is about 32", the bricks add another 8".

[Girly]

Thanks!

[Richard]

Here’s the before and after pictures from yesterday’s pruning

[Monardella]

I also have Desert Dawn, but in zone 9b. It looks exactly like yours, however the birds eat 90% of the fruit since they are the first fruits available in my garden. By the way I also have Desert Delight, which is in full bloom right now (started late January).

[Richard]

I have bubbling fountains so the birds don’t peck at fruit for moisture. I remove fruit as it ripens and damaged fruit as it occurs. Very little is lost to wildlife.