You like being cryptic don’t you.
I can only assume you are implying any place that can get a day of rainfall over an inch a few times in summer should not grow stone fruit on dwarfing rootstock?
That would eliminate at least 1/3 of the lower 48 from trying to do so.
I’m not interested in arguing.
Or giving understandable responses apparently.
We’ve affirmed we won’t be drinking buddies again…
I’m just explaining the phenomenon. No need to take it as some kind of error on your part.
You didn’t explain your comment about water, what issues you’ve observed or read about. I can’t know what you mean if you don’t state it more clearly. I’m. It concerned about being right or wrong, just trying to understand if it’s normal or not or if there is an obvious cause.
The phrase ‘fruit stock frustration’ doesn’t yield any results fruit tree related in a search.
I don’t think the tree is in any particular trouble. It looks healthy and grew vigorously this year as it did the last, the first two years in the ground here.
Obviously I can water less or more, but I can’t control the weather except for building a big greenhouse… …which some have done.
In another post this summer there was a discussion about Citation having an issue with some diseases like gall in hot, wet or humid locations I believe, but the statements on the characteristics of Citation are it is rather tolerant of wet soils.
Everything else being equal (which it never really is, but let’s just say that), if the tree goes through next summer and doesn’t weep as much or at all compared to this year and next summer is more average as far as temps and rainfall, the perhaps that would point to heat stress as being the issue this year.
I’ve been at this location for 27 years. This summer was not just warmer than average, it was anomalously warmer, like 7-9 degrees which is huge. Skin (surface) temp from lack of cloud cover would make it even worse on exposed parts of the tree.
I am just speculating here based on what I’ve observed on my trees. It could be fungal infection where fungus like Phytophthora gets into the wound due to rain and causes tree to respond. It could also be that after the rain, tree took too much water due to the rain and oozing sap from whatever outlet it had. In my case I suspect Phytophthora.
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/citrus/phytophthora-gummosis/
I’m also wondering if it could be similar to fruit splitting from rain after a period of dry weather. A long dry spell could reduce flexibility/elasticity of the bark. A big rain comes along and the amount of sap flow suddenly increases and the bark can’t take the pressure and splits in places.
Upon further inspection of the tree this morning, the most weeping has occurred on the largest scaffold. The smaller ones have little to no weeping.
It’s just interesting at best. After more years of growing this tree and others I’ll get a better handle on what is normal and what is problematic.
Coincidentally I received 1.18" of rain last night after 32 dry days. Now with the growing season winding down, hopefully I doubt get additional issues, assuming that is what might be happening.
I was also wondering before these posts about fruit splitting. I wonder if a regular watering schedule would mitigate splitting from heavy rainfalls by keeping the tree hydrated so the fruit skin is more continuously being stretched. Of course there could/would be other issues with the extra water.
As far as gummosis goes, when it dries out today from yesterday’s rain, I’ll look more closely at a few weeping spots, even removing a few sap bubbles to look. I don’t recall seeing bark symptoms, but I certainly could have missed it.
Upon reading about weeping earlier this summer I did find a few references to heat stress being a cause at times. That is why it was one of my ideas for the reason in my location considering the summer I’ve had here.
Wanted to add this since I couldn’t post 3 in a row.
Effects of finally getting a good rain after 32 days (minus a few days where I watered…about once a week.
Obvious new fresh weepage as the sap is clear and much less viscous. Don’t know if these are new wounds or old ones reactivated. The old weeps are pretty hard when squeezed but can be removed easily. I’ve been reluctant to remove the older sap as it would expose the wound to outside moisture and insect / disease.
Looks like icicles.
Tree heading into dormancy over the next month or so.
Was looking at my trees…
Here’s a shot of one of the spurs on my Cot-n-Candy aprium.
Looks like I’ll see a lot of blooms this spring, weather permitting. Will be the first year flowering for this tree.
Now whether it sets and holds fruit is a different story.
are the buds swelling?
I don’t think so on this tree, though I have literally a few pushing flower buds on my Sweet Treat.
Using the simple >32 and <45 chill accumulation, I am already over 320 hours here with what should be at least 6 more weeks of winter.
We haven’t had a very warm spell here so I’m not sure why those few buds are waking up. Hopefully that’s all they do.
The Cot-n-Candy and Flavor Grande will be absolutely loaded with blossoms this spring for the first time, so I’m hoping they chill till it’s time.
Pun intended.
How has the winter been for you @Richard compared to averages?
People tend to remember extremes as opposed to averages. Down here I’ve heard folks say it’s been a mild winter, but we are several degrees below average…we just haven’t had any really cold snaps.
It’s been great for chill accumulation. Last year was not.
I fully expect there to be years where what I’ve chosen and will chosen to grow may not get what they want, but hopefully I get years like this one appears that to be shaping up to make some of the marginal varieties worth the effort…or the branch if it’s not a stand alone tree.
Usually we have a few 38°F early mornings in December but none this winter. If we have a few in January that will be typical. Having just looked at December’s temperatures, I’d say it was 4°F warmer than past years.
My cherry plum is showing green tips and one peach is as well. We had a cold few weeks in early Nov but now I’m on watch for swelling buds as I have promised some scions to others. Hoping it will chill down and snow s we can go skiing
Dennis
Kent wa
So my Cot-n-Candy aprium is growing beautifully. It flowered well for the first time, but set no fruit.
This AM I discovered one single branch end looking like this. I removed it right away of course.
Any ideas on what it is? Last summer I had several end growth with something a hit similar, but last summer was such an anomalously hot and dry summer, I put it down to stress.
Can plum/apricot get fireblight?
last year did the droopy branches die or dried out completely? if thats the case you could be looking into verticillium wilt.
I think they did turn black eventually. Is there a specific spray that is effective for it if that’s the case?
If it is verticillium, I don’t think there much one can do except remove the tree and sanitize the soil. Cut the bark and compare with the pictures to confirm the symptoms. Once I have used Actinovate fungicide on a eggplant which had seed spread verticillium, it managed to control the disease after a few treatments, but I not sure how that be done for a large tree.
