Greenhouse fruit update

General Fruit Growing
21

Fruitnut! Just as beautiful as always, but denser. Please name the varieties of fruit. Thanks!

22

Your greenhouse looks awesome Fruitnut!

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23

I’ve probably got 100 varieties in there. Some of my favorites can be found in a writeup for DWN.

http://www.davewilson.com/home-gardens/growing-fruits-and-nuts/cultural-practices/greenhouse-fruit-growing/greenhouse-fruit-production-in-west-texas

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24

No, not all of them just the fruit in your photos above. Also when it is pouring rain outdoors, how does that affect your watering schedule inside of the greenhouse. The floor is soil, on the ground or in a foundation? Also you have removed the white (plastic) you used to have on the ground? Thanks

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25

The peaches are Sweet Dream. Nectarines are Honey Royale and Honey Diva.

I’ll be putting the reflective fabric back down as soon as I can clear out all the old trees and the figs.

The trees are growing in the ground just as they would outdoors. The trees on the outside edges do root outdoors to some degree I’m sure. So far I haven’t seen too much effect. But have thought about putting up rain gutters to catch the runoff for blueberries or for use in the evaporative cooling pads.

In humid areas rain running off the greenhouse roof could really mess with watering especially in a small greenhouse.

26

Thanks fruitnut! Your greenhouse is so special and large that a tour through it would be great. You have really created a wonder. Sorry if my questions are too simple.

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27

mrsg I gave both your questions a like!!

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28

Wow! Thanks!

29

Steve, I didn’t realize you were a retired professor from Texas A&M! What was your area of study?

30

I did crop production research for 30 yrs near Amarillo. I worked on sugar beets, wheat, other crops, and grazing of wheat by stocker cattle. The last 10 yrs I was also part time extension horticultural specialist mainly for apple and pecan. Retired in 2000 and moved to 6 acres east of Fresno CA to grow fruit. That fell thru when the air made me sick and moved back to TX in 2004. The way things are going in CA with air quality it’s good I moved. But my place was on the Kings river with unlimited water just 6ft down.

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31

Gosh, sorry to hear the air quality was so terrible there, your property sounds like it was really nice. One of the reasons why we moved to N. San Diego county instead of Orange County. Just too much smog up there. The air is so much cleaner down here, and it is still very rural in areas. My husband and I have always said the only other state we’d consider living in, besides California is Texas.

32

fruitnut,
Did the predator mites help much?I’m thinking about getting some.
Also,what are some effective miticides or ways to combat these things? Thanks,Brady

33

The predator mites didn’t help at all. The oldtimes sprayed their plants with water daily. I’ve used several miticides that are cleared for greenhouse tomatoes and the like.

34

Thanks,good to have your presence back on the forum. Brady

35

This may help,eh fruitnut?I saw it in a hardware store and did some checking online. Brady

36

I don’t understand these devices. It seems to me that the spray will basically just wash the bugs off and allow them to crawl/fly/jump back on the plant within a few minutes? The spray doesn’t seem strong enough to kill anything.

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37

It will/would help with certain pests in my greenhouse. Mainly spider mites and aphid. But it would need to be done often maybe every day to be effective on spider mites. That’s the only thing I’d try it on. My high pressure sprayer would be just as effective maybe more so. And all that water might affect the fruit quality.

38

Yes,I’m finding out,concerning Spider mites,especially in a greenhouse,it is a continuing battle,with just about anything used against them. Brady

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39

Fruitnut, amazing what you have done! I read your article and it was very interesting. Do you have any updated photos of your greenhouse that you’d be willing to share?

Thanks,
Jason

40

I don’t have a greenhouse but when I bring my cacti in for the winter they often have spider mites. The good news is they can’t really harm the cacti, I’m not sure why? Maybe the plant can tolerate them? When i remove them, or don’t it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Now I have seen them hurt other plants.