How far along are your trees 2019?

Looks like i will have to thin my sweet treat for the first time this year!

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That looks like a big crop for a small tree. How old is it?

3rd leaf. I may leave 20 or so on the whole tree… certainly thinning!

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My plums usually have a lot of drop. I’m not sure how long to wait to thin mine. But then it’s probably going to freeze here Monday night so I might not have to thin…

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Oh no! We are looking like 37, so… fingers crossed!

These are some of the trees in my greenhouse at work.One or two were killed by Spider mites from last year and a couple were hurt but still hanging in there.
I bought a bottle of Ortho Tree & Shrub-Fruit Tree Spray that Richard recommended to someone for Aphids and will add that to my arsenal.bb


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I had to go to Lexington today, and saw all kinds of blooming trees. I’m guessing most were ornamental (Bradford) pears. Maybe even a few cherry trees, too, although not sure.

I have a few peach buds at first pink, but most of the trees are still quiet, with a few leaf buds. Pluots’ leaves are further along. Pineapple pear is getting bigger leaves too.

Who after smelling the semen tree decided to plant them all over the US, I’m also told they are what harbor the FB so bad in my area.

Brady,
How large is your pots and how often you you need to up pot?

I run out of planting space and start to grow a few fruit trees in pots.

Close to full bloom this week. We had near record highs…87 degrees. Everything progressed super fast!

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Snowed here last night. No blooms yet. Normally we have something.

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When first planting them,about 3-4 years ago,they were put in about 20 gallon pots,some had 2-3 trees per container.
Now each one has their own space.The average is about 25 gallon,which should last at least a couple years.Grow bags are being used now.
When touring Zaiger’s place,a while back,they showed us potted ones in plastic rain barrels,that were cut in half,about 30 gallon and we were told those trees were never changed.bb

Thanks, Brady. I am not sure I would ever be able to move them up to that big of a pot. Way too big and no room to keep those large pots in a garage during the winter.

Some guy from Michigan State on the old gardenweb convinced people that they need to root prune and repot every time they turned around. He was an ornamental grower and his standard was maximizing vigor. That’s not the same as growing fruit trees. Fruit trees need repotting when the soil goes bad or vigor drops so low that you can’t get new fruiting wood even by pruning hard. In fabric repotting is when the bag falls apart.

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Tip from @jujubemulberry: use what my Brit husband would call a “wheelie bin”. I’m thinking you could modify a rolling garbage can with bit of paint to look nice and maybe alter the height a bit leaving the handle to roll it. I’ve been thinking about it…mulling it over…

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We have a two car garage that is just big just enough to fit two cars in. Having a few 20-30 gallon pots would make it hard to fit in our garage. Cars are a priority to be in a garage so a driveway can be plowed.

Pots on wheels are not an issue. Space is. :smile:

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We all have our own issues don’t we…whether it’s weather or space or other! I think it’s one of the things I really like about this forum—the eyes it gives you to other situations. :grin:

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sure sounds more appealing than yank “dumpster”, haha

if garage can’t accommodate, the next best thing is to roll the wheelie bin close to your home. Your house generates some heat-- as well as insulates against cold. Moreover, doing this would already insulate one side of the bin(and the tree growing on the bin), so you just need to insulate the remaining three

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Don’t want to derail the thread but @jujubemulberry, Thanks for the suggestion. Long story short, the suggestion is not applicable in my situation.


My first Nanking cherry flowers. I have two bushes but one isn’t close to flowering. I foresee this being a problem.

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