I have a Puget Gold in a pot, and has probably a dozen fruit set. It was neglected last year and covered up by fig tree which I think inhibited blooms. Summer delight is a winner for sure.
I have a Puget Gold and Ume (planted next to one another) that I need to photograph for you all to see. They are tiny. Iāve considered moving it after being in the ground two years and doing next to nothing. This winter I put down cardboard and woodchip mulch over the area all around it, so no more grass. I also moved a couple of wheelbarrow planters which didnāt look like theybwere affecting anything to me. Last try and see if that helps before eviction.
Is your location a slightly cooler microclimate?
What do you suspect caused it to die?
How old is the puget gold?
Cooler than what? Itās in the open on my property. My property is relatively cool because Iām in a valley depression clearing in 100ft plus fir trees. Most of my orchard has exposure to the South in the summer but sunrise may be delayed some and sunset advanced from the terrain and trees and depending on where on the property.
The apricot was on the West end. It got some kind of necrotic gumosis situation low on the trunk. I ended up yanking it, I canāt remember if the leaves were stressed or dead yet or just days numbered. It lasted many years, Iām guessing 8+ from memory. The apricots were only pretty good. Better than the grocery store ones that I donāt consider worth eating, but nothing like the ones I remember from Yakima valley backyard trees in the 80s.
Itās almost certainly a small species of aphid that specializes in Prunus. I had it hit my ume for a couple years which made the leaves curl and the fruits abort. Once I realized it was a tiny insect (pretty hard to see), I treated with a systemic insecticide (not while blooming) and so far it appears to have worked in resolving the issue!
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comparison to Portland. Iām interested in the urban heat island phenomenon. Seems like your temps arenāt radically altered by it?
I think Iām several degrees cooler than Portland in general. Even paved East Vancouver suburb the same plants flower and ripen maybe a week earlier than at my place.
But we still get the 90+ and 100+ degree weather. I think the short season and cool nights are the thing that work against some fruits more than the daytime temperatures and sunlight.
Huhā¦ Iāll give this a go next year then. I didnāt check too much for anything on it this year.
If nothing, i may cull it or give it away
I know they are hard to see but the Ume is the one with all the leaves. Puget Gold barely started. They are just about to get full sun, the shadow of that tree moves across the area in the morning, so they go in and out of dappled shade to full sun by noon and until sundown.
The tag on it says itās a year old and Iāve had it for another year.
Thatās nice. Mine is on citation, and is 3 years since grafted. Still no fruit set. Though I did get a nice smattering of blooms this spring. I would suspect some fruit set next year if the weather is favorable. I wouldnāt mind this dry and warm spring repeating every year.
The Rincon Valley avocados are fixing to have an amazing bloom this week. Iām curious what people think I should do for pollination? Weather seems like it couldnāt be better, but I have heard that taking a little brush to them is a good idea. I really wish Winn was still on this forum. I would love to get his insight.
I also have a question about blotchy red leaves on one of my feijoa. I suspect this is some kind of nutritional deficiency. Has anyone ever encountered this specific phenomenon? It is evident on maybe 5% of the leaves. It is spread out over the entire plant, not clustered in a single area.
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mine is on Myro29c which is supposedly late fruiting from what I read. I see a lot of dead space on the branches possibly due to lack of exposure to the sun light. But it has dozen or so fruitlets.
Seems precocious to me.
How was the fruit set on nectaplums?
I have seen this leaf discoloration on my old feijoa plant for many years. Usually occurs on mature (multi-year) leaves and may be an indication of frost damage rather than disease or deficiency. Whatever the cause, it has never been significant to the overall plant health.
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Thanks for responding. The plant is definitely still very healthy. Do you ever fertilize your feijoa? Iāve read some people who say itās unnecessary, and others who favor doing so. This particular plant is 6 years old and grows in very heavy clay soil with all day sunshine. I add compost in the spring, but nothing more. I have several others too, and this is the first time so many leaves turned red. Iām glad to hear itās doesnāt set off alarm bells in the minds of seasoned growers.