They look good.It takes a few years sometimes,for a tree to start producing more flavorful fruit.Maybe that’s what’s going on.
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Nope, no roundup sprayed.
One of my plum trees had plum aphids that I couldn’t fully eradicate for 2 summers. I’m hoping this is something similar on the pomegranate. That would be much easier to deal with than a virus or bacteria.
What do you use to get rid of mites or aphids?
Usually something simple,like oil/soap dormant sprays,but the rain,early in the year,can wash it away.So,it has to be reapplied often.
There are insecticides,like Ortho Tree & Shrub Fruit Tree Spray.
Anything that is used,must be done before the leaves start curling.
Also,I may try Zinc sulfate,to quicken leaf drop,which may help to interrupt their wheel of life.
This is from the University of California Integrated Pest Management:
After harvest, a zinc sulfate application will provide zinc to the trees as well as hasten leaf fall. Without the leaves on the tree, the aphid life cycle is disrupted. Zinc sulfate (36%) applied at 10-20 lb/acre can be applied in early to mid-October to help in this process.
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I was definitely thinking about a dormant oil spray while the tree is sleeping this winter. I have to spray a pear tree for blister mites so it doesn’t seem like to big a chore to add some pomegranate trees.
With Joseph Postman on the panel, I’m very tempted to attend.
After eating a few unknown pluots from the grocery store, I got some Flavor Grenade grown somewhere in eastern Washington. These are highly addictive. Do they reach this level of ripeness in western OR & WA?
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those look just like mine picked over the last couple weeks. they get sweet enough for me here but I like sweet+sour things. we can still have another 4+ weeks of decent sun most years so I think they can get arbitrarily ripe here
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Nice, they are not too sweet nor too sour, not watery or dry. Just crunchy addiction! way better than Emerald Beaut.
Where did you get them? I have one fruit on my tree. It’s getting pretty red. Will probably pick in the next couple of weeks. I’ve grafted another tree so I can get more, the branch on my pluot tree is runted.
Past fruit was really good. Stays crisp and continues to hang and sweeten.
Can graft it for you along with Splash.
Were the Emerald Beaut Sweet? I suspect they weren’t really ripe.
Found this guy Deer Island Farms who sells/distributes produce collected across OR and WA from his semi-trailer. He has pre-scheduled stops across PDX metro where one can pick it up. Wholesale quantities 1 box min.
Emerald Beaut is close in crunchiness, but more watery not as sweet as FG. I still have a few EB and FV left along with Sweet Dream peach if you want to try them.
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I thought ‘Emerald Beaut’ was just about the latest ripening plum variety. I would think if it’s being sold already it might be under-ripe (hence the lower sweetness).
Oh, I used to get fruit from that guy before he named it. I think that’s how I got a flat of Yakima (variety) plums 15 years or more ago and knew I needed to grow it.
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nice, the sweet dream peach is turning to be a dud, tasted one and no sweet or tartness at all. May be I should let it ripen more.
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I have made a big boo-boo. I planted a walnut tree last fall and did not clear the trunk of mulch, and I kept watering the trunk. Today, I was finally clearing the weeds under the trunk and noticed ants have infested the trunk.
I don’t think I can save this tree. But I would like to kill the ants before I pull the tree and burn it. Anyone have any suggestions to which ant killer to use?
Second picture shows a larger ant, and some larger ones have wings.
The photos don’t show an infestation, just a couple of ants. Even if there’s a large number of ants around the roots, they are probably just making their home there. They normally don’t actually damage the roots. It’s more likely that they could cause damage by farming aphids on the tree leaves during spring and summer, but there are many ways to prevent that. Their presence could also indicate that there is already some rot at the base of the tree, making it more suitable as a home for them; but the rot would not be caused by the ants. If the roots and the base of the tree look healthy, there is no reason to destroy the tree.
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Hi DennisD,
I can’t find the video suggested by Oregon Fruit Grow on Breba crop for Desert King either. Can you send it to me also?
Thanks,
John S
PDX OR
Yes, that’s what I was thinking too. Cotoneaster.
Found it. Great video. Thanks DennisD!
John S
PDX OR
You are probably right in that the ants did not bore the holes.
But I have another walnut tree planted at the same time, which doesn’t have this issue and have grown more than this problem child. This one with the problem has been dwindling and gave rotted nuts.
If you found it, please share the link.