More bloom and more pics of greenhouse stone fruit, mostly nectarine. The row next to greenhouse wall and trellised row were planted 2014. The center row of nectarine on Nemaguard was planted 2011 so coming up on 4th leaf. I’ve harvested two crops off those trees both high quality fruit. The 2011 trees will be removed after harvest this summer leaving rows spaced about 6ft apart.
The greenhouse sidewall is 6ft about the current height of the 2011 trees.
FN,
Beautiful flowers. Are you using any bees this year to help with pollination, Btw, can you explain the steps to load photos.
thx.
Tony
Tony:
I’ve got bumblebees mainly for blueberry and pluots. But they visit the nectarine just as much gathering pollen.
As I write this post there are symbols above your name. Click on the center one shaped like a picture. A screen will pop up and you can download from your device or a place like photobucket. Easier than most places.
This is what a bumblebee hive looks like.
Out of focus but caught one in flight headed for nectarine blossom.
So what happens with the bumblee bees when the trees are done? Just set them outside?
Yes I set the hive outside. This is a class B hive good for 6-8 weeks. They have A, B, C and hives for outdoors none cheap. A class B is about $150 plus overnight shipping…$200-250 total, yikes!!
Looking good, Steve!
Wow, fruitnut, that is a fantastic endeavor and a beautiful greenhouse. Thanks for sharing, Just amazing. Have a question - what can you grow outside? What is your zone? I know you’re at a rather high elevation in TX.
Patty S.
Patty:
Great to see you here!! Hope to see you often. We need a citrus expert and more input from CA. I’m hoping for an update when appropriate on your stone fruit plantings.
Outside here is for growing trees. A greenhouse for growing fruit. We get freeze damage nearly every yr. I had low chill peaches blooming in January this yr and last yr lost trees to a mid April freeze. Normal last freeze mid April, no hope for anything blooming in Jan.
Fruitnut, once again your pics are fabulous as are your trees! I am amazed at the amount of blossoms on each branch. My branches of my stone fruit trees are never quite that full. How do you do it? It is an astounding amount of blossoms. Are you hand pollinating as well as using the bumble bees? The bees and the price are perfect for your high tunnel greenhouse. Wow just beautiful. Thanks! Mrs. G
Hah, very good analogy, fruitnut, like that. Reminds me of living up in the S. California mountains above Palm Springs. Commonly, we would get snow and freezing temps in May with regularity. One year, was picking up the kids for the last day of school - June 22nd during a snowstorm. Nearly impossible to grow any stone fruit up there, despite being in S. California with lots of chill hours.
Things are popping with my stone fruits. Again, for I think the 5th year, Royal Lee and Minnie Royal NOT synchronizing bloom times. Minne Royal blooming at about 50%, Royal Lee at about 5%. LOTS of blooms, so I’m hoping for more fruit this year. I really need to put down fertilizer and top dress with some GroMulch, but feeling a little punky today, so maybe tomorrow. Many of my early stone fruits in full bloom, here’s some pics:
And, at the end, by the greenhouse, looking back up towards the gate. You’ll see some of my low-chill apples on the left, in bloom:
Mrs G:
To get heavy flower bud set on peach and nectarine you need to keep the vigor in check. I worked hard all last summer trying to get decent growth but not too much. Looks better than I expected.
Your trees may be too vigorous. If so reduce fertilizer and water and increase competing vegetation.
Thanks Patty, looks great. Have to agree on the look and fruit of Arctic Star. I hope that’s one I recommended when you were looking.
I like my greenhouse but like yours my CA orchard had much greater ambiance. I’d love to have a pretty outdoor orchard here and do, all it lacks is fruit.
There was something about living in CA as a fruit lover. Just seemed like fruit heaven!!
Yes, fruitnut, that was the nectarine cultivar you recommended, and it has proven to be one of the biggest winners in my orchard. Extremely prolific, sweet, but nicely complex, not just “sugary”. Same with the Galaxy, I really like that peach, and I’m not a big peach person, per se. But this nectarine is one of the best tasting in my entire orchard. That and the NectaZee.
Although my orchard looks lovely, and I have an additional row up on the top part of my yard, plus the entire front slope, the downside to growing here in S. California, is the plethora of birds. Mainly the Thrashers and the Mockingbirds. The Thrashers can wreak the worst havoc, with their long, hooked beaks. I have to net my figs, especially. That, and PLC. My two biggest threats to fruit. The great thing about Artic Star - it makes so much fruit, at least I get a decent amount, lol! That, and the Galaxy. Just incredible performers and delicious, high quality fruit.
The Artic Star is SO vigorous, I could have about built a house already, from all the pruning. And, it’s on Citation, which is supposed to be, “peaches & nectarines dwarfed to 8-14 ft.” Hah. I have taken out branches that are almost 3" in diameter, and have severely pruned this tree 3 seasons, now. It would be 30’ tall by now, if I didn’t take my large pruning saw to it every winter. I will say, I do love what this rootstock imparts to the fruit. It really is an excellent rootstock, of all the ones I have in my garden. And, another very perplexing thing - this cultivar is not really low-chill. I’d categorize is as a “mid-chill” cultivar. DWN says 500-650 ch. For me, anything over 500 ch is getting in the experimental zone-pushing arena for me. My Red Fuji, which is probably about 500 ch, shows typical signs on not receiving enough ch, with large spaces between leaf nodes mid-branch, poor fruit set. So, why this cultivar performs so spectacularly for me, is a bit of a mystery. But, I’ll take it!
Patty S.
Patty:
Arctic Star is more like 300 hrs. They’ve cut that 500 big time. I agree low acid doesn’t always mean low flavor. The Honey series are even more flavorful for me. Haven’t had a bad Honey variety yet.
Thanks fruitnut! I will keep my peaches in check. It looks as if you worked hard all last summer. The only trees of mine that are totally covered in blossoms (they look like poodles) are my weeping crabs. Amazing. I prune them the hardest too. thanks again! Mrs. G
That makes much more sense, fruitnut. It is in full bloom right now and stunning with its deep pink flowers. Not sure I can grow any of the Honeys here, although I’d sure love to try. And MrsG, I had the most gorgeous crab apple in Indiana, on the corner of our house. It would just be covered in blossoms every spring.
Patty S.
fruitnut…love it when you post photos…always inspiring.
Do you clean up the leaf litter in your greenhouse or is that leaves you purposely put there? Are you ever fearful of the greenhouse in high winds? Don’t let one of those bumble bees sting you…I found out this past summer they pack a nasty wallop. I think only the females (or is it males) can sting. Cleaning out mulch under one of my trees and one got me right in the middle of my pinky finger knuckle. I kid you not it still hurt a bit at times 2 months later.
Patty…beautiful photos. Looks like a fantastic place you have there. In the 3rd photo from top…is that a commercial orchard of some type bordering your property?
Any of you in the midwest…I was in Farm and Fleet the other day and noticed they have bees now (maybe not now…but soon/this spring)… They also have chickens.
Those are leaves from the trees and remains of snap peas I grew this winter. After the old trees are cleaned out I’ll go back to the reflective fabric I normally have on the ground. That will increase light level and save a little water.
I have been stung by the bees. Not very often and not that bad when it happens. Usually it’s when I’m trying to lower numbers because they’re over working the blossoms. No such issues this yr.
There were ground dwelling wasps in CA that packed a bigger wallop. Walk on their den and they’d hit you from behind usually right behind the ear. I’d go back at night and get even.
