Questions not deserving of a whole thread

mamuang · 2020-03-14T23:40:14.396Z

Traditionally, people said when leaves are a size of a mouse’s ear
(tight cluster?). In fact, any time from green tip on until fully leaf out would work. It is more important that scionwood is dormant.

Apple gradting is easy because even if scion is not fully dormant, a graft can still be successful.

k8tpayaso · 2020-03-14T23:51:51.036Z

I’ve heard apples are easy…I’ll see if I can mess it up!!

mamuang · 2020-03-15T00:53:23.595Z

@k8tpayaso,
You have successfully grafts 100’s of jujubes. Grafting apples would be a piece of cake for you. Apple wood is a lot easily to cut into than harder jujube wood. I think you can graft apple successfully with one eye closed

k8tpayaso · 2020-03-15T01:17:52.596Z

After having cut juju wood all day I’ll be glad for some softer wood. Thanks for your confidence!!!

Silverfoot · 2020-03-15T01:34:44.356Z

I live in North Carolina and have a mulberry which is about 16 ft tall right now and about 4in diameter on the trunk. Within the last couple of days I have noticed it starting to Bud out. Is it too late for me to prune the Mulberry back to a more reasonable size?

Chills · 2020-03-15T01:44:02.309Z

I did mine back in May of 17. It did not fruit the next year. The trunk was about 5-6 inches in diameter. It has bounced back well and has fruited last year. The new growth is almost vine-like and it will be getting another pruning (not as drastic) this year.

Radical Prune of an 11 year old Belle of Georgia - Should I do it ? (now?) General Fruit Growing

Hi Fruit Growers We in Chicagoland has a very late -27 deg frost the other night and it knocked out all the blossoms on one of my orignal peach trees. In the picture there is an eight foot ladder, [image][image] so you can see all the groth and blossoms are up in space. This is one of the trees which I didn’t control the height when I was starting out in this crazy fruit tree passion. OK I was contemplating chopping off 75% of the tree (see RED lines) now in late spring. Should I do this? Shou…

Any questions, just ask…

Scott

lordkiwi · 2020-03-15T02:13:43.768Z

It is well past time for pruning. But a tree that large if healthy would probley be fine. you would not want to remove more then 25% per season so that would be brining 16ft of tree down to 12ft/

TJ_westPA · 2020-03-17T23:56:50.317Z

Does anyone know if neem oil or spinosad can be even slightly effective against plum curculio? (peaches, pears, maybe plums) I have those available and really don’t want to spend $40 +shipping for a big bag of Surround when I only have 3-5 young trees that I’ll be spraying. I plan on bagging most of the fruit with organza bags once they get big enough to do so, which worked well with the pears last year. Just need something to keep the curculio at bay for those first few weeks.

lordkiwi · 2020-03-18T01:20:23.743Z

I bought a huge bag of surround the year after my trees when the ground 3 years ago or so. Been no fruit to surround till last year and PC took the all out. Surround never went bad. Its a base compound and doesn’t spoil at least. Anyway I do not think either need more spinosads are effective vs PC. I am not placing any requirements on being organic so I am using the New Sevin in combination with the surround but I am counting on the Sevin to kill the PC.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sevin-32oz-Concentrate-Outdoor-Insect-Killer-100530123/303593798

Mitchigan state says organic gardners have had good control with Venerate https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/effectively_controlling_plum_curculio_in_stone_and_pome_fruits

amleo.com

A.M. Leonard Tools for the Horticultural Industry since 1885.

northwoodswis4 · 2020-03-18T04:25:47.356Z

I’ve not heard of Venerate before. Anyone here have any comments or experience with it? My organic approaches aren’t working very well, so am looking for more options.

lordkiwi · 2020-03-18T16:19:15.033Z

Scott intends to try it this year.

Plum Curculio General Fruit Growing

I saw that study awhile back and have for a couple years sprayed the nematodes they recommend. I didn’t notice a big difference unfortunately. I might have messed up the application which is why I tried it again after the first time didn’t work. I am trying a new product called Venerate XC this year which is supposed to have some action against both PC and moths. See the following thread.

scottfsmith · 2020-03-18T16:47:39.573Z

TJ_westPA:

Does anyone know if neem oil or spinosad can be even slightly effective against plum curculio?

The studies I have seen show no effectiveness at all. Pyganic is about the only cheap organic option for just a few trees. Venerate is experimental and not yet available in smaller quantities.

TJ_westPA · 2020-03-18T17:06:44.736Z

Thanks for the replies! I’ve considered Pyganic but I’m not a fan of using pyrethrin/pyrethroids due to them being extremely toxic to cats, which I have. Even just getting some on my arm or clothes or shoes and them rubbing on that and then licking their fur can be dangerous to them. Maybe I should just suck it up and get the Surround lol.

lordkiwi · 2020-03-18T17:18:37.753Z

I linked to a small quantity source above.

hoosierbanana · 2020-03-18T17:19:59.550Z

Check to see if any Fertrell locations in your area can get a bag for you.

https://info.fertrell.com/

mamuang · 2020-03-18T22:10:39.302Z

I’ve ordered my from out of state every time.

Suck it up. Use Surround and adjust your expectation that your may not get all perfect fruit but your cat will forever love you

Kate6b · 2020-03-18T22:22:57.167Z

Hi,
I have an asian persimmon growing in pot from last year and it’s leaving out now and there are some flower buds too.

I want to transfer to the ground. Should I transfer now or wait until end of the month when it’s warmer? I am located at New York City, zone 7a/b.

Thanks

Chills · 2020-03-18T23:20:02.647Z

do you have leaves already? If the persimmon already has growth for the year, it is highly likely that that growth will get burned back. If the plant has its current growth burned back by the cold numerous times, it will significantly set the tree back during the year you want it to establish into the ground.

I’m in a very similar climate. I won’t even move plants out, some with no current growth (still dormant) and some with awakening growth, for another few weeks at least.

Your date for last frost is still some weeks away. Give it time…

Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Scott

Kate6b · 2020-03-18T23:23:56.312Z

Scott,
Thanks for the advise. The young tree already has leaves. I will take your advise and wait until it’s warmer.

Kate

Oepfeli · 2020-03-20T19:43:54.811Z

Yesterday I looked at my young Red Astrachan apple tree and I noticed that one bud had a drop of amber liquid on it. I looked more closely and it appeared that the drop was some sort of wound liquid. It was very runny and not sticky and fell right off when I touched the bud.

20200319_122336.jpg2322×4128 1.72 MB

There was a small hole in the bud. I broke it off since it was growing inward against the wall anyway. When I opened it up it looked like this on the inside:

20200319_151024.jpg2322×4128 1.96 MB

There was one more bud with a hole but I let it be since it’s at the tip of a branch. This hole was bigger but dry, with no sap at all.
I looked at it again today and saw that there’s a hole in a third bud.

20200319_150045.jpg2322×4128 2.03 MB

Additionally I saw a hole on a bud of the Piros apple tree as well! This hole is even bigger and more noticeable.
These trees are at least 200 m apart so there has to be some sort of bug that eats the buds on apple trees! Until now no damage on other kind of trees.

Now my questions:

Any idea what that could be?
Any idea what I could do?
The Red Astrachan was only planted in fall 2018. It would be sad if that would damage him. I’m afraid that the damaged buds will lead to stunted growth or crippled branches next year…