Seasons greetings fruit growers! I’m having a great season with most things here in Northern California not far from Sacramento , but I’m concerned about what’s going on with these Flavor Grenade pluots.
My three stonefruit (Blenheim apricots, Flavor Grenade and Dapple Dandy pluots) are all in containers on a sport court, on twice daily drip irrigation, got sprayed twice with oil in the dormant season, fed with a granular fertilizer once or twice, had a longer blossoming season, more vigorous growth, and more fruit set than usual. They are about 5 years old, and are both winter and summer pruned; the summer pruning to keep them smaller. I have not done any root pruning.
I have seen a few stink bugs on the Dapple Dandy, and on a tomato plant grown nearby.
The tomatoes have had some aphids and whitefly.
So far I have limited my pest management to weekly sprays of water, which in our usually hot, dry climate, is recommended for integrated pest management. My biggest problems are usually drought, intense dry heat and sun, aphids, thrips, spider mites, and stink bugs.
Apricots were fine; about a dozen or so of them in June. My usual yield.I know.
The Dapple Dandies are few, but fairly pristine. (I don’t usually get any)
These Flavor Grenade pluots seem larger than usual, but have one or two kinds of scars. One I’m fairly certain is from thrips.
But what could this be?
I’m thinking an insect with sucking or rasping mouth parts, maybe injecting something in the process. I am hoping it’s not bacterial.
P.S. I know they would be better off in the ground, and the fruit density is too high on the branches, but maybe not the tree.
But this is my first year. I’ll keep looking through my resources, and ask for help.