Fruit and Nut Production

1. Fruit and Nut Production Prepared by Mr. Eddie McKie South Region Area Horticulture Teacher Georgia Department of Education For the Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office May 2002 Modified by the GA Agriculture Education Curriculum Office July 2004

2. Adaptive Fruits to South Georgia • Blueberries • Peaches & Nectarines • Muscadines & Bunch Grapes • Apples • Raspberries & Blackberries

3. Adaptive Fruits to South Georgia continued • Figs • Pears • Plums • Strawberries

4. Blueberries • The beautiful ‘rabbiteye’ is native to Georgia. • Seldom require spraying for insects and diseases. • Will produce fruit the second or third year after transplanting under good conditions. • Yield will increase as the plant grows in size.

5. Planting and Care • Transplant in the winter. • Should have sun for at least a half a day for best yield. • Require a soil pH of 4.0-5.3 for best growth. • Space 6 feet in the drill and 12 feet in the row. • Should be planted on a raised bed if planted in a wet area.

6. Planting and Care continued • Do not apply fertilizer at transplanting. • apply 2 ozs of 4-8-8 or 1 oz of 12-4-8 or 10-10-10 per plant after the plant begins growing. • Pick all flowers and fruit from the bush the first year. • Never over-fertilize; fertilizer damages blueberries easily until they are established. • Continually increase the yearly amount of fertilizer until the plant is 8 ft tall or taller.

7. Peaches and Nectarines • Plenty of sunshine is the key to maximizing fruit production • Early morning sun is important to dry the dew in order to reduce diseases. • Grow best at a soil pH near 6.5.

8. Purchasing Trees • Healthy one-year-old trees that are three to four ft. tall with a good root system is the preferred type of tree for planting • Do not purchase trees that appear stunted, poorly grown, diseased or insect injured

9. Increasing Fruit Size • Removal of excess fruit from trees is essential to ensure satisfactory development of the color, shape, and size of the remaining fruit. • Remaining fruit should be spaced about every six inches.

10. Diseases and Insectsof Peaches • A rigid pest control program must be maintained in order to produce quality fruit. • In home orchards, a ‘dormant’ spray should begin early and carry on throughout the season.

11. Muscadines and Bunch Grapes • Muscadines are truly a ‘Southern’ Fruit. They were discovered by early colonists and have been a southern favorite ever since. • Bunch grapes are called ‘pod’ grapes in rural Georgia since they grow large clusters of fruit.

12. What is needed togrow grapes? • Sunny spot – try to avoid low spots where cold air settles. • Good trellis – Muscadines and bunch grapes live for decades. Therefore, you want a strong supporting structure made of materials that will last for many years.

13. What is needed togrow grapes? continued • Hand-size pruning shears. If you prune properly and on an yearly basis, you should not need large pruning tools. • Good plants – grapes and muscadines can be broken into four categories: two based on fruit color (bronze or black), and two based on flower type: perfect flowers (self pollinating) and female.

14. Double Curtain Trellis Trellis Types

15. Trellis Types continued Two Wire Vertical Trellis

16. Trellis Types continued Single Wire

17. Pruning the Bearing Vines • Heavy annual pruning is required to maintain quality and productivity. • Should be pruned in February in our mild Georgia winters. • Most mature vines should be pruned to have between 30 and 60 buds.

18. Fertilization • Soil test before planting to establish proper fertility. • After the plants have been settled by a drenching rain, apply 1/2 lb. Of 10-10-10 fertilizer around each plant. • Keep the fertilizer at least six inches from the stem of the plant. • Continue at six weeks intervals throughout the summer.

19. Fertilization continued • During the second year, the fertilizer rate should be doubled and the fertilizer circle should be increased to four feet. • In the third year, if the vines have grown properly the first two years and you expect a crop, apply two lbs. of 10-10-10 or equivalent per vine in March. Then apply one lb. of 10-10-10 per vine in May. Broadcast in a six foot circle.

20. Fertilization continued • In established vines, apply three to five pounds of 10-10-10 or equivalent per plant in March of each year. Then apply 1/2 pound of ammonium nitrate around June 1st .

21. Apples • Adapted to most areas of Georgia. • Northern half is more suited for “Conventional” apple varieties. • Adapted apple varieties can be profitably grown in south Georgia with plenty of timely care. • Trees that do not require as much care should be grown if plenty of care can not be provided.

22. Site and Soil Requirements • Require plenty of sunshine • Early morning sun is particularly important • Require a well-drained soil • Cannot tolerate drought • Grow best with a soil pH of 6.5

23. Purchasing Trees • Preferred – One year old ‘whip’ that is four to six feet tall. • Two-year-old or older trees usually do not do as well. • Do not purchase trees that are diseased, stunted, insect damaged or poorly grown.

24. Pruning and TrainingTrees • Pruning should begin the day the tree is planted. • The purpose of pruning young trees is to control their shape by developing a strong, well-balanced frame work of scaffold branches. • Prune in late winter.

25. Fertilization • Fertilize trees the year they are planted by broadcasting one cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer about one month after planting. • In June following planting, broadcast another cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer around the tree.

26. Fertilization continued • In the early spring of the second season, broadcast two cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer over a three-foot circle. Repeat this in June. • Increase the diameter of the broadcast circle and the amount of fertilizer (10-10-10) by two cups per year. When the tree is six years old or older, only nitrogen fertilizer is needed.

27. Raspberries and Blackberries • Should be planted in a sunny spot. • Grow best in sandy loam or clay loam soils. • Avoid planting on low areas where water may stand. • A soil pH of 6.0-6.5 is best. • Plant trailing varieties between December and March. Should be on a trellis.

28. Trellis

29. Fertilization • Should receive 2 ozs. of premium grade 10-10-10 in April and July of the first year distributed evenly in a 2 ft diameter circle around the plant. • In succeeding years, apply one lb. of 10-10-10 per 9 feet of row in February or early March and one lb. of 10-10-10 per 18 feet of row in June.

30. Figs • Grow best with a soil pH of 5.5-6.5. • Can be purchased as ‘bare-root’ plants or in containers. • Bare-root trees should have about 1/3 of its top pruned at planting. • Trees in containers trees do not require pruning. • Can be trained as a tree or a bush.

31. Fertilization • Satisfactory growth in moderately fertile soil with limited fertilizer. • Nitrogen is usually the only needed plant nutrient, unless the soil is not very fertile.

32. Watering • Figs need watering throughout the summer for highest yields. • As a ‘rule-of-thumb’, 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water is needed for figs.

33. Pears • Sunlight is the key to maximizing fruit production • Early morning sun is particularly important because it dries the dew from the leaves, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases. • Pears grow best in soils with a pH of 5.9-6.5

34. Fertilization • Apply one cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer per tree per year of age with a maximum application of 12 cups. • Half of the application should be applied before growth begins and the other half after fruit set. • Fertilizer should be applied around the drip line of the tree.

35. Plums • Plums should be planted on high sites. They have a tendency to bloom early, so flowers could be killed by frost. • Grow best with a soil pH of 6.5. • Cultural practices such as pruning, training, fertilizing and thinning are the same as for peaches.

36. Plums • Plum trees will set more fruit than the trees are capable of successfully carrying to maturity. Excess fruit should be removed from the trees in order to develop the proper color, shape and size of the remaining plums.

37. Strawberries • Need full sun for the majority of the day. Desirable soils are fertile, medium-light textured, that are well-drained with good moisture holding capacity. • In south Georgia, plants can be set in the fall and harvested the next spring (September 15 to November 15).

38. Strawberries continued • Plants are set 12 inches in the drill and 12 inches in the row on raised beds with two rows per bed. • Beds should be 6 inches high on the shoulder and 8 inches high in the middle and 26 inches wide.

39. Strawberries continued Cross section of bed construction for annual hill system. Note the drip irrigation tube under the plastic. This allows the bed to be watered without wetting the fruit or foliage.

40. Strawberries continued • Three pounds of 10-10-10 complete fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed should be applied prior to forming the bed. • Best results have been when mulching the beds with black plastic.

41. Nuts • Pecans – Major • Black Walnuts • Almonds • Chestnut

42. Pecans • Plant trees well away from residences and other structures. • Plant trees at least 60 to 80 feet apart so they will not crowd each other at maturity. • When planting trees, the hole should be from 12 to 24 inches wide so that all side roots can be properly positioned.

43. Pecans continued • Be sure to plant the tree at the same level in which it grew at the nursery. • Remove one-half of the top of the tree to balance the top to the root system. Be sure to not prune below the graft. • The primary after-care chore for growing pecans is to supply the tree’s moisture needs.

44. Pecans continued

45. Pecans continued • Fertilize according to soil sample results. • In the absence of soil test results or leaf analysis, fertilize with a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 for each inch of trunk diameter in mid February. • Zinc is especially important in pecan production. Can be determined by a leaf analysis taken in late July or early August.

46. Pecans continued • Harvesting of pecans is like harvesting of fruits – needs to be at the optimum time. Optimum time is when the product is mature.