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Old 09-25-2013, 12:18 PM   #420
shilala
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Default Re: Gardeners in the Asylum

Mikey, all that other stuff stems from stress. You're on the right track.
I used to have around 20-30 trees. Never counted them because I was always adding and removing, and it never even crossed my mind, really. They were just work.

You talked about pruning. That's a biggie. Read hard and understand how to prune properly. Prune back hard if the trees haven't been used for years. That's around 1/3 of the top the first year and at least a third of what's left the next year.
That way the root system will do wonders with the tree. Very little stress.
Then use dormant oil. Use it in March when you prune, then at petal fall on each tree individually. That keeps all the critters out of the fruit cause the eggs are laid on the petal. The oil snuffs the eggs as the fruit grows. Super safe stuff.

Aside from that, I only ever used Sevin at 1/3 strength to hold back any kind of infestations. It was more for making me happy than doing anything. It kept the Japanese beetles from ruining my cherry trees. Also super safe.

Be okay with skin goofiness. It means nothing. Many old breeds were "netted" and that looks like scab or something wrong. It's not. So long as the fruit is coming to full maturity, and you don't experience a sudden drop of the fruit, the looks of the fruit means nothing. You just want it clean inside.
If you want it clean on the outside, you need different trees and lots of nasty chemicals.
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