by Julie Pramuk
The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County recently had an opportunity to hear a program on backyard orchard culture, “The Fruit Bush Method” by Stanislaus County Master Gardener Ed Lavio. I was interested in this subject because the house we recently moved into has 2 full-size orange trees that flank our front porch. The trees are beautifully healthy but have grown too much, crowding the porch and not looking like it was the best space for them. I thought they should be removed, but knew it had taken quite a few years for the trees to grow this big. They have sufficient sunlight and I love the idea that we could have some oranges in the not-too-distant future. We haven't had any fruit yet due to severe pruning a year or so ago.
Many of us have a garden with limited space in our backyard settings, making it a priority to allocate space. Growing fruit trees includes the task of keeping trees at a shorter height to make room for more plants and make tree maintenance easier. Take advantage of successive ripening of different varieties of fruit. This gives the homeowner a broad range of fruit availability during the year. Think stone fruit during the summer, followed by pome varieties and citrus.
Size control has many advantages including checking for pests, thinning interior branches for air and enabling light to penetrate, ease of pruning and seasonal spraying. Fewer pest problems would also be the result of good spacing between the fruit as well as bigger fruit size. Limb breakage is less of an issue if fruit is adequately thinned.
Another question was posed about how tall do semi-dwarf trees grow? As there is no standard for the term “semi-dwarf,” it is often misinterpreted to mean low maintenance, making the home gardener think there won't be much work to do. It was recommended to stand up and raise your hands like you are under arrest — that's how high your tree should be, about 7 to 8 feet. Finally, the most important thing we can do for our trees is to add compost to our soil and mulch to retain moisture, always good advice.
For further guidance on how to prune your fruit trees for easier care and enjoyment listen to this seminar on the Youtube Channel at http://ucanr.edu/youtube/ucmgstanislaus
Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143. Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.
Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.
Photo credits: BenMcInerney CC BY-SA 4.0
Info links: UC ANR https://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/files/264588.pdf
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8057.pdf