top fruits Flashcards
What is a top fruit?
Tree fruit. Plants that are grown as trees or very large shrubs.
What is a soft fruit?
Low to medium sized shrubs or perennial plants that produce a soft, juicy fruit.
List the types of top fruit
Apples, pears, plums and cherries
What factors should be considered when selecting top fruit
Purpose of the fruit (dessert or culinary)
Flavour
Harvesting season - early or late season cropping
Potential for storage
Name an apple cultivar
Apple ‘Discovery’
Name a pear cultivar
Pear ‘Beth’
Name a plum cultivar
Plum ‘Victoria’
Name a cherry cultivar
Cherry ‘Morello’
What factors should be considered when choosing plants
Fruit type
Method of supply - bare root or container
Rootstock choice
Size of tree
Training style
Pollination compatibility
Cultural requirements
Outline apple pollination groups and triploids
7 groups
Very early, early, mid season, late mid season, late, later and very late.
Triploids do not produce viable pollen, only viable ovules. 2 diploid cultivars are needed to pollinate the whole group.
How should the ground be prepared for apples and plums
Add organic matter and any specific amendments to resolve nutrient deficiencies. Remove perennial weeds.Any drainage issues should be solved prior to planting.
How should apples and plum trees be planted?
Plant during the dormant season (November to March). Container grown can be planted anytime. Do not allow bareroots to dry out before planting. Prepare a hole large enough to permit the roots to be well spread apart.The tree should be planted at the same depth as it was grown in the nursery.
How should apples and plums be supported?
Stakes are needed for bush trees, half-standards, standards and spindle bushes. Use quite short stakes to ensure that the tree roots do not become loose.
How and when should apples and plums be mulched?
Apples and plums which produce fruit benefit from a mulch in early spring. Plum should be mulched when they begin to crop.
How do you formative prune an apple tree for a bush or half standard form?
Year 1 - Tie trunk to a cane. In winter, remove the top back to a height of 60-90cm.
Year 2 - During winter, Prune lateral growth by about 2 thirds to an outward facing bud.
Yea 3 - During winter, prune leaders back by half and other branches to 4 buds.
Year 4 - Thin weak or crossing growth. In winter, reduce leaders by half and sub-laterals back to 4 buds.
How do you formative prune a plum tree?
Year 1 spring - starting with a. feathered maiden, choose 3 well spaced wider angle laterals about 75cm from ground level to be the main branches. Shorten by two thirds.Prune back the central leader to just above the uppermost lateral. Remove shoots below the selected laterals.
Year 2 - spring - Shorted side shoots on main laterals by half to an outward facing bud. Remove any weak or badly placed shoots. Remove central leaders the topmost wider angled lateral.
Year 3 - continue to develop a well spaced framework.
Prune in summer to minimise infection by silver leaf.Paint large cuts with wound sealant tree paint.
How should apples and plums be irrigated?
Water plums during dry spells and in early to mid summer when the fruit is swelling. Water apples during dry spells and from when the fruit starts to swell.
Drip lines or seep hoses work well.
How should apple trees be pruned for maintenance?
In winter, shorten previous years growth on each main branch by about 1 third to a bud facing the required direction. Leave young laterals unprunednso they can develop fruit buds in the second year.
Remove any crossing or crowded laterals.
Remove strong shoots growing towards the centre of the tree.
Remove congested spur systems on the underside of the branches.
How should plum trees be pruned for maintenance?
Summer pruning - rub out any buds developing on the lower trunk and carefully pull off suckers arising from the rootstock. Remove crossing, DDD and weak branches, plus any strong vertical growth. Thin any branches that are too crowded.
How should apples be thinned?
Cooking apples - 15cm between fruits.
Desert apples - 1 fruit every 10cm
leave 1 fruit per cluster
Use secateurs, scissors, or hands. Leave the strongest and best shaped fruits.
How should plums be thinned?
Thin plums after the ‘June drop’ so that they don’t break their branches with too many fruits.Remove fruits with thumb and forefinger. Leave 1 fruits every 5cm or a pair every 15cm.
How should apples be top dressed?
Top dress with dried poultry manure pellets, 100g per m2 for dessert apples (50% more for cooking apples) in late winter or early spring.
A top dressing of bulky organic matter can also be used.
How should plums be top dressed?
A top dressing of bulky organic matter can be used in mid spring.
Top dress with dried poultry pellets or sulphate of ammonia afterwards
In late winter, feed with a high potassium general fertiliser.
Describe the control of one main pest of apple trees?
Codling moth - the larvae tunnel their way through the apple flesh. Use pheromone traps to stop the adults laying their eggs.
