Sumter County Peach Tree Project Cami Esmel McAvoy Kalan Taylor UF-IFAS Extension, Sumter County
Outline of Distribution Workshop Nursery Industry Overview Introduction to Your Peach Tree Choosing a Tree Transplanting Pruning & Training Systems Irrigation & Fertilization Pest Management
Nursery Industry Overview Florida s Nursery Industry - $4.27 Billion 63,000 jobs Closely associated with housing market and disposable income Food crops are the whim of the growers
Careers Connected with Plant Science Geneticist Tissue Culture Technician Agronomist Research Assistant Crop Consultant Conservationist (plants, soil, and environment)
Seed Cutting Tissue Culture Grown until Marketable Commercial Production End Use Consumer
Nursery Production of Peach Trees Rootstock is grown from seed Rogued for off-types Scion Grown from seed Harvested as a cutting Harvested as a bud from a Stock Plant Grafted together to form a new plant
Image by CE McAvoy
Grafting Image Courtesy of UF-IFAS CREC
Grow rootstock seedlings Harvest budwood and insert in rootstock Wrap bud After bud heals, unwrap and force Grow new tree to desired size for planting Images Courtesy of J. Burrow
Image by CE McAvoy
Introduction to Your Peach Tree Approximately 1 years old Rootstock = Flordaguard Scion = UFSun Purchased from Rucks Nursery in Frostproof, FL Accepted delivery on April 22, 2016
Image by CE McAvoy UFSun Yellow and non-melting flesh peach Fruit develop in approximately 90 days post bloom Develops 50-60% blush Fruits = 2.25 to 2.5 inches diameter Vigorous, Semi-spreading tree Requires 150 chill hours
The Flower
Stone = Endocarp Fruit Skin = Exocarp Seed = Seed Coat, Embryo, Endosperm Pericarp = Exo-, Meso-, & Endocarp Image by CE McAvoy
Choosing a Tree 3 to 5 new forming limbs Healthy vigorous growth Upright trunk 5 6 3 1 1 4 2 2 3 Absence of any insect or disease Look for Blind Wood
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Transplanting Your Tree Tree comes in a 3 gallon nursery pot Up-sizing to a 10 gallon pot Using a nursery potting soil Composted pine bark EnviroPeat Filler $25/cubic yard Thank you to C&C Peat for their generous donation!
Transplanting Fill the 10 gallon pot about 2/3 to 3/4 full Remove the tree from original container Remove excess soil from the root ball This should be done over your 10 gallon container Make a divot in the potting media The tree should be slightly higher than original container. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between soil line and lip of the container = water reservoir
Transplanting Back fill with more potting media Adding water to assist with packing the soil around the root ball Removes air pockets Check to make sure tree is upright Image by CE McAvoy
Making Pruning Cuts Cuts are made to: Maintain training system = light distribution Encourage growth for fruiting 2 Types of cuts Heading Back cut end of limb to encourage lateral bud development Thinning - discourages lateral bud development by removing whole limb
Pruning Your Tree Several training methods Central Leader Perpendicular V Fusetto Delayed Vase Open Vase/Center
Select Peach Training Methods Central Leader Perpendicular V Fusetto Open Vase Delayed Vase
Open Vase 1 st cut = Head back central leader Leave 3 to 5 scaffold limbs 2 nd cuts = remove blind wood Before the end of July Thin any limbs that do the following Grow downwards toward the ground Grow straight up and are increasing in diameter Grow so that they cross with another limb In January a final prune is conducted
Stub Cut Collar Cut Flush Cut
Irrigation Keep the tree moist until new growth shows Summer 3 to 4 times a week Check by feeling the soil or weight of container Young growth will wilt slightly Dry media will repel water Excessively wet media will cause roots to rot Late Fall and Winter once a week Leaves should have dropped
Fertilization 3 types acceptable Dry granular Slow release Soluble liquid Start = once you see new growth after transplanting Stop = Late August or Early September
Fertilizer Label 3 numbers on the top of the bag Ex. 10-10-10 = 10%N, 10% P 2 O 5, 10%K 2 O Secondary nutrients = calcium, magnesium, sulfur Micronutrients = iron, zinc, manganese, boron, copper, and molybdenum
Dry Granular Options 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 Apply at a rate of 3 to 4 ounces per month Incorporate into the potting media Keep it away from the trunk
Slow Release 13-7-13 citrus slow release fertilizer Shake & Feed Adjust for formulation Approximately 5 ounces every 3 months Incorporate into top layer of soil media Keep fertilizer away from the trunk
Soluble Liquid Fertilizer All-purpose concentrated Plant Food 12-4-8 ¾ of ounce mixed with a gallon of water Apply every two weeks in replacement of irrigation
Nutrient Deficiencies Happen! Choose a fertilizer that has all the nutrients needed Foliar sprays can help for micronutrients Don t use foliar Copper sprays Leaf burn and Defoliation Clemson University has a good website http://www.clemson.edu/extension/peach/fa q/peach_nutrition.html
Pest Management Pests = Diseases, Insects, and Weeds Common Foliar & Fruit Diseases Peach Rust early defoliation Armillaria Rot mushrooms Fungal Gummosis oozing on trunk Peach Scab fruit flecking & stem lesions Bacterial Spot stem, leaves, & fruit Brown Rot blossoms to fruit fuzzy gray fruit
Diseases Management Scab, Rust, and Bacterial Spot can be reduced by not allowing leaves to stay wet for long periods of time Keep the tree in Full Sun! 6 to 8 hours of exposure More information about disease management can be found here: http://hos.ufl.edu/extension/stonefruit/stonefruit-disease-management
Insect Management Scale dormant oil spray (twice) Trunk and limbs Aphids Malathion or insecticidal soap Attracted to new growth Peach Borers physically remove On the trunk, near soil level or prune cuts
Image by CE McAvoy
Image by CE McAvoy
Image by CE McAvoy
Image by CE McAvoy
Pesticide Safety If you USE a pesticide you MUST Read and Follow the directions on the label Wear the correct clothing stated on the label Have an adult assist you IF you spill wash those clothes separate
I hope to see a lot of these when you return your trees for Fair! Image by CE McAvoy
So Your Buyer will have these! Image by CE McAvoy
Questions?