Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

Ellen Solomon is a gardener, certified arborist, horticulturist and garden designer in Grass Valley. She has a degree in environmental horticulture from Sierra College.

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A PVFS Customer Email - With Staff Response

Question:
Hi,

I’m thinking of ordering a couple of fig trees (Desert king / Osborne Prolific), persimmon (Fuyu) and grapes (Interlaken). Do you know long it will take for them to start fruiting?

Thanks

Answer:

Regarding the Fig and Persimmon trees, it’s possible that they will fruit the 1st year for the Fig and 2nd for the Persimmon. It is better for the trees if you do not allow them to fully fruit out the first couple years so the tree will use it’s resources to establish a healthy root system. If they put out very much fruit the first couple years pick most of it off.

The grapes will possibly fruit by the 2nd year, again you want the first couple years focused on the root system for longevity and higher, healthier yields later on. Plus all this has variables related to the health of your soil and placement of the trees and vines. Southern exposure with full sun will fruit out the grapes faster.

Hope this helps. Thank you for your interest.

If you haven’t been to Peaceful Valley Farm Supply nursery you really must come and check it out.  There is a plant here that is my new “favorite” plant!  They are carrying a Silverberry Fruitlandii (Elaeagnus pungens) that has the most surprising fragrance.  In fact it’s hard to tell where that smell is coming from!  It actually reminds me of Hawaii!  The flowers are small and somewhat hidden at the base of the shrub.. probably the last place you’d look for flowers, but that SMELL will keep you looking!  The leaves have the two tone leaf color, gray/silver undersides and olive green top.  It’s in it’s prime now so you have one last summer hold out that makes you lift your head and breathe deep… ummmmm!  It can be pruned to various bush type shapes or allowed to go wild and shoot up toward the sky, well anywhere from 6 - 12 feet high that is. This is a hardy shrub that stands up to very dry conditions.  So plant it in places your hose can’t reach.  Plant it now and the fall and winter rains will help get it established in it’s new home.

Of course, there’s lots more to see and choose from.  Native plants, vegetable starts, trees, bulbs, annual and perennial flowers even cacti.  Come see what’s growing here at Peaceful Valley Farm Supply just waiting for a happy home to live out it’s life.

A PVFS Customer Email - with Staff response.

Question:

I used a 50lb bag of budget soil builder mix last year but only plan to use 1/2 that amount this year and would like to know if I can store the unused amount along with the unused amount of the innoculant for the following year if it would be ok.
The other question I have is on the mini perennial clover-grass mix (SCM750) and the low-growing clover mix (SCM700). Which one would be a better long term use with the least amount of care and how much water should I expect to give them and how tall should I let them grow before mowing them. I have pretty light sandy soil where my fruit tress are planted and I plan to use one of these produts in between my fruit trees to keep the dust down and leave the area around the trees rototilled. Thank you.

Answer:

The seed should be fine if you store it in a cool, dry place. You should purchase new inoculant next year, however.

Both the low growing clover and the mini clover-grass mix are good choices as far as low maintenance. It just depends on whether you want some grass as well as the clover. They are both perennial mixes, so you should expect to water regularly (the frequency and length of time really depends on how fast draining your sandy soil is. Keep in mind that the trees like deeper watering, you might consider sprayers for between the trees and soakers around the dripline of the trees). Once established, you can mow after about 4″. Fall would be the best time to plant.

Hope that helps and thank you for growing organically!

A question from a PVFS customer - including an answer from our staff.

Question:

Hello, I have received my fruit trees from you. The two that I have are a pear and pluot. I would like to grow them in a pot, but don’t know what planting soil to purchase as so many say “not for pots.” I don’t have any soil to be able to dig-up and add to it so would very much appreciate your help on what to buy.

Hope to hear soon from you

Answer:

Below are what seem to be good links for information on growing fruit trees in containers. Seems to me that potting soil is fine, except you could put gravel at the bottom of the container. The links also mention making your own mix of peat moss, bark and perlite. I’d say compost would also be a good additive.

http://www.crfg.org/tidbits/container.html
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/trees-shrubs/growing-trees-in-containers.htm

Hope that helps!

A Similar Question from another PVFS Customer - with employee answer.

Question:

Hello,

I am wondering if your semi-dwarf fruit trees can be grown in a container? My soil is basically a clay bed.

Thank you,

Answer:
Yes, semi-dwarf fruit trees can be grown in large containers, for a while. A healthy root system in the ground will usually be larger than the crown of the tree so you can see they wouldn’t be happy for too many years in a container. You can test your clay soil to see if it takes longer than a few hours to drain. I always amend mine with 1/3 compost and have also built a large mound for things that like better drainage.

Hope this helps,
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Codling Moths produce several generations in a season. They start laying their eggs in the Winter, and overwinter, or wait out the cold weather. The moths lay their eggs on the buds of the trees, so that the first generation of apples or pears form around the Codling Moth eggs. The result is that the inside of the apple becomes brown and soggy.

Subsequent generations of Codling Moths, like those we have here in the Sierra Foothills, will have 3 or 4 generations in a season. Their eggs will hatch in the debris around the tree, and the larvae will climb up the tree and into the fruit. It’s a big problem for growers.

One way to protect fruit from subsequent generations of Codling Moths is to use Maggot Barriers. They are a very simple and effective way to protect your fruit. By wrapping apples and pears in fine nylon mesh they simply block pests from digging in.

Pheremone lures and traps can be used for both monitoring and as pest control. A farmer can put one or two lures per acre, and see how many moths are trapped in order to monitor the population. In this way, the farmer can time sprays and plan ahead.

As traps, the farmer or home gardener will typically put one or two traps per tree. Adult Codling Moths are attracted to the pheromone lures, and get stuck to the trap’s sticky inner surface.

Now is a good time to prepare for Codling Moths. Stock up now while the trees are blooming!

As I sit gazing out my window at my beautiful garden on this sunny morning, the first day of spring, I can’t help but worry about the fate of my fruit trees in the days ahead. I never want to get too excited about my trees bearing fruit at this time of year though it is so very tempting.

Last year I thought for sure we had passed the danger zone and made the mistake of actually verbalizing what a good fruit year it looked to be. I will never make that mistake again. All it took was 6 hours of frost on the last weekend of April to kill all the tender fruit in Nevada County. My trees especially the peach and cherry trees are loaded with blossoms that look like pink and white popcorn. Oh how tempting it is to fantasize about all the delicious fruit that the blossoms will bring forth. Instead I look at their temporary beauty and wait in patience for the summer so as not to anticipate their success or failure.

Dear Peaceful Valley,

I live on Long Island, New York.
I live in a pine wooded area
I have cleared land for my organic garden and would like to plant some fruit trees.
I have fenced it in to prevent deer access.
My soil is sandy.
Can I mix in dirt and compost in the sandy soil for each tree?
But how deep and wide do I need to add materials compensate for the sandy location?
What fruit trees would grow in these conditions?
What fruit trees will bare fruit sooner than later?
And…the ones you say are appropriate…do I need a pollinator?

Am I still in time to plant?

Thanks and….
Regards,

Eileen

Dear Eilleen,

According to the USDA zone map we have and considering your particular micro-climate, You are probably in zone 5 or 6. Sandy soil is usually better drained than clay soil and adding compost will help with moisture retention. (more…)