Home Fruit Production

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Home Fruit Production
Home Fruit Production Amanda Sears Extension Ass
ociate for Horticulture
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Fruits To Be Discussed

• Strawberries
• Brambles
• Grapes
• Tree Fruits

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Fertilizer guidelines
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Fertilizer guidelines
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Strawberries
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Site Selection

• Select a deep, sandy loam soil with plenty of
  organic matter, pH 6.0 to 6.5
  
• Locate site on a moderate slope (5-15), that
  promotes good surface water and air drainage.
  
• Near water source for irrigation.

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Site Preparation

• Get rid of weeds early, rotation broad spectrum
  post emergent herbicide the summer before
  planting.
  
• Plow in fall,
• Soil test in fall, but fertilize in spring prior
  to planting based on test results.
  
• Plant cover crops.
• In spring turn under cover crop, disk and harrow
  the ground, then plant strawberries

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Site Preparation

• Avoid sites that grew Solanaceous or bramble
  crops prior three years.
  
• Plasticulture is not recommended in Kentucky, not
  economically sound.
  

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Choosing the Right Cultivar

• Fruit should have good size, attractive
  appearance, and good quality.
  
• Reputable nursery.
• Dormant, virus free plants.
• Better if nursery grows plants themselves.
• Northern plants tend to be healthier.
• Cheap plants are not necessarily cheap.

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Choosing the Right Cultivar

• Resistance to diseases such as red stele (a root
  fungus), verticillium wilt, leaf spot, and leaf
  scorch.

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When plants arrive

• If frozen, allow to soak for a couple of hours.
• Heel plants in.
• Cold storage, just above 35F.

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Planting

• Plant in early March or April.
• Prune plants roots.
• Keep plant roots moist while planting.
• Plant by hand or with setter.
• Do not double up roots.
• Soil depth needs to be even to the crown.

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Plant spacing determined by cultivar and
equipment used.

• Below are recommendations.

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Planting Care

• Follow ID-94, Kentucky Commercial Small Fruit
  and Grape Spray Guide.
  
• Cultivate frequently.
• Bloom removal the first season.
• Trim back late forming runners.
• Irrigate during dry times.
• Especially during flower bud formation
• Mulch for winter protection.
• Use straw 1 ½ - 2 ½ T/A

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Mulch

• Prevents frost heaving.
• Retards spring growth.
• Protects blooms from spring frosts.
• Reduces weed growth.
• Conserves moisture.
• Makes picking pleasant.

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Mulch

• Keeps fruit clean.
• Use clean wheat, oat or rye straw.

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Mulching

• Apply when temperatures approach 20F, or when
  leaf color turns from green to gray.
  
• Apply 1.5 to 2 T/Acre by hand, manure spreader,
  or with a mulching machine.
  
• You need to be able to see a few leaves through
  the mulch, or plant may be smothered.
  

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Frost Protection

• First flowers to bloom produce the largest
  fruit.
  
• Flower buds lose their hardiness as they develop,
  and become prone to frost injury.
  
• Overhead irrigation

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Frost Damage
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Strawberry Harvest

• No harvest the first year after planting with the
  matted row system.
  
• Harvest begins in May.
• and lasts two or three weeks
• heaviest in the first four to six days
• Berries ripen 28 to 30 days after first bloom.
• Must be picked every other day.

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Bramble Production
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Establishing a Bramble Planting

• Soil Test
• Best to plant brambles in early spring or fall
• Late March or early April
• Late October or November
• Choose multiple cultivars in order to have a
  continuous supply of berries throughout the
  growing season.
  
• Plant on well drained areas or raised beds
• Select sites that allow good air circulation.

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Brambles

• Reputable nursery
• Several ways to buy
• Transplants
• Suckers
• Tips
• Root cuttings
• Tissue cultured plants

One-year-old plants are best.
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Planting Brambles

• Dont let roots dry out
• Make hole big enough for the roots to fan out.
• Cut off broken roots
• Furrow or individual holes
• Same depth as at nursery
• 1-2 months for plants to emerge from root cuttings

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Brambles Pruning
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Fertilization

• 1st year
• Band 50 lb N/A 6 from plants 60 days after
  planting
  
• 2nd succeeding years
• In February, 0.75 to 1.5 lbs ammonium nitrate
  per 100 ft of row

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Irrigation

• Lack of water seriously reduces yields
• Require 1 water/wk during growing season

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Harvest

• Avoid harvesting wet berries
• Pick gently lifting berries with thumb and
  fingers
  
• When harvesting for sale, dont pick fruit when
  dead ripe
  

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Grape Production
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Site selection

• Require 200 frost free days
• Air circulation
• Soil Drainage
• Situated above the adjoining landscape
• Soil Survey
• Water for irrigation

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Site Preparation

• Green manure crops
• Soil pH between 5-6
• Amend soil according to soil survey

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Buying Grapes

• Buy from reputable nursery
• Top-grade 1 plants
• Certified virus free
• American Bunch
• Native and hardy
• American French Hybrids
• Better than American for wines
• Lacks the foxiness"

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Planting

• Plant in spring or fall
• Fall
• Mound soil above surface, but remove in spring
• Spring
• Order plants early enough to plant while still
  dormant
  

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Planting

• 8-10 ft within rows, 10-12 between rows
• Make hole big enough so there is no crowding of
  roots
  
• Put some top soil in the bottom of the hole
• Remove any damaged roots from the plant
• Spread out the roots and pack soil in so as to
  avoid air pockets

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Trellis

• Does not have to be constructed the first year
• Consists of one, two, or three tightly stretched
  wires attached to firmly set posts
  
• Wires should be evenly spaced
• Attach wire to windward side

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Fertilizing

• ½ lb of 10-10-10 to each vine
• Apply in a circle of 4 to 6 feet around vine
• Double this in the third season
• 2lbs 10-10-10 in the fourth season
• Base requirements on petiole analysis

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Training and Pruning

• Late winter to early spring
• Grapes come from buds left on 1 year old canes
• Leave around 50 buds
• Leave several bud spurs on main trunk to produce
  1 year old canes for next season

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Thinning

• Hand removal of flower clusters or immature
  clusters
  
• Strengthens vine
• Improves grape quality
• Removes undersize or misshapen berries

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Tree Fruits
Tree Fruits
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Apple Cultivars
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Peach Varieties
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Tree Fruits

• For the home grower, choose disease resistant
  varieties to cut down on spray applications.
  
• Differing sizes
• Dwarf
• Semi dwarf
• Standard
• One year old stock

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Planting

• Keep roots moist
• Set to nursery depth
• Graft union above the ground

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Irrigation

• Improves fruit quality, size, quantity
• 1 per week

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Pruning

• Prune in late winter to early spring
• Cut
• Weak crotch angles
• Crowded limbs
• Horizontal limbs
• Competition for leader
• Water sprouts and suckers
• Diseased or injured limbs