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Fruit Tree Rescue

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Fruit Tree Rescue

Are your fruit trees not really doing their bit? Are they tired and unproductive? Do you need help? WE CAN! Jeremy 021 568 224 or [email protected]

10/03/2026

Autumnal disciplines…home garden orchardists.

Not advice, purely suggestions.

- Post harvest - cease all irrigation
- Remove all unharvested diseased damaged fruits - good hygiene
- Tidy up broken limbs and fruiting arms
- plan clean up copper sprays, autumn applications

Something I am doing to nourish next years flower buds. It’s a homemade bud builder spray mixed with my first early leaf fall copper sprays.
A one-off early autumn tonic.
- 100g Copperoxychloride / 100litres (10g/10 litres)
- 200g Calcium nitrate (20g/10 litres)
- 100g Magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) (10g/10 litres water)
I am applying at less than 1000 litres water per hectare.

Leaf fall seems early this year. Usually I would commence first week of April.
I like to apply 3 autumn coppers and then continue monthly through the winter.
Subsequent covers I choose full rate 300g per 100 litres of water

If you know your soil is becoming acidic, consider an autumn lime application.
Calcium is very immobile in the soil and lime can take several years to work through the soil profile and into the plant.
1 tonne per hectare is equivalent to 100g per square metre.
This dose could be considered every second or third year as a maintenance dressing. It will not cause significant pH changes.But check your local soil types first.
I prefer Dolomite Lime because it is also a rich source of Mg - Magneium.

Do not dive in and do major stonefruit pruning in April. There is a greater likelihood of Silverleaf susceptibility.

01/11/2025

Here is an example of making the ‘courage cut’ for home garden fruit trees.

It was a one year central leader maiden from commercial nursery.

In this case I have done so for a tub/patio planting. So the tree becomes multileader.
I rubbed away lower shoots back in September.
It is possible I will tip 3-5 well spaced shoots to outer buds when they attain 60-70cm - to encourage further branching. But most importantly consolidating growth against wind-throw.

09/12/2023

Sweet corn...
Second late sowing just planted today as a small cash-flow crop for autumn harvest.

The first sowing is well away and will flush with rain+irrigation+fertiliser

14/11/2023

NECTARINE NOVEMBER NASTIES:

On various horticultural and home garden pages these sort of symptoms show up in posts.

I have given up striving for foliage perfection but when I see shoot flagging and clusters of twigs with spotty leaves...
🤔
I mentally prepare to be vigilant and possibly apply a low-dose copper to the entire block.

Nectarines are more prone, as are certain varieties.
Peaches seem fine.

The rain a week ago.
Massive diurnal variation: over-night lows of 1-5 Deg C and daytime highs 15-32 Deg C!!!
Plus two hail events!

All favouring Bacterial Spot (Xanthomonas prunii), but some symptoms look "blasty"(Pseudomonas syringae)

2-3 observations don't phase me, but I will be "on guard".

Copperoxychloride
50g per 100 litres water plus
Potassium nitrate
200g per 100 litres water.

(5 and 20g per 10 litres water)

The Cu is as a bacteriostat
The KNO3 is a little Nitrogen boost, and the Potassium will help with future fruit texture, Colour and Flavour.
The next cover spray (mid Dec) I will apply Calcium Nitrate - small Nitrogen boost and the calcium helps overall plant tissues and fruit texture.

Cutting away below the canker and destroying affected tissues is also an option - at the small scale level.

29/07/2023

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY…

Given the June/July excesses I cannot emphasise enough the importance of clean-up/prevention copper sprays.

Many will be familiar with my comments via (NZ) Backyard Pip and Stonefruit Growers group threads.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/835499847187771/?ref=sharehttps://m.facebook.com/groups/835499847187771/?ref=share&exp=7ffb

Ever so important in the control and prevention of numerous fungal and bacterial problems.
The autumn sequence commences the clean up, the monthly winter applications suppress bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae (Blast), late winter early spring are most crucial for Leafcurl on peaches and nectarines and Bladder Plum (plums).

Now being the end of July I sense many gardeners are just thinking about last seasons leafcurl.
One copper application simply won’t do it, unless you are in a low pressure zone or you have already suppressed it with good management.

In the South Island anyway, you do have time to get in 2-3 cover sprays.

My copper of choice is COPPEROXYCHLORIDE - easy to handle, easy to mix, recognised in Organic growing regimes, cost effective.

Full rate: 20g per 10 litre tank (approx 2 tablespoons)
Medium rate as closer to green tip: 10g per 10 litre tank.

Move your nozzle around to achieve thorough coverage. You will see the pale blue accumulate around the buds.
Also run up and down the main stems, and especially the bark of the tree knee height and lower.
If you see any old blast cankers - saturate them.

I did a full cover on my lifestyle block last week.
This upcoming week Peaches and Nectarines will receive a MIZAR cover as this is proven to break the insidious leaf curl scourge. SCORE also is effective, and great on pipfruit too.

Timing before green tip to avoid phtyotoxicity (foliage tissue damage) I will also apply a full rate Copperoxychloride with Horticultural spraying OIL at 200ml per 10 litres of spray mix. This is 2% strength, but 1% is ok too to reduce cost.
Premix the copper, then add the oil while shaking/agitating/topping up your tank.
While spraying keep shaking your backpack or hand carry tank. Apply everything same day.
The oil helps smother and suffocate overwintering insect eggs and pests - thus reducing your pest pressure in October/November.

Ensure you get in one final lower rate copper at early green tip - this will assist against Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas prunii) problems in warmer/wet spring cycles.
Note spring frosts also favour reproduction of its counterpart, BLAST.

The next stage for stonefruit are OVER BLOSSOM fungicide applications to reduce brown rot at harvest.
Yes, the BROWN ROT life cycle begins shortly. Sadly the home gardener has been prevented access to previously common and highly efficacious products. Now only available commercially.
Please ask your Garden Centre to direct you to suitable products.
Ideally:
1 x flower bud swell
1 x pop corn
1 x full bloom

Later the challenges for Pip fruit ….Codlin Moth, Bronze Beetle, Black Spot and Powdery Mildew…

Caution: easy to avoid but try to develope the habit of using face shields, masks, respirators, eyewear whenever spraying.
Wear something rather than nothing, whatever fits your budget. Even the Covid blue face mask will help.

09/06/2023

Edible Gardeners…

LARGE PLANTER BAGS - wholesale pricing to YOU!

35 litre to 75 litre options

SINGLE BAG SALES….. or take 10% discount on 5+ bags

Collect from CHESKIN as prearranged or POSTAL options (to be costed per order)

EGMONT Horticulture Planter Bags
CODE:
EasiGrip 2 handles
EG45 45 litre $3.85 each
EG60 60 litre $4.65 each
EG75 75 litre $6.75 each (EG75 now Sold out)

Eco Fabric 300gsm 2 handles
EF35 35 litre $7.25 each
EF45 45 litre $7.65 each

Please txt with your Collection or Postal request.
Please do NOT reply by fb messenger.

Jeremy 021 568 224

Please provide: Pickup or POST (pricing to be confirmed order by order)

Full name
Complete address with Post Code if not collecting

Quantity of each by code

Stock supplies on hand now.
Dispatch following prepaid orders

NZ POST prepaid courier bags will be used as per images below.
Bag size will be selected to match order.
Eco Fabric ARE bulky

Single bag orders can be sent in the #2 bag $6.40
Rural Delivery $4.80 rip-off surcharge cannot be avoided sorry.

Confirmed Order Payment to ANZ 01-0695-0056333-000
Identify with: “Your Name” & “Phone number” as ref

07/10/2022

Hello happy home gardeners.
Edible gardens are the key today, or at least a component of your garden should be.

Here are some spring offers which should appeal to all tastes.

TXT Jeremy 021 568 224
or
Email your questions and order requests [email protected]

Thankyou and good spring gardening ahead

14/07/2022

MID WINTER COPPER COVER SPRAYS: yes or no?

Personally I am a great advocate of copper cover sprays from autumn leaf fall through to spring green tip.

Autumn covers are a good seasonal clean up, but MID WINTER you are investing in your stonefruit health and well being.

Especially for Bladder plum disease of Plums, and Leaf Curl of Almonds/Peaches/Nectarines.

Both exhibit greater prevalence and once established in your home orchard, prove harder to eradicate.

If you are currently free of these and have low/no incidence of Bacterial Spot and Bacterial Blast, then you can continue spray free.

For those of you finding these beasties a challenge may I suggest:
Autumn:
1-3 covers during and to end of leaf fall April/May

WINTER: all fruit trees
1st week June
1st week July
1st week August

SPRING: stonefruit pre green tip, subject to location in NZ

I prefer copperoxychloride or Bordeaux mix, but Copper hydroxide and KOCIDE are also products out there.

Given the very wet July I believe everyone should be more vigilant especially if nil applications have been made thus far.

Do not apply full rate copper formulations over opening blossom buds, nor at active green tip. Phytotoxity or foliage damage is likely.

Rates:
Copperoxychloride 300g / 100litres water commercially…

Is 45g per 15 litre sprayer
Is 30g per 10 litre sprayer
Is 15g per 5 litre sprayer

And if you have a small 2 litre sprayer - use SAY a heaped teaspoon

My choice only, apply personal experience before you adopt this!
But for all winter applications I use 50g / 10 litres water, thoroughly mixed and agitated.
Apply to the point where you see bluish droplets accumulating but not running off.
Ensure even coverage by moving the nozzle around the canopy on all sides.
DO spray woody bark surfaces to ground level.

Approaching green tip do not exceed 20g / 10 litres water.

I also recommend a copper application immediately after your pruning especially if bad weather is imminent or you choose not to use wound dressing.

08/07/2022

APRICOT FROST SUSCEPTABILITY:

Having just answered a question to an enthusiastic home gardener, I thought I would add here for your spring reference.

From my commercial experience in Central Otago, apricots are quite resilient re frost until petal fall.
At bud swell they survive in good numbers 4-6hours of -6 deg C

At popcorn they survive -4 deg C

At full bloom they will survive a full overnight -2 deg C

A group of us in Cromwell adopted a basis of 50% petal fall before using our overhead sprinklers for frost protection.

At calyx they will take -1 for those short 5am till sunrise frosts.

At calyx drop and mini fruit, -1 for 20 minutes can be disastrous, especially in low humidity situations.

If your grass is dripping wet going to bed you are “usually safe”.

At small fruit to 15mm diameter your fruit is most vulnerable.
This is the stage where I lost 90% of my 2021/22 crop due to a shoulder injury preventing me starting my overhead sprinkler irrigation system.
Usually from late October “risk” abates dramatically.

I have never used Vapourgard so can not give you a satisfactory answer.
However over early blossom I would suggest is unnecessary as the buds have low vulnerability.

Of greater proven success are low dose copper applications weekly till bud swell.
The presence of copper reduces the survival of ice nucleating bacteria which facilitate frost damage.

Kocide: 2-3g per 10 litres

Copperoxychloride: 5g per 10 litres water

Do not apply over open bloom unless you have established prior use experience.

11/10/2021

This wet and variable spring is unhelpful for Stonefruit in Canterbury.
Leaf curl is appearing from “no where” on nectarines and peaches.

Frost cycles between rainfalls plus fluctuating warm/wet and cold/wet is seeing bacterial blast raise its ugly head.

And despite all those winter and spring coppers…

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